Hey people just wondering if any one has played with the headlights relay, I used to have a jeep and cut one of the pins off the relay and I was able to have my fog lights on at the same time as the brights.

 

Surely someone has figured out a way to do this...but fyi the reason why it's disabled by default is that high beams with fogs is illegal (at least here in the US).

 

Technically, perhaps... Im not even sure you're right, but even so, who's going to pull you over for that?! Driving without a front plate is illegal, but I've been doing that for the past 10 years w/ 0 tickets.

 

Having fogs on with High beams seems like good sense to me. That would give you the most light possible. Since your high beams are on more light sure isn't going to hurt. You don't use high beams with opposing traffic, no harm no foul.

What bothers me more are people who drive with fogs on all the time even when the conditions do not warrant their use.

 

I have foglights on with highbeams. I didn't cut any wires/pins/etc. You need someone to do it for you who can program your car with a computer. Dealership cant do it.

 

Actually, there's no current federal regulation about this, although DoT is considering one to simplify the range of state regulations. That said, state regs vary widely, but in most states it is technically illegal to operate fog lights without low beams, or with high beams, or when the weather is such that there's not "poor visibility". Very confusing...and one of those laws where enforcement is unlikely except when you've given the officer some other reason to pull you over.

Look around on the 'net...there's a lot written about this.

 

I second what JustinGTP said. The fog lights on US-market cars are programmed in the BCM to shut off when the high beams are activated. Every MINI I've driven outside of North America allowed the fogs+high beam.

With that said...I wish I could find someone in my state who could program my car for this. There are a few times where having high beams + fogs would be beneficial for visibility, especially where I live (dark w/ very windy roads). The BMW dealer looked at me as though I asked them to make me a time machine out of a Delorean.

 

Hmmm, your question intrigues me, OP.

I hereby bump this topic, in hopes that someone has a DIY fix to do this, without having to get a computer involved...

 

Tap the fogs power wire before the relay, wire it another power source, add your own switch between the power source and power tap. Tada! Fogs on whenever you like, while maintaining the OEM toggles functionality in 'factory approved' conditions.

 

Reason being is I almost smoked a deer last night and I live on a dark windy road as I said I used to be able to do this with my jeep it really help alot

 

I investigated this possibility when I first got my MINI, and if memory serves me right, the fog lights are controlled directly by the BCM (which has internal relays), so a bypass of this nature would be a little more difficult.

I rewired my Jeep so that my fog lights are allowed to come on anytime the parking lights are on. It was a matter of unplugging a wire in the relay center and relocating it to a different pin. Wish it was that simple on our cars.

 

Fog lights with high beams may help you a bit. For real deer spotting power you need a set of driving lights. I have mine wired to come on & off with high beams. Lots of light.

 

I am getting so close! I pulled the fog light relay and cut the pin I thought it was and fog lights no workie :( BMW wants a small fortune for the relay, come to find out mini fog lamp relay is the same as my jeep one its down at napa for $7 hopefully i can get this working today.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32yOkZInJM

I have programmed my BMW to do exactly this. See how the fogs do not turn off? I have also programed justingtp's mini in similar fashion.

I also enabled my bixenon to be raised and have the inner halogens come one when the stalk is pressed forward, instead of just bixenon. Stalk pulled back to passenger just does halogen inners, but fogs still stay on.

The module name is BC1, not BCM. It indeed can be programmed for this option without ghetto hacking your car up to pieces.

 

Thanks for the info. Nice to know this can be accomplished without hacking the wiring up.

 

Still no explanation on how it was done......

 

I love the people that show you that there car has it and dont tell you how its done hahaha

 

It can be done. Look at my posts in this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...questions.html

The fogs are powered directly from the battery, going through a relay that is switched by a signal from the BCM computer. You can intercept the relay's control line and wire it up (an OR circuit with two diodes) so that the relay triggers with the regular signal or a signal from the high beam (either of those signals will cause the fogs to turn on). That configuration would make the fogs turn on whenever the high beams are turned on. It's much harder to make the fogs fully switchable from the toggle panel independent of the high beams, because toggle panel connects to the computer.

 

^^ without putting in wires, relays, switches.

I can toggle foglights on/off while highbeams are on too.

keilzornow9 > it's not simple to do. you have to have k line, a wire from a laptop to your car, bmw software, etc. you have to hack it to get it. then you can program your car to do it! Or you need to find someone with the power. I can't do it, I have my bro do it (snowcat) :D

 

How about adding a diode from the high beams to the relay for the fog lights. I did this to my truck a few weeks ago and now I can use the Hi beams, Lo beams, and fog light all at the same time.

 

And also a diode should be added to the original relay line so that the new connection won't feed back to the BC1 computer.

 

I'd do it if there was more information out there about this programmer. I have no problem hacking into my car's modules.

 

I just LOL when I read these types of comments.

Wow. Just wow. I have kept quiet on this forum for a couple of reasons. You lot on here just seem to have the same responses to other people. "Go to the dealer." "I need a DIY." "Tell me how to do it."

Why don't you people search, learn, and read? A year ago I had no idea this all could be done. I learned, read up, and now ultimately leading this "scene" and guiding others. I would take time to explain and teach, but I don't think this forum is worth it. You should see the PM's I have gotten. It's sad. I'm not going to give it to you on a silver platter. When you have figured out what is needed to talk to the car, how a module is manipulated, then come talk to me. If I did it, so could you! I have a wealth of information to share - just to the right people, people who try things themselves and show me they are on the right track and are worth teaching.

There is a ton of information about it - you just have to search. In fact, I am one of a few who have figured these things out and that have created guides and helped others.

Justin is lucky - A) That I spent a year learning and playing with a variety of cars to help me with his B) He has a MINI and I wanted to be the first with doing these things C) He's my bro, so naturally.

Have faith in yourselfs lads.

Oh, and you ask why I am on this forum? I tried to snag some reflectors for my bro as a present a couple years back - but got beaten to the punch. LOL. Still lurk and read, to gain knowledge about his chassis as well. (Oh wait, did I just say that? Learning and reading?!?!?! Go figure!)

 

I think this is the programmer, which is essentially the same tool that dealers use:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...2534-tool.html.
The thread discusses the R56 but the same tool is probably also used for the 1st gen.

 

How are we supposed to know about any of this from the very limited info posted so far......

Thanks for informing us on how you did it. That was all we were asking.