Hey everyone,

I just picked up my MCS, and it is...awesome. However, I have a few questions:

1) I ordered the $500 usb/bluetooth option. I was a little preturbed to find out that the connection is actually below the AC controller in that little cubby. Is this correct? I was under the impression it would be hidden in the glove box or something.

2) If one touches the cable to the ipod, the sound can become very tinny. And if you touch it another way, it becomes very rich sounding. Do you think my cables/connection is bad? Or is this common?

3) The voice of the guy saying the directions on the nav system is very quiet, can he be turned up in volume?

4) Is there anyway to search for a song in the ipod via the interface? It takes very long to scroll through all of the songs to get to the end of my "artists" list. I.e.: it starts off on "a" and, say, I want to play Fleetwood Mac...do I really have to scroll through every song "a-e" to find it? Or can you search my "m" artists? I have 10000 songs, so its getting a little hary.

5) Not a question...but no one ever commented on how cool the nav system is! The door ajar noises are different than the non-nav mini. And just some of the noises it makes in general are very pleasing. I love, love it.

This car is so much fun though, it probably should be illegal somehow.

Thanks everyone!!!

 

Opps...on more thing...

6) I thought the 2008 model was to have auto down and UP windows? Mine only do auto down. Is this correct?

Thanks again!

 

I can't answer your USB/Bluetooth question since I don't have that particular option but the power windows have both auto up and down.You just need to use a light push on the toggle switch to activate that feature.

 

I just figured this out last night. Regarding the windows, just pull the toggle switch up once and it will auto up.

 

Jcr beat me to it

 

Cooptime , I can touch my cables or move it , no change in sound quality . You must have a bad cable . As far as finding a song , I have to scroll through all the list to find what I want too . If there is an easier way , I have not found it . Cubby is a dumb place for the connection , I agree .

 

You are thinking of the iPod Integration, which uses the "secret compartment" above the glove compartment. If you got the Bluetooth just for an iPod, that was not the best choice. If you got it for using a cel phone, the iPod USB connection is a bonus. However, go look at the Mythbusters episode (I believe it is on their web page) on driving while talking on a cel phone. It is about like driving drunk. We can't really think about two things at once.

Probably a bad cable or connector.

Try turning it up while he is speaking.

I don't recall, but check the voice activation commands. I sort of have this vague recollection that you can speak a song title and get it to go there. I may be dreaming.

Yea, there are some good settings in there, and it is a nice way to control the audio. Some of my passengers have been quite impressed by the map in the direction of travel. Very cool as you go around curves.

Some of the stuff it tempts you to do is illegal. Must restrain myself, must restrain myself...

 

Hi:
Yep. I was under the same impression. The picture of the I-Pod option shown in the configurator is pretty misleading, because it shows the I-Pod connected through the glove-box. It doesn't explain that this is a different option than with the bluetooth connectivity. The wiring is completely different for the two options - there's a thread on it in the electronics forum.

I was disappointed too - MINI needs to make sure customers fully understand what they're getting when they post descriptions on their site together with a picture. The description and the picture should match.

 

You might be thinking of the Ford Sync commercials? It will let you select the artist by voice- no dice with the Mini system. It will do a similar thing for voice dialing though, if your cell phone is compatible and can import the address book- not sure why that couldn't be applied to the entertainment side of it

Or, if not illegal, will at least get you a sock in the arm from the passenger

 

Thanks for all of your responses!

I think I basically figured everything out. I forgot to try the one "light" touch of the toggle to auto up the windows. Oh well. I'll get to it soon. And I think the usb cable is actually ok. I noticed it had some gunk on from the factory...wiped it off and it works great now. I'm actually impressed with the sound from the HIfi system (unlike other ppl). Well, I guess its much better than that tin-can-like system in my old mini.