I'd like to install a taximeter in my Clubman. No, I'm not a taxi driver, and I'm not about to start charging for rides! It's a rather interesting reason, which I can't talk about just yet, but will share eventually. I'm a software engineer and working on a product, and suffice it to say that I need to install the taximeter for some tests, and I happen to own a 2008 Clubman.

I need access to the VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) wire.

However, I stumbled across a note for a shift-indicator product that it wasn't possible for it to provide full functionality on a Clubman, because Mini "eliminated the VSS in the Clubman".

Is that true?

If not, any guidance as to where I can find it? I've seen some photos on where to find it in a coupe, but not specifically for the Clubman. I'll be honest and say that I'm lazy and haven't gone digging for it yet.

I was about to bid on a taximeter on eBay, but then I stumbled across this "no VSS" thing...

 

AKAIK, it a coupe with extra baggage on its backside...do you have a link of the purported 'eliminated VSS' statement?

WRT location: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-nav-car.html

Armed with a clubman wiring chart, to sort that connector, and I'd think you'd be golden.

 

Here:

http://fes-auto.com/products_detail.php?productid=5

This is the only thing I have on this, though, so I'd love to hear either confirmation from others who've installed (or couldn't install) accessories requiring a VSS into an R56 or Clubman.

It appears I can get a little box that plugs into the CAN bus to generate VSS pulses for a taximeter. (Or, I suppose for any other purpose, but the ones I have seen are marketed for taximeters, which is my application.)

What I gather here is that when mechanical speedo cables were eliminated, manufacturers started using a VSS wire, carrying pulses related to the vehicle speed. More recently, most vehicles have added the CAN bus, a digital serial bus that carries various vehicle information. For a time, most (including Mini) kept the "legacy" VSS wire, but now Mini has eliminated it.

But this is guesswork, based on a single manufacturer comment. Maybe somebody should clue-in FES to the availability of the converter boxes. Or maybe they backed off when the vendor said "you talkin' to ME?"

This company has a lot of CAN Bus-related products, including the one I've seen used for installing taximeters (CANM8). Unfortunately, I don't see Mini listed as compatible, though a bunch of BMW products are. I'm putting this here because it may be helpful for others wanting to install accessories needing a VSS wire. I'm assuming that newer products will start to include their own CAN interface.

http://www.canm8.com/splash.php

It's all pretty confusing, even for this programmer with quite a bit of electronics background. Apparently, the Mini actually has SEVERAL serial busses, and the term "CAN" seems to be widely mis-used to refer to ALL of them, so it's not quite clear exactly what I need to tap into.

 

Did you have any luck finding the VSS line? Also, is the CAN bus going through the OBDII port or is there another plug somewhere?