Hi-

Background:
I have been a lurker for quite some time and decided it was time to post, what I think, an informative article. The usual boilerplate applies (YMMV). My 08 MCc did not come with Xenons and I have coveted them ever since. I live in a rural area east of Seattle where street lighting is non-existent. Dogs, cats, deer, and even bear have crossed the path of my cars from time to time, but it wasn't until I got the cooper with its halogens (R52 with clear lens headlamps that are attached to the bonnet) that I sincerely became concerned. Let's face it, the stock halogens on the MINI plain suck.

History/Theory:
I immediately went the route of upgrading to the European H7 65W Osrams. This definitely improved the lighting output, yet not enough to reduce my concerns of driver (and cuddly furry creature) safety. I noticed that the factory halogen headlamps fitted to my MINI have a distinct cut-off pattern generated by the internal shielding rather than the bulb. So I decided to experiment by installing a true HID/Xenon H7 based bulb with igniter system.

Acknowledgment:
I have read enough forums/posts to understand the concern for light scatter and blinding oncoming traffic. As with most of you I have been on the receiving end of HIDs in non HID designed assemblies only to be temporarily blinded. I would never jeopardize the safety of others for the sole satisfaction of having better light output. I do, also, recognize that the older version of MINI headlamps may not play nice with HID lighting due to the glass reflector design. I am not sure about the halogen assemblies for newer MINIs that are not connected to the bonnet. This article is specific to the light assembly you see in the pictures below.

Process:
For a nominal cost I purchased a H7 based 6000K 35W HID/Xenon kit from a reputable dealer on the internet. I removed the headlamp assembly from the car and did a quick/temporary installation of the HID/Xenon kit on the passenger side assembly. No modifications necessary other than flexing the bulb retention spring clips to fit the slightly thicker xenon bulb base. I reconnected the stock harness and turned on the lights only to observe a strobe-like flashing of the Xenon lamp. After some quick internet searching, I made my way to the local Radio Shack to purchase 2x 2200uF 50V Capacitors (Model: 272-1048). These are used to “fool” the MINI’s on-board computer into thinking the 35W Xenon Kit is actually 55W or greater load on the system.

Side Note: even though my MINI does not have the OBC option, the diagnostics systems are still in place and it troubleshoots accordingly. The flashing of the Xenon was a result of the internal OBC sending a signal to the headlamp assembly for technician troubleshooting.

After installing the capacitor directly across the positive and negative leads of the low-beam connector and re-installing the xenon kit… MAGIC happened. A white/blue glow emitted from the headlamp assembly. Immediately I recognized it was brighter than the driver side halogen. Then to my amazement it got even brighter! Xenons require a few seconds to reach their ultimate brightness. But would it be blinding to others?

Result:
Light cutoff from internal shields still exists. Light output has increased significantly (sorry, no candle power measurement equipment available at the time of this test). Light spread has increased horizontally- I can see the sides of the roads much better. The functional distance at which the light reaches has increased as well.

As you can see from the pictures below, the light output is significantly higher with the Xenon in the stock housing. The halogen bulb, as mentioned before, is an H7 65W Osram brand bulb. I installed both HID kits into the driver and passenger light assemblies and took the car for a test drive. The first oncoming car just happened to be a local sheriff. Not a flinch. Continuing on my short journey I both drove behind other cars and approached oncoming cars. Not once did I get flashed. Not once did I observe anyone adjust their rear view mirrors.

Conclusion:
I have had the HID system installed for a week now. I have driven with the lights on at all times of the day and night, in various weather conditions, and in city/rural/suburban/business/highway areas all without any negative response from fellow drivers. I can see the road, signs, and road edges better than ever before.


Osram 65W H7 (Driver) vs. 6000K Xenon HID H7 (Passenger)




Osram (Left) vs. Xenon (Right)




Full Xenon

 

hey can you tell me were you got your hid kit. thanks

 

I'd also like to know. I find myself driving more at night lately, so I am in need of more light too. My previous cars have had HIDs, so I'm spoiled. Of course, my 911 doesn't have HIDs, but it does have E code H4s, so the light output is MUCH better than my MINI.

