Sat nav seems to have stopped

[AdamUK]

I'm the new & proud owner of a 2002 Mini Cooper S with (I think the Mark iii) Sat Nav kit.

I've had the car a little over a day so far, all day yesterday and today the sat nav has worked a charm and has been out on probably 8-9 trips. Today the screen just doesn't show any image when I switch on, the backlight on the screen come on when I expect but there's just blank screen.

Any ideas, i'm a bit gutted if it's popped it's clogs already?

Adam

[ALD0]

Hi Adam,

I would be too with a car new to yourself

The only thing I can suggest is searching on here to find out if you have a CD or DVD based system, and then downloading an update to see if that cures it?

[rkw]

Some posts have described Nav problems that turned out to be an early indication of the car battery failing, and a new battery fixed the problem. If your 2002 is still on its original battery, it would be a good idea to have it checked.

[AdamUK]

Quote: Originally Posted by rkw (original)

Some posts have described Nav problems that turned out to be an early indication of the car battery failing, and a new battery fixed the problem. If your 2002 is still on its original battery, it would be a good idea to have it checked.

Thanks for that. Do you know of a check I can do myself to see if the battery is still good? I'm wary of running an upgrade as ALD0 has kindly suggested, as if I encounter error which causes no boot i'll never know which end of the problem I can attack.

[rkw]

I'm not familiar with what is usually done to check a battery's condition. It might be through measuring the battery's voltage or amperage.

Another suggestion I could make is to reset the Nav unit. Disconnect the car battery and leave it disconnected for at least 15 minutes to allow any residual current to dissipate, then reconnect the battery.

Good luck. I'd be alarmed too if this happened right after purchasing a car.

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamUK (original)

Thanks for that. Do you know of a check I can do myself to see if the battery is still good?

Its doesn`t sound like the battery is at fault in this case, as it still doesn`t work when the engine is running & everything else on the car is functioning ... if I`ve understood the 1st post correctly.

Assuming the car starts 1st time every time, then a quick check {without any type of meter present}, on the charging system would be to switch on the headlights, heated rear window, & heater blower motor at tickover, & if the revs die or lights fade then there may be a problem ... if not then alls well.

I`ve just changed my battery this week ...See >> http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...v-battery.html

[rkw]

Quote: Originally Posted by Restyle (original)

Its doesn`t sound like the battery is at fault in this case, as it still doesn`t work when the engine is running & everything else on the car is functioning ... if I`ve understood the 1st post correctly.

I don't have personal experience with the problem but here is a thread I saw that led me to think of the battery: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ad.php?t=98623

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by rkw (original)

I don't have personal experience with the problem but here is a thread I saw that led me to think of the battery: MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring - Dark Screen for 50 seconds at start up? Anyone Else Having This Problem?

Interesting artice, but without knowing more info I cant be more helpful.
However, it would certainly do no harm disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery for 5 minutes & might possibly provide a `reset cure` for the sat nav.

[AdamUK]

According to my local Mini dealership, the 2002 versions had a problem when the Sat Nav system gets cold. Indeed, the intermittent problem pattern does match the outside temperature as strange as I found this concept. They've told me that upgrading the s/w will remove the problem as later versions do not carry this system check on temperature.

I've seen several posts pointing to simplymini website for updates, but a lot of people have had problems with the updates toasting their system. I'm on version 3-1/50. Is there a fail-safe way of updating? I don't have confidence based on threads on this forum, some folks have had to resort to purchasing a mk4 system because the updates from simplymini killed their system?

[rkw]

If you are uncomfortable updating firmware yourself, how about having the dealer do it for you?

I haven't seen posts about firmware updates permanently damaging the system. Could you provide links? In all cases I've seen, update failures were caused by the unit being unable to read the disc, and able to be remedied by reburning a better copy or into the disc format required by the Nav.

[AdamUK]

Quote: Originally Posted by rkw (original)

I haven't seen posts about firmware updates permanently damaging the system. Could you provide links?

Check post 36-38 below:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/interior-...ooper-s-2.html

My Mini dealer wants £100 to cure my cold-start problem through the s/w upgrade, a little steep considering the files are on simplymini's site. I am nervous of doing it based on the thread above, the owner here resorted to a mk4 purchase because the updates didn't work time after time. Does anyone have a fail safe upgrade?

Thx for your help, some great people on here.

[MarkW]

did you buy it from the dealers? if so take it back and insist it's fixed.

I used the simplymini files to upgrade my firmware with no issue, mines mkIV though

[rkw]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamUK (original)

Check post 36-38 below:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/interior-...ooper-s-2.html

The person in that case said his software didn't give him a choice of what mode to burn the CD. The Nav needs the CD to be in a very specific format. See this thread: http://www.x5world.com/navigation-sy...-went-bad.html. Posts 4 to 6 have people who began with a wrong format CD and subsequently recovered.

Your dealer asking £100 for this service is outrageous. The procedure is merely inserting a disc and waiting a couple of minutes. You should check with other dealers.

[rkw]

By the way, this thread is in the wrong forum (2nd generation MINI). Perhaps you should ask the moderators to move it.