IF YOUR RADIO WON'T GO INTO AUX MODE: 1. Plug in a music playing device to the radio, play a song, make sure the volume is all the way up on the device, and then try to press MODE. If needed, verify your device's headphone jack works by testing it with headphones. 2. Sometimes the cheaper generic cables aren't put together properly. The electrical pins MIGHT be in the wrong slots in the plug, make sure the wires going into the plug (male) match the locations of the pins on the radio side (female). If you bought a BMW cable, there should be no problem with the cable. 3. If you're not in the US you might have a different type of radio (similar doesn't cut it, different is different); so you may need this: www.amazon.co.uk/Cooper-iPhone-player-adapter-interface/dp/B00JEWNTJE (be sure to read their entire listing to make sure it fits your radio), and you might want to look at this: www.mini2.com/forum/first-generation-interior-ice/166862-diy-aux-input-uk-mini-cooper-pics.html Also when I say CD player I mean the 6 CD changer that mounts in the back of the car.
I watched your video several times over the course of the past month, in readiness and I ordered one of these cables. It arrived today. 20 mins later, i had it plugged in and AUX appeared in the mode settings and away i go. My iPod and iPhone both work a treat. Great video and tutorial. (2004 mini cooper convertible). Thanks DIY car guy. :)
Thanks for the video. I'd been putting the install off for weeks because I didn't want to remove all those pieces. With your video, I saw where the plug was on the radio and how it was oriented. I popped the piece down below the steering wheel on my '04 Cooper S MC40, felt around behind the radio, and (using yours as a go-by) installed it without having to pull the radio out at all. Connected it to an aux-to-bluetooth kit ($15 on Amazon) and in 30 minutes had a crystal clear bluetooth handsfree setup. Even though I didn't go through most of the steps, I couldn't have done it without your video. Thanks!
+Chris Wade No problem, Good thinking, that is awesome! Hopefully others will see your comment and save themselves a bunch of time. Thanks for sharing this info!
I did this yesterday. When you pull down the panel at the 27 second mark, using this video as a guide, at that point you can reach behind the radio, feel where the plug goes with your finger and plug it right in with the tab facing upward as shown at 2:51... My radio showed the AUX option immediately once the plug was in! I hereby dub this "the reacharound method".
I managed to get it working simply by pulling off the panel below the wheel, then fishing my finger back there and plugging it in. I’ve also got a phone charger hooked up along with the aux cord, they both go behind the steering column and pop up next to the tach, and go straight to my phone which is mounted to the windshield. Pretty damn clean
The tip of my aux cable is stuck in the aux port in my 2015 countryman. Any ideas on how to remove to whole port to either replace the whole port or get the stuck bit out?
this all decent info but you don't need to go thru all this. you can just pull the steering column trim down, reach in behind radio and snap it in. it's kinda tricky but no more tricky than dismangling the dash.
My bad. Not trying to be snarky. You are correct. I've installed hundreds of aux plugs in the 10 years I was a MINI tech and I was just throwing the 10 minute install option out there.
I put a cheap Chinese AUX adapter cord on my 04. It would not recognize AUX at first. It would when I hooked it to an Ipod. This was just a dumb cable: two plugs connected by a wire. I tried a better cable. This one had a small "canister" built halfway along the cable. The head unit recognized AUX right away whether there was anything else plugged in or not. That canister must have some electronics in there. I wired this to a cheap JRHT-Q9A mp3 player and mounted it in the plastic apron below the toggle switches (just in front of the heater core, behind the cup holders). Works great and very discreet. Note that the head unit did not recognize this particular mp3 at all using the first cord, but did with the second. Also, you can set the AUX input level on your factory head unit. It's an option with that musical note button.
Thanks for this you really helped out with my install! My setup is working and going into AUX mode and playing but... whenever I attach a car charger to the ipod i am using it stops working. Can you verify this happens for you? Looking in a search this may be an Apple thing but wanted to see if it happened to you. I've tried four different types of ipod and an iphone with various different chargers - no joy! Thanks for any feedback!
