My stock driving light kit arrived today from Morristown Mini and I've been reading through all of the forums for advice on installation. I've found this 'official' Installation Instruction Manual from Mini in MotoringFile's DIY area and I have a few questions:

• Is this manual dated material or is it still an appropriate guide for using on my 2006 MCS?
• If it is dated, is there an appropriate guide available or at a minimum, a list of differences?
• The manual indicates in underlined text: The vehicle does not need to be recoded after the installation is completed. I've seen other posts here on NAM that seem to indicate that it's required. I'd tend to lean towards the official documention but what's the scoop here? Who is right?

• In several places, the manual indicates that for vehicles equipped with Xenon Lights and High Pressure Washing System [mine is] a Gas pressure hood damper must be installed for safety reasons. What's up with that? Is it really required and for what safety issue?

• I have a three fin grill with matching paint (go Hyper Blue!) and the manual states that for vehicles with the sport package, an auxillary support should be installed behind the driving light. I'm a little confused by the instructions. Is this additional support really just a rubber covered bolt sticking through the grill coming to rest behind the lamp enclosure? It appears to just be there prevent the lamp from flexing backwards torquing the bracket. Anybody have any comments or thoughts on this additional 'support' bolt?

That's it for now. Thanks in advance.

 

It is dated material, AND it is still appropriate to use.
No other guide available (that I am aware of), only difference being the mounting of the relay, Orig kit came with a fancy bracket and such, now You just ziptie it in place.
Does not need to be recoded.
Yes, you need the stronger struts to keep the hood from falling down on your nogging, due to the increased weight of it with the driving lamps.
Take the addt'l 'support' bolt and toss em, you need a special tool to install the nut for it, and they don't accomplish much anyway, You won't miss them.

 

Thanks JCWGrover. After more intense reading I think I've got a handle on the differences between the 2002 manual and the 2006 kit but I still have a couple of questions:

• What is the single piece of black rubber/plastic tubing used for? I understand what the two pieces of heat-shrink tubing is for but not the single piece.
• I'm assuming the single 14/16 Duraseal crimp-connector is to connect one end of the simpler inline fuse to the red J-wire of the aux harness?
• The kit includes to clear/white blade connector covers. Do these serve any purpose?
• What purpose does connecting the two 'quick connect' wires to the back of the radio serve?

I apologize for what most likely appears as overly simplistic questions but having never attempted a mod like this I'm afraid of turning my car into the electronic equivalent of a brick.

 

- Does not need to be recoded - the fogs are activated via the BC1, but the DLs do not utilize the BC1
- I put mine in a few months ago, and the OEM struts seem to be holding up just fine. The new ones are less than $10/ea. at Classic, but FWIW, the stock ones do seem to hold just fine. I'll probably swap them out at some time in the future.
- The support bolt is there just to prevent the light from vibrating. I didn't install them, though I may if I get bored one day. I haven't noticed any ill effects when driving, though I do see them wobble when closing the bonnet.
- I don't recall a single piece of rubber/tubing.
- blade covers are for the connection inside the driving light to the bulb
- connections to radio provide lighting for the switch and ?? (perhaps 'ignition on' signal??)

The nice part about the DLs is that they are essentially independent from the rest of the car's electronics. Other than tapping into the fusebox, you're unlikely to fry anything else along the way.

 

You can see the tubing at the bottom of the image. The two bulbs did not come with the kit; I purchased the blue replacement bulbs to get a closer match with my xenons.



(note, the mounting brackets in the kit are not shown)

 

What P/Ns and prices were involved? I'm interested in adding some lighting to my MINI

 

From Morristown Mini:

$320 - Light Kit
$18 x 2 - 'Blue' bulbs

$25 shipping - FedEx

Note: No instructions are included hence my trolling around here to find out exactly how to perform the install.

 

Ah, now I remember! That's a sheath meant to go over the thick gauge red wire that connects to the fuse box through a hole you drill in the plastic partition. I suppose it helps protect that wire from fraying at the site of the hole.

 

im planning to get one of these, but i have a small question...how do the **** inside the car looks like! is it in the center console or the lights would work by the highbeam side!

 

OEM instructions call for the switch to be installed on the left side of the knee bolster in US cars. Alternatively, if you have a euro shelf there is a cutout which fits the switch almost perfectly.