Last year I installed an aftermarket 360° "birds eye" camera system into my MINI SE. As I prepare to part my MINI for something different I figured I should finally brain dump how I did it. Overall it was a very useful system and stable. Maybe $500 in parts and materials, a weekend to install and figure everything out. 2 hours any time it needs calibrated. I trust is as much as I trust my calibration, which was pretty dialed in at the end. If it were to ever fail the OEM backup camera still functions by default. It's a fully reversible add-on and doesn't replace or remove anything factory. Self parking still works, you can always dismiss it and get back to your normal camera too. It optionally ties in to most of the system as well. If your parking sensors pick something up, 360 flips on. Left/right turn signals can give you a blind spot check. It can auto dismiss at a set speed. You can choose more of a "near" or "far" view of the camera and even toggle between them. The vehicle model, color, and back up lines are all configurable. There are a few downsides. Most annoyingly, the cameras are not HDR so they can get blinded more easily than the factory camera. While the UI looks touchable, it is only iDrive controllable. Some of the automatic triggers (like parking sensors) are only as good as the sensors - and we all know MINI parking sensors are constantly pinging and beeping at even the smallest pebble some times. All very minor for the utility it adds. Compared to other systems it's on par with a ~2018 OEM 360° camera despite what you might think of an aliexpress solution. 2022 Chevy Bolt was better all around, Polestar 2 has better HDR but a slightly worse stitching and back up camera. (splicing looks funny here as I am parked up a hill)
Parts needed: 360° Camera system for BMW NBT/EVO A "360° birds eye" camera system for BMW NBT/EVO, like this one. When you order, make sure to tell them it's for a 2-door hardtop MINI and they will make sure the 3D model is included. They did not have an EV only ICE. By default these come with turret style side cameras. Significantly easier to install but makes for a very obvious look, like a wart hanging off the mirror. You can request the same camera for all 4 positions, these can be more easily hidden into the mirror shell but requires some work. Calibration cloth There are many different styles, none are much better than the others. Automatic calibration can be spotty, the best one is seemingly the most expensive. A single piece with a complex pattern. You can even find people using tape on YouTube for a very cheap option. I used something like this and the best cloths look like this (but the shipping is insane!) Tools Various plastic pry tools and fishing aides (I used coated solid 12g copper wire, extra long zip ties, etc.) Drill with T20, step bit or hole saw, various drill bits Consumables Electrical, painters, and harness tape Zip ties, strong velcro 3M VHB and Strip-Caulk are handy too Extra parts You may break some clips along the way. They often even work when broken but it’s nice to have a few extras on hand. Most common is 51418224768, but I also broke a door lock clip which is 51221817032.
Hardware install: Main harness connection The included harness taps off the iDrive controller’s power and data lines. Using a pry tool work your way around the oval perimeter that holds the iDrive, park brake, and shift - to pop it out as one unit. Remove the iDrive plug, insert into the splitter harness and reinsert the other end of the splitter back into the controller. Fish this wire forward through the trim and into the passenger footwell or up behind the HVAC panel. Prepare space for the control unit Remove the glovebox by removing the screws on each corner and the one in the center top. Remove the upper light connection and the other wire connected on the right side. The control unit will live on top of the glove box, decide how you want to mount it. Heavy duty hook and loop works well but there are plenty of other options. Wire up the screen See this video from BimmerTech to remove the screen Much of this is tight fitting if you’ve never removed it before, use of controlled force may be needed to remove the center speaker grill, surround ring, and top clips retaining the screen. Once the screen is free, disconnect only the purple display wire. Connect it to the first included wire. Then connect the screen to the other included wire. These only work one way and colors may vary (some are purple+purple or maybe purple+teal) Route both those wires into the glove box cavity Reassemble the screen as we are done here. One gotcha - there are little tabs on the bottom of the display, they need to be inserted into the dash first, then tip the screen up into place. Route front camera wire Open the bonnet and look past the front drivers strut mount toward the firewall. You should see a rubber plug ~1” in diameter, towards the right of the cavity (not the left one.) Pull it out and fish something through. It should appear above the dead pedal. Fish the wire through this hole. Grab the left camera wire and fish it and the front camera wire along the fire wall (alongside the existing factory harness.) I used stiff wire for this and it is largely a self guided channel that emerges behind the glove box. You may also choose to go under the carpet or find some other suitable route. Obviously you want to keep the wires far from any moving parts, airbags, etc. Mounting front camera A bit of preference here, but I chose the slot above the front license plate mount.The included mount works - if you remove the bumper and screw it in from behind. Flush minded with the bumper would be cool, but the angle just isn’t right. You want ~10-20° tilted towards the ground. I created a 3D printed holder that is friction fit with a little VHB for backup, installable without removing any of the front. Just print, route the wire, stick in place. I used color matched touch up spray paint to make it look a little more finished. Route rear camera wire From the glove box area remove the trim or “stuff n’ tuck” the wire until you hit the back seat. Remove the back seat bottom by yanking it up, it’s just clipped in. Continue fishing the wire backwards towards the tail light access. This video from Bavsound shows the “right way” to do it, removing much of the interior trim. You can however use fish wire the whole way without disassembling the interior, it’s just a little tricky at times. Once in the trunk area we need to go up. Fish