Thanks,
Mike

 

You each have PM's

 

Thanks. I'll reply later if I have any questions. You spelled it out quite well, so I don't expect any.

Thanks again!
Mike

 

hey another ?, with the rapter hid kit from ddmtuning will i have to buy the little converter thing form 35w to 55w. or can it just be a plug and play.

also were did u put the 50V Capacitor?

 

I do not know what the "converter thing" is that you are referring to, so obviously i did not use it.

The capacitors are installed from + to - on the red/black power input wires leading to the ballast. Here is a link I used as a guide.

http://www.300cforumz.com/showthread.php?t=5954

 

well i got the hid kit that is 55w so i dont think ill be using that. so it should be just a plug and play for me (right?) .thanks you again

ASHLEY

 

Tiny2-

What year is your MINI?

 

its an 05 mcc

 

where did you guys mount your ballast and the capacitors..I can;t find a spot?

 

hey. 1 ? i just got my hid kit but instead of buying the 35w i bought the 55w ones but when i try to install them they only turn on when my engine is off but when i turn on my engine they shut off any idea on whats goin on? or do i have to buy what you bought too? the little capacitor thing?

 

I've heard of certain kits "flickering", the one I'm looking at is designed for motorcycles with very compact ballasts. I'll have to look into it further.

 

so you cant really just have a plug and play system for the hid kit?
you have to buy that special part for it?

 

some motorcycle lights flicker on purpose,it is to make them more visible. you may know this already, just wanted to point it out.

 

I didn't know that, thanks for pointing this out.

 

You CAN plug and play the kit, but you will have to go to the dealer to get your computer reprogrammed. It will cost $$.

 

when you say kit, i think of those cheap crap fake HID kits on eBay that blind everyone.

if you are wanting to retro MINI HIDs, it can be done. some say, like above, that the dealer has to program it. I sold my old set to a non equipped...she simply plugged them in and they fired right up.

 

The only thing the dealer would have to reprogram is for the bulb position solenoid on the real Xenon headlamps. Bulb retros should require no such programming.

The "blinding" issue is not because of cheap HID bulb kits, but from any HID kit and the fact that Xenon reflectors/projectors are different from halogen reflectors/projectors. As a result, putting the wrong bulb in te wrong reflector will not provide the proper focus and cutoff required to not blind oncoming traffic. I know the OP brought this issue up already, but it still needs to be made clear to everyone.

 

The computer on the car itself needs to be reprogrammed (on most cars anyway, for some reason some come preprogrammed for it) because the voltage that it gives to the lowbeams is around 14 volts iirc for regular lights, but you need it to give around 12v for the HIDs. If you don't get it done, the HIDs will only work when the car is off. They will flicker and not come on when the car is running.

 

Thats bizarre. They must do that to boost the output of the halogens. Most HID ballasts should be able to take 8-16v without complaining. I'm sure some of the cheaper ballasts may have issues, but Hella/Osram/etc ballasts should be designed to handle the horrible voltage conditions that exist in an automotive electrical system. 14v is not that far off the typical peak output of an alternator as it's charging (13.2-13.8v).

 

I'm planning to get the raptor hid kit from ddm tuning, but instead of putting them inside my oem halogen headlamp housing, I plan to put it into the "halo headlamps" that are sold on ebay.

The difference with these is that they are H1 bulbs instead of H7. So for my case, would getting the H1 bulbs from the raptor HIDs work instead of H7?

Sorry if this may not make sense, I'm not very familiar with electricals

 

I just got my kit from DDM, some installation work (drilling a hole in the factory dust cover for one) but biggest issue is where to mount the ballast? Sounds like others have gone before me, where did you put it? With the lights in the hood (1st gen MINI), there is no spot at all that I can find.

 

To the OP: you say you have an '08, but your pics are of a gen-1. Also, isn't there an issue with the HID bulbs being longer than the halogens, causing them to contact the bulb shield inside the headlight housing?

 

I mounted mine to the bottom of the headlight assembly. I tried a few spots, but nothing 'flat' enough to provide enough adhesion.