i've done a few searches for this but found nothing. i'm looking for help installing the wire harness that comes with the clear tail lights. i'm not asking if you need it or not, i bought it, so i'm gonna use it.
i got the whole kit from the dealership, but wnated to install it myself. i have gotten... well... really, nothing done. i got everyhting pulled apart so i have access to the fuse box and body control module. i had those even out so i had access to the backs of them. i was trying to get the yellow/brown pin wire into the blue socket on the back of the fuse box, but the pin does not want to go fully into locking place. it can't get it any further than maybe half way in. So how do you get the pin into the blue socket?
next on the other side of the car, what exactly do you do? the dealer instructions aren't really all that clear. normally i don't have issues like this, but this doesn't make sense.
if anyone can please help me out and clearify the dealer instructions on what is going on on the body control module side, and how to insert the pin wire into the blue socket from the fuse box?
any help is greatly appreciated.
thanx
ja

 

you dont need the harness, just plug and play with the tail lights, ther is no difference.

all it is is BMW adding time onto your already rediculous charge to install some tail lights!!!!

 

rednwhite is correct...I have done this as well and saved my self some $300!

oh yeah!!

 

According to MINI usa and other reliable sources, the harness adds only a little more power to the brake lights to make the bulbs burn brighter.

Now before this all goes to H**L and gets outta hand. I have the harness. I did not install it. I am not going to install it. It's worthless in my opinion. I don't see how it could make any difference in the brightness of the bulbs.

Save your time, enjoy the clear tails as they are. MINI will still cover them under warranty without the harness installed.

 

are factory bulbs LED?

if so, you could run all 3 brake lights off a 9 volt battery for a month without having power loss!!! they dont suck and power, so why would you need more?


can you say scam?

 

There is a 'locking bar' that girdles the connector housing and double-locks all the terminals in place. This has to be unclipped and removed before trying to insert any terminals in the housing. Though the terminals themselves have a small locking tab to hold them in place, an additional lock bar helps keep them from popping loose and becoming intermittent should they encounter too much force during assembly or vibrations in use, or being pulled out if a wire or cable gets tugged on. THe little metal tabs on the terminals themselves cant handle that kind of abuse constantly.

Almost all the multiterminal connectors have some variation of a locking bar; it's usually clipped on the periphery of the connector, or part of a framework that is used to hold three or more rows of terminal housings together as one big unit. It's usually self-evident as to how the locking mechanism is applied and what needs to be done to remove it. Generally all you need is a small, thin jeweler's flat blade driver or the edge of a pocket knife blade to lift the locking tab and remove the piece.

 

thanx guys for the help. like i said earlier i did buy it so i do want to use it. but i guess i can wait if more people out there are running without the harness and have no issues. but still would be nice to have it used since i did waste my money on it.
Greatbear: thanx for the write up on that. i really appreciate it. i did try to pull it apart before posting, but didn't try to hard as i didn't want to break anyhting by removing somehting that shouldn't be removed or taken apart.
so now we have on side done, can anyone inform me on what exactly the instructions are talking about for the passenger side with the body control module? are wires being cut or what? just any help with that would be great.
again thanx guys for the help. maybe one day (like next weekend) i will sit down and attempt this harness install again. just want to be sure i know what is going on exactly this time. thanx for the help guys.
later ja