Hi Goatherder,
I have a couple of questions for you. Can you still turn on the PIAAs with the engine off (keys out)? Do the PIAAs work when the engine is running but no lights on? Do you have the Day time running light option activated?

I'm in the process of installing PIAA 540s to my 05 MCS with Xenons. One thing I've noticed is that on the 05 model there are 7 wires going into the hadlamp assembly (rather than 4 as described) and when I meter the wires I find that the yellow/green wire is alway hot regardless whether the engine is on or off or the lighting positions.

Still trying to figure out how to tie PIAAs to the high beam on 05 models.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

Hi Jason,
I too have the parcel shelf installed and I like your radio shack switch better than the stock PIAA unit. It also looks like you have another LED installed independent of the rocker switch which I believe is already illuminated (build in LED).
My question is how do you wire up the rocker switch to replace the stock PIAA unit? What does the 2nd LED do?
I assume to connect the black wire on the PIAA switch to GND, connect the white wire (switch power) on the PIAA switch to POWER, and connect the red wire on the PIAA switch to load. Can you varify if this is correct?

I also notice the 05 MCS with Xenon has now 7 wires going into the lamp assembly rather than 4 you mentioned and that yellow/green is always hot.....Now I need to figure out how else to tie to the high beam.....

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

Sorry for the late response, been dealing with my father's deminishing health, probably won't make it past next week. Anyway, this is a nice distraction.

Your assumption is correct: Black = Ground, Red = Load, White = Power. I bought a seperate PIAA switch harness in case I screwed something up and also in case I ever wanted to sell the lights I would have a OEM switch to go with it.

The other thing you see in the picture is my old garage door opener switch, a little POS from Radio Shack that stopped working after about 20 presses. I decided to get a better switch and I relocated the sending unit above the headliner with the button in between the sunroof switch and the location for the factory hands-free unit microphone. It is working fabulously now and everyone thinks it is a stock button location. (See pic below!)



If you have any other questions just reply and I will try to keep up with this better.

Jason

 

Sorry to hear about your father's health. I've been down that road with another family member and it was difficult.

Thanks for varifying the connections. The Radio shack switch with the parcel shelf works so much better!!

Thanks again,

Mike

 

I didnt like the idea of putting the switch by my knee so i routed the wire along the inside door, under my seat and put the switch where those covers are by the hand brake. To make it fit i just used a drill the same width as the wire and took out a little notch so that the wire can poke through back into the hand brake.I think it looks kinda cool like that.

 

Well I just did the install today! I love them. Without this thread and Pamlico's thread I would have been lost completely. The instructions are bare bones to say the least, this thread was a huge help.

I swapped the PIAA switch for a nice illuminated rocker switch like your Radio Shack one (I went to Radio Shack and they were closed!). I'll get some pictures up soon, it looks so stock in the Euro-shelf that I'm amazed I did the work!

At one point though I did have direct current going to the switch (the wire got hot!), I'm lucky I didn't do any damage. So let me clarify the switch dilemma I had to prevent anyone else from making my stupid mistake. The wire you hook to the high beam feed (yellow and green wire) is white, but when that wire reaches the switch assembly it is red (to designate it as "hot"). The red wire goes to the "+" prong on the switch not the white, if you do this everything will work but the wire gets very hot and may melt and then you're screwed.

Also wanted to confirm that the yellow and green wire is the correct wire, and my lights work only on high beam, and only then when I activate them (also the rocker switch allows for the driving lights to always be armed).

The backs of the lights are black.

And although the directions sent are for '02-'03 MINIs, everything jived with my late model '04 MC. Chances are I will doing this install on my wife's '05 MC so if anything there is strange I will let you know.

Cheers

 

Ok after reading this thread, I've got a couple questions about installing a Hella fog light kit on the lower grill. Instead of tapping into the high beam wire (like driving lights), I want to tap into the factory fog light wire instead. That way, when I flick the toggle switch to turn the factory fogs on, the Hella's will also turn on. I wold prefer not to have to mount a seperate toggle switch for the Hella's. Is this possible and if so, how would you recommend I do this?

