New Owner With Questions

[Sully151]

Hi!

We just picked up our Mini, we love it so far. Really fun to drive, but I have a ton of questions.

1. Is Park Distance Control a standard feature on the Signature Trim? My car does not have it, but my Parent's car does. They were literally build right next to each other. Did I get screwed out of something I was supposed to have?

2. Since mine does not have it, is there a way to make the entire center screen be the back up camera? Its kind of lame that it is only half the screen.

3. G.O.M- when we picked up the car it said, 100 miles at 100%. Both times we have charged it to full, it says 85 miles. I am by no means a lead foot and have been driving pretty conservatively. Is the GOM that bad, does it adjust as I drive it more?

4. Is there a trip meter so I can measure how far I am actually getting on a charge?

5. Speakers. I did not get the HK system, so I think I have 6 speakers, but I can only find 4. Where are the other two?

6. HAs anyone upgraded the speakers?

7. Window tint, yay or nay? Does it really affect temp inside the car?

 

[Keith & Jules]

The only question I can answer is #4. Our Australian model has a button on top left of the instrument cluster on the steering wheel that can be used to make display on right of bottom line cycle through several readings (including a trip meter), and can be used to the reset the trip meter.

 

[vader]

I'll just answer the ones I can

Hi!
3. G.O.M- when we picked up the car it said, 100 miles at 100%. Both times we have charged it to full, it says 85 miles. I am by no means a lead foot and have been driving pretty conservatively. Is the GOM that bad, does it adjust as I drive it more?

The GOM is quite literally the worst GOM ever seen in a vehicle since the Romans used sheeps entrails. OK, maybe a bit of an overkill, by it is hideously inaccurate. I recently charged with 38% left at 158km done. I didn't need to, but I have a free fast charger near me that I sometimes visit on the weekend. When it got to 100% the range was.......160km. After doing 25km, the range had dropped to......158km. It really is that bad. Never look at or trust it. If you look through this forum, there is an app (or are there multiple) that calculate your actual range, or you can do it yourself by looking at the battery percentage left and either how far you have gone already, or your average so far.

4. Is there a trip meter so I can measure how far I am actually getting on a charge?

Yes. Use the top button on the end of the indicator stalk to cycle through information such as trip, average consumption, instantaneous consumption and battery percent. Long press to reset the value you are on (eg trip).

7. Window tint, yay or nay? Does it really affect temp inside the car?

I live in Oz, so tinting is almost required to stop you dying. Whether it cools/heats the inside doesn't matter as much as not being burnt from the sun shining through the window

 

[insightman]

1. Is Park Distance Control a standard feature on the Signature Trim? My car does not have it, but my Parent's car does. They were literally build right next to each other. Did I get screwed out of something I was supposed to have?

You did get screwed out of something your SE was supposed to have.

All MINI Cooper SE trim levels were specified to have the rear ultrasonic parking sensors. All 2020/2021 models did. Then the chip shortage happened. The chip shortage reduced the number of harman/kardon entertainment systems available and also some crucial part(s) of the Parking Distance Control system.

MINI was paying customers a rebate for the missing H/K stereo systems, but those who didn't get the rear parking sensors didn't receive any compensation. The absence of parking sensors was just an "oops" that purchasers discovered when they received their SEs. One forum member said he's happy his SE doesn't have the parking sensors because he prefers not to hear their warning noise and considers the rear camera to be sufficient to enable safe parking.

I believe MINI has been able to equip all Iconic-trim SEs with front and rear parking sensors, because they are required for the Iconic's standard Parking Assist feature. Purchasers of lower-trim models who paid extra for the Parking Assist feature also received both front and rear sensors. Unless your parents paid extra for the Parking Assist feature on a non-Iconic SE, it sounds like they lucked out.

2. Since mine does not have it, is there a way to make the entire center screen be the back up camera? Its kind of lame that it is only half the screen.

I'm surprised to hear about this 2022 SE limitation. My 2021 SE uses the entire screen to display the view from the back-up camera. The back-up camera on my SE is great IMO; the one in our Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is unusable in the dark.

 

[chrunck]

5. Speakers. I did not get the HK system, so I think I have 6 speakers, but I can only find 4. Where are the other two?

Have you checked under the seats? There should be a subwoofer under each front seat.

6. HAs anyone upgraded the speakers?

Check out Bavsound and Bimmertech.

7. Window tint, yay or nay? Does it really affect temp inside the car?

I suppose it depends on where you live, but I think tint is a must. Once you have one car with tinted windows, you'll never go back. It really does help keep the interior temp down.

 

[JonR]

1. Is Park Distance Control a standard feature on the Signature Trim? My car does not have it, but my Parent's car does. They were literally build right next to each other. Did I get screwed out of something I was supposed to have?

Signature trim does not have parking distance control.

