I have a 2006 MC. I had the dealer install the aux guage panel under the switch bank (includes an alternator voltage guage and an oil temperature guage).

The oil temp guage didn't function at all when I first took delivery of the car. The dealer fixed it and all seemed well. And in fact maybe it is still well. But I noticed something real strange the other night while sitting in my car waiting to pick someone up.

As most of you know, when the ignition is switched to off, the radio turns off in the Mini. However, you can turn the radio back on with the key removed from the ignition by simply hitting the power button on the radio to turn it back on.

I did that the other night and noticed that the aux guages became illuminated when I turned on the radio as if they somehow share wiring with each other. The guage needles remained resting on their post so there was no power to guages aside from illumination. Just the orange glow of the guages with the radio turned on.

Anybody else with the aux guage package notice this same thing? I have seen the schmatic for the guage wiring and it is quite involved. More importantly, the guages seem to fucntion as they should when the car is running regardless of the setting of the radio while driving.

Just another quirk or is there a wiring problem??

 

Maybe they get the power from a remote antenna lead! Now that would be funny!

Matt

 

Wired wrong.

At least in comparison to mine. Turn radio on, no aux lights. Turn parking lights on, aux lights (as well as rest of interior) turn on.

 

Interesting. When you turned the radio on, was that with the car not running?