the wire up the outer most part of the vehicle, along the seal for the trunk lid, peeling back as needed. We are going towards the center trunk grommets. Remove the drivers side trunk lid wire grommet from both sides. This one has far fewer wires than the passenger side. Remove the headliner push clips, there are two in the center trunk opening. Gently pulling it down you will see a few holes (not the faster holes!) that you can put the camera wire through. Fish the wire up through the hole and into the grommet area. Pull the wire through the wire grommet. Remove the trunk trim. Remove the 3rd brake light first, starting at the outside panel gaps, pulling outward to free the 5-6 clips. You can disconnect the wire or let it gently rest. Remove the 4 exposed screws, 2 center, 2 at the cargo shade attachment points. Each side now has a trim piece with a single extremely tight clip. You can slide it towards the 3rd brake light or try to pry it off. Next, remove the main trunk trim panel by pulling down to free many clips. Continue fishing the wire into the trunk lid towards the handle. Remove the handle by taking out the 6 screws, being careful not to drop into the void. Pull it off, releasing the wire harnesses. Mounting rear camera Remove the 3rd brake light cover by pulling to release the clips. Remove the side covers by removing the screw that holds the parcel shelf string, then pulling to release the single clip. Remove the interior hatch panel by removing the 2 center screws and pulling with some force to release the 8 clips. Find a suitable place to mount, I chose to the right of the OEM camera, in the tailgate release. You may need buy or fabricate an additional bracket to make your desired location work. Placement should be nearer to center than not. 15”+ off the ground and angled downward. Screw, tape, or otherwise affix the camera and route the wire into the hatch. Route side camera wire Remove the door cards as seen here. Ours may vary a little, but the idea is the same. Most disturbing are the top clips along the window, they require a fair bit of force, but this is also how I broke the lock retaining clip on one side as it violently let loose. Remove the side mirror caps, then the whole mirror housing like this. Peel back the door wire grommet from the door. Remove the grommet from the car side by pushing up the retaining clip, then possibly up again until it loosens laterally, then pulling away. This is one of the more annoying parts… Graciously MINI has left a hole just big enough for use, but its tight. Fish your wire from the footwell out towards the plastic grommet receiver and through the tiny hole at the bottom. Then through the grommet itself using the matching hole. You may need to get clever here are its a 90° bend, I moved the rubbery part around until I found a good angle. Keep going until you’re in the door. NOTE: You may need to do this in reverse if your camera wiring is thicker on one end - it might only fit one way though that grommet. From here there is a straight shot up into the mirror opening. Follow the existing wiring and zip tie to it. Make sure you are avoiding any moving parts from the window. There is little extra room, bring only what you need into the door. Back at the mirror housing - remove the blue plug by releasing the wires. Looking into the tunnel inside the mirror remove the black plastic circle piece by gently releasing the opposing notches. This piece has a hole on each corner, pick the one with the most plastic to enlarge if your wiring requires. Put it all back together and fish the camera wire through the hole you enlarged. Put the mirror back on, reattach the grommet, put the door back together. Repeat on the other side… Mounting side cameras The cameras need to face downward and slightly back. If using the turret style, pick a place on both sides that works well. You can hot glue for temporary angle checking, but you have a lot of flexibility with these. Check inside and out to make sure you will have clearance and not hit a clip or other structure. Once you are sure it’s right, drill into the mirror cap. I learned the hard way - your OEM mirror caps are hard to replace. Measure 20 times, drill once, maybe even get a donor set to practice on.
Software setup: From here all that is left is calibration and it’s the most tedious part. The idea is to tech the control unit where each camera is, how big the vehicle is, and how it should stitch together the images into a single one. Try to find automatic calibration cloths supported by your system. Generally, the calibration cloth need to be laid out according to their guide, which can be hard to find/interpret. I can’t help much here, but generally wide cloth at front and rear are laid perfectly square to the vehicle. The side cloth goes down under each mirror. Everything must be as even, level, flat, and square as possible. The lighting needs to be even too! No shadows or sharp contrast from cloth to cloth. Each cloth must be fully visible by the nearby cameras. There is a bit of trial and error in this part. You will end up doing it multiple times to get it as perfect as you can. If you move or service any of the cameras, you must recalibrate again.
Wow, I would love this feature but would never attempt the install. Looks like you did a great job making it look factory.
Impressive project, and I do like the 360º camera in the F-150 Lighting so it's tempting to add to the SE. But the comment I quoted makes me wonder if there's enough space above the glove box to add the F56 "secret" compartment that was removed in later models, including the SE.
Does this setup allow for 360º dashcam/sentry mode recording? If so, any chance that you could provide a video sample?
Yes it does act as a surround dash cam. I only reviewed footage in car never pulled any samples. I un-installed the unit and sold my SE earlier in the week so can't grab any. I believe the video is 1280x720 per camera, recorded/viewed in the direct from camera fish eye, combined into a single 2x2 video grid totaling 2560x1440. Not great for pulling plates but gives a full play by play of any incident. Inside the UI it sorts video by day and 5-7 minute chunks. It has internal memory (I think it was 64Gb) and a USB-A that can be used to transfer files or record directly to it. I don't think it has much of a parking mode since it is tapping off the iDrive power and I doubt that remains active 24/7. Best I got is a picture of a video on an ugly day. That is rear and right side.
