Just picked up a new 2014 Countryman ALL4. It was supposed to have the xenon/adaptive headlights. Well it does not. The dealer says there is no conversion kit/parts so the headlights/assembly cannot be corrected. As the Mini's come fully prepared/wired for most options, does anyone know if the xenon/adaptive lights could be swapped with a version with these lights?
They are offering a refund of the option cost. Not impressed.

I have a day to decide to return the car to the dealer and start all over. However the incentives that were in place would not be extended to a new order.

Note that aftermarket lights seem to be less wattage and not adaptive.

thank you.

This car was not a custom order. It was picked up from the Mini dealer exchange by my local dealer, so was already sitting on another (not local) dealers lot. Could the factory have not installed the correct lights, or could the first dealer have changed the lights , to satisfy another customer without updating the spec sheet? Odd that neither dealer caught the error, very obvious, in their pre-delivery/receipt inspection.

 

Return the car. You're already calling it a disaster, so return it and get the car you want.

 

Mistakes happen, and while I would hardly call this a disaster, each person's perception of a situation is different, based on their involvement.

With any car, MINI or otherwise, there is a point of no return in the assembly process where things cannot be changed. While it may seem like changes are simple, such as swapping lights, there are other issues at play. In the case of the headlights, the wiring is different for cars equipped with xenons vs. the standard halogen lights. The xenons also require sensors mounted at points on the subframes that allow for auto leveling. To add this after the fact, may technically be possible, but it would require major expense and literally tearing the car apart. It basically comes down to two choices: If the car has everything else you want, and you can live without the xenons, compromise and keep the car. Or, if you absolutely cannot live without the xenons, return the car and ask for them to find exactly what you want (or order it).

 

EDIT...never mind read through the whole post again.

 

What he said. Dealer sold you one thing, delivered another. Even if it was an honest mistake, that's no reason for you to eat it. Get the car you want.

 

Return it...reorder...
The conversion has been priced out at close to $5000 and about 8 hrs in labor....
Installed at the factory, they are priced well....not feasable to do a conversion... That is WHY there is no kit....

 

Get the car you want.

They ARE worth it.

 

If you are used to driving with the xenon/adaptive headlights then definitively get the car you want. If not, you will not know the difference. But I highly recommend the xenon/adaptive headlights. The dealer is just trying to unload a car you do not want.

Also, when I toured the Mini factory, they discussed how every mini has a unique set of wiring harnesses each made for the options selected. So, they are correct they cannot simply swap out lights.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I am surprised that the conversion would be so difficult, but now understand the issue. What is interesting is the coding that comes with the car shows the xenon lights are installed. But they are not. Out of interest does anyone know if the harness is different at the connection point? Could I be lucky enough that the car was built for the xenons but regulars were installed.


I expect it is not that simple so, I will pursue getting the car I want, over compromising and settling for less.

I will let you know the outcome with my local dealer.

 

Getting close to a 'replacement' vehicle. Yes in spite of persistence by my sales rep, Mini Canada can't replace the regular headlights with the adaptive/xenon lights. So a comparable vehicle has been found. Looks like I will be signing more paperwork, but in a few weeks time the replacement vehicle will arrive. It has a few extra features I didn't overly require but will be happy with. It also won't have the HK Sound system which is unfortunate. It also appears that the HK Sound system also can't be retrofitted.

 

You're finally beginning to understand that nothing electrical can be replaced {practically} from what came from the factory without serious money and labor involved! and even then be prepared for headache.

Read on this forum with people trying to swap out headlights, mini connected systems, etc. 99% of them hit dead ends. One guy was brave enough to try to replace his standard headlights with xenons, and it was a major undertaking that he was not expecting.

 

You can at least upgrade the speakers for better sound with aftermarket components, so you're not totally hosed on losing the HK.

 

I have been browsing the forum and have not found much in the way of consensus on recommendations for aftermarket speakers. If I lived in California I do see a recommendation for a shop that does good work. However I live in Ontario Canada so that is a bit out of the way, and I would prefer to simply replace the speakers myself.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

You'll get a better response if you create a new thread in the Audio subforum.

 

thanks for the advice. I have posted on the Audio site. My latest new Mini is on the train, and should be at the dealer within two weeks.