Mini Cooper Backup Camera: What To Know
Photo by James Lee on Unsplash
Mini Coopers are a fun and compact vehicle inspired by European style. One of the reasons they are popular is based on their small frames and nimble driving ability. While the vehicle itself might not be challenging to park in tight spots, the Mini Cooper backup camera provides an essential modern technology and makes maneuvering an already simple-to-drive car even easier.
iDrive has been around for BMW and Mini vehicles as far back as 2001, with a few different iterations and considerable improvements throughout the years. While backup cameras were made mandatory for all new vehicles in 2018, the iDrive system and Mini Cooper backup cameras have taken it a step further with parking assistance and visual alerts that go beyond just the dashboard monitor.
Rear vision camera and Rear Park Distance Control have been standard on all MINI cars starting with the 2018 model year. The standard rearview camera arrived a year ahead of U.S. laws that mandated the inclusion of one in all new models sold within the US. The rear PDC enhances the backup experience by providing both visual monitoring and auditory tone when an object is detected. With the on-screen guiding lines, there is a red, yellow, and green system used similar to traffic signals giving you an adequate warning when it’s time to stop.
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Because all models now come standard with a rear camera and rear PDC, the Technology Package (ZTP) will now contain Front and Rear PDC with Parallel Parking Assistant (5DP), which was formerly a $500 add-on. The screen pulls up on the circular dashboard automatically with sensors equipped on the back (sometimes front depending on the model), which you’ll be able to see on the dashboard.
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On the left side, you’ll have the visual control options as follows by tapping the icon and bringing it to full screen:
Brightness
Pretty self-explanatory, this option controls the actual brightness of the screen. With simple plus and minus signs, you can choose your preference just by increasing or decreasing the amount by pressing the buttons on the screen.
Contrast
Similar to the above, the contrast can be changed by simply pressing the plus or minus icons. An important thing to consider when parking at different times during the day or year where the angle might be hitting the Mini’s backup camera at a different angle.
Parking Aid
Like most cars, these guidelines have a green path that acts as a real-time estimate based on the wheel movement with an additional red pathway for the most extreme angle possible. There is an audible beep for this mode that gets louder the closer you are to an object.
Obstacle Marker
If the backup camera detects something from one of its sensors, this is where the depth perception boxes will actually pop up on the screen, alerting the driver of potential hazards. Green boxes show something that could be a hazard, yellow detects something close, and the red boxes are within bumping range of the rear. Additionally, there are audible warnings for the yellow and red markers getting more constant as you get closer. As an extra benefit, the colors on the screen will light up with matching LED lights from the 4V9 package.
Park Assist
One of the newer features of the Mini Cooper backup camera, you simply drive as normal and press the park assist button for it to sense a parking space nearby. Put it in reverse gear and let go! You’ll control the brake, so reverse slowly, and the steering wheel will manually park itself. The same visual and audible alerts will show up as objects get closer, in addition to the entire surrounding LED light.
Park Distance Control
When parking or reversing, an auditory indication from the rear notifies the driver of the distance to potential hazards it detects. Additional visual assistance is available in vehicles equipped with a navigation system or navigation system and is included for the modes above.
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Are there any downsides to using the Mini Cooper Backup Camera system?
Generally speaking, the more technology that is added to cars, the more expensive they are to buy and maintain if something becomes damaged. Mini Cooper’s come with a 4-year 50,000-mile warranty that includes the camera, but anything beyond those numbers could result in several hundreds of dollars in parts and labor.
The benefits generally outweigh the potential downsides, but there are some potential cons to a more intelligent camera system. Humans are naturally creatures of habit, so you could argue that most drivers now are too dependent on technology and may struggle in poor weather or with technology challenges. While there are obvious benefits that improve safety for pedestrians passing by and being able to have assistance parking in tricky scenarios, if there are issues with the backup camera or mud and dirt are blocking the view, it might be difficult to park without it!
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