[Tazminia]

dl, I misspoke..not so much the wiring but *fishing* of that wire between the dash and the unit. Did you need to do much to fish that thru or was there ample room without removing stuff? (remember-I'm mechanically challenged here)

Just showed these posts to my son. The poor lad thinks he is getting the second sirius unit... He is gonna be crushed when he sees his mother and I with both of them. hehehe

oh, thanks again for that Alloy Wheel Specialist site dl . I bookmarked it so I can give 'em a call on our next trip up to Chicago. The pics on their site look like they do a remarkable job and quickly too.

Wanna know the main reason I never got one of those parcel shelves? (besides not really needing it at this point?) I have NEVER had good luck with something that just needs a good "tug" to remove. The results are usually not as intended if you get my drift...
However, if we go through with getting a Sirius, well..I guess I'll have to try and just pray to the MINI Gods that I don't FUBAR it. (think mechanically challenged again)

[Kellzir]

Hey guys! Long time no talk. How's everyone's MINI doing?
My MINI is getting near the 10k service mark. No problems. Just a few minor irritating noises since it got cold. I still haven't had time to do any runs, but someday soon I hope.

[crosebud]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kellzir

No problems. Just a few minor irritating noises since it got cold.

Hey Kellzir, glad to hear your MINI is good. What sorts of minor irritating noises have you had? I've got some creaks and rattles around the dash that the service people can't seem to fix. It's these horribly beat up Bay Area roads, I think, all the shaking and bouncing about.

[Pamlico]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

dl, I misspoke..not so much the wiring but *fishing* of that wire between the dash and the unit. Did you need to do much to fish that thru or was there ample room without removing stuff? (remember-I'm mechanically challenged here)

Sorry for the delay in responding. No real fishing or removing anything required. There is a small gap between the edge of the dash and the windshield that the wire will slip into. The wire can then be stuffed into the seam at the end of the dash and then runs under the glovebox - lots of space under there. Easy peasy. From there on it's just a matter of running the wire through existing spaces and finding a way of securing it - the antenna wire is long.

I mounted the actual radio onto the cupholder using the windshield mount. Used a couple of strips of velcro to hold it in place. Not the most elegant and I've actually removed the cupholder and am trying to figure out another way of getting the radio installed. The cupholder intstall looks like this:

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

oh, thanks again for that Alloy Wheel Specialist site dl . I bookmarked it so I can give 'em a call on our next trip up to Chicago. The pics on their site look like they do a remarkable job and quickly too.

The guy who worked on the S-lites on our previous MINI did an excellent job. He repaired all the damaged alloys at the local car dealers. I think he was actually no longer officially associated with the company, but I was very impressed. He literally sat in our driveway and repaired the wheel without removing it from the car. Got to a point where he was almost finished and then was not satisfied and basically started over again.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

Wanna know the main reason I never got one of those parcel shelves? (besides not really needing it at this point?) I have NEVER had good luck with something that just needs a good "tug" to remove. ...

If you install it you will realize how useful it is. I have a few things stuck in there that would otherwise be difficult to store. I've installed one on each MINI we've had and never had a problem removing the factory knee bolster. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath and tug. Pops right off. (it says here)

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

However, if we go through with getting a Sirius, well..I guess I'll have to try and just pray to the MINI Gods that I don't FUBAR it. (think mechanically challenged again)

A FUBAR on installing the antenna as I described would be difficult to achieve. Trust me. The real issue is where to install the radio. I'm not a fan of having the suction cup mount on the windshield so it becomes an issue of searching for a place where it can go and not have wires popping all over the place.

Good luck.

P.S. Any decision on MOT?

[Tazminia]

Hey dl, thanks for that lengthy reply! I do believe I'll pick up a parcel shelf now (and with faith) and try to pull off that bolster. The Sirius radio now looks like a combination fathers day/mothers day present to ourselves, since your description of where the wire runs eased our fears of installation problems. (remember now...I CAN screw something up rather easily so I'll keep you posted on that part)
As for MOT, come to find out it was already decided before it got going. The wife had already put her vacation schedule in over 2 months ago. (they need it completed right after the new year) so July is where our bulk of time off is. We'll hope some kind of MINI run is going on closer to home about then. Hopefully, some avid photographer *ahem* will take some good pics of the MOT so we can see them though!
BTW, I looked over some of the pics in your gallery of your BRG runner and showed the wife. She thought it was a really great looking MINI. It's one of the very few MINIs she likes with stripes on it. (the black with accent stripes on the green sold her) VERY nice, bud.
Thanks again for all the help, text and photos. I appreciate it!
Randy

[AprilWhine]

I posted this in the Exterior forum, but thought I would share with my littermates:

Finally got my LY MCSCa decorated:

[Pamlico]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

Hey dl, thanks for that lengthy reply! I do believe I'll pick up a parcel shelf now (and with faith) and try to pull off that bolster.