No prob and thanks for watching. It doesn't happen to me, I'm not sure what the issue could be since you tried a few different devices and chargers. Could be with the radio but it's hard to say. I'm using an iphone 4 and a belkin charger
This happened to me too. I ended up getting a cheap ground loop isolator for the aux cord on Amazon. It worked like a charm after that. I had no problem playing music and charging at the same time.
Hi I installed this on my 2002 mini and I don't get the aux option. My radio also has to spare plugs not just one if this makes any difference? It looks the same apart from that. Any advice how to get this working?? Thanks
BLAH DIBLAH where did u get your lead from ? I bought my first lead from eBay and it didn't work . It all plugged in but wouldn't show the aux station on the radio .. I found a lead on amazon in the end which a few people with minis had given feedback on .. I bought the lead as it was about £6 and it works brilliantly first time x
Sarah Hickley I got mine from eBay too. Might have been the cable like you say but instead of buying another I just changed the radio since I got one free from work. Cheers anyway tho
@larryhicks9277 I figured it out, I didn't have to pull the glove box out though I just pulled out the little plug in the glove box and drilled a hole in the plug then I just fished the cable through the hole and screwed the aux cable to the plug
I bought the cable and installed it on the cd/fm player of MINI COOPER R50 2002 model. But it didn't show an aux mode on it. Only show the FM AM and CD mode. :( Do you know why?
+madwho95 Sorry I didn't see this comment earlier, it was in my spam folder because of the link. You might have gotten a defective cable. That car should have AUX mode because I have the same exact radio. Look at the wire closely and make sure the pins are in the plug all the way and in the correct spots corresponding to the pins on the plug port on your radio.
VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL: you casually mention that you can mount the plug in the blank switch location under your climate controls. There is the switch circuit board directly behind that blank and there is no path through without messing up the board. I had to cut into the side of the switch box and managed to make it fit but it is a dangerous path to go. Just drill in the side of the glove box like the instructions say and be happy.
if it doesn't work when you press the MODE button and plug in a music playing device or if you've tried a different cable and it still doesn't work, then I'm sorry I'm not sure.
My cable is ok. But only if i don't connect the power cable. If i connect audio in cable ( i've a Female connector in the wire ) it's ok, but when i connect also the power wire in my phone, is like that i disconnect the audio cable. It don't work.
Thanks! It shouldn't be too old. Mine is an 04. I added some troubleshooting to my pinned comment, it should be the first comment that shows up if you select "top comments". Are you in the UK?
+a DIY Car Guy Nope i'm in the Netherlands. I bought a cable similar to yours (looking identical) on ebay, i'll give that a go. Edit: I also tried your troubleshooting comments, unfortunately I couldn't fix it. This is how my plug pins look like from the front: 000X00 00XX00 (With X being pins / contact points) Do you think i might've gotten a wrong cable?
You'll have to check if those contact points on your plug match the corrosponding pins on your radio. I have no idea which ports had contact points on my plug. It looks like you have the right plug though judging by the diagram, nice job on that btw lol. Does your radio look exactly like mine? UK radios are different from US ones, so I wonder if other EU radios are different.
a DIY Car Guy The radio looks exactly the same as yours, i've been looking on some forums and it might me a bug that happens often with mini's (i need to ground loop the aux cable i believe). Or of course i might have a faulty cable like you have suggested in the troubleshooting post.
if it doesn't work when you press the MODE button, plug in a music playing device and then try, if that doesn't work then electrical pins in the plug of the cable might be in the wrong slots, make sure the wires going into the plug (male) match the locations of the pins on the radio side (female)
a DIY Car Guy I'll give it a try tomorrow during the day. I think a lot of us would be happy to see a video of you explaining the possible issues of this.
Its Your Papi Traps Lemme know what happens. I may do that, although I don't have a definite answer as to why it doesn't work sometimes,,,just a few ideas.
Hey, I did everything shown in the video the only problem I have is that my radio doesn't go in aux mode. It does have a mode button next to the cd insert. It also has a cd changer connected... Require help, tnx.
Oh, are there any metal pins in that free connector? Also, you might need to have the mp3 player hooked up and playing in order for the radio to detect it, then you can press the MODE button. Give that a try if you haven't already. If that doesn't work, try leaving the CD changer disconnected and try to hit the MODE button with only the AUX cable in.
