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Build thread: 2013 Cooper Coupé
New to NAM and this forum, though not new to online conversations about cars. We'll start off here with my base model R58 Coupe, no turbo, totally stock and no mods whatsoever. Clean slate, in other words - my wife bought it 2 years ago with 60K on the odo. Motivation is with the base 1.6L motor putting out a measly 90 kW (122 hp) that sounds like a sewing machine while idling. That little gem is coupled to a 6-speed slush box with some odd shift points that seem to totally ignore the torque curve in normal mode. Still, an altogether pleasant little car, fun to drive if your expectations are appropriate to the specs of this Coupé.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...697c705cdd.jpg 2013 MINI Cooper Coupé, arrival day My wife was not fond of the OEM head unit, her big thing was that she wanted navigation and Apple CarPlay. This swap originally looked to be fairly straightforward, using the usual China-supplied two-part head unit running on Android v9 from Seicane that promised USB-linked CarPlay and an Isreali-developed navigation package. Installation was not simple however - wrestling the original head unit out of the dash was an ordeal, mostly due to my complete lack of familiarity with any kind of MINI (long-time VW modder) and hampered again by big hands and too much arthritis. But it got done, everything worked except the radio. After a half-dozen emails between myself and Hong Kong, it turned out that the head unit was supplied with a non-US frequency band, so Seicane shipped me a replacement circuit card that had to be soldered to the motherboard. That meant that I would have to take the entire head unit out and find an electronics shop that could do the work - that task was not something I wanted to tackle. That replacement component is still sitting in my toolbox. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...7a25a71212.jpg The adventure continues... |
You're a brave man Charlie Brown. Seeing as how I've probably used my AM/FM radio only a handful of times I would've left the US band card in the box too. So with the Justacooper model you can't get one add-on of those ECU tunes like I did on my 2014 JCW Coupe can you?
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Originally Posted by TheBigNewt
(Post 4595196)
So with the Justacooper model you can't get one add-on of those ECU tunes like I did on my 2014 JCW Coupe can you?
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Yeah I bet it's great to drive. My first Mini was a 2007 MCS with a manual and I loved it. My Coupe I also loved, and to be honest with the ECU tune it was almost too powerful it was fine as it came actually. What the Coupe had was really flat cornering. I had the factory sport suspension and that was fine. It was close to 900 lbs lighter than my Clubman too. I have thoughts about trying to find an original Gen1 R50 from like 2005 with a manual and just thrash the thing on twisty roads. You'll like that Coupe trust me. Plus it's easily the best looking body style of any Mini. People would ask me what model car it was.
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I just had that experience this past weekend, where someone had asked about the car. They knew it was a MINI, but they had never seen a 2 seater before. My first thought when I heard that was that aren't most MINI models really two seaters at heart, at least as far as average-sized human adults are concerned. If you are like most grownups, you'd find that there's no place to stow two lower legs in the second row seats. My wife's 2019 Countryman is the only MINI I've seen that could actually accommodate 2 stone cold sober adults with anything approaching comfort.
Took the Coupé out for a spin the other day - we had some fun: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...841b213e37.jpg |
It's the Coupe's top that throws people off. The usual Mini roofline is pretty long and the back window is more vertical (so is the windshield). The Coupe's are slanted. Inside the car is the same size, so is the car's length. Consider a slightly thicker rear antisway bar.
