Factory iPod interface "random" doesn't work right?
 

I recently had the iPod interface installed in the secret compartment of my R56. The iPod works, plays songs, charges, etc. Everything is fine. (I'm using a 3rd gen 30GB iPod)

The only problem I'm having is with trying to get songs to play randomly.

When I list by track and then hit the "RND" button on the mini's main console to do the job, it randomly jumps to an song, and then plays all of that artists songs. (For example, if I'm playing a U2 song, right after hitting "RND" from the track list, it goes from U2 and then jumps to Green Day song. Cool. So I thought the random was working fine. But the next song is by Green Day, and then the next, and the next, etc.)

Is there a way to have it simply shuffle through all tracks on the iPod, regardless of the artist? If so, does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

It does the same thing with my MP3 CDs, organized by ROOT > ARTIST > Song.mp3. Wondered about it in the back of my mind... if someone could clear this up that'd be awesome.

It sounds like the random button you're hitting is just randomizing the next song, not putting the radio in a random mode. Then it continues playing the next song in line. Is there a random mode button instead? The Nav has random all and random directory choices. I don't have a radio owners manual (PDF or paper) to see how the non-Nav system works. Trying holding the random button in instead of pressing it.

Thanks for the suggestion, but holding down the button doesn't work. There's a little check box that appears next to "RND" to show if it's on/off. That's it.

It's really bad because on the steering wheel you click to the next song and it literally is the NEXT song, even if the RND is selected. It seems like the RND command only works ONCE and after that, it's just every track in order. Totally misses the point of a random shuffle and I can't believe they would have the software work that way.

I think they made it maybe so that you have to listen to the entire song before the next song will play randomly, and the next button overrides the random play and just plays the next track.

Really odd (and bad) setup if ya ask me.

I almost always listen to my Ipod randomly through the factory interface. Not sure if this helps, but I set the Ipod itself to Shuffle, then plug it into the MINI interface and hit random, then it will play randomly through all of my songs. Kind of annoying but say I decide to listen to a particular album or artist then go back to random, I have to unplug the Ipod and reset again.

I concur with mtbscott. Otherwise draw the pentagram, light the candles and attempt to ward off the evil spirits. :grin:

The randomness or lack of randomness is really quite depressing in a BMW product. Pressed random once in my VW Beetle and the factory Ipod played all my songs in random order and I could skip songs in random order. Would also randomize a specific pre-determined playlist.

Oh-- It also only cost me $150.00 to install in the glove box as a dealer accessory. I'll not be forking out the $300.00+ for the MINI ipod glove box install anytime soon.

Using the MFSW in the MINI to change tracks IN ORDER when you have over 3,000 songs is really un-fun.

i think the MINI iPod interface i HORRIBLE! i'd never get it again. try to look up some band or artist late in the alphabet. Unless you've got a small number of artist's, forget it. it needs to be able to search by letter like the phone book. i have more music than phone number in my iphone...i bet most people are like me ....are you listening MINI?

sorry, that really was kind of a rant :lol:

will try this. thanks.

will try this. thanks.

You're exactly right- it's a real PITA (especially scrolling through 45GB or so of music). Not a lot of patience twisting the knob to Yo La Tengo. As a work around I keep a relatively small number of playlists to scroll through with the stuff I listen to most often. If not on a playlist, it's quicker to disconnect the iPod and set it to the artist of choice then plug it back into the interface.

Wow! Your phone book works?!? You must have one of the three actual models of phones that are compatible! The current phone (LG) will connect to Bluetooth but that's about it. I had a Razr when I first got the Mini and it worked great. When it died the provider only offered a pink Razr as a replacement and I just wasn't that secure...

it depends on what mode the interface is in.

you can press 1 2 3 4 to get list by song, by album, by artist, etc.

put it in the first mode (leftmost) which is all songs in alphabetical order, hit random, and you should get what you want

+1 to having to scroll all the way through individually.....

the way i work the Random button is....

hit random..... use the wheel to scroll to some random song (so you don't have to listen to the first song in the list each time)... after that first song has played it usually randomizes from that point.

hope that helps.

What I've been doing is hitting RND twice. It deactivates it, then when it is reactivated it jumps to a pseudorandom song.

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
I have the iPod set to shuffle by songs, and hitting the RND random button on the mini interface only works initially for the first track. If you then skip to the next song, it literally goes to the next song in the track list, again, and again. Not Random.

The only way I've been able to get the Random to actually be random is to hit the RND button so it shows the check mark, then if I want another random jump to any track, I have to hit RND twice to uncheck and then check it again.

Major pain since it all has to be done via the center console and not the wheel, and you have to navigate to the main menu to even see the RND button. (I like it way better having it list the full artist/title from the list and not that ultra truncated title listing with RND and SCH included, etc.)

What a horrible interface.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to have random only play a random track ONCE and then play everything else in order when you hit next. That's the entire point of it being r-a-n-d-o-m.

I'm not sure if it's worth the time, but I shoot off an email to corporate about this. The good thing is that a software upgrade/patch would solve this 100%.

Yup, that's the only way I could get it working as well.
Literally means clicking a bunch of times if you're in the track list menu. Argh.

It isn't just MINI - we paid $500 to get an iPod adapter put in our Mazda (from the dealer) so it could be controlled through the steering wheel controls and it behaves in the same way. Crazy and annoying.

What a mess.

What's strange is that I replaced my first generation "Harmon Kardon Drive & Play" with this new Mini interface and the cheap HK Drive & Play works as it should, just a bit slower. Shuffle is a true shuffle..."next" goes to the next random song when random is engaged, etc.

If anyone doesn't mind the external display of a "Harmon Kardon Drive & Play", I'd suggest one of these as an add-on rather than the factory version.

That's weird. I have the adapter that plugs into the radio. The random function works perfectly, and I can use the steering wheel controls to click to the next track.

Do you have the oem Nav system? Are you using the Ipod cord (secret compartment/glovebox) or the USB connection near the aux in jack?

USB connection near the Aux jack.

I think we need some clarification here. All of our MFSW controls work correctly and will go to the "NEXT" track.

When in Random mode, as soon as you hit the next button on the steering wheel it doesn't go to the next RANDOM track... it cancels the randomization and goes to the next song in order after the song you are listening to. :mad:

If you want to randomize your songs you have to press the random button EACH time to get a new song. ARGH.

That's a different interface than what the OP was referring to. Maybe when using the USB port random works.

Well, after a few exchanges with Mini USA over this issue, here is the reply I got back when they finally understood what I was talking about:



I didn't expect much, but a software patch/tweak to fix this would be nice.

If anyone wants to contact MiniUSA about this, their feedback link is here:
http://www.miniusa.com/?#/contactFaq/contact-s

Their email is here: MINI.Assistance@askMINIUSA.COM

May not amount to much for this edition, but it can't hurt if people who are annoyed by this (me!) chime in to see if it may warrant a software patch/upgrade.