Parrot blue-tooth installation
Discussion
Just wondered if anyone has installed a Parrot phone system in their Mini and if so any tips/advise would be appreciated. I have installed the Mki2000 system in my work Transit and there was quite a lot of 'spaghetti' to hide behind the dash so before I buy the system for my daughter's cooper, would like to find out if or where it all fits. Thanks
Hi Monty
I installed my mki9000 some four years ago into a 2007 R55 clubman. If you have an early (2000-2006) MINI it will be much easier. I don't know how difficult it would be in the latest gen MINI (2014 -)
It took me about three hours to do. You need to remove the speedo, dash trim, heater controls. It is relatively easy but just time consuming - I followed a couple of youtube videos to find all the screws necessary to get to the rear of the radio unit. from memory it was 44 screws in all!
I put the microphone just in front of the steering wheel and this works well, as long as you don't adjust the steering wheel height constantly. The ipod and charging cable exits near the AUX-in socket so my ipod sits in the cubby hole underneath window switches. (I did consider routing this into the hidden glove box) but sometimes I like to see the display of the ipod so wanted it close to hand.) (I don't remember some of the stuff I have on my Ipod classic and think ... .wow I wonder what this is)
I can't remember if I needed a special adaptor, but from memory I think it was plug and play.
It also improves the sound quality too. The regular Radio Boost in the second generation MINI is purposefully handicapped and clips some of the bass frequencies (cynical marketing to make people upgrade the stereo). Playing music through the Parrot sounds much better as a consequence.
HTH
Mike
I installed my mki9000 some four years ago into a 2007 R55 clubman. If you have an early (2000-2006) MINI it will be much easier. I don't know how difficult it would be in the latest gen MINI (2014 -)
It took me about three hours to do. You need to remove the speedo, dash trim, heater controls. It is relatively easy but just time consuming - I followed a couple of youtube videos to find all the screws necessary to get to the rear of the radio unit. from memory it was 44 screws in all!
I put the microphone just in front of the steering wheel and this works well, as long as you don't adjust the steering wheel height constantly. The ipod and charging cable exits near the AUX-in socket so my ipod sits in the cubby hole underneath window switches. (I did consider routing this into the hidden glove box) but sometimes I like to see the display of the ipod so wanted it close to hand.) (I don't remember some of the stuff I have on my Ipod classic and think ... .wow I wonder what this is)
I can't remember if I needed a special adaptor, but from memory I think it was plug and play.
It also improves the sound quality too. The regular Radio Boost in the second generation MINI is purposefully handicapped and clips some of the bass frequencies (cynical marketing to make people upgrade the stereo). Playing music through the Parrot sounds much better as a consequence.
HTH
Mike
mike9009 said:
Hi Monty
I installed my mki9000 some four years ago into a 2007 R55 clubman. If you have an early (2000-2006) MINI it will be much easier. I don't know how difficult it would be in the latest gen MINI (2014 -)
It took me about three hours to do. You need to remove the speedo, dash trim, heater controls. It is relatively easy but just time consuming - I followed a couple of youtube videos to find all the screws necessary to get to the rear of the radio unit. from memory it was 44 screws in all!
I put the microphone just in front of the steering wheel and this works well, as long as you don't adjust the steering wheel height constantly. The ipod and charging cable exits near the AUX-in socket so my ipod sits in the cubby hole underneath window switches. (I did consider routing this into the hidden glove box) but sometimes I like to see the display of the ipod so wanted it close to hand.) (I don't remember some of the stuff I have on my Ipod classic and think ... .wow I wonder what this is)
I can't remember if I needed a special adaptor, but from memory I think it was plug and play.
It also improves the sound quality too. The regular Radio Boost in the second generation MINI is purposefully handicapped and clips some of the bass frequencies (cynical marketing to make people upgrade the stereo). Playing music through the Parrot sounds much better as a consequence.
HTH
Mike
Thanks for your help Mike, like I said , I have installed before in my van and wanted to make sure there was sufficient room behind stereo etc for the miles of cables that you have to stuff somewhere. I will be buying the sot lead that goes between the Parrot and the stereo which makes wiring easier but this does increase the cabling. I agree that the sound from the Parrot system is a great improvement on the vehicle system due to the amp within the Parrot which then just uses the speakers.This is a great piece of kit with the added safety benefit of voice recognition for answering and receiving calls -no hands off wheel or scrolling through phone books for numbers, and only about £150 ! The vehicle, by the way is a '06 cooper convertible ,so I think you may be right in saying this is an easier install as the vehicle stereo is separate from the speedo. I installed my mki9000 some four years ago into a 2007 R55 clubman. If you have an early (2000-2006) MINI it will be much easier. I don't know how difficult it would be in the latest gen MINI (2014 -)
It took me about three hours to do. You need to remove the speedo, dash trim, heater controls. It is relatively easy but just time consuming - I followed a couple of youtube videos to find all the screws necessary to get to the rear of the radio unit. from memory it was 44 screws in all!
I put the microphone just in front of the steering wheel and this works well, as long as you don't adjust the steering wheel height constantly. The ipod and charging cable exits near the AUX-in socket so my ipod sits in the cubby hole underneath window switches. (I did consider routing this into the hidden glove box) but sometimes I like to see the display of the ipod so wanted it close to hand.) (I don't remember some of the stuff I have on my Ipod classic and think ... .wow I wonder what this is)
I can't remember if I needed a special adaptor, but from memory I think it was plug and play.
It also improves the sound quality too. The regular Radio Boost in the second generation MINI is purposefully handicapped and clips some of the bass frequencies (cynical marketing to make people upgrade the stereo). Playing music through the Parrot sounds much better as a consequence.
HTH
Mike
Thanks again Mike,
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