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JCW-style grill and trim
Time for a little freshening. Swapped out the OEM chrome grille with a gloss black faux-JCW style grille. The tabs on the upper trim piece fell apart during removal. I like the clean look:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...941e1cc018.jpg JCW-style Grille - gloss finish, with upper and lower trim |
Today was a programming day. Earlier this year I had attempted to change a few coding options, using Bimmercode and connecting via OBDLink's CX OBD2 bluetooth adapter. I could only get two code changes to work consistently (double-blink emergency flasher, no bulb-out warning light with LEDs), but with every other option I tried, the change either wouldn't "stick" or just didn't work. I figured it was due to the aftermarket Android 10 head unit I had installed screwing with the CAN-BUS architecture. Maybe. So I ended up throwing in the ECU towel and punted the task over to CodeMyCar.com, who for a fee would do all the code work remotely, using an OBD-Enet cable connected to my MacBook via USB. I had to install software provided by CodeMyCar to allow for remote access into the Coupe to implement the coding changes. Bottom line here is that all the functional changes I had been looking for were enabled by CodeMyCar, and so far everything is looking good. The changes made include:
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I'm pleased with the work - entire process took several hours and my personal level of effort was minimal after I connected my computer to the car. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...634b5aca8b.jpg Rear Fog Light enabled . https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
:thumbsup: So far so good. I like it.
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Thanks. Got a lot going on here with this Coupé - I think I'm going to call this Project R58(X). This is getting interesting,,,
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d2e63ff76c.jpg Project R58(X) https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Project R58(X)
Lots of little maintenance-related things needed attending to, but while I'm tearing things apart I may as well do some tweaks to the fiddly bits and maybe some substantive changes.
First thing - I needed to fix the windshield washer - no washer fluid, and no sound from the pump (doh). Checked the obvious reasons first - washer fluid hoses blew clear, and the hood nozzles were clear as I could blow water through the hose to the nozzles. So I needed to get to the pump, which looked to be a royal PITA to get to. After seeing what I could find from the wheel well and pulling the fender liner, nothing appeared obviously wrong. What was wrong was that it was filthy up in that area, and I decided to pull the bumper cover to get access to everything. Not a difficult task, albeit tedious. The only real issue was dealing with three plastic expansion-type fasteners underneath the bumper cover, which were essentially frozen in place and had to be drilled out. Once everything was exposed I wheedled out the washer fluid reservoir - a twisty-turny exercise with only one orientation about its vertical axis that would allow it to slip out of its location. After vacuuming out most of the dirt and dust I tested the connector to see if it showed power on a voltmeter when pulling back on the washer stalk by the steering wheel. That showed power on the meter, but I did see where it was touchy - just a little jiggle on the connector and the meter showed nothing. So - time to clean the pins on the connector - a little alcohol on a cotton swab showed some corrosion along with some filth. After cleaning that up I connected it to the pump and voila - pump energized and made some noise. Putting some water in the reservoir (which I had drained after its removal) gave a full head of pressure to the nozzles. Problem solved. I'd love to know what the flat-rate labor charge for this task (Remove and Replace Windshield Washer Reservoir and Pump). Most shops would probably not take the time to attempt a fix - the customer would most likely be charged the line item for the labor and for the washer reservoir assembly. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...7966ac20ab.jpg Windshield washer fluid reservoir https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Project R58(X)
I have a BendPak Mid-Rise automotive lift in my home garage, which makes maintenance tasks much easier on my 66-year old back. Prior to tearing apart the front. end, I put the Coupé in the air and popped off the wheels to give as much access room as possible. While I had things accessible, I decided to fix the burnt-out light in the side reflector off the rear fender. My original thought was to replace the 921TB incandescent mini-bulb with its equivalent LED, but I happened upon a full LED light bar replacement - a set of four China-made smoked units that looked interesting.
HEYWEGO Smoked Lens Side Marker Lights How these aftermarket automotive parts are sourced and manufactured, many Asian suppliers of these parts will take an original part and remake the device for form, fit, and function, while adding their own tech solutions to make the parts unique. This normally works well enough, though there are often little issues where the fit of these parts are close, but are not exact. The side marker lights I bought were very close to the dimensions of the OEM reflectors, but not quite. They do not fit completely flush in the fender as the OEM parts do, for example. But these sidelights had one fit-related issue that was more than a little irritating - the receptacle on the new LED sidelight that was intended to hold the original 921 bulb was a tiny, tiny bit too small. So, the receptacle needed to be widened a tiny bit before the OEM bulb socket could be inserted (the new LED sidelight gets its power from the OEM bulb socket - a clever adaptation). So I used a deburring tool to remove just enough plastic in the receptacle to accept the OEM bulb socket - it needed to be a tight fit as there is an o-ring that has to be fully seated to keep water out of the body of the sidelight. Once I had widened the inner lip of the receptacle on the new LED sidelight, I was able to get the OEM buib socket fully seated onto the lip. Difficult to explain adequately, so some pictures may make this more clear: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...f5f3e58e55.jpg OEM bulb https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...4c1b9f9cf6.jpg Too tight to fully accept the OEM bulb socket https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d3d7c2da3c.jpg After removing a smidgeon of plastic from the inner diameter of the new LED sidelight recepticle https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...7644bb1a47.jpg OEM bulb socket fully seated in the new LED sidelight recepticle https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d03c5c8d98.jpg New LED sidelight installed in fender trim https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Project R58(X) (cont'd)
Now we'll shift to the rear of the Coupe and document the installation of a Curt trailer hitch, 1¼" receiver, which I bought from eTrailer.com. The hitch Is designed to fit a 2nd generation MINI, base model (not "S"). It is not specifically designed to fit the Coupe, and there are a few mostly subtle differences that I had to account for. The eTrailer web page does include a very well done installation video which helped enormously with the installation. The bottom line is this - an R58 Coupe hitch can support light towing duties with the Class 1 Curt hitch, which is designed to handle up to 2000 lbs gross towing weight, with a maximum of 200 lbs tongue weight. Whether or not it's wise to test these maximums on a tiny 2000 lb vehicle like the MINI Coupe is a matter best left to the owner's discretion.
Installation of the trailer hitch was fairly straightforward, with one significant exception detailed below. Task #1 is to remove the rear bumper cover, which is made vastly easier if you also remove the rear wheels and have the Coupe elevated to a reasonable working height. Jack stands will manage if you don't have a lift available. Once the cover is removed, then all the components of the actual bumper can be removed: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...0af9ec99f4.jpg Curt Hitch model #11272 - https://www.curtmfg.com/part/11272 Rear bumper assembly for the MINI Coupe: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...57fb01ffb4.jpg Rear bumper assembly - reinforcement plate, foam "shock absorber", and the main bumper There were only two significant variances from eTrailer's excellent web page that give detailed installation tips and instructions (with a nifty video). Most significant was the rear reinforcement structural member of the bumper assembly for the Coupe, MINI part #51712758499. The Curt hitch replaces this part, BMW calls this piece the "Verstärkung Hinterbau": https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...29b862caf3.jpg Reinforcement - "Verstärkung Hinterbau" The other variance is with the foam insert that fits inside the rear bumper (MINI calls this a "shock absorber"). I ended up having to cut this piece nearly in half, longitudinally. The Curt hitch fills much of this space so a lot of the foam had to go: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...97567ef588.jpg Foam piece, cut in half to accommodate the hitch structure Be mindful of the Tire Pressure Monitoring-Control Module, MINI part #6793122-02; enough of the foam shock absorber material needs to remain to hold the module in its stowage location: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...5d19eace0d.jpg TPM Module in its slot in the foam shock absorber Once the reinforcement member is scrapped and the foam shock absorber is trimmed in half, the Curt hitch is installed over the existing bolt holes. eTrailer's hitch package provides replacement bolts and washers. Getting the hitch lined up with the existing holes took some muscle, along with a fine touch as the fit clearance is very tight: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...298da4c955.jpg Lining up bolt holes on hitch to Coupe body https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...00c9f1cf86.jpg Hitch bolted in place Now one significant issue became apparent - with the hitch in place, if you ever have to change the bulbs in the reverse light/rear fog assembly, you have to remove the bumper. There is no room to pop the weather cover off the reverse light to access the bulbs. Something to plan for - I decided to replace the entire assembly (which was showing signs of age) with a new part and lamps I bought from Way Motor Works : https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...b887879e0b.jpg The reverse light assembly is tucked up near the top of the image, now only accessible after removing the rear bumper cover Now the fun begins - putting together the final package. After reinstalling the bumper cover, access to the hitch receiver has to be made. With the bumper cover temporarily held in place, I marked the opening that had to be made to get to the receiver. I then cut the opening with four pilot holes in each corner and a new razor blade. Caution is needed to not slice into a finger or two. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...3ac75522f5.jpg Curt's 1¼" receiver plug fits snugly in the opening, giving a clean look: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...778dc9782d.jpg Now with assembly completed, it's time to check out what this can actually be used for. First item is the 2" receiver adapter, needed for attachments like bike racks and cargo carriers that require a 2" hitch receiver: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...186490ab4a.jpg The really big payoff comes when one attaches a proper 2" hitch that fits the 1¼" receiver: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...2141d23333.jpg With that installed to the hitch, the Coupe can now do this: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d6d4dcf3d0.jpg For completeness' sake, this trailer weighs about 500 lbs empty - trailer weight must be accounted for when calculating the total towing weight. Also for this trailer (unloaded) the tongue weight is about 45 lbs, well below the maximum. Adding the bottom plates and three bags of garden dirt bumped the tongue weight up to 65 lbs. |
Project R58(X) (cont'd)
I wanted to get a more pleasant sound that was more appropriate to the MINI Coupe, at least something that was better than the OEM exhaust note, which closely resembled the pitch and timbre of a Singer sewing machine. Less than appealing, in other words. So after several back and forth messages on both sides of the Atlantic, I opted for the REMUS axle-back exhaust muffler. I discovered that these units are very hard to come by - I ended up ordering it from ECS. This Austrian-made exhaust was not a stocked item, special order only. REMUS made the muffler once ECS notified them of the order that I made last August, based upon the date stamped on the muffler body:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...0416a7ff45.jpg Manufactured date 28 SEP 2021 https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...10ea9eb95c.jpg Side by side with the stock muffler Notice the substantial difference in heft between old and new. That difference was going to create another set of issues. After fitting up the REMUS muffler, it became obvious that more support would be needed. I noticed that the base plate used to hold the mid-pipe exhaust pipe hangers was in place, but no rubber hangers were installed. After more research it appears that MINI decided that no support was needed for the OEM exhaust pipe, even though it hung without any support whatsoever between the flex pipe just below the engine and then all the way out to the muffler body, just forward of the rear bumper. I suppose MINI engineers decided that the 1.5" ID (40mm) exhaust pipe was light enough to not need support. Well with the larger 2" ID (50mm) exhaust pipe and bigger muffler on the REMUS unit, this assembly weighed in at 27 lbs (12.6kg). Having so much unsupported weight connected with several adapters in the middle was a disaster just waiting to happen, I thought. A non-starter. I needed to add support somewhere in the mid-section of the exhaust assembly. I purchased a set of mid-pipe exhaust hangers from UROTuning that were originally designed for installation in a 1st generation MINI Cooper base model - non-turbo, non-S, R50 / R52 chassis. I needed to adapt these mid-pipe hangers to fit my 2nd generation non-turbo, non-S base-model R58 Coupe. It's noteworthy that MINI engineers decided to get rid of the mid-pipe exhaust hangers, while still keeping the base plate in its installed position. Maybe they thought it added some structural rigidity to center tunnel. MINI also deleted the "ears" on the 2nd generation exhaust pipe that would normally fit into the mid-pipe hangers that were designed for the 1st generation MINIs. Which would make sense, sorta, as they had also deleted the mid-pipe exhaust hangers that these "ears" would fit into. To make this work, I adapted two pipe clamps to attach to the mid-pipe hangers - not the best solution, but it'll do until I can have proper hangar ears welded in the correct orientation to the OEM portion of the exhaust pipe. Bottom line is that it works, with the entire exhaust pipe being well supported, while still allowing for engine vibration movement. I'm not going to be worried about the exhaust pipe working its way loose and dropping down to the road surface with this setup. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...32da1b4931.jpg OEM base plate with R50 mid-pipe hangers and REMUS-supplied "ears" installed. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...fa37903b71.jpg Fitment of the pipe support ears on pipe clamps attached to the OEM exhaust pipe https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...789d231ed9.jpg Base plate with mid-pipe hangers attached and supporting the OEM exhaust pipe I then needed to craft an adapter to connect the 1.5" ID (40mm) OEM exhaust pipe to the larger 2" ID (50mm) exhaust pipe; the adapter assembly had to both fit the two pipe IDs, while also being long enough to bridge the 5.5" gap in the two pipes in their fitted-up positions. This was tricky - I'm not yet satisfied with how this is put together - too many parts that are clamped, not welded. I'm going to have a proper adapter welded to the REMUS exhaust pipe, but keep the butt connection to allow for easy removal of the exhaust if that ever becomes necessary. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...f9dbc4abc4.jpg 1.5" ID OEM exhaust pipe to 2" ID REMUS exhaust pipe https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...2267fdcb4b.jpg 2.0" ID to 1.5" ID Lap Joint Band Clamp to 1.5" ID to 2" ID Adapter Reducer to 1.5" ID Butt Joint Band Clamp https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...7fafd11419.jpg Assembled connection. Not elegant. Next:up - sound test |
Did you get the FM radio working?
In my head unit, the frequency band is changed in the factory settings. Go to settings, car settings, factory settings, password is m123456 one of the tabs is radio and you select which band you want to use. Might be worth your while. BTW, new to me 2012 Coupe S as of January. The first thing I tinkered with was Bimmercode and NCS to make a few simple changes. 1st mod was an Android radio so I could install a backup camera. These Coupes suffer from CSSOBW disease (can't see **** out back window). Thank God for the online videos on dash teardown, saved a lot of time. One note on the backup camera, I had to add a relay for the power source. When connected directly to the backup light for power, the screen flickered and looked like crap. I haven't tinkered with any coding since installing the aftermarket radio. I have read that it does mess with doing it. I figure about the only mod I might consider is LED lights and if I do so, I would temporarily re-connect the factory radio to program. |
Project R58(X) (cont'd)
Now for some audio and visuals on the (almost) final product. Here's a sample of the original exhaust, which was relatively unappealing, both to look at and to hear:
OEM Exhaust (click image for YouTube video/audio) Here's a sample of the new REMUS axle-back exhaust, which does have a nice burble and sound, but not obnoxiously loud at all. Just right, to my ear: REMUS Exhaust (click image for YouTube video/audio): https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Originally Posted by DogfaceSGM
(Post 4617603)
Did you get the FM radio working?
1) Seicane. They supply a new type of head unit for 2nd generation MINIs here (click this link). The good - the hardware is interesting, having no DVD unit makes for a very trim installation. The interface is really nice, imitating some of the dashboard look found in 3rd generation MINIs. The 9 inch screen display is bright and clear, and the integration with Apple wireless CarPlay is nicely done. The bad - their customer service is crippled by language issues, and the time lag between Seicane's workforce and much of the western world is sure-fire formula for frustration, a minefield for the customer when trying to get even basic support. And because this is a new type of architecture for this 9 inch head unit, there may well be some things that just don't fit up and work as well as they ought to. Also, with COVID-19 newly resurgent in Seicane's business office in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (深圳经济特区) outside of Hong Kong, that just adds to their workaday troubles, so some understanding by the customer of their travails is recommended. 2) Sigma Car Stereo. Based in the U.K., the big upside with this supplier is their customer service. Aside from having a knowledgeable staff that knows the MINI, they speak and write in standard english - both parties have no issues in understanding one another. With regards to the head unit they provide at this moment in time, this is closer to the traditional architecture that has been typical of aftermarket head units for 2nd generation MINIs for many years. The bulk of the electronics reside in a standard 1 DIN chassis and DVD player that fits (barely) in the slot below the main display space. It is a very tight fit once the wire harness is fitted up to the OEM radio connector. This unit also supports Apple wireless CarPlay, and the Android 10 interface on the 8 inch touchscreen display is very well done. The only significant downside with Sigma Car Stereo's head unit is that it the 8" display is slightly smaller than the 9" display on the Seicane unit. Both displays and touch controls are gorgeous, bright and clear, highly configurable, and work well enough to where they won't pose a significant distraction to the driver once they gain familiarity with where the controls are. It should be noted that car infotainment tech changes quickly, with updates to installed apps and the Android operating system happening with regularity. The hardware changes relatively quickly as well, just as it does with just about everything related to computing platforms of all types. So what is true today at the bleeding edge of tech may well be considered to be primeval by this time next year. Consider that built-in wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto did not even exist when these 2nd generation R50 through R59 MINIs were being sold in the U.S. market, just a few years ago. How times have changed! https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Like you, I am mechanically minded. Didn't mind installing. I bought TopNavi unit online. I have been very happy with it for the cost.
I am not looking at doing many mods to my Coupe. I bought it as a daily driver. I have to drive from Ohio to Wisconsin 8 months a this year and my previous best mileage vehicle got 18 MPG highway. I stated looking for something used around December. Everything I looked at that was decent was 100 to 150,000 miles and wanting $15,000+ for it (Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, Honda, Subaru, crap even Kia). I found my Coupe an hour away with 38,800 miles on it for a reasonable price. Went down, test drove it and bought it that night. LOVE THE CAR! Good fuel mileage and has plenty of spunk. Funny thing was, CarFax displayed the title as Silver for the 1st 3 years then blue. Someone titled it off the roof color rather than the body. I used to work at a body shop. This car has never been painted. Other than some settings with NCS and the android radio/backup camera the only thing I have done is install oil pressure/temp gauges and sensors, oil change and new plugs. |
Originally Posted by DogfaceSGM
(Post 4617724)
Other than some settings with NCS and the android radio/backup camera the only thing I have done is install oil pressure/temp gauges and sensors, oil change and new plugs.
I had a P3 digital display in my Passat, which I found useful for turbo boost pressure after I doubled the horsepower in that stealth monster after bringing it up to APR Stage2+ standard. I ended up ignoring the other display options the otherwise very slick P3 device provided - I found that I hated the tiny pushbutton interface it required to switch between displays. https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Originally Posted by kerwooddr
(Post 4617729)
Ah - I do like real gauges, esp oil pressure. I've not a fan using apps like OBDLink, OBD Fusion, or even Torque Pro. Aside from the small lag inherent in getting accurate readings via the OBD port,
I would have used it on my Coupe but, the 2012 model only has the low oil pressure sensor so it wasn't able to give me the pressure, that is why I went with actual gauges. I purchased both Cravenspeed's Flexpod Gauge Mount and pair of Alta's gauge mounts. After receiving them, I liked CravenSpeed's better so I used it. On the Coupe S, due to the turbo, you need to add an Oil Pressure Gauge Sender Adapter to mount both the factory and new oil pressure sensor See link. It is extremely tight to get it in there with the turbo there. I bought an adapter off Amazon which had the correct threads but only one hole on the side and of course, it faced the wrong direction. I had to drill and tap a new hole for my sending unit. For the temp gauge using a Water Temp Gauge Sender adapter makes the whole process simple. Routing the lines was very easy with some instructions from CravenSpeeds website. I used Glowshift Elite 10 color gauges as they had a color that was very similar to the Mini orange. Only issue is at night, they are a bit brighter than I care for with no other adjustment. They automatically dim 30% when the lights come on. I think I am going to try adding some window tint to get them where I like them. My eyes are very light sensitive at night. I wish the Mini dash lights dimmed more than they do. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...25dd5971c4.jpg I also got Agama Car Loader for my Android Head Unit. I liked their layout and the color is a close match without and tweaking. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...2fd940b147.jpg I still have some small tweaks to do but just about have her the way I want it. Oh, I almost forgot, I also added a driver side seat cushion cover as it is a daily driver and sometimes I get filthy at work. Also, my last two vehicles, the only bad wear to the interior was a torn seat cushion on the driver side. My Dually has 465,000 miles on it and my Avalanche is a shade over 200,000 so yes, I get some seat time. I am a salesman for farm drainage equipment and Trimble GPS components. I used to be an independent rep but in 2013 the company hired me on salary + commission so now I put the miles on their trucks. I average about 20,000 a year on my personal vehicle. |
That display cluster is exactly what I have in mind for my Coupe. I use a seat cushion as well, but that's because I had a hip replacement last year and the extra lift changes the angle while sitting that makes it more tolerable. The base model Coupe is not very accommodating when trying to get the seat position the way I like it - legs straight out, seat back, but raising the back of the seat up.