2. Since mine does not have it, is there a way to make the entire center screen be the back up camera? Its kind of lame that it is only half the screen.

My 2021 Signature model isn't like that. That sounds strange.

7. Window tint, yay or nay? Does it really affect temp inside the car?

Yes, get window tint.

 

[Carsten Haase]

2. Since mine does not have it, is there a way to make the entire center screen be the back up camera? Its kind of lame that it is only half the screen.

I have not figured out how to make the camera full screen on my 2022.

I believe the larger 8.8" screen being standard was new for 2022 so maybe the full screen camera is only on the smaller screens?

 

[Puppethead]

Use the top button on the end of the indicator stalk to cycle through information such as trip, average consumption, instantaneous consumption and battery percent. Long press to reset the value you are on (eg trip).

There is also a trip odometer button behind the upper left corner of the range binnacle (the display on top of the steering column). Push once to see trip odometer, push twice to reset to zero.

 

[MichaelC]

There is also a trip odometer button behind the upper left corner of the range binnacle (the display on top of the steering column). Push once to see trip odometer, push twice to reset to zero.

And there is also a way to view trip info in the Central Information Display:
My MINI > Driving information > Trip computer

You can either reset this manually or configure it to automatically reset after each trip (so it will show you information for this trip, instead of cumulative information).

 

[insightman]

I believe the larger 8.8" screen being standard was new for 2022 so maybe the full screen camera is only on the smaller screens?

My 2021 Iconic has the 8.8" screen and uses the full screen to display the back-up camera view. I'm amazed that MINI decided for 2022 that drivers no longer needed the full-screen view. Do they think people want to interact with CarPlay while backing up?

 

[Carsten Haase]

My 2021 Iconic has the 8.8" screen and uses the full screen to display the back-up camera view. I'm amazed that MINI decided for 2022 that drivers no longer needed the full-screen view. Do they think people want to interact with CarPlay while backing up?

It doesn't do a split screen either as far as I know. From this poor quality YouTube screen grab the space is supposed to show a graphic for the parking distance control.


(Some 2022s in other countries have the old style LED ring)

Since my car is one that came without the parking sensors, it's just empty space...

 

[Keith & Jules]

The only question I can answer is #4. Our Australian model has a button on top left of the instrument cluster on the steering wheel that can be used to make display on right of bottom line cycle through several readings (including a trip meter), and can be used to the reset the trip meter.

I made a mistake: that button only does a reset. The button to cycle through the display is (on Aussie model) the little tab button on top of left stalk

 

[Keith & Jules]

You can start the air conditioning remotely before you get to the car

 

[Texas22Step]

You can start the air conditioning remotely before you get to the car

Or, for a quick stop at a convenience store, etc., you can leave the car's HVAC running to keep it cool or hot while you are inside the store. This is also a great feature to use if someone with you prefers to stay in the car and wants to be comfortable (and no "running engine" as there would be with an ICE car). Just check the box on the touch screen when you turn the car "off" when exiting.

 

[GvilleGuy]

If there is a way to make the back up camera full screen on the 2022, I have not found it yet! But it doesn't bother me as I like to see the parking sensor data at the same time.

 

[DisgruntledSanta]

Or, for a quick stop at a convenience store, etc., you can leave the car's HVAC running to keep it cool or hot while you are inside the store. This is also a great feature to use if someone with you prefers to stay in the car and wants to be comfortable (and no "running engine" as there would be with an ICE car). Just check the box on the touch screen when you turn the car "off" when exiting.

How do you do this? I thought as soon as you left the car it shut off?


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

[insightman]

If there is a way to make the back up camera full screen on the 2022, I have not found it yet! But it doesn't bother me as I like to see the parking sensor data at the same time.

Perhaps I didn't understand about the full-screen back-up camera question. My 2021 shows what @Carsten Haase posted above:

I thought the 2022 complaint was that the backup camera AND the sensor display were compressed into half the width of the screen while some other app was displayed on the other half. It appears nothing has changed since 2020.

 

[JonR]

How do you do this? I thought as soon as you left the car it shut off?


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

You click the "Activate comfort climate now" after to turn off the car.


The Mini app has a little fan next to the horn button which gives you the option to "Start Climatization". That will also turn on the heat/air to make the car comfortable when you get in.

 

[JonR]

Perhaps I didn't understand about the full-screen back-up camera question. My 2021 shows what @Carsten Haase posted above:

I thought the 2022 complaint was that the backup camera AND the sensor display were compressed into half the width of the screen while some other app was displayed on the other half. It appears nothing has changed since 2020.

My cheap stereo backup camera view.

 

[Puppethead]

Since my car is one that came without the parking sensors, it's just empty space...

That looks to me like a common camera sensor size, which is typically 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratio. Without measuring I'd guess the SE is using a 3:2 sensor.