Just a quick question. I have a 2008 MCS and I was wondering if the lighter bezel was supposed to light up at night? Mine has never light up, the socket works when my GPS is plugged in. So does the bezel light up?

 

Sorry but no, they don't light up or at least mine doesn't either...

 

The one in my boot does light the ring,
now it may be just picking up light from the boot light just below.

I do recall a very dim light from the console jack ring, but don't see it now.

 

The boot socket in my 8/07 build has a lighted orange ring.

 

mine doesnt

 

nope

 

Thanks for the info guys. I was going to make a trip to the dealer, but you have saved me the gas. They must have gotten ride of that feature because I thought someone before said theirs lite up. I remember reading it and thinking mine must be broke because it never lite up.

 

none here either... i thought i saw a kit somewhere that would make it work tho

 

realoem.com lists the cigarette lighter for R55/R56 with exactly the same part numbers as used in 1st gen MINIs: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...=61&fg=35&hl=1. As with the 1st gen, if you don't have ring illumination, you should be able to get it by adding the missing bulb socket (#5 in the diagram, part # 61346915065) and connecting it to a power source. The part is inexpensive (around $5 if I recall) and includes a bulb.

In the 1st gen MINI, the ring illumination was eliminated sometime in 2005, and my '06 cabrio did not have it. The bulb holder is missing and power for it is not in the cigarette lighter wiring harness. I purchased the socket and installed it in my cigarette lighter.

The factory wiring has the bulb connected to gauge lighting, so that the ring is lit up with the dash instruments, and brightness is controlled by the dash dimmer. An easy alternative is to simply connect a short wire from the bulb to the + of the lighter itself. Then the bulb will be illuminated at full brightness whenever there is power to the cigarette lighter. I did the easy wiring method in my cabrio. Since it is lit up whenever the car is on (not only at night) and at full brightness, the bulb burned out prematurely after about a year. I haven't replaced the bulb yet and I'm thinking about wiring it the correct way. At certain times of the day, it can look a bit odd when the ring is fully lit but the rest of the gauges and controls are dark. The gauge illumination line can be picked up from various sources in the center console.

 

sounds easy enough. may retro fit it someday

 

not here 06/08 MCS

 

None on either my former '08 MCSa or new '09 MCSa.

 

I just retrofitted the factