As I wait for my new MINI, I'm making a list of things to modify, and one of my favorite small things to do is upgrade all the interior lights I can reach to be LED. I like the crisp appearance and brightness they give over the stock bulbs.

I've been having a hard time figuring out interior lighting in the new MINIs, though. The ambient lighting system is obviously a big feature and seems to take the place of a lot of the lighting in the car itself, but I couldn't darken the showroom or do a nighttime test drive, so I don't really know how well they work. I found the below video online which suggests that the lights are VERY bright. Is that the case?


Additionally, where are the locations of the ambient lights? From what I can tell, they are:

• The center console itself
• Above and below the color line on the doors
• In the upper right and upper left of the driver/passenger footwells

Are there any more locations? Anything in the back seats, door handles, etc?

What other light sources are in the MINI? I recall two reading lights and one overhead dome light. Are there standard lights in the footwells as well? What about a second dome for the back seat?

I also know there are courtesy lights on the bottoms of the doors that I've seen cool mods for that project a MINI logo onto the ground.

Any other locations I've missed? Has anyone else gone for LED upgrades, and if so, any suggestions on bulbs or installation?

 

The ambient lights are located:
- two on the overhead console
- footwells
- door handles
- center console
- in the color line of the doors
- (with MINI Yours trim) along the trim in the doors - you can see it in the video
- (F55) two more in the rear reading light console
- (F55) back doors and door handles

The dome lights, puddle lights, and map lights are LED already, I believe. If you're looking to replace interior lights with LED bulbs, you have:
- vanity lights
- glove box light
- boot light

I did a post about LED replacement on my F55 here (starts at post #22): https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...se-lights.html

 

Great info, thank you so much!

Where did you get your LEDs from? I'm looking at ebay listings like this one, which has lights for every conceivable space, but I worry about quality. I guess even cheap bulbs can't really do any damage to the electrical system...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/15pcs-White-5630-LED-Interior-Light-Kit-For-MINI-Cooper-Hatch-Hardtop-range-R56-/261572144391?hash=item3ce6ea2d07&vxp=mtr

 

No light in the back seat of the F56.

 

I buy mine from superbrightleds.com, and only those with 5-star ratings. Avoid crap from Pepboys and the like!

No issues. All are working well, including the CANBUS LEDs I replaced my parking lights with (I skipped the fog light option, although I have full LED headlamps with cornering [extremely recommended, BTW]).

 

All my interior lights were from superbrightleds.com and I selected the brightest ones I could find. I tried to avoid the cheap eBay LEDs as, in my experience, they tend have a high failure rate.

That ebay listing you have up there is for the R56 and if the picture is indicative of the bulbs you'd get, most of them won't have a place in the F56. All the bulbs I replaced in the interior were wedge bulbs.

 

I'm looking for info on replacing ambient bulb on door latch. Any help please? Where to get the right bulb for 2012 countryman? Thanks!!

 

I do believe the ambiance lights are already LED arent they? Kinda hard to change the color of a regular incandescent the way you can change the MINI ambiance light color.
Also, you can adjust the brightness.

 

Thanks for quick reply, I mean replace like the bulb is no longer working.