Ok folks, you know that top lamp on your Mini tail lamp set?

This is the british rear fog lamp. There is the kit coming to use it as it was intended in Brittan, but here is a use that some of us think is better.

Here is your lamp as it is stock with the brakes depressed.


Go purchase a pair of these jumpers at any hardware store.


Remove the access pannel in the boot.


Get the plug that goes into the light set.


Cut the wire that goes to pin #1. Tape off the end that comes from the car.


Run wire 4 through the jumper and insert wire #1 from the light's side into the jumper.


With a pair of pliers press down on the metal peice to connect the wires, then close the plastic cover over it.


There you have it, the new look of the rear lamps with the brake depressed...

You will find that these are far more visible. This looks especially good with the clear rear lamps.

 

an easier way to do this without having to cut your wires, run a paperclip into the number 1 pin and the number 4 pin, attach it with some electrical tape, and wham rear fog/break lights :smile:, if you ever want to get the real kit from mini you just undo the tape and take out the paperclip.

 

You can also use 2 of the tap splices and a piece of wire between them. No cutting of the wires, and more stable and reliable than a paperclip stuffed in the connector. I am a US Navy Avionics Technician, and I shudder at the thought of just stuffing a bare wire into the connector. There are just so many things that can go wrong.

 

Thanks for the awesome instructions and pics!! However i did mine the same way MiniTron did, using the jumper wire and two splices (these are called ScotchLoks if you're looking for them). So far no fires or problems!! (and after owning a British Leyland product i'm familiar with fires!!) Either way seems fine, but that paperclip method scares me too!!

Great job Xanthus!!

 

oh yeah...one more tip for someone trying this at home!! make sure you have the car ON when you check to see if the lights work! i really thought i'd screwed mine up when i tested them and NOTHING came on!! just not familiar with a car that's got to be ON before the taillights work. must have been the first day with the new MINI!!

 

Mini tron.. I would say that you should use eletrical tape to insulate the "wire" (i.e. paper clip) But you can easily get some copper wire from a hardware store...

The coolest thing would be if you could have it both ways! A switch that will turn on the fogs when you are in incliment weather, while still having fogs attached to the brake lamps for normal daily use.



_________________
'03 MC Pure Silver/Black #1,#3 Stock 16"
Swapping very soon for:
'04 MC Dark Silver/black All three HK

 

Greetings,

Bruce Noble (NoBull60) did the mod on my (and many other MINIs) MCS in May at the W. Pam Beach Pulley Party. I like the added visabliity of the brake lights. Would recommend the mod to every MINI owner.
Best Regards,
Ron

 

Greetings all...

I did a jumper - not permanent - and works great, but now I am interested in the rear fog option. Anyone have the spec of a diode that could be put in the connector between the lamp leads to allow fog or break lights? If we put a diode in the line it could activate whenever brakes are applied, but remain on all the time if fog is activated. Radio Shack has to have the answer....

That said, given the cruise control problem introduced by the separation of fuses on the power steering and radiator fans, I wonder what gremlins will be rousted...

Regards..

 

you could put a relay in the line to the rear fogs and connect the switch current to the taillights... i think this is what I mean... hmm, lemmie think about it and I'll get back to you :smile:

*edit* OK, think I got it what you want..

When Fog Lights on and Brake Lights on, top light on. (I believe this would cause a problem... my solution to it is below)
When Fog Lights off and Brake Lights off, top light off.
When Fog Lights off and Brake Lights on, top light on.
When Fog Lights on and Brake Lights off, top light on.

Hoping that you know something about relays and stuff, if not I'll try to do basic explaination along the way. To do this (assuming that you have the rear fog lights already working on their own)...

You would cut the wire to the rear fog lights near the black connector, by the lights. This is where the relay will go. There should be three little prongs on the relay, one is input, one output and the last is basically a trip switch. By putting power into that trip switch, you turn off the output of the relay. So, the wire from the front of the MINI goes into the input, wire to connector goes to output. We'll see about the third prong in a sec...

