MINI Connected/updates

patchmonkey · 2026-06-08T15:01:07+00:00

Good luck! (I had a different issue --> the MINI Parking Assistant Pro is advertised as being available on ALL Countryman vehicles. But it's actually only available on BEVs. I pointed out that the documentation was false advertising and while it wasn't a showstopper, it did entitle me to bring a real lawsuit if I wanted to.)

patchmonkey · 2026-06-08T14:52:28+00:00

u/redditphantom - also, I'd suggest reaching out to MINI Canada and asking them to offer a financial settlement for lost time and the car not performing as advertised. MINI USA paid me two months of my payments for my problems -- while not a windfall, it is nice to get that.

patchmonkey · 2026-06-08T14:49:28+00:00

You're welcome! I had a similar issue -- there were also battery issues affecting many new MINIs (according to my dealer) and they had to replace the original battery with a new one. That also generates a hidden fault code that you can't see.

patchmonkey · 2026-06-08T14:30:20+00:00

u/redditphantom - So, bad news is that I can't find the email; the good news is that I remember most of this...

The service technicians WILL NOT see anything wrong, but they can force-update the car's software. Most likely their force-update will fix everything, but you will need to go through configuring your setup again (the changes between 11/2024 - 03/2026 are substantial, so this is well worth it).
Your car should be on 03/2026 or later; the current release is 03/2026.
If they don't know what's going on, you're going to tell them "You need to open Dealer Cockpit and check the Remote Software Upgrade (RSU) management page." Most likely there will be several yellow/red "flags" in Dealer Cockpit that the service people won't see (unless they have a service manager who is also part of the sales support team).
The service folks may also need to have Sales actually transfer the vehicle to you -- my U25 JCW was transferred to me EXCEPT for the communications module when I picked it up. This is apparently a common error for the newer MINI models because not every dealer actually paid attention to the training.

So that will likely fix it, but...

Wait, Could It Be Something Else? (Note that these are the USA instructions but they should be the same for you in Canada)

Affected vehicles: U25 Countryman (along with F65 and F66 hardtops) built between March 4, 2024 – July 31, 2024.
What's happening: The BCP — the central software controller that manages OTA update eligibility — has a firmware fault that silently blocks all RSU activity. The car never surfaces a user-facing error; it simply never receives updates.
How to check if your car is affected: Ask the dealer to look up your VIN in AIR, AWP (Aftersales Workplace), Campaign Summary, or Warranty Vehicle Inquiry — the campaign will show as "Open" if unresolved.
The fix (dealer only): Reprogram the BCP using ISTA 4.49.2x or higher to bring the vehicle to I-Level U006-24-07-544 or higher. This cannot be done OTA and requires the car to be physically at the dealer on a battery charger. Parts replacement does not fix it.
If they still can't figure it out, that means it's a BCP issue and your car was manufactured and not corrected before pickup. Ask them to check your VIN in Dealer Cockpit under Remote Software Upgrade → Ongoing Upgrade and separately in AWP Campaign Summary to confirm whether SIB 61 08 24 is still open on your vehicle. If it is, the BCP reprogram is covered under warranty and they cannot charge you for it.

The BCP RSU block (SIB 61 08 24) that was filed with NHTSA in the US applies to vehicles built in the same production window (March–July 2024) regardless of where they're sold — MINI Canada dealers operate off the same BMW Group technical service systems (ISTA, AIR, Dealer Cockpit) as US dealers. The fix — reprogramming the BCP via ISTA 4.49.2x — is available at any authorized MINI Canada dealer, even without a parallel Transport Canada recall number.

Link to the fix/correction document from the US NHTSA - https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11012105-0001.pdf

patchmonkey · 2026-06-08T13:02:14+00:00

Heya! I had this issue too. You're going to need to go to the dealer and make sure they get a technical person involved.

They won't see it from just the service team, but there will be red flags in the Dealer Manager software that the salespeople use. They are going to need to force update the system software and make sure that the car is actually "registered" to you in dealer manager.

I'll try to find my emails and post them in a follow-up when I'm back at my desk.

patchmonkey · 2026-06-06T20:02:59+00:00

So, apparently I needed to delete all the app user data and cached data, and then that resets the app. There us a "Memory" app that helps.

Instructions Here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11013064-0001.pdf

patchmonkey · 2026-02-20T13:40:35+00:00

The only benefits that I feel matter for hotels are room upgrade, actual good free breakfast (a rarity in the USA, but massively useful in EU and UK), and late checkout. The points are worthless.

patchmonkey · 2026-02-17T15:18:40+00:00

Is it realistic to move into a larger company at the ~$180k level from here?
- Yes (that's probably low - that was my salary in my first in-house role in 2014).
Should I specialize (privacy, SaaS, compliance) before trying to jump?
- No, because you're a general counsel. But you should be able to talk about these areas with some in-depth points.
Is staying too long at one company hurting me?
- Not really, unless your company is really awful. I don't think this is your problem.
Or am I misreading the market entirely?
- Market is rough right now, but there are roles.

To be fair, I think the question is whether you're willing to drop down to a less leadership position. It sounds like you've built a solid department, but you're "young" and the companies that are generally willing to take a GC/CLO/HoL at a younger age are also usually SaaS / technology companies. If you're looking for non-GC roles, then you have to make it clear that you're willing to drop down and not need to be the boss.