The radio should go into aux when you press the mode button whether the ipod is plugged in or not. Press the mode button twice to get into aux mode. It goes radio > CD > aux > back to radio as you press the mode button. That's what mine does.
might be a faulty wire or the plug isn't plugged in all the way...or possibly the music has to be playing for the radio to detect it....other than that I'm not sure
+jimbo booth The Mini Cooper S 's gas mileage is very good, the display in the car says 27.4 mpg average, but when I calculate it on paper it's 30mpg. The internet says 25/34mpg, I haven't done long highway driving yet. The engine is a supercharged 1.6L. It's pretty fast and very fun for it's size, and for the economy it gets. It's 163 horsepower and weighs 2513 pounds lol.
jimbo booth I couldn't live with myself for driving a prius lol...I had mixed feelings about buying the Mini, but everyone likes it so it's good, at least that's what they tell me haha. All the Mini drivers waive to each other like bikers, so that's pretty weird but cool at the same time.
is possible connect cable adapted usb at this cable,radio can read the usb? thanks!! sorry for my english! www.amazon.es/3-5mm-Enchufe-Hembra-Convertidor-Adaptador/dp/B0126M730O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455813605&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+to+usb+hembra
IF YOUR RADIO WON'T GO INTO AUX MODE:
1. Plug in a music playing device to the radio, play a song, make sure the volume is all the way up on the device, and then try to press MODE. If needed, verify your device's headphone jack works by testing it with headphones.
2. Sometimes the cheaper generic cables aren't put together properly. The electrical pins MIGHT be in the wrong slots in the plug, make sure the wires going into the plug (male) match the locations of the pins on the radio side (female). If you bought a BMW cable, there should be no problem with the cable.
3. If you're not in the US you might have a different type of radio (similar doesn't cut it, different is different); so you may need this: www.amazon.co.uk/Cooper-iPhone-player-adapter-interface/dp/B00JEWNTJE (be sure to read their entire listing to make sure it fits your radio), and you might want to look at this: www.mini2.com/forum/first-generation-interior-ice/166862-diy-aux-input-uk-mini-cooper-pics.html
Also when I say CD player I mean the 6 CD changer that mounts in the back of the car.
I watched your video several times over the course of the past month, in readiness and I ordered one of these cables. It arrived today. 20 mins later, i had it plugged in and AUX appeared in the mode settings and away i go. My iPod and iPhone both work a treat. Great video and tutorial. (2004 mini cooper convertible). Thanks DIY car guy. :)
So it didnt appear until you plugged the aux in?
Thanks for the video. I'd been putting the install off for weeks because I didn't want to remove all those pieces. With your video, I saw where the plug was on the radio and how it was oriented. I popped the piece down below the steering wheel on my '04 Cooper S MC40, felt around behind the radio, and (using yours as a go-by) installed it without having to pull the radio out at all. Connected it to an aux-to-bluetooth kit ($15 on Amazon) and in 30 minutes had a crystal clear bluetooth handsfree setup. Even though I didn't go through most of the steps, I couldn't have done it without your video. Thanks!
+Chris Wade No problem, Good thinking, that is awesome! Hopefully others will see your comment and save themselves a bunch of time. Thanks for sharing this info!
+Chris Wade Nice! But where did you leave the cable?
+Diederik I fished it through to the glovebox and installed it in the normal spot.
Did you drill through the normal spot in the glovebox or?
+Tyler Osborne Yep. Same place. Everything is basically the exact same, I just skipped removing the cd player.
is this applicable to regular cooper and Cooper First?
also the iphone 4 nostalgia is real
I did this yesterday. When you pull down the panel at the 27 second mark, using this video as a guide, at that point you can reach behind the radio, feel where the plug goes with your finger and plug it right in with the tab facing upward as shown at 2:51... My radio showed the AUX option immediately once the plug was in! I hereby dub this "the reacharound method".
I managed to get it working simply by pulling off the panel below the wheel, then fishing my finger back there and plugging it in. I’ve also got a phone charger hooked up along with the aux cord, they both go behind the steering column and pop up next to the tach, and go straight to my phone which is mounted to the windshield. Pretty damn clean
The tip of my aux cable is stuck in the aux port in my 2015 countryman. Any ideas on how to remove to whole port to either replace the whole port or get the stuck bit out?
