This is probably going to be my quick route. I want Minerva to look pretty for the dragon , but at some point i think I will want to add the added funtionality. I have clear tails (04 tails on an 06 car) and think the extra brake light would be helpful.

 

just wondering what happens when u reverse and step on the brake? what light comes on?

 

Both lights would come on. The red and white lights are on completely separate circuits, and operate independently.

 

Whats it look like slamming on the brakes while in reverse in the fog??? :P


Also, I would really like to know wat the situation going on that got you into this position??

Like spun on a hill going down in the fog and you throw it in reverse and slaming on the brakes cuz a dinosaur is crossing...

 

then it would be a blended softer red? quite interesting

 

***BUMP***
So I am finally going to et off my butt and do this. How much brightness do you lose from the factory fog (which I have) and then the afterthe mod?

I am 90% sold on doing this mod for the added function. I have clear tails so I think the added brake light is a huge plus to increase my braking visibility. Though if the fog light after this mod is not bright enough after the mod to work effectively as a fog light then i will need to think a bit more. The pictures are really hard to tell so anyone who has done this, please let me know.

Thanks!

 

The way I did the mod as shown, here's how I would describe the difference in brightness of between my fog and the factory fog. The factory fog is about the same brightness as a tail light with the brake light on. My fog is about the same brightness as a tail light with just the running light on. The factory fog is significantly brighter.

However, you can configure the mod differently for a brighter red light. I used an LED panel to produce the red light and a clear incandescent bulb to produce the white light. You can swap the colors around: an LED panel to produce the white reverse light, and a red incandescent bulb for brake/fog. A red incandescent bulb would be as bright as the factory fog, but the white won't be as bright for the reverse light function. It's a tradeoff of whether you want to maximize the brightness of the red or the white light. If you use a red bulb, it will likely make the light housing look reddish even when the bulb is not lit. You can eliminate the red look by using a chrome coated "stealth" bulb that lights up red.

In my writeup, I also mentioned one other way to produce a brighter red light, and that was to mount a second red LED panel on the bottom of the fog light housing.

 

I actually like how the fog light in your mod isnt as bright as the factory rear fog. I have motored behind some fellow MINI owners who have the rear fog, and at times it can be quite distracting.

All my parts are on order except for the full toggle panel. Do you happen to know the part number for it? There are several options on realoem dot com.

 

Keep in mind that the foglight is only supposed to be used when it's very foggy and hard to see... so being super-bright is a good thing in that situation! Although I agree that in clear weather, MINI owners who keep their rear foglamps on are doing a disservice to other drivers.It seems there are two "full toggle" options:

61316958036
and
61316958032

The first one is labelled with DSC, the second one is labelled with ASC+T. If you have neither, and only want the full switch panel to complete the look (for example, if you plan on putting an "ejector seat" sticker or similar over the DSC/ASC+T label), then it won't really matter which one you get.

The only additional concern is that none of the options listed on RealOEM.com make a distinction between rear foglamps and front foglamps, which of course use separate switches. It's possible that they are only talking about front foglamps, which would mean both panels are still missing one switch. I would recommend looking at the part personally once it arrives, before paying for it and having it installed.

 

The part number depends on whether you have ASC or DSC, and model year. I ordered my toggle panel from Classic and they chose the part for me.

 

I have driven behind people in VERY heavy rain and fog, and its still a little too bright in my opinion. I think I will be very happy with this mod

Thanks, I will check them out as well as my local dealers!

 

Thanks - what you said was exactly what i was looking for, just wanted an idea of the difference before I ordered parts. I love the mod and think you did a fantastic job and a great writeup on it! I think I will order 2 of the LED's 2 do the double light (or attempt to)

 

OK i need some help, i just got the clear 02-04 reverse light housing and got a red LED blub to put in it, and when i plugged it in it didnt work when i plug the original fog light back in it works fines. Whats going on? The plugs are the exact same although the blubs are completely different. Is it maybe a different voltage? Can anyone help.

 

Okay, I guess this is something I forgot point out. Unlike incandescents, LED bulbs need the correct +/- connections to light up. Try swapping the +/- wires going to the LED.

 

i tried but its a 1156 LED blub so the polarity is the same. I noticed that the original fog light wasnt a 1156 but something much smaller, it actually looks like the same blub as the reverse lights so i am wondering if theres a difference in voltage or something

 

Here are some pictures i took of the openings and bulb sizes. In the first picture the top housing is the factory red fog light housing and the bottom is the 02-04 reverse housing and in the second picture the first blub on the left is a 1156 out of the reverse housing and the one on the right is out of the fog light housing.

 

Are you trying to assemble the configuration I described in the first post, or putting together a different configuration? I described using a flat panel LED red "bulb" from superbrightleds.com (it comes with a plug that will fit an 1156 socket, but it's not shaped at all like a normal bulb). The wedge type bulb you pictured is not an LED. My project as I described it does not use the factory red fog housing or its bulb.

 

No im not doing what you did, i am simply trying to remove the red by putting a clear housing. Neither of the blubs are LEDs i was just putting the 1156 in there for reference as to the size of the other bulb. Im not trying to use the factory fog housing or its bulb either, i am trying to use the one from the 02-04 housing and bulb but its not working. The LED blub i have is a 1156 and its shaped like a normal bulb. The polarity thing got me thinking, since the original fog housing blub is a wedge style blub with positive and negative on each side and the 1156 is positive on bottom and negative on the sides maybe i need to reverse the wires on the harness cause maybe like you said i have the polarity backwards. Do you know how to pull the wires out and swap them?

 

The connector on the harness that plugs into the bulb holder for the clear housing does come apart and you can swap the positions of the connector pins. As I recall, there is a C shaped clip around where the contact pins are, which can be unhooked. Once the clip is removed, you have access the spring loaded metal part of the pin that holds it in place. When you press down on it with a small screwdriver, the pin releases and it can be pulled out of the housing. It's difficult to describe without pictures.

The light housing was designed for regular incandescent bulbs that emit light in all directions, and you may have to experiment with some different LED bulbs to find one that give sufficient brightness.

 

yeah i figured i would have to try different LED blubs till i found the right one, so i have a regular Red incandescent 1156 blub to put in there as well. Im just trying to get the thing to work first.

 

SWEET! Well thanx for the help, i popped off the clip, swapped the pins and now it works! Now i just have to find the right LED

 

If you look at the specs on these bulbs, both the 24 led 1156's (I have these)
(18 forward and 6 side-facing) and the Luxeon led 1156's have
the same light output (150 lumens red, 170 amber, 190 white)
and the same current draw (except for a slight difference in the
white ones).

Can get the specs by clicking on the more info tabs on this page:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/tail-brake-turn.html

 

i have an 06 MCSa and am looking to get an OEM rear fog light. is it possible to just have a white backup light and the OEM rear fog only? thanks and great idea!

 

I don't understand what you mean. Do you want a standard rear fog, but with a white lens? You can do that by using the white backup lamp, with a bulb that lights up red. To totally eliminate any red appearance when unlit, you can use either a "stealth" bulb (silvered coating) or an LED bulb.

 

Cool Mod....
Great for those of us with newer GEN1 MINI's looking for stuff we haven't modded yet!!