I was trying to install a Alta CAI on a friend's 02 MCS when I encountered a weird wire. Its pictured below. This wire comes through the partition and into the fuse box. Its circled in red

 

Some kind of aftermarket something, what does the car have on it? Non MINI driving lights?

 

It doesn't have any aftermarket parts to it. The lady I bought it from was a non-modder, so to speak. It has the Xenon headlights and the rally lights, but that's it. Nothing else, as far as I know. The CAI is the first mod ever done to the car.

Unless the dealership decided to put something special in there and not tell anyone....

 

The rally lights might be what intrepid was refering to...

 

Hmmm..maybe we could reroute the wire or make the heatshield for the CAI a tab smaller to avoid the wire. I like the reroute the wire idea better though

 

That wire IS for the dealer-installed driving lights. Be happy they did that clean of a job, usually the dealership monkeys just hack it up.

 

I had the same thing... had to enlarge the hole in the firewall to get the end through.

 

I'm confused..so what can I do with the wire to allow for the Alta heatshield to fit? Do I need to trim to the heatshield?

 

The wire should be long enough to route it around the alta shield. Best to do is come up from below, possibly where the wiring harness goes through the partition to the fusebox (the grommet is split, so you can incluse the wire next to it without any problems). Follow the big red wire up into the fusebox and you are set. Use a zip tie to hold the wires together down below.

 

I may be looking all wrong, but isnt that the rear shield which getds removed for the intake install?

 

Yes it is. But in this case we wanted to keep the peice in. But either way this wire runs through the shield.

 

Does it have LoJack?

 

I don't think it has lowjack.

 

It has to be driving lights... unless he has an amp installed thats aftermarket or he tried to retro fit HK system...

I would guess its driving lights... worse case scenario, drive it over to a Mini service rep and have them check it out.