I would swear when I took delivery of my '03 S, the center button on the left backside of the wheel controlled switching between bands of the radio (AM, FM, FM2, etc.). Now it does nothing - but my dealer tells me it's only functional when equipped with the phone. I am almost certain there was no "dead button" when I first got it...
Anybody know for sure?

 

>>I would swear when I took delivery of my '03 S, the center button on the left backside of the wheel controlled switching between bands of the radio (AM, FM, FM2, etc.). Now it does nothing - but my dealer tells me it's only functional when equipped with the phone. I am almost certain there was no "dead button" when I first got it...
>>Anybody know for sure?

That is the way my '02 Cooper works, I believe. At least that is what happened when I hit it accidently the other day.

 

At this point it's a non-functional button. Perhaps a brain cramp?

 

maybe your crazy

 

MiniMiata...try the center button on the RIGHT side switch. Getting a little dyslexic lately?

 

yep, on the 2002, it switches between AM, FM, in-dash CD, and CD changer

 

On my 2002 MC, the center button on left does nothing.

 

On my car, the right center button only switches between radio and CD, not between AM and FM as well.

My ex-ex-girlfriend had a car (Chevy Malibu - her dad was a dealer) that she was convinced for over a year had variable speed intermittent wipers. Not speed-sensitive, but manually controlled. I forget how she thought she was changing their speed, but it turned out that they were just one speed after all. Now THAT'S crazy.

_________________
2003 Red/White Cooper - Brookline, MA

 

Picked mine up Wednesday night and my dealer told me that it does nothing. The middle on the right side is MODE. I use it to launch the paintballs out the front mounted saw gun.

 

Hold the left button in and use the rockers to scan the frequency. In CD mode it fast forward or rewinds the current track.

 

I was told this button does nothing but might be used in the future for various expansions.... this was from my dealer.

 

The middle button on the left changes CD's if you have a CD changer.

 

Aha - I don't have the CD changer... interesting.

 

>>Hold the left button in and use the rockers to scan the frequency. In CD mode it fast forward or rewinds the current track.

If you do not press the button in it will scan the same. The button does nothing in my 02 MCS.

 

I've got the CD changer. Does nothing.

 

When I picked mine up, I was told that the middle-left button was reserved for "functions available on European cars". So, what are we, chopped liver?

 

I was told that the center left hand button was for the stinger missles but it's impossible to get replacements nowadays. Just kidding. I believe that it is going to be for the hands free phone option when its available to mesh with the microphone installed on the right hand side of my sunroof control panel.

 

>>yep, on the 2002, it switches between AM, FM, in-dash CD, and CD changer

I stand corrected, the right middle button switches between whichever radio band and the in-dash cd changer.

The left middle button switches CDs in the CD changer. Had to go out to the car to check it out.

 

>>>>I would swear when I took delivery of my '03 S, the center button on the left backside of the wheel controlled switching between bands of the radio (AM, FM, FM2, etc.). Now it does nothing - but my dealer tells me it's only functional when equipped with the phone. I am almost certain there was no "dead button" when I first got it...
>>>>Anybody know for sure?
>>
>>That is the way my '02 Cooper works, I believe. At least that is what happened when I hit it accidently the other day.

My car was brought in from Canada, so maybe that is why my left center button switches between FM functions. I just went out and tried it. Sure enough, it changes between FM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

 

>>>>>>I would swear when I took delivery of my '03 S, the center button on the left backside of the wheel controlled switching between bands of the radio (AM, FM, FM2, etc.). Now it does nothing - but my dealer tells me it's only functional when equipped with the phone. I am almost certain there was no "dead button" when I first got it...
>>>>>>Anybody know for sure?
>>>>
>>>>That is the way my '02 Cooper works, I believe. At least that is what happened when I hit it accidently the other day.
>>
>>My car was brought in from Canada, so maybe that is why my left center button switches between FM functions. I just went out and tried it. Sure enough, it changes between FM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
>>
>>

Are you sure you're talking about the left center button? On mine, the "up" and "down" buttons scroll through the station settings(ie FM1, FM2, etc)., while the center button does nothing. This question comes up a lot, and it's amazing how many different uses this button is purported to have, especially since as far as anyone can seem to prove, it does absolutely nothing.

To those people claiming that the left middle button does something, please go out to your car and test if it actually does that. I've never heard from anyone who has one that actually does something without aftermarket modifications.

PigLick

 

03 MCS here and my left button has never done anything.

I wish it was hooked to one of these: http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/05/missile.test/

 

>>Are you sure you're talking about the left center button? On mine, the "up" and "down" buttons scroll through the station settings(ie FM1, FM2, etc)., while the center button does nothing. This question comes up a lot, and it's amazing how many different uses this button is purported to have, especially since as far as anyone can seem to prove, it does absolutely nothing.
>>
>>To those people claiming that the left middle button does something, please go out to your car and test if it actually does that. I've never heard from anyone who has one that actually does something without aftermarket modifications.
>>
>>PigLick

Oops, you're right. I was hitting the bottom button not the middle button. The middle button does nothing.

 

03 MC left middle button does nothing! My MA from dealer also told me so.

 

THE LEFT MIDDLE BUTTON DOES SOMETHING!!!! It's actually pretty useful and I find myeself using it often! LISTEN UP. if you press the left middle button in CD mode, it switches the left up and down buttons to scan throughout the song. Press it again, and it selects tracks on the CD. In AM or FM, if you hit the button, you can scan through individual frequencies with the up/down on the left. Hit the button once again and it will only scan through your favorites with the left up/down. It's almost like a "mode" select within either the CD or radio mode.

 

Personally I think MINI has made sure each one of our cars is different so we will never run out of things to talk about on MCO