Next thing to do would be to add two jumpers out of the brake lights, one will go to that third prong, the other would then be connected into the wire coming from the output of the relay.

If I've figured this out right (pretty sure) all that should work... SHOULD. Basically all you need to do to do this is make sure you aren't putting double the power into the rear fog when you press the brake and this should do that. Is there an easier way? Prob.. Is there a more efficient way? Prob.. but that's what I can come up with... Lastly, my MINI is on the way, so all of this is from looking at pictures and diagrams of the MINI taillight wiring, if it's totally off... sorry!

This might be too much work for the effect, but you can't beat the price, the relay can be found at radio shack, less than $10. Make sure you get a 12V relay that can accept a 12V trip current. If anyone decides to try this, it would be interesting to see what they come up with... good luck.

---Proud 'Shack employee--- :smile:

 

>>you could put a relay in the line to the rear fogs and connect the switch current to the taillights... i think this is what I mean... hmm, lemmie think about it and I'll get back to you :smile:
>>
>>*edit* OK, think I got it what you want..
>>
>> When Fog Lights on and Brake Lights on, top light on. (I believe this would cause a problem... my solution to it is below)
>> When Fog Lights off and Brake Lights off, top light off.
>> When Fog Lights off and Brake Lights on, top light on.
>> When Fog Lights on and Brake Lights off, top light on.
>>
>>Hoping that you know something about relays and stuff, if not I'll try to do basic explaination along the way. To do this (assuming that you have the rear fog lights already working on their own)...
>>
>>You would cut the wire to the rear fog lights near the black connector, by the lights. This is where the relay will go. There should be three little prongs on the relay, one is input, one output and the last is basically a trip switch. By putting power into that trip switch, you turn off the output of the relay. So, the wire from the front of the MINI goes into the input, wire to connector goes to output. We'll see about the third prong in a sec...
>>
>>Next thing to do would be to add two jumpers out of the brake lights, one will go to that third prong, the other would then be connected into the wire coming from the output of the relay.
>>
>>If I've figured this out right (pretty sure) all that should work... SHOULD. Basically all you need to do to do this is make sure you aren't putting double the power into the rear fog when you press the brake and this should do that. Is there an easier way? Prob.. Is there a more efficient way? Prob.. but that's what I can come up with... Lastly, my MINI is on the way, so all of this is from looking at pictures and diagrams of the MINI taillight wiring, if it's totally off... sorry!
>>
>>This might be too much work for the effect, but you can't beat the price, the relay can be found at radio shack, less than $10. Make sure you get a 12V relay that can accept a 12V trip current. If anyone decides to try this, it would be interesting to see what they come up with... good luck.
>>
>>---Proud 'Shack employee--- :smile:
>>

IFFFFF I understand any of this, I think what you will accomplish is turning the top tail light on and off. You need 2 filiments to have tail and brake from the same bulb (I think). This is a problem that I was dealing with also and finally decided to modify the bulb which is a REAL problem.

 

>>IFFFFF I understand any of this, I think what you will accomplish is turning the top tail light on and off. You need 2 filiments to have tail and brake from the same bulb (I think). This is a problem that I was dealing with also and finally decided to modify the bulb which is a REAL problem.

this mod would make it so you would not have to have two filiments

 

To do this (assuming that you have the rear fog lights already working on their own)...
>>

I must have already been asleep when I read this last night. I don't Have working fog lights! Maybe this is a solution to the goal of having twin tails as well as break lights. Good Luck with the mod. :smile:

 

>> To do this (assuming that you have the rear fog lights already working on their own)...
>>>>
>>
>>I must have already been asleep when I read this last night. I don't Have working fog lights! Maybe this is a solution to the goal of having twin tails as well as break lights. Good Luck with the mod. :smile:

Yep, twin tail fogs and the top lights for braking :smile:

 

There's also an easy-to-use kit available from MCO member mini-rolls to do this. It's $12, which is much more than the cost of the materials, but it comes with great directions, it takes five minutes, and it's 100% reversible.