With engine off, key out of car, I can move my turn signal lever and the corresponding parking lights come on the outside of the car,

Move lever for left turn, and only the left side parking lights come on, front and rear lights, and both side marker lights in the wheel arches.
Move lever to the right, and the same right side lights come on....

No other lights come on at all....both my cars do this, '04 R53 and '06 R52 JCW

What is the significance of this function, other than draining the battery?

Bryan

 

It's a way of leaving 'parking' lights on, on just one side of the car.
Look in your handbook as I forget the sequence, but it's lights off, turn signal on, ignition off, door open - or something like that!

 

Not sure if it was ever a US thing, but you would turn on the parking lights on the street side when parking your car in Europe (and other countries?) when it’s dark. A lot of the German cars I’ve driven had this setting. With everything computer controlled now, I’m surprised MINI didn’t program this out of the US cars like the euro double flash hazards.

 

Like RB-MINI said, it's a Euro thing for safety. Dark narrow streets, the parking lights let other drivers know a car is there.

 

I believe that the correct term for those lights is "siding lights." I have used them several times when parking partially off the roadway on a narrow street. People at the party always came to tell me that my lights were on and I had to explain!

 

Thanks... that's probably the most reasonable answer .. but I'm sure it's going to put a significant drain on the battery ..

I'm going to try and get the "double flash" activated in both my cars... I have the INPA program and cable here, just haven't had time to use it on the cars yet

Bryan

 

Both my US cars have this feature....I just have to make sure I don't accidentally hit the turn signal lever when getting out of the car

Bryan

 

2006 owner's manual (on line)

 

thanks...I must have missed that looking in my owners manual.....and I agree about it killing the battery

Bryan