Great Video. This really helped me out! Was able to switch out my bad AUX cable like a pro without spending $$$$!!
this all decent info but you don't need to go thru all this. you can just pull the steering column trim down, reach in behind radio and snap it in. it's kinda tricky but no more tricky than dismangling the dash.
I needed to show people the plug location. This is also covers how to remove the radio.
My bad. Not trying to be snarky. You are correct. I've installed hundreds of aux plugs in the 10 years I was a MINI tech and I was just throwing the 10 minute install option out there.
Steven Phillips No problem, I'm glad you did, it will probably save some people some time. So thank you
I put a cheap Chinese AUX adapter cord on my 04. It would not recognize AUX at first. It would when I hooked it to an Ipod. This was just a dumb cable: two plugs connected by a wire. I tried a better cable. This one had a small "canister" built halfway along the cable. The head unit recognized AUX right away whether there was anything else plugged in or not. That canister must have some electronics in there. I wired this to a cheap JRHT-Q9A mp3 player and mounted it in the plastic apron below the toggle switches (just in front of the heater core, behind the cup holders). Works great and very discreet. Note that the head unit did not recognize this particular mp3 at all using the first cord, but did with the second. Also, you can set the AUX input level on your factory head unit. It's an option with that musical note button.
Hello, thanks for your video.
My Mini One ( 2004 ) stereo doesn't recognize the aux cable.
Any one have got the same problem?
read my pinned post at the top of the comments
this is really late lol, but do you have a finished photo or video of where you put the aux cord after putting everything back?
I just let it hang loose inside the glovebox
Thanks for this you really helped out with my install! My setup is working and going into AUX mode and playing but... whenever I attach a car charger to the ipod i am using it stops working. Can you verify this happens for you?
Looking in a search this may be an Apple thing but wanted to see if it happened to you.
I've tried four different types of ipod and an iphone with various different chargers - no joy!
Thanks for any feedback!
No prob and thanks for watching. It doesn't happen to me, I'm not sure what the issue could be since you tried a few different devices and chargers. Could be with the radio but it's hard to say. I'm using an iphone 4 and a belkin charger
This happened to me too. I ended up getting a cheap ground loop isolator for the aux cord on Amazon. It worked like a charm after that. I had no problem playing music and charging at the same time.
Thanks so much for this! Bought an isolator from Amazon and as you say, it worked like a charm!!! Frustrations with non charging are now at zero :)
Thanks man, worked a treat in my early 2003 R50!
welcome! thanks for watching!
Great video! this is exactly what I'm looking to do tomorrow. Thanks!
+OfficialJakePhelps Thanks man!
very helpful video. but i cant find the link for the adaptor cable..where can i get one?
+Simon Heseltine amzn.to/1VRDCEj or amzn.to/1Xl7Akz or amzn.to/1Meibb1
Thanks man. Pretty simple with that video
Does this work with a 2004 Mini One as well?
Hi I installed this on my 2002 mini and I don't get the aux option. My radio also has to spare plugs not just one if this makes any difference? It looks the same apart from that. Any advice how to get this working?? Thanks
BLAH DIBLAH where did u get your lead from ? I bought my first lead from eBay and it didn't work . It all plugged in but wouldn't show the aux station on the radio .. I found a lead on amazon in the end which a few people with minis had given feedback on .. I bought the lead as it was about £6 and it works brilliantly first time x
Sarah Hickley I got mine from eBay too. Might have been the cable like you say but instead of buying another I just changed the radio since I got one free from work. Cheers anyway tho
great video! going to give it try this morning! Thanks...
+Frank Eisele you're welcome and thanks!
Do you know the answer to this? I have xm direct hooked up will this install work with the satellite radio?
I'm not sure how I missed this comment, but I think it would still work, unless if the XM receiver is plugged into the CD changer port.
anyone know of a video on how to rout the cable behind the dash into the glovebox mounting spot?
I had to take the glovebox out but it works and is great.
