MINI SiriusXM Radio DIY
There is a very easy and inexpensive way to get XM radio in your ’02-06 MINI. The install process described below can be done with simple hand tools, and takes less than 20 minutes. I became interested in satellite radio for a couple of reasons: first and foremost, it’s a gadget and I’m weak when it comes to gadgets; and secondly, the FM reception where I live is not so good. I already have the AUX input port (MINI part number 82110153367) for my iPhone but I’m tired of the music I own and too out of touch to know what new music I might like. So, instead of buying more music, buy a better music source. Carpe dealum.
The Mini H/K stereo is satellite ready. The head unit will work with either Sirius or XM. The OEM option from the factory was for Sirius and cost about $500 installed at the time. There was also an XMdirect kit available for about $300 without installation. Either of these two systems have the advantage of integrating with the head unit and hiding away completely in the coachwork. The station/song info plays on the head unit and the multi-function steering wheel can control it. The disadvantage was the cost. I eventually found the parts to install it myself for about $175 for the Blitzsafe and XM-Direct Kit.
The advantage of the XMdirect over a portable system is the ability to control it through the multi-function steering wheel. The install took about 20 minutes. I decided to place the antenna on the roof behind my existing radio antenna. Route the cable down to the boot. The XMdirect control unit went into the boot storage area next to my radio booster. A connection kit from Blitzsafe connected it to the CD changer controls. Too easy…
Here’s how to install it:
1. Start with the antenna. I placed mine behind the factory radio antenna. Open the boot, pull back the rubber grommet around the wire bundle and work the headliner free from the roof at the top. You can feed the antenna wire through the hole into the car, then grab it between the roof and headliner. Route it around the boot opening and into the side storage compartment where your radio is located. Be careful where the cable wraps around sheet-metal. You may want to add some electrical tape to reinforce the cable so it doesn’t rub and cut the wire.
2. In the storage compartment in the boot, passenger side, find the factory stereo lead that would plug into the CD changer if you had one. It’s usually on the bottom, below the radio boost if you have a HK system, toward the front of the car. You plug the Blitzsafe unit into this connector.
3. Plug the XM Direct unit into the Blitzsafe and plug in your antenna wire. You’ll have to position the XM Direct unit somewhere that is secure. I used velcro and stuck it to the chassis. Close up the compartment.
4. Turn on your radio and push the Mode button. You will see Sirius flash on the screen even though it’s XM. If you have a clear view of the southern sky, you’ll get channel 1. If this works, call XM and activate your radio. You’ll need the radio serial number. If it doesn’t, check your connections, turn off the stereo, turn it on, and try again.
MINI X-Ray Vision
Driving on the track in the extreme cold, I noticed how the supercharger really responded to the cold. I did some research and found that the stock intercooler and diverter has a thermal efficiency (TE) of only about 65%. Before paying a lot of money for more surface area, why not try to improve TE?
There are a number of design compromises that affect TE. First is the location of the intercooler on top of the engine, left of the centerline of the car. You pick up ambient heat from the lump itself and the flow through the intercooler is compromised by forcing the air to make a 90 degree turn from the mail-slot in the hood.
To solve the heat gain, I’ve placed some heat shielding on the intake manifold, and along the interior surfaces and edges of the intercooler. My semi-scientific tests found about a 20 degree reduction in surface temperatures between the insulated and uninsulated parts. The next step was to replace the stock air diverter with the Alta Diverter. The Alta diverter seals better to the hood and channels the air from the right side more efficiently than the stock set-up. I removed the stock heat shield and used some thermo tech which increased the volume of space between the intercooler and hood, but still sealed well with the Diverter
I always new the MINI intercooler wasn’t in the center of the car, but it wasn’t until I made this composite image that I knew how far off-set it really is.
In this side view, you can see how far forward the diverter actually sits on the engine. You can also see how high the air filter sits. I’m also getting a good seal from the CAI box against the hood. I added some insulation to the outside of the CAI box as well. As measured inside the box when the engine was up to temperature, the side that was insulated was significantly cooler than the front that wasn’t insulated where the difference was about 50 degrees (so I added some heat shielding there as well).
The Road to the Garage-mahal Gets Paved
The development of the Garage-mahal took a significant step forward yesterday. We have been attempting for almost a year to get our driveway repaved. Actually, paved would be more appropriate. Only about twenty feet of the old driveway could be called paved, the rest was gavel, rubble, dirt, or grass.
