LCI = Life Cycle Impulse, aka mid-cycle refresh, aka 2011-2013 models for the R56.

I took off the antenna and the radio still works. Very suprising

I've had mine for exactly a week today, so I'm still learning.

Good to know! I was going to program my DRLs to be on for an upcoming road trip involving a lot of high-volume traffic, but now I know not to bother.

I haven't had time to check this out, but I can really hear a big improvement in sound quality when an AM station switches to HD.


This gets looks every time I start the car at the local Wawa. It's like the car is waving goodbye.

This is my third turbocharged car (the others were a 1979 Mustang Turbo and a 1990 Probe GT), and all three of them have exhibited this behavior. Although the MCS is more drivable at low RPMs than the other two, I've noticed one not-so-desirable trait that it has in common with them: when just beginning to take off gently, while the engine is still in the lower RPM range, stepping on the gas -- as when you suddenly notice an oncoming car -- can cause it to bog down significantly until the RPMs increase enough to get the turbo going. I'd kind of forgotten about that. It was a much worse problem in the Probe, though, almost getting me into an accident once.

Being new to the Mini world.

You can simply talk to the system and tell it what channel you want on the X/M Satellite radio.

Looks like NAM dropped my reply - happens sometimes. If found a link referring to it as New Coding System. The CS are certainly in German and translates to the same initials (as BMW does) so presumably the N does too?

Thanks for the info! Or maybe it's Numbskulls Can Swim?

Sorry, but it was written on Mini2.com that NCS just stands for New Coding System
very boring, your explanation was better

Not sure anyone has posted this yet ... apologies if so.

IF you do NOT have DRLs enabled, AND
IF you have the headlights switch in Automatic mode, AND
IF you have fog lights on your car,
THEN you can flip on your headlights AND fog lights all at once by just turning on your fog lights.

How really quick it is from a stop.

Especially with it having the 6-Speed Automatic tranny.

Very true, my 2008 MCS was like that, BUT, the JCW with its larger turbo pulls strong up to redline and still wants to pull if not for the cutoff.

I've known that if you hit the Max A/C button it'll force open the thermostat and your coolant temp will drop. However, I learned today that if turn on Auto Recirculate, put the fan to high, temp to low, with no control setting (not on feet, vent, or defrost), it'll turn the radiator fans on and open the thermostat as if the Max A/C was on, except there's no load from the compressor. Kinda handy at times.

Sorry if this is a repost, but haven't seen this mentioned yet. We've had our '07 for about a month and one of my favorite things is also one of the simplest. On the inside of the gas filler door is that little arm with a hole in it. I didn't know what it was for until I looked at my gas cap and realized the the nipple (for a lack of a better term) of the cap fit right in the hole. So now I don't have to my the cap just hanging there when I fill up, which has always been a pet peeve of mine.

Yeah, that's a typical Bimmer trait.

Welcome to the Clan!

The holes are what the plastic bolts slide into to lock the gas. There are 2 of those.

Do you mean on the lowest setting? I'm kind of confused by what you're saying. If I'm catching it correctly, I think you're trying to say if you put the fan on max, temperature on the lowest setting and the auto recirculate on, this won't turn on the compressor?

If you can clarify, that'd be cool.

I know that if you DONT have auto-climate control, at least on my 2012 MCS, the coolant temp will remain at the normal 215-217F when the AC is on and the fan settings are low, low-medium, or high-medium. As soon as you put the fan onto high, it force opens the thermostat and holds coolant temp around 194-195F. This seems to be completely independent of the temperature control setting and only dependent on the AC on/off switch.

I have a 2012 s hardtop and I have observed the temps drop only if the a/c fan is on highest setting and temp is full cold. I tried it just one step warm and watched the needle hover around 100-103 C going up and down (in my parking space) for a minute or so. As soon as I put it to full cold the needle drops to 90-95. I've done this more than once and it has behaved the same each time.

Also noticed if I'm cruising at 60-65 mph the secondary thermo opens every now and then but as soon as I exit the freeway it quickly goes back to 100-103 C. So you don't have to "run it hard" to get it to open.

And Bluetooth only connects with the key in, not just with the radio on and key out.

Actually, as it turns out, recirculate doesnt have to be on either, just temp to LO, fan to HI, and no floor/vent/defrost turned on, and the thermostat opens completely and the coolant temp drops. Quite sure the compressor doesnt turn on when doing this. I've seen my coolant temp drop to the low 160s when coasting, even when its a baking hot Texas day.

This should clear things up. The car was nearly up to temp at the start of the video, I turn the fan up to HI and you can see the temp drop. I turn the fan down and the temp climbs, turn the fan back up to HI and temp drops. No recirculation, temp to LOW, fan to HI, no feet/vent/top vent selected.

Can you set the temp higher than full cold with auto a/c? Maybe setting the desired temp Warmer than ambient, prob best done at night. I've noticed the h2o temps do not drop at highest fan with the temp not set to full cold.

And my A/C switch must be on. With the A/C switch off, fan on high, temp on coldest the needle hovers around 100-103 C.

Turning the temp up seems to close the thermostat, coolant temp will climb back up to 220.

Interesting that yours doesnt function like mine. Either mine isnt supposed to do that, or they made a change for some reason at some point.

Interesting, I'll have to try this out the next time I'm in my car.

Who knows what zee Germans engineered and for what. And they change things all the time and seem to do things 'the hard way' more often than not hehe. Just gotta trust them and motor on! :D

Please do, I'd like to know if does this on other cars. What year is yours?

Aint that the truth!

I have not quite gotten thru half this post, going backwards.

Anyway, two things I have noticed that I have not seen list yet.

1) When in cruise control, i.e. going steady speed with it set, if I hit the button (right most on wheel) to turn off the cruise control it disengages cruise but not turn it off. Hitting the + or - engages it again at whatever it was set at. Hitting the right button a second time in a row turns off cruise and the light on spedo goes out. I find this much easier than hitting the brake or clutch to temporarily disengage cruise. Maybe this works on other cars, BMWs?, but none that I have ever owned before.

2) It does not really seem to mater if my light switch is turned on or not. I have the Xenon headlights. I have left my switch on 3 times now and not realized it since the lights switch off as soon as I turn off my car so I forget they are on. Apparently my SOP is to turn off car then turn off lights if they are shining on something. They go off and I forget I did not turn them off.

I'm sure there is more and I will post later when I remember.