@larryhicks9277 I figured it out, I didn't have to pull the glove box out though I just pulled out the little plug in the glove box and drilled a hole in the plug then I just fished the cable through the hole and screwed the aux cable to the plug
I bought the cable and installed it on the cd/fm player of MINI COOPER R50 2002 model.
But it didn't show an aux mode on it. Only show the FM AM and CD mode. :(
Do you know why?
+madwho95 plug the mp3 player into it first, possibly start a song, and then try to put the radio in aux mode
+madwho95 Sorry I didn't see this comment earlier, it was in my spam folder because of the link. You might have gotten a defective cable. That car should have AUX mode because I have the same exact radio. Look at the wire closely and make sure the pins are in the plug all the way and in the correct spots corresponding to the pins on the plug port on your radio.
VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL: you casually mention that you can mount the plug in the blank switch location under your climate controls. There is the switch circuit board directly behind that blank and there is no path through without messing up the board. I had to cut into the side of the switch box and managed to make it fit but it is a dangerous path to go. Just drill in the side of the glove box like the instructions say and be happy.
Plugged all like you showed, but have no idea how to get to AUX mode :/ i only get cd/fm mode
if it doesn't work when you press the MODE button and plug in a music playing device or if you've tried a different cable and it still doesn't work, then I'm sorry I'm not sure.
My cable is ok.
But only if i don't connect the power cable.
If i connect audio in cable ( i've a Female connector in the wire ) it's ok, but when i connect also the power wire in my phone, is like that i disconnect the audio cable. It don't work.
make sure the phone volume is up
lol
theres a male version of the same cable on amazon will it work the same the plug?
yea the male version works too
First of all, great video!
I've tried it but infortunately the aux mode didn't come up.
I guess the radio in my 04 mini cooper r50 is too old
Thanks! It shouldn't be too old. Mine is an 04. I added some troubleshooting to my pinned comment, it should be the first comment that shows up if you select "top comments". Are you in the UK?
+a DIY Car Guy Nope i'm in the Netherlands. I bought a cable similar to yours (looking identical) on ebay, i'll give that a go. Edit: I also tried your troubleshooting comments, unfortunately I couldn't fix it.
This is how my plug pins look like from the front:
000X00
00XX00
(With X being pins / contact points)
Do you think i might've gotten a wrong cable?
You'll have to check if those contact points on your plug match the corrosponding pins on your radio. I have no idea which ports had contact points on my plug. It looks like you have the right plug though judging by the diagram, nice job on that btw lol. Does your radio look exactly like mine? UK radios are different from US ones, so I wonder if other EU radios are different.
a DIY Car Guy The radio looks exactly the same as yours, i've been looking on some forums and it might me a bug that happens often with mini's (i need to ground loop the aux cable i believe). Or of course i might have a faulty cable like you have suggested in the troubleshooting post.
Hopefully the ground loop thing works, can you let me know if you try it?
so any aux cable for bmw (for example z4 or x5) is going to fit with my 2005 r50?
it seems like they are interchangeable judging by the ones for sale on amazon
Is that the same for a 2008 Mini Cooper?
I think removing the radio might be different....but if the plug is on the back of the radio then the cable should work
is the plug that get's plugged in the back of the radio have like stacked stairs or no?
+RClittleKING it's mostly square, you can see it if you follow the links to the item in the description
+a DIY Car Guy alright but does the plug have a bunch of little holes ?
***** yea it has 12 holes, but there are only 4 actual pins I believe
a DIY Car Guy ok thanks a lot
***** welcome
I did this and it won't work. please help.. I have a mini S and it fits perfectly fine but the radio won't show the option in Mode.
if it doesn't work when you press the MODE button, plug in a music playing device and then try, if that doesn't work then electrical pins in the plug of the cable might be in the wrong slots, make sure the wires going into the plug (male) match the locations of the pins on the radio side (female)
a DIY Car Guy I'll give it a try tomorrow during the day. I think a lot of us would be happy to see a video of you explaining the possible issues of this.
Its Your Papi Traps Lemme know what happens. I may do that, although I don't have a definite answer as to why it doesn't work sometimes,,,just a few ideas.
