I think that driving the SE can be more serene if i can get rid of the low speed sound at least inside. My Prius is like the opposite, it’s serene in low speed then hell breaks loose when the engine kicks in. Anyway, i think that you can buy some module that can turn on and off features. Aside from that anything else?
Polyphonic wrote in this post that Bimmercode can add a toggle to turn that sound off: Add pedestrian noisemaker on/off toggle button (log on to car via Bimmercode app as MINI) Remember pedestrian noisemaker decision (log on to car as BMW i3 - probably because the i3 already has a user selectable toggle)
I've kept it off since then and am much happier with the quietness of the car. It still sounds when the car is in reverse. Another thing you can do is set the sound to a preset (numbers buttons on the dash). That way it can be instantly turned on when driving through areas with pedestrians.
The app guides you, so it's pretty easy. Disable CarPlay, set the phone to airplane mode, connect OBD adapter. https://bimmercode.app/manual/ https://www.bimmercode.app/cars/mini/cooper/f56/ I'm using this adapter.
Thanks. read the manual. Even though i am computer science and engineering educated. This is still too exotic gamble with a new car.
What level of gamble would you accept with a new car? The Bimmercode fix is a lot easier to reverse than if you wired a resistor in place of the front sound-making box.
I'm sure I am in the minority, but I quite like the sound. It is really cool when you are in an enclosed (ie underground) parking lot. I have had more comments from people about this "cool" sound than anything else about the MINI.
I haven't been hearing its a problem with BMW/Mini, but there is a protected flag that gets set for any flashes/uploads. There has been an assumption that this is not a big deal with BMW, and won't be for warranty work, but it does give me pause in these changing times. Currently I don't think the changes are recorded, just that there was a flash who made the upload (including authorization code).
For anyone concerned about the warranty (in the US) look in to the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act. Your warranty can't be denied unless the dealer can prove that your modification caused the failure.
I like it, too, and wish for a knob that would INCREASE the volume in certain situations. My wife and I liked Hans Zimmer's tunes in "Dune," too.
I love the serenity of rolling the car in silence. Started when i pretend to be in a race car while rolling down the driveway in my S2000 before i push the engine start button. Then in my 2016 Prius before the engine kicks in. You have to tried it before you know how the quiet calms u.
Perhaps they wouldn't try to blame a bad shock on a computer flash but "The guy flashed the computer with who knows what and now the computer is bricked... or the batteries burned out" Then there is the chance of being pulled into liability court because of a defeated a safety feature that would have prevented pain and suffering.... along with BMW for making it so easy... ah so many risks, I should just take a nap .
I don't think I will try Bimmer until I'm out of standard warranty. But that's just my preference. And I like the pedestrian sound, as well. But that's what makes this group great - diverse opinions leading to solutions for all!
There is a thread earlier this year about "Singing Cars" (in EV context) that might interest you, including some info on the US federal law behind the AVAS ("Acoustic Vehicle Alert System") https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/toggle-switch-for-pedestrian-sound.11465/page-2#post-138562. Lots of opinions, to be sure!
There are several "computers" in the Mini with dedicated functions like head unit so changing something like the acoustic warning sound will have nothing to do with battery charging. When I first coded my 2021 with Bimmercode, the feature to show the pedestrian warning sound wasn't available yet so I used the i3 option instead. With this, it was able to find the VSG or Vehicle Sound Generator computer and disable the sound.