If you use a "Non MINI Approved" bluetooth phone with the R56, you run the risk of corrupting the Bluetooth module, making it inoperable.

it's an AC vent to cool the glove box

Thats the funniest thing I've read all morning. Is that what your service department actually told you??

or heat it.

It is for ventilating the glove compartment. I guess they don't want it to get moldy in there.

Where did you hear that? When you drop zingers like that you really need to provide the source.

No, it's meant to keep drinks cold on the drive home. During cold weather, it can be used to keep the Chinese takeout warm, as well. I've also heard of people using the heated passenger seat for the same purpose during all seasons.

Ah, pizza seat. I knew there was a reason for getting heated seats in California.

I agree, that is hilarious . Bluetooth is a standard for wireless communication such as TCP/IP is a standard for network traffic. Any bluetooth phone will work in a Mini and will not cause issues. There are really only two questions about bluetooth and a Mini:

1. Unless you have a phone that has an adapter for the armrest you cannot use the built in docking to charge the phone and use the external antenna (instead of the built in antenna on the phone).

2. Your bluetooth phone may have some features disabled by your carrier thus not allowing it to transfer it's phone book to your Mini. If this is the case, it is not a problem with the bluetooth on the Mini. It is your service provider restricting the bluetooth capabilities of your phone. Many providers disable features so you have to purchase their software of pay a monthly fee to use services that are built into bluetooth such as file transferring.

I've evidently been wasting that feature all summer. I only got to use the heat function on the seats a couple of times in April after I got my car. Didn't really need to then, either, but I had to try it out.

That was minicounter who clued me into using the seat to keep food hot.

My bluetooth setup worked fine for 3 months, then suddenly stopped pairing. The dealer filed a PUMA case with MINI. The response feom MINI was that my phone, a Treo 755p, sends the phonebook to the car every time it pairs. Most Bluetooth phones do this, as well. The MINI's Bluetooth ULF module does not discard the phone book when the car is shut off, unlike BMW's, and all other cars that I am aware of. Because of this, after repeated phone book re-loads, the MINI's ULF memory gets full of all the phonebook entries, and locks up. Resetting it does no good, it is toast at this point. Totally corrupted.

This insane phonebook scheme that MINI uses makes no sense, and really makes me wonder if any of the ex employees of Lucas Electric are now working at MINI. This is going to cause a lot of problems for MINI USA...More on that later.

That sounds like a poor design for the ULF module, every phone will send the phone book entry each time in order to sync it up. The Mini should either overwrite the previous entries or discard them and start from scratch each time. I'm sure it won't be long before they redesign the module to fix it. Otherwise they will be replacing a lot of modules under the warranty.

Are there phones that don't send the phone book everytime they pair? Sounds to me like a bug in the MINI software, rather than a phone incompatibility. Syncing the type of database in a phone is pretty basic stuff. Are they using a high school student to writer their software? No, wait. A high school student could probably handle it. They are probably using some old guy who is using punch cards, or paper tape.

Does that explain why I keep finding chads on the passenger side floor?

Either that, or your car has been to Florida.

It appears that there are 8 phones that do not send the phone book every time.....the phones that are on the mysterious "MINI approved" bluetooth list. Most Bluetooth deployments have the ULF either ignore duplicate phone book transfers, or in the case of Lexus Denso system, require a manual initial "push" via OPP or OBEX of the phone book. The MINI on the other hand, keeps the phonebook forever. Even if a phone is deleted, the phone book is still there. So, if you get a new phone every year, and your phone(s) are not on the "approved" list, there may come a time when the ULF's memory fills up, toasting your ULF module.

A similar problem occurred in early BMW ULF modules with BMW assist. The end result was the same...fried Bluetooth module. In my 35 years of driving BMW's, I've always chalked up BMW's poor electronics expertise to their reluctance to letting the Japanese design their gear. This latest Bluetooth fiasco, however, takes the cake.

I was responsible for initiating the successful class action suit against Verizon for their V710 Bluetooth non-disclosure of OPP & OBEX profile disabling, and I am gathering information on MINI's non-disclosure of their flawed Bluetooth implementation...

they refused to fix it under warentee?

We have not gotten that far yet. Replacing it would simply mean that it would work till the memory gets full, and then it would fail again. We are currently exploring other options...

I'm the type of guy, I would get it fixed, and break it again, and get it fixed, and break it again

they get 3 shots to fix it, then lemon law

maybe that will force them to get it right

Why is yours fried but ours aren't -- yet? Do you have an enormous phone book that taxed the system more so it went first?

Don't know. I do start the MINI at least 15 times a day, as I drive a lot to see clients.

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Out of curiousity - which phones are on the 'approved' list? Or, what link would enable me to find that data?

Lemon law only applies to things that materially affect the safety or driveability of the vehicle. I doubt a phone book would qualify.