Some shots of how wireless Apple CarPlay looks on each radio: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d820c7dae0.jpg Sigma radio wireless CarPlay screen on the 8-inch display https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...ed362d779d.jpg Seicane radio wireless CarPlay screen. Screen corners are cut off on this 9-inch display. |
I am assuming the 1st radio picture is what you had originally and the second was what you replaced it with. Does the new unit display MPH? The unit I have does now which was what a lot of people didn't like as previously it only displayed KPH. The Speedometer in my launcher is actually via GPS speed. I was able to correct the Mini speedometer below the Tach with NCS but couldn't get the analog speedo to correct. When I used the stock launcher, it used the CAN speed which was 4-5 MPH faster than the actual speed.
I have wireless Android Auto setup but I haven't figured out how to customize it the way I want. That and I cannot run Torque App through it. I would use Torque for my display but, with Android updating, I haven't been able to customize it the way I could 4-5 years ago. My HU is Android 10 and my phone is Android 12. Android 10+ also messed up or with Android Auto. It is now uses Android Drive. "Makes it easier", sure after you relearn how to do everything. |
The default for everything in both head units is KPH, displaying MPH is dependent upon what app is frontmost. The Sigma radio can display MPH in big characters that essentially take over the screen when that choice is made, which to my mind is mostly useless.
Torque Pro (I paid for the "Pro" version) worked on the Sigma and the Seicane radio, sorta, but the small time lag between actual performance data and what is being displayed when connecting to a Bluetooth OBD2 device just irritates me, so that app went into the Bit Bucket. Speed of response varies with different ELM327-compliant scan devices, I saw the best performance on Bluetooth with the OBDLink CX unit running Scantool's OBDLink app on my iPhone instead of Torque Pro on the Android head unit. Much better performance came from an old OBDLink MX for WiFi that I had from years ago, which works very well with Torque Pro, with very little lag time. Of course using WiFi just kills wireless CarPlay, making that a non-starter for me. Surprisingly enough I did get near identical performance to the OBDLink CX from one basic $10 ELM327 device that was in my collection, but the performance between several basic (cheap) ELM327-complaint Bluetooth devices was all over the map on the Sigma and Seicane radios - some worked fairly well (relatively speaking), some had significantly more lag, and one of the cheap units would only work in a older VW Passat with yet another Seicane head unit running Android 7-something (I think), go figure. Performance in that vehicle was still hampered by the lag between data transmitted vs. data displayed - I just don't have the patience to accept that. So yeah, I want a real gauge cluster that is not dependent upon a radio head unit or smartphone app. https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
Welcome to NAM. Thats a nice looking Coupe and loving the upgrades. Always been a fan of Remus exhaust but yeah they're more work to find. They sound healthy without being obnoxious. Might as well plan on getting the "What kinda car is that?" question a lot. May also want to consider getting a Tee shirt that says "No, the top doesn't come off. :)"
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Project R58(X) (cont'd)
Originally Posted by Tigger2011
(Post 4618949)
Always been a fan of Remus exhaust but yeah they're more work to find. They sound healthy without being obnoxious.
I did get rid of the clumsy reducer clamps and have that Remus 2" pipe to 1½" reducer to OEM pipe properly welded together, keeping the butt connection intact to allow for easy removal if that ever becomes necessary. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...63283a2f29.jpg Welded reducer in situ So now I have a nice OEM axle-back exhaust assembly for sale. I'll post something about that later. https://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/1086753.png |
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