USB was a great invention because power came thorough the bus itself. that was the ENTIRE invention; the power aspect instead of just pipes. So, why do I have to take my iPod back to a cradle when my PC's (mac and windows) both charge my iPod straight from their USB2.0 ports?

Do I need to change a setting? Wattup? Help!

TV

 

What version of Ipod do you have. I bought an adaptor from Scoche http://www.scosche.com/products/productID/1667 that lets the USB charge my Iphone.

 

richard,

how did you know an adapter (or that specific adapter) would work? This is a straight up 20gB iPod...no G's...no adapters required to charge via USB on my macBook or any other USB port on my windows machine. Why doesn't the standard mini cooper USB charge? No on can answer that. So, buying an adpter is a wish-and-a-prayer as far as I can tell.

Did you luck out and buy the right adapter the first time, or had some info that informed you this was the right move?

TV

 

It is a well known problem that the latest gen of Apple stuff doesn't or may not charge with the first three gens of Ipod car charger/interface cables.

If you use the cable that came with your Ipod, (usb/Ipod) instead of the Mini plug, I bet it will charge. I haven't tried that since I ordered my car with the Smartphone integration, and it charges just fine when in the cradle. It wouldn't charge when using the Aux cable.

When I picked up the car in the beginning of November, I found the phone had to be out of any case to fit the cradle. (naked....) So I used the adapter for a while until I bought a new holster for the Iphone, and put the phone in the cupholder.

From my reading in the Apple forums, it seems to be a wire in the end of the 20 pin connector was moved. And that the Scosche adaptor fixes that. I got the adaptor because I had an older Ipod charger in the garage and it wouldn't charge my Iphone. This was even before I got my '10 MCS.

Interesting note... If the aux cable is plugged in, the smartphone cradle isn't active. The aux in takes priority. It must be unplugged for the radio to recognise the Iphone in the cradle... Yet another completely stupid Mini feature...

 

My new '10 MCS charges both my iPod Nano (5th gen) and iPhone 3GS just fine from the Y-cable. I wish I'd have saved the bag the cable came in, so that I could check to see if it's a new part number. Something definitely seems to have changed to "fix" the charging issue. Not sure if it's a revised cable, or just more juice now coming from the USB port itself. Either way, it's working like a champ now.

 

My '10 (week 40 production) wouldn't.... Maybe they fixed it.

 

I'm guessing that it's a new Y-cable. There was info posted elsewhere saying that BMW/MINI was planning on coming out with a revised cable to address the issue. Not sure how reliable that info is, but you might want to check with your local parts department to see if they have a newer cable. Mine is definitely working.. I can hook up my 3GS when almost dead, and it will take it up to a full charge, while bluetooth is on and I'm cranking out tunes.

 

FYI I just got an '09 and my 3rd gen won't charge either (now, I was thinking of toggling the disk-mode feature...) OTOH, I also own a Harman/Kardon Drive+Play which is bar none the absolute best way to integrate an ipod into a car... and that one charges the ipod just fine.