Does it work in a 2003
Hey, I did everything shown in the video the only problem I have is that my radio doesn't go in aux mode. It does have a mode button next to the cd insert. It also has a cd changer connected... Require help, tnx.
+Kas Spiessens How did you plug in the aux wire if a cd changer is connected? They go in the same port.
+a DIY Car Guy There was a free port next to the changer input.
+a DIY Car Guy New connector does not fit on cd port
Oh, are there any metal pins in that free connector? Also, you might need to have the mp3 player hooked up and playing in order for the radio to detect it, then you can press the MODE button. Give that a try if you haven't already. If that doesn't work, try leaving the CD changer disconnected and try to hit the MODE button with only the AUX cable in.
+a DIY Car Guy OK, I'll try it and keep you updated. Tnx for your time.
is that the same for a 2005 mini one d?
it should be the same as long as the radio has the plug for the CD changer on the back
+a DIY Car Guy thank you so much
Alessandro Laffranchi welcome and thanks for watching!
What's the second song
I'm acctualy curious if you still have this car haha. So you still have her?
I don't I sold it lol
Does this work on a 2003 Mini Cooper?
it should if your radio looks like mine, you also need to check the back of your radio to see if the plug is there
Yep it Looks exactly the same. I'll try it soon and see what goes from there 👌🏻
Mine is an '03 base model. I assume it's exactly the same. Anybody know if there's any reason they'd be different?
+Nick If the front of your radio looks like mine then I'd imagine it's the same. You might want to remove it and check the back before buying a cable.
+a DIY Car Guy Is it a CD player that fills the empty hole, or just the CD changer?
Nick The empty plug on the radio is for the optional 6 cd changer that mounts in the back of the car
The radio should go into aux when you press the mode button whether the ipod is plugged in or not. Press the mode button twice to get into aux mode. It goes radio > CD > aux > back to radio as you press the mode button. That's what mine does.
+a DIY Car Guy I plugged in my iPod and it works. seems like it needs to be plugged in to work, which is fine with me! thanks for the help!
It doesn't let me go on aux mode for some reason.. Any advice?
try plugging in a music playing device then try to press AUX
+a DIY Car Guy still doesn't work, only got the cd option in mode and the fm am
might be a faulty wire or the plug isn't plugged in all the way...or possibly the music has to be playing for the radio to detect it....other than that I'm not sure
+a DIY Car Guy alright cheers, I'll try get another one and hope it works.
Jazzer Andrews I hope so too man!
installed and works great, but it no longer plays standard fm stations...
that is weird!
Anyone know if it works on a 02 mini?
pretty sure it will, you gotta check the back of your radio and see if the port for the 6cd changer is there
thanks..thats great!
+Simon Heseltine no problem, thanks for watching!
How is the mini on gas mileage?
+jimbo booth The Mini Cooper S 's gas mileage is very good, the display in the car says 27.4 mpg average, but when I calculate it on paper it's 30mpg. The internet says 25/34mpg, I haven't done long highway driving yet. The engine is a supercharged 1.6L. It's pretty fast and very fun for it's size, and for the economy it gets. It's 163 horsepower and weighs 2513 pounds lol.
+a DIY Car Guy. dang , thats really good , and having fun at the same time way better than a prius lol
jimbo booth I couldn't live with myself for driving a prius lol...I had mixed feelings about buying the Mini, but everyone likes it so it's good, at least that's what they tell me haha. All the Mini drivers waive to each other like bikers, so that's pretty weird but cool at the same time.
a DIY Car Guy that us cool . when i drove my dads truck i got waves
People love old trucks, they are a unique thing to see these days, I'd wave at you :D
is possible connect cable adapted usb at this cable,radio can read the usb?
thanks!! sorry for my english!
www.amazon.es/3-5mm-Enchufe-Hembra-Convertidor-Adaptador/dp/B0126M730O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455813605&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+to+usb+hembra
+mini!! cooper S Sorry I don't know, I have never tried to put a usb cable there.
Will this work on a 2006 mini one ???
+Emily Webb Hi it should work if you have the same radio as me. Should be the same radio from 01-06
Will this work on a Mini Cooper s 2002 ?
it should if your radio has the plug on the back