[QMark]

Don't get me wrong: I love my Mini, but there is one irksome things that bug me.
Does anyone else find it strange that the volume and track selector buttons on the steering wheel are arranged as they are?
volume up is left, volume down right, track back is up, and track forward is down.
If they had just rotated this through 90 degrees, counter clockwise, you would have a much more sensible arrangement i.e. selecting volume up on the up button, volume down on the down button, track back on the left and track forward on the right.
Can anyone provide a sensible reason for this being this way, so I can stop grinding my teeth every time I use one of these??

 

[Hat]

I hadnt really picked up on this, but i will now. Thanks

 

[crobson1969]

Volume down is left, up on right, & track selection is normal on mine. I think yours has been wired upside down. Take it back to dealer !!!!!!

 

[TheScotsman]

My own MINI is Left = Volume Down, Right = Volume Up, Up = Track Back and Down = Track Forward

I am currently in a courtesy car and it's Left = Volume Down, Right = Volume Up, Up = Track Forward and Down = Track Back

So I guess my own car is wired wrongly

 

[JJH]

Don't get me wrong: I love my Mini, but there is one irksome things that bug me.
Does anyone else find it strange that the volume and track selector buttons on the steering wheel are arranged as they are?
volume up is left, volume down right, track back is up, and track forward is down.
If they had just rotated this through 90 degrees, counter clockwise, you would have a much more sensible arrangement i.e. selecting volume up on the up button, volume down on the down button, track back on the left and track forward on the right.
Can anyone provide a sensible reason for this being this way, so I can stop grinding my teeth every time I use one of these??

This is weird... unless you've written your notes incorrectly!!

The graphics on your left & right buttons should make it clear that the LEFT button is reduce volume and the RIGHT button is increase volume.... and, on my car, the up button selects the next track - while the down button goes back to the start of the current track or the previois track with a 2nd quick press.

Having explained this, when I picked up my car in June, I complained on this forum that - as you also noted - the volume should be up & down with track selection being left & right.

Other cars I've driven are arranged like this... BMW/MINI must know something we don't!!!

 

[olires]

If you've got the HUD then up and down selecting the tracks makes sense as you're scrolling up and down a list.

 

[mikeswagon]

If you've got the HUD then up and down selecting the tracks makes sense as you're scrolling up and down a list.

similar to the station list for the DAB, you're scrolling up/down so the buttons make sense although I tend to use the controller as the buttons select each station as you go down, rather than waiting until you stop scrolling.

 

[QMark]

Sorry JJH: you are correct: I did get the volume control the wrong way around (probably too much teeth grinding!)
My point was less to do with the volume and more the track selector. On every other car that I have had, and most audio machines, including phone screens, etc, the track back button has been to the left of the play button, and the track forward to the right. Which is why the track buttons being top and bottom seems counter-intuitive.
But I don't have the HUD, so scrolling up and down does make sense (although why it couldn't have a << for back and >> for forward on the small screen isn't immediately clear: the detail delivered on the HUD includes speed limits and road directions, etc, so it isn't as if it is a linear display.)
But at least this proves that there might have been thought behind the change, so I (and my dentist) thank you, Olires!

 

[TheScotsman]

I mentioned this to my dealer and the sales team ran some tests. My own car is a cooper s with visual boost and down moves the track forward and up is back, this is also the same with another cooper s with sat nav that has the same type of head unit as mine and the controls are the same. However the cooper I am currently driving doesn't have visual boost or related head unit, it has the basic head unit and the controls are opposite, down is track back and up is track forward. I am wondering if this has more to do with the head unit installed. Thoughts?

 

[polarisboy385]

It appears that as long as you are making a right hand turn your controls will be correct. Seems proper to me.....

Thats odd yours came different than most

 

[rumblestrip]

Don't get me wrong: I love my Mini, but there is one irksome thing that bug me. Does anyone else find it strange that the volume and track selector buttons on the steering wheel are arranged as they are?

Yes ! And sometimes, when steering tightly for parking or whatever, the heel of my right hand presses on the 'volume up' button. I turn the wheel and the radio gets louder.

Derek

 

[rumblestrip]

On re-reading the original post I see now what the issue is. I just find it odd that volume is controlled by the left and right buttons while up and down does the channel change.

I'd rather have the up and down buttons do the volume. Seems more natural to me. Interesting that the button config. is different for different models and audio systems.

Derek

 

[derekh929]

first thing I noticed when picked up our car the I drive control wheel was the opesite direction to use the BMW why?
then the songs up and down and the volume completely back to front imho and will confuse me every time im in the different car just all seems silly but hey maybe it me

 

[crobson1969]

Songs up & down correspond with the tracks on the HUD which are listed downwards.
And the volume buttons left and right correspond to the volume showing on the screen so to me it's all right !

 

[02fanatic]

Sorry JJH: you are correct: I did get the volume control the wrong way around (probably too much teeth grinding!)
My point was less to do with the volume and more the track selector. On every other car that I have had, and most audio machines, including phone screens, etc, the track back button has been to the left of the play button, and the track forward to the right. Which is why the track buttons being top and bottom seems counter-intuitive.
But I don't have the HUD, so scrolling up and down does make sense (although why it couldn't have a << for back and >> for forward on the small screen isn't immediately clear: the detail delivered on the HUD includes speed limits and road directions, etc, so it isn't as if it is a linear display.)
But at least this proves that there might have been thought behind the change, so I (and my dentist) thank you, Olires!

Glad you corrected yourself on the volume buttons...I was going to make a funny that everything is backwards in the UK (steering wheel on the right side, so the volume control is reversed!)

Only kidding to my UK MINI friends!

 

[OrangeCrush]

They did that to mess with people like me. Coming from a 2012 R60, not only did they flip the controls 90 degrees they also switched sides on the steering wheel. I am used to audio being on the left and cruise on the right. I think they are trying too hard to make this MINI -different-.

 

[jeremybingham]

I'm with Robson here seems perfectly logical to me but we're all different. Soon adapt!