I did search through the forum and found a useful post on this. However, the dealer i have spoken to has thrown me off.
I'm looking at an 08 Mini John Cooper Works which has the Chilli pack. Part of that is the Basic Bluetooth with USB. Am i right in saying that you can plug your iPod into this Aux/USB slot via a cable and it will charge the iPod and you can change tracks via the MFSW?
The post on here i found also said that with Basic Bluetooth you can use your phone to make/receive calls via the speakers and phone button on the MFSW. Is that correct as the dealer has said no?
If so, is the Full Bluetooth system simply the addition of the arm rest. MFSW (assuming you don't have these items) with the relevant dock in the arm rest to hold the phone and charge it, i.e. it is a package rather than a different type of bluetooth system?
question 1 - yes you can charge and control your ipod with the MFSW through the usb IF you buy the official bmw ipod cable (which costs £40) or haggle with your dealer to throw it in. a normal ipod cable doesn't work
question 2 - i *think* you can answer bluetooth calls with the mfsw, would be a poor bluetooth system if you still had to pick up the phone (i have full so i'm not 100% sure).
Hi there, my JCW is two months old with the basic bluetooth. Yes you can control your ipod through the Y lead (which my dealer kindly let me have free)
Yes, I can make phone calls by pressing the phone button and telling it to dial for me, but you have to programme each of your entries into the system with some phones (I had to!). It all depends what phone you have, some are not compatible at all so beware!
Its really good to talk to the car, but as I said some phones wont work, which one have you got?
Mozza obsessed
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I have Basic Bluetooth with USB on my Jan 09 MCS. I also have an iPhone, and I was really pleased to see once you have paired the iPhone with the car, it will find all your contacts and list them in the Nav screen!
I am guessing if you have the standard Radio setup then you can scroll through all your contacts in the Radio display
I can press the phone button on the MFSW to answer an incoming call, but if i press it to make a call it will dial the last number.
Yes, thats like the viewty, you have to programme in the numbers, directions are in the phone leaflet that came with the car. Takes a little while but worth it.
Mine has done this with several phones. I think pressing the button is for redialing. The phones I have used are all fully compatible. That's with Full Bluetooth though, can't see it being different though!
I don't know if some of the earlier JCW's have voice dialling - I seem to remember mini only bringing in free voice dialling just before november (only just before my car was built). However the basic bluetooth will defo let you control compatible phones through the MFSW...
When I press the phone button it says "say a command" and I say dial whoever. but this only worked after I programmed the whoevers in! Before I did this it just redialled the last number I called.
Before you spend money on a Y cable from the dealers - unless you get it for free from them - try your cable supplied with your Ipod for connecting to your computer as thats the cable which I use and all controls are fully functional from the MFSW with details showing on the Nav screen as in track listing / phone listings.
Most iPods will work this way if you store un-DRM'd MP3's on it as a generic storage device, but then the music isn't accessible on the iPod. The MINI uses the older serial protocol to send commands to the iPod, so the MINI supplied Y-cable has a built in USB to serial converter which isnt part of the standard cable.
Other MP3 players will work this way though, and if I remember correctly the iPod shuffle is an exception, as it's basically a USB thumb drive.
Also, the iPhone 3G is a class 2 USB device that draws more power (500mA) than the MINI's class one (100mA) USB port can supply- you'll need the armrest snap-in to charge the newer iPhones.
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Basic Bluetooth with USB - Help 