Randy -

Glad to help.

Never fear, easy job. The biggest problem you'll likely encounter is getting one of the screws holding the right (i.e. near the center of the car) top tab of the shelf into the hole on the bottom of the dash. Problem is that the two holes sometimes don't allign as well as they could. It can be done, but you may need to be a little creative in gettting things started. Some folks have not had a problem, so you may be lucky.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

The Sirius radio ..... fears of installation problems..., etc

Installing the radio is not difficult. One thing to think about is how the output from the Sirius unit will get to the radio so you can hear it. One option is to use the FM transmitter in the Sirius unit. Works OK but as you travel to different areas you will probably need to tell the Sirius system to transmit on different frequencies as the one you may be currently using may (will) be used by a local station. Ultimately this becomes a slight nusance. The second (and best) option is to use the Aux Imput on the MINI radio. Simply plug a stereo mini-phono plug into the Sirius and the Aux Imput, select AUX on the radio and you're listening to sattelite. If you don't have the aux imput you can install it yourself. It's a little more involved, requires drilling three holes, and plugging the cable into the rear of the radio (which does not have to be removed). MINI calls for the Aux imput to be installed in the glovebox, which is OK, but I installed the one I have on the ever useful parcel shelf (also installed a second power point in the shelf). I think my Gallery has pictures of the Aux input. If you decide to do this I'll be glad to provide remote assistance. By the way, it you have the upgraded HK radio you may not have an Aux imput, but I'm nowhere near certain if that's a correct statement. You'll need to check.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

As for MOT, come to find out it was already decided before it got going.... July is where our bulk of time off is. We'll hope some kind of MINI run is going on closer to home about then. Hopefully, some avid photographer *ahem* will take some good pics of the MOT

Too bad, you'll miss an interesting time. I'll likely be taking a lot of pics as will a number of others. They (or at least links to them) ultimately get posted on the MOT web page.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

BTW, I looked over some of the pics in your gallery of your BRG runner and showed the wife. .... It's one of the very few MINIs she likes with stripes on it. (the black with accent stripes on the green sold her) VERY nice, bud.

Thanks for the compliment. I originally was hesitant about the stripes but the MA mentioned that the few BRG MINIs with black stripes he had seen looked pretty good. Since the price was right, I optioned for them and lucked out. Plans are to put matching stripes on the trunk within the next few weeks.

Good luck with your MINI projects.

- David

[Kellzir]

Quote: Originally Posted by crosebud

Hey Kellzir, glad to hear your MINI is good. What sorts of minor irritating noises have you had? I've got some creaks and rattles around the dash that the service people can't seem to fix. It's these horribly beat up Bay Area roads, I think, all the shaking and bouncing about.

I have a rattle on the dash too, on the driver's left air vent. I also have a knocking noise coming from the hatch area, can't seem to quite figure out where it is coming from. The worst part is not knowing the reason why it is making noise.

[Tazminia]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pamlico

The second (and best) option is to use the Aux Imput on the MINI radio. Simply plug a stereo mini-phono plug into the Sirius and the Aux Imput, select AUX on the radio and you're listening to sattelite. If you don't have the aux imput you can install it yourself. It's a little more involved, requires drilling three holes, and plugging the cable into the rear of the radio (which does not have to be removed). MINI calls for the Aux imput to be installed in the glovebox, which is OK, but I installed the one I have on the ever useful parcel shelf (also installed a second power point in the shelf). I think my Gallery has pictures of the Aux input.
- David

Gee, you mean like the one I bought from the dealer and told them I would install it because they wanted a hundred bucks to install? I have such an Aux input unit here. And it's still sitting in a box a year later... may be time in install while the bolster is gone, eh?
Hey, once the weather here lets me play with the MINI in the driveway (I hate working on cars outside when its cold), I do believe I'll give 'er a shot. I really really like the idea of that input being in that shelf. (my MP3s runneth over)
Randy

[Pamlico]

Taz / Randy:

When installing the Aux Input be careful that the portion that sticks out from behind the little plate that says 'Aux Input' does not get bent or is jammed between the shelf and a hard surface that can kink it up. If that happens then there is an excellent chance that the connections in there will be disrupted and the input may work sporatically or not at all (don't ask how I know).

[crosebud]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kellzir

I have a rattle on the dash too, on the driver's left air vent. I also have a knocking noise coming from the hatch area, can't seem to quite figure out where it is coming from. The worst part is not knowing the reason why it is making noise.

Kellzir, It's seems from reading this board that people have been able to successfully find and fix these rattles and creaks, by the service people I've dealt haven't been much help. They did apparently put in "anti-rattle" tape, but it didn't improve things. At the moment, I'm not worrying about the little noises. With the relentless rain we're having here--just trying to hold onto my umbrella.

[AprilWhine]

It begins again...

