I just recently got my Cobra radar detector hooked up to my MINI the same as I've hooked it up to every other car I've owned, by using an add-a-circuit and adding it into the cabin fusebox. However, I've encountered a very strange problem -- it seems that on the MINI, when everything is turned off and the key is removed from the ignition, the power is cut from everything after the fusebox, meaning that my radar detector stays on when everything else turns off. I've tried many different fuses, everything from the radio to the windshield wipers and I can't get it to turn off with the key.

Anyone encountered a problem like this, and hopefully found a solution?

EDIT: Shoot, I just realized the Electronics forum includes radar detectors :s. Sorry guys! Hopefully someone sees the thread here.

 

I am sure someone here will have an answer as hundreds of people have done this.

There has to be a way...

 

You must have just tapped an always-on fuse.

I have a guide here on how to do it:
http://www.jwardell.com/mini/fusetap.html

 

Awesome jwardell, thanks a ton! I must have just tried fuses that were all always-on, what luck :/. Works fine now!

 

Man I love this site...

I was going to do my first add-a-fuse today for a Sirius aftermarket unit and sat down to do an hour of searching for several questions. This thread just answered all of them...

Thanks !

Bill

 

Glad it helped.. Do you have an 05 or 06? I'm not sure if they changed the fuse layout or not.

 

'06 Cabrio - the fuse box layout is different from some I have studied in the Bentley manual and other places but the advice still worked well and I got my aftermarket Sirius wired up in 30 minutes or less, including running the antenna back to the roll bar area (works great there in a cloth top !!)

Bill

 

I managed to find a switched 10A fuse just below the halfway point on the right of an 05 hardtop. Which model Cobra, mine had (no longer use it, soon upgrading to V1) an auto off so even if I tapped an always on it would automatically cut the power after 30min of no RPMs.