The plan was simple enough: Find a paving company that would widen the driveway by about six feet; grade it, remove the rubble, and repave it to make it level with the entrance to the garage. It is about ninety feet long on average, say sixteen feet wide. Asking around various general contractors what they thought a reasonable estimate might be, they all came up with the same range: $3,000 – $5,000.
When we got the bids in, most were between $8,000 and $10,000. I know the price of oil is driving up the cost of asphalt, but that seemed excessive. We started looking for paving companies from outside the metro area. Sure enough, their prices were about half. We selected one, signed the order, and waited. And waited. We couldn’t get the work scheduled and thought they didn’t want to do it. We called them back on the off-chance they might be interested and it turns out the problem wasn’t lack of interest, but a surly receptionist who didn’t want to schedule it. Within hours, they came back to confirm the estimate and showed up the next day to do the work.
It will be another couple of days before we can drive on it, but it’s beautiful (in an asphalt sort of way.) We should have room to park two cars at the bottom and still drive into the garage-mahal without driving on the neighbor’s driveway. Of course, there’s some extra room as well for another car …. Click the photo above to see the slideshow.
MINI Short Shifter DIY
I finally got around to installing the B&M Short Shifter kit I bought last year. I like this kit because it reduces both the throw and length of the shifter. It is almost 2 inches shorter than the stock one. The install is pretty straight forward, though somewhat time consuming. Instructions.
A couple of the steps are somewhat problematic, at least from my experience. I would probably be a lot easier to do if you had the car on a lift, but you can do it on your back if you have to. Make it easy on yourself, and drop the exhaust. I tried to work around it and had no leverage. If you do drop the exhaust, make sure you have a spare gasket for when you put it back together.
The next problem I had was in prying the shift linkage off the bottom of the lever. The instructions say to just pull it off, but even hanging from the darn thing, I couldn’t get it to budge. I finally managed to clamp on some vice-grips and use that to pry against and got it off. The bushing is also a bear to get out so be patient.
Once installed, I snapped the OEM knob back on and was all set. It is a bit tight, but the action is good and precise. I also like the shorter height.
Making it Blow Again
A common fault with older E30s is that the heater blower often only works on the highest setting. You should be happy that it works at all because it is much easier to repair/replace the resistor that controls the speed, than it is to replace the entire blower. This project isn’t very complicated. Give yourself about an hour to complete it. As usual, these instructions are provided for your entertainment only. Use at your own risk: No wagering.
You’ll need some electrical contact cleaner, 6mm and 9mm sockets, phillips screwdriver, and a varied assortment of socket extensions for this project. You may need to also replace some zip ties as well. If you’re an optimist, you can hope all you’ll need is to clean the resistor once you get to it. If you’re a pessimist, go ahead and buy the resistor before you start. You can get it at your BMW parts counter or from Bavarian Autosport.
First off, double check that your blower still works on the highest setting, then disconnect the battery.
The panel you’ll need to remove first is at the back of the engine compartment. Remove the gasket that runs along the top. You’ll have to remove 4 bolts to free up the panel. The top two are easily visible, but the lower two are hard to get to. If you have a strut bar like I do, you’ll want to remove the wire bundle that is attached to this panel so you have some room to maneuver. That involves removing two screws and possibly removing some zip ties.
Once the first panel is removed, you’ll see the blower in the middle. There are two white straps holding on the blower cover. You’ll need to carefully open these and remove the panel by sliding it down and pulling it out. Be careful not to break the cover or the tie straps. Now you’ll see the exposed blower.
At the bottom of the blower, in the middle is the resistor module. Yours will probably be brown and quite dirty. In the photo you see the new light blue replacement. Remove the module by gently pulling it from the arms that extend down. Pull directly toward you. With the module removed, clean the electrical contacts on the blower. Be careful not to drip contact cleaner down into the heater. (At this point, if you were to reconnect the power, your blower would still work on the highest setting. If you want to test that, be careful not to damage the exposed fins of the blower. Remember to disconnect the power when you are done.)
You can either attempt to clean and replace your existing module, or simply plug in the new one. I tried to clean mine first, but ended up buying a new one when that didn’t work. Make sure the model is seated and reconnect the power. Then test if it works.
Reverse your steps by first replacing the blower cover and reconnecting the tie straps. Be careful working the top of the cover in first, then slide down into place.
Replace the outer cover and put the gasket back in place. Replace your wire bundle if you moved it and replace any zip ties you cut.
Enjoy multi-speed ventilation again.