 

Should not be a problem. Just identify the hot lead to one of the fogs and tap in there. I'm planning on doing the same thing.

 

Yeah, I figured that much but my real question is how to set it up without a switch. Can I leave the switch off and connect the power lead from the OEM fogs straight to the lead from the relay that was going to the switch?

 

Don't see why not. I leave my driving light switch on permanently so they always come on with the high beams. If you don't want to fool around too much, you could just leave the harness and relay connections as they are, and hardwire a stub of the switch lead in 'on' position.

 

I just installed 4 driving lights in the lower grill and am now ready to wire. I have found out that the toggle for the rear fog is not a switch, but activates the computer to tuen on the rear fog. On mine, it was programed to work when I got the car. After asking around, I am going to find the hot wire that actually goes back to the light, cutt it and have it actuate two relays that will switch the driving lights. Surely, the wire I am looking for will be somewhere in the left kick panel in or out of the fuse box.. Maybe it is fused seperatly, that would meke it easy.
If you guys find out any more, let me know

 

Is there a way to install the lights without the mounting plate? if no, anyone know where u can buy one?

 

If you are refering to a plate for the lower grill, I made mine out of aluminum angle, but Alta makes one for the lower grill and you can mount 2 or 4 lights.


Still wondering if anyone knows what color the wire to the rear fog light is at the fuse panel.
Thks

 

Where are the pictures for this how too write up?

 

its a year old, he probably deleted or moved his pictures from the address they were at when i wrote it.

 

If this is a sticky, cant it be done were pictures stay up? There are new Mini owners all the time that will need these questions answered and these posts will help out alot if we can keep the pictures up. Like they say, A picture says a thousands words..

 

I want to install aftermarket lights like you guys, but am worried about the Mini "you have voided your warranty" mentality. Why? I attempted to order a Cooper compact spare for my '06 "S" and the "tech support" at Mini USA advised my dealer to mark my receipt that the use of the compact spare on a "S" was "not recommended" and would void my warranty on anything connected to that spare. (ABS, DSC, LSD, suspension, etc.) I know there is a law requiring a manufacture to PROVE that a modification led to a failure and thus voiding the warranty (the same law that allows us to perform non-dealer service within the warranty period). Any problems from your dealers?

 

Sorry, I didn't know the pictures were gone. I will retake and post them in the original post again. My Apologizes!!

 

The PICTURES are back up!!!! Again, I'm very sorry for the pictures being missing for so long, I had not idea. All is well with the world again!!

L8r,

Jason

 

Ok after seeing your install... I would change 1 thing.. instead of using the [+] terminal that you used I would use the one near the ECU. It stays hidden and you can run your wires pretty much unseen...not saying yours isnt but I found mine look much better when doing this... Just another option... but a very clean install..

-Josh

 

The primarily yellow wire with green stripe coming out of the connector which plugs into the back of your high beam bulb on the drivers side is the one you want. Connect that to the white wire and your driving lights will have power when your high beam is on. You will also be able to take the driving light out of the loop if you just want to use your high beam.

John

 

those pics would have come in handy yesterday. spent all day putting on all of my mods. including the piaas. the screw question: you can find those screws at any hardware store. lowes should do the trick (home depot..whatever) i hooked my white wire to the yellow/ green wire. it works exactly as it said. when i have my highs on (and my switch on) the fogs are on.. when i want them off, i turn off the highs, just like normal. works great. i think they look awesome!

 

Great How-to. I have a different set of lights (Vision), although the wiring is essentially the same. However, the power wire is intended to tap into the headlight wire in the wiring harness, which is apparently behind the knee bolster (I have only looked at the instructions at this point).

My question is, has anyone done this rather than tap into the highbeam wire at the headlight? If so, how do you find the right wire in that bundle of wire? I'm assuming the wire would still be yellow and green, but want to pick the right one before I start splicing!

Thanks!

Dave

 

If you have the Bentley shop manual, it'll show you the circuit going to the headlights. I don't have mine with me so I can't give you a definite answer.

 

Very Nice write up! I just ordered some, but they dont come with brackets. Thats all I need until I can light up the night!