The Front fogs are an option on the Cooper (but standard on the R56 "S"). If you don't get the front fogs (with a Cooper) is the switch still in the toggle bank on the center stack or does MINI still have different toggle switch banks (they install) depending on the options ordered, like they did with the R50/R53's?

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-
Randy Kuite

 

Your toggle bank will only have switches for the options you have. So you will not have a toggle if you didn't spec front fogs.

 

Thanks for the clarification.
-Randy

 

Back from the dead.

I just picked up a 2004 R53 and it has a switch but no fog lights. I bought it off a grandma who wouldn't have modded it.

any chance of this being wired and the fog lights weren't installed or something?

 

Sorry Trabble but you're in the R56 forum and we're probably not knowledgeable enough about your R53 to answer your question. Try the 1st generation forum and you may get a better response.

 

Hey guys. Searched and couldn't find what I was looking for. I'm thinking about adding a rally light kit to R56 S. I noticed that one of the toggle switches is not installed (not sure what it is actually for) but I was wondering if anyone has successfully added a toggle to the cluster. I'd love to use a stock toggle for the rally lights.

Ideas?

 

For the rally lights there is no stock toggle for the switch bank. There is a switch that is added to the lower dash area left of the steering wheel. The missing toggle you're referring to is for Rear fog lights. I know this because I have these switches and they're all stock.

 

Rear fog lights?? Thats interesting. Never even knew that existed. Gotta go look up pics of that.

I understand that the rally light kit comes with a switch that would be added below the dash, I was just wondering if there was a way to use a stock toggle switch instead of the one that ships with the kit.

I'm guessing that I would need to find a mini in a scrap yard that has the entire toggle cluster and rewire mine.

 

IIRC ECS has these parts. But I could be wrong.

 

Not sure if all years have the wires but my car (2013) has all the wiring, it was missing the toggle and cover plate with the icon. These can be added. Once added the correct computer module has to coded for the toggle to be active. Then you just have to find and splice into the correct wires. Depending in the current requirements for the lights you may have to go through a relay.

I have already added the toggle, takes about 5 minutes. If I add front rally lights then I will activate the toggle.

 

You'll absolutely need to use a relay. The toggle bank is low power and merely sends signals to the computer, which performs all the actual functions. Furthermore, the switches are momentary and the contact pads are directly on the circuit board. You'll have to do some hardware hacking to make it work with aftermarket lights.

 

This would make sense if I was going to add the rear fogs. If I add a 3rd party rally package it shouldn't need to be coded for anything since it would be wired as a replacement to the switch that comes with the rally light kit unless I am thinking incorrectly (which is definitely possible).

Although now that I look at some pictures those rear fogs are pretty cool looking. I even found some that are a black jack pattern. I've got a laser blue metallic 2008 HT but I think they would look pretty damn sweet. Which would mean if I add the rear fogs AND front rally lights I would be back to using the aftermarket switch with the rally light kit and mounting it under the dash.

Decisions....

 

If I understand it correctly, the switch does absolutely nothing until it is coded in (enabled). It's not like a normal SPST switch, it goes straight to a control module then the module supplies power to the wires going to the rear fog lights. You can then reroute the power to the rally lights. I don't think that it possible to connect directly to the back of the toggle.

 

It isn't like a standard mechanical switch at all.

The toggle is a plastic lever that presses on capacitive pads on the circuit board. The microprocessor on the circuit board detects this and sends a digital message to the control module, telling it which button has been pressed. The control module performs the function (turn light on/off, etc). This is all digital electronics and doesn't work like a normal switch that closes a circuit.

 

That will work, bit you WILL need to use the fog wires as a relay trigger, then wire the fogs with a heavier gauge wire form a 20A fused source.

 

OK. That makes more sense now. I will look into the replacement parts from ECS and look into the rear fogs. I saw plenty of options online. I guess they are just there for looks and possibly enhanced visibility. Hopefully I will be able to find a one-line diagram and see how the wiring would be routed on a factory install.

Thanks for all the info from everyone!

 

Absolutely. The rally lights probably pull a lot more amps than the single small rear fog light.

 

The more I look at the black jack style rear fog lights the more I think I want them instead of rally lights!!! Here's to hoping the wiring is there already.