The fuzzy hubby is getting the first GP at our dealer, which means we are some of the lucky few taking delivery of the first in the US at Monterey...

[Johnny L]

Hi, Dave, Randy, Kellzir, Crosebud, AprilWhine!

Hey, I have been running an XM Roady into my Aux input, and it works great, but for one problem. You need to run a ground loop isolator between the XM/Sirius receiver and the input, or the HK radio won't "recognize" the signal, causing it to cut off and switch over to the CD mode for no apparent reason. It's an easy fix from Radio Shack.

So, nice to hear from everybody. I'm just over 8k miles. I feel like I need to take a long trip so I can get to my first service quicker . . .

Quote: Originally Posted by Pamlico

Randy -

The second (and best) option is to use the Aux Imput on the MINI radio. Simply plug a stereo mini-phono plug into the Sirius and the Aux Imput, select AUX on the radio and you're listening to sattelite. If you don't have the aux imput you can install it yourself. It's a little more involved, requires drilling three holes, and plugging the cable into the rear of the radio (which does not have to be removed). MINI calls for the Aux imput to be installed in the glovebox, which is OK, but I installed the one I have on the ever useful parcel shelf (also installed a second power point in the shelf). I think my Gallery has pictures of the Aux input. If you decide to do this I'll be glad to provide remote assistance. By the way, it you have the upgraded HK radio you may not have an Aux imput, but I'm nowhere near certain if that's a correct statement. You'll need to check.
- David

[Kellzir]

Hey JohnnyL! I just reached a little over 10k and feel like it is worth every mile. I still need to take it on a nice trip.

I have yet to put any mods on the inside of the car, mainly exterior, engine and suspension work. Someday I will get my Ipod connected to it.

[dpacker]

Hi everyone!

I hadn't been on here in a while and thought I would log in and check to see where the March 2005 group was. I was surprised to see it still on the front page. Yippee! Go March 2005 Group!

I'm still loving my MINI. It has about 7300 miles now. I sold my other car in February, so it's now my main car. No major problems to report. Something a little odd though. Exactly on its birthday, my husband's MINI had the Service Engine Soon (or whatever it's called) come on while we were on a little mini road trip. We stopped and looked it up in the book. It said that it was a sensort. We happened to be about 30 minutes from Charlotte MINI, so we called and asked if we could stop in. It was a Saturday, but they took us right in and checked it out. It was a knock sensor. Our normal MINI dealer made an appointment for us and replaced it the next weekend.

Here's where it gets weird. My MINI celebrated his birthday in mid-April. About two weeks later, my light came on, too! Same thing. We stuck one of those car chips in to check it out and got the same error. Our MINI dealer thought it was very strange that it happened to both of them so close to their birthdays. It was really weird.

So, if your light comes on...dont' be alarmed, but they suggest getting it changed out. It takes about 3 hours for a Cooper S.

Take care March Group! I won't let it be so long before coming back. It's nice to see so many people still here!

Have a good evening,

Debbie

[Pamlico]

Hmmm.... The Check Engine light also came on on my MCS a couple of weeks back. A very frequent cause of this happening is that the gas cap is loose. Checking that, the cap appeared to be on properly, but I reseated it. The light went off after a few start / shutdown / start cycles of normal driving as it's supposed to do. The car is sue for it's first service any time now so I'll be sure to ask to have the codes checked. Thanks for this information.

- David

[crosebud]

Hey guys!

I just got back from a writing seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia. Had the time of my life and thought of you all because the MINI is alive and well there. Here are some photos. Not sure exactly what the context was, but these MINIs were being showcased outside this hotel.

crosebud

[AprilWhine]

Nice!

Hey crosebud, I'm over in your area in mid August! Fuzzy and I are picking up his new GP in Monterey.

[crosebud]

Cool, AprilW.,

If you have time, maybe we could meet up for dinner or a drink or something. I'll send you my email address and phone number.

crosebud

[Tazminia]

Helloooo MPG '05ers.
It's been a while, hasn't it? Scrolling back, I saw some interesting reading! The "check engine soon" light? It happened to us a little after our first service. A call to the service guys and they told me if it didn't go away I could get it replaced but it shouldn't be a large problem. They were right. It happened for a few days and then...nothing. Nada, Zip, Zilch. They said they would replace it at next service (or sooner if I wanted to run it up to them).

On a totally unrelated note: I was browsing the web and found a great site that has a huge list of phrases in Latin. I found a few that I thought would be applicable to Minis and I thought I'd share them with the '05 bunch. Here goes:

Rara avis ----- A rare bird, i.e. extraordinary or unusual thing.
Maximus in minimis (gotta love that one) ----- Great in little things. (told ya)
Multum in parvo ----- Much in little (i.e. small but significant)

Until next time,
Pactum serva! (I'll let someone look that one up)
Randy