MINI Connected Services Expired at 4 Years

  • Thread starter Thread starter Puppethead
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Puppethead

Puppethead

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My real-time traffic status stopped working a few days ago, and I only figured it out by comparing my routes to CarPlay, which showed where traffic delays were whereas MINI just shows driving route.

I thought it could possibly be an outage, but I literally just passed my 4-year anniversary so I had a suspicion that the service expired. I called 866-ASK-MINI and was informed that yes, my VIN was encoded with four years of service. I was told I should have received email about the impending expiration but I never did.

Now I have to decide if I want to pay the annual $100 renewal or stick with CarPlay Apple Maps. I do prefer the MINI Navigation routing, Apple Maps is way too reliant on freeways for routing.


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Am I correct in assuming MINI Online is for remote car functions in the app (remote lock/unlock, climate conditioning, etc)?
 
Huh. Lol! I haven't bothered trying My Garage since I was wondering where my just-ordered car was, and was told it's only for USA customers... Realizing that I actually log in to my credit account and the My MINI app through miniusa.com, I just tried My Garage, and YUP!

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When I looked at my car I saw a list of everything as active, which is why I was not sure what was going on with my navigation. But look, @SameGuy's list shows "MINI Connected Navigation Plus", which my list does not show. I would have expected it to be listed as "inactive" so I'd know I could buy it. That's just poor web design.

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Mine says "MINI Connected Navigation Plus" expires after three years, and "Concierge Services" after 2.5. Kind of disappointing as I'd understood that these were available indefinitely, but I guess I don't actually use them.
 
I think I've used MINI Connected Navigation Plus twice in two years, both times just to see how turn-by-turn looks on the head up display. If that's all that goes away in two years, I'm OK with that.
 
inferno10 said:
Am I correct in assuming MINI Online is for remote car functions in the app (remote lock/unlock, climate conditioning, etc)?
Click to expand...
MINI app remote functions are still working on my SE. The only things I've noticed not working are:
  • Traffic info
  • Map updates (so says the page on buying the service)
  • Voice search for destinations
  • Alexa-type stuff (presumably, I've never used it but maybe that's what voice search uses)
Losing map updates is kind of funny for me, since I got a huge map update at the end of last week for a redesigned interchange by my work. It took over six months for the new interchange layout update, but apparently I got it just in time. :)
 
SameGuy said:
What is "concierge services"?
Click to expand...
Official description of the Iconic trim's Concierge Service:
The MINI Concierge Service is a 24/7 service that provides information and assistance to drivers while they're on the road. Drivers can access the service by pressing a button in their car, which calls the concierge through the car's phone connection. The concierge can help with:
  • Researching points of interest: The concierge can research points of interest for the driver, such as restaurants, and send addresses to the car's navigation system
  • Providing practical tips: The concierge can offer advice and planning, and can send messages to the driver
  • Booking reservations: The concierge can book tables at restaurants, for example
The Concierge Service is available for free, and it works independently of the driver's mobile phone.

My experience:
The only time I ever hit the Conceirge button above the center mirror was when I was on the 40-minute drive back from my 2-year service appointment in Southfield, MI. I had lost the center-screen analog clock with the software update. After 15 minutes, the MINI Concierge couldn't figure it out and switched me to the BMW Concierge! After a wait, it took the BMW Concierge 10 minutes to discover the clock is considered a screen saver. I pulled over a minute from home to access the screen-saver menu item and my clock was back! If my concierge service goes away, it won't be a problem for me.
 
Puppethead said:
MINI app remote functions are still working on my SE. The only things I've noticed not working are:
  • Traffic info
  • Map updates (so says the page on buying the service)
  • Voice search for destinations
  • Alexa-type stuff (presumably, I've never used it but maybe that's what voice search uses)
Losing map updates is kind of funny for me, since I got a huge map update at the end of last week for a redesigned interchange by my work. It took over six months for the new interchange layout update, but apparently I got it just in time. :)
Click to expand...
Can you use Waze app ?I love is very useful for me with all in real time traffic and directions speed red lights cops locations etc.
 
How are map updates obtained? Mine didn't know about roads that have been here a few years when into the car, and it still doesn't. I'm not too impressed with the mini navigation anyway, and will fire up Google maps on my phone if it looks complex. Mini loves telling me to turn some way before the actual turn. Often, there is a wrong turn exactly where it tells me to turn...
 
pictsidhe said:
How are map updates obtained? Mine didn't know about roads that have been here a few years when into the car, and it still doesn't. I'm not too impressed with the mini navigation anyway, and will fire up Google maps on my phone if it looks complex. Mini loves telling me to turn some way before the actual turn. Often, there is a wrong turn exactly where it tells me to turn...
Click to expand...
Waze apps by Car play and I’m old dud is the best think anywhere I want to go so simple to navigate with all speed cameras live traffic etc try .
 
pictsidhe said:
How are map updates obtained? Mine didn't know about roads that have been here a few years when into the car, and it still doesn't.
Click to expand...
Map updates come over-the-air. I've received a few of them, the car will ask if you want to apply them while driving in some instances. But the map data seems to lag quite a bit. I found it's been pretty good with construction, except for the annoying problem that it shows roads as closed but still routes on them.
 
pictsidhe said:
How are map updates obtained? Mine didn't know about roads that have been here a few years when into the car, and it still doesn't. I'm not too impressed with the mini navigation anyway, and will fire up Google maps on my phone if it looks complex. Mini loves telling me to turn some way before the actual turn. Often, there is a wrong turn exactly where it tells me to turn...
Click to expand...

I use carplay with Apple Maps (TomTom based). I prefer the TomTom routing and Apple privacy over hacks like Google maps and WAZE. Simple to use. WAZE in this area gets corrupted often by hackers with false reports. I've been using GPS routing for decades and every map app has one quirk or another.

I think Google's display of traffic conditions is superior, however. For situational awareness on long trips, I have a larger overall view on an iPad screen while I use Maps for routing.

None of these approaches work well when driving out of cell tower range. One needs to prepare (download the maps on your route) or use something like the built in NAV.
 
fishbert said:
Settings > maps > driving > avoid: highways
Click to expand...
I want to drive on highways, but sometimes they're not the most efficient route. I find Apple Maps will constantly reroute to highways instead of choosing parallel, faster surface streets. MINI's navigation is better about choosing non-highway routes.
 
I don't find that to be the case with maps. For example, where the built in nav and google will direct you through mid town NYC and the Lincoln Tunnel, maps is smart enough to route you around on alternate bridges, saving hours of time and aggravation. Maps may sometimes be conservative about estimating stop light delays, perhaps assume you will hit mostly red. The built in and google, the last I checked, ignores those delays. Maps will often route you via CT Rt15, a parallel surface street, instead of I91 when I91 is backed up with traffic. In back woods Maine, Google seems to have a tendency to choose more direct side roads (dirt and gravel, sometimes driveways) where Maps has a tendency to choose paved roads.

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None of these are perfect and certain use cases or specific locations will differ. They are just a tool that need human intervention now and then. Years ago Garmin had a knack of finding side street short cuts that were useful.
 
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Not sure if this applies to Mini's (ours is still under 3 years old) but with BMW they usually do Black Friday deals on the connected packages, so if you want to maintain a service and can wait until then it might be worth checking.
 
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