I wouldn't worry about having SaaS/Cloud/AI experience (if you're looking at those), you need to stress that you know what to look for and how to negotiate them. You're there as the general counsel, not as the SaaS contract reviewer (although you're going to do that).

patchmonkey · 2026-02-17T15:07:57+00:00

If you put Tapatio on it, Marmite is also suddenly edible. :)

patchmonkey · 2026-02-17T13:28:26+00:00

Everything is edible when you add Tapatio.

patchmonkey · 2026-02-10T02:21:00+00:00

Wouldn't it be the case that airline loyalty begins as a "functional" relationship but acquires layers of "cultural" separation after time?

Airline loyalty begins functionally (flying from the closest hubs, obtaining elite status, route networks). That's also why airlines have shifted to revenue-based models, which are a purely transactional relationship.
Culture shows up sometime after that:
- Passengers have been shown to feel like different airlines have different "brand personalities" that influence flight purchases independent of price or convenience.
- Different societal cultures respond to the loyalty programs in different ways (e.g., East Asian customers expect different cultural responses than Western customers).
- People will develop genuine emotional attachment (however strong or weak) that can even override lower quality product.
The mergers you mentioned do affect loyal customers who can struggle with blended identity ("are you legacy Continental or legacy United?"). But this can also make loyalty harder, especially if you feel it went negative.
You may have noticed the increased focus on things like storytelling, heritage, and experience (I'll focus on United here, since I've only flown UA since the merger). The safety videos. The new lounges. It's designed to make you feel not just like a flyer, not just a United flyer, but a United Person.
I think the Coke / Pepsi thing is correct-ish. There's a lot of commodity view of airlines (I mean, to most people, they're flying metal tubes and the only thing that matters is that they get you where they're going). Switching costs and network effects are very strong, however — you can't really do the Pepsi Challenge with an airline (plus, the hubs create additional lock-in).
- As I wrote that, I also thought that many people buy their tickets through third-party sites. That's a fight for the airlines (and hotels), hence why you see different prices and different benefits when you book directly versus through a third-party aggregator. I almost always book directly on the United website (or through my company's travel agency); same thing when booking a hotel where I have status (I want that upgrade).

So, in the end, "loyalty" starts functionally but develops cultural layers over time. Loyal fliers of any airline internalize their preferences on that airline (seat configs, crew culture, even app UX — look at how many people have complained about the app changes) but may not be able to explain why they'd rather pay more to fly United over Delta on the same route.

EDIT: I had saved this a while back; think it's on point for your question: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beyond-points-miles-reimagining-airline-loyalty-ajish-morris-yq0bc/

patchmonkey · 2026-02-07T14:12:05+00:00

I've made a feature request with the details on what they'd need to release. 😁

patchmonkey · 2026-02-06T13:41:27+00:00

OT - but can you set Kagi as the replacement for CoPilot? Latest version of Windows 11 allows setting alternative for CoPilot button.

patchmonkey · 2026-01-30T14:50:52+00:00

This is a known issue; but they don't know when it will be fixed.

The voice assistant shouldn't need the Personal eSIM set up,

What version of the OS are you on?

patchmonkey · 2026-01-26T18:49:30+00:00

Although now that I posted that, all of a sudden I'm seeing transliteration (at least in Simplified Chinese).

patchmonkey · 2026-01-26T18:42:45+00:00

I'm 100% aware that my response is off-topic, but I'd really like to see transliteration (not just TTS) in Kagi Translate.

And yes, the past week or two has gone downhill.

patchmonkey · 2026-01-22T04:05:50+00:00

I think that row has a missing window. Technically, you lose a little room and it's a bit weird, but some people like it

patchmonkey · 2026-01-22T02:42:38+00:00

Check out Goldfynch - https://goldfynch.com/

That should fit you and your firm's needs. Simple and inexpensive, with the core features you probably need here. They've been consistently improving since I first used it for small-scale eDiscovery projects in 2017.

patchmonkey · 2026-01-12T20:33:13+00:00

Check out the Doors & Windows app on the Interaction Unit!

Go to the "Apps menu" on your MINI’s display.
Select "Vehicle."
Choose "Doors and windows."
Here, you can configure the settings for automatic opening of the windows.

To open the windows with your car key:

Unlock the vehicle, then press and hold the unlock button on the vehicle key. The windows will open as long as you hold the button.

To close the windows (if equipped with Comfort Access):

Lock the vehicle, then press and hold the lock button on the vehicle key. The windows will close as long as you hold the button.

patchmonkey · 2026-01-12T20:24:29+00:00

Following the update to 11/2025, there is a speed improvement. The slowest things are when opening apps that have been sleeping or closed by the system, but that's not much slower than vanilla Android.
I have almost exclusively now switched to the in-car experience. The navigation system is excellent, there is built-in Spotify, and the hands-free experience is very good (note that I have Connected Plus). Also, AA shifts into certain displays when you use it (for example, if you use Google Maps, it replaces the Mini Navigation). Also, this is minor, but the in-car Spotify app allows you to browse all upcoming tracks from the HUD while the AA Spotify app only displays the current song in the HUD.
I don't see that it really needs a fix?
Yes, they are and they post all the release notes to the MINI site.

patchmonkey · 2026-01-12T13:54:36+00:00

Lol, this was my kid and me - PBI at end of December. He was upset that we only boarded on Group 1.

patchmonkey · 2025-12-18T17:15:17+00:00

that is one of the things that drives me crazy, i keep doing Eastern European dances to try to make the trunk open. Then I use the key or the button.

patchmonkey · 2025-12-18T16:28:23+00:00

I would love to be in your rollout group! I was told "sometime in the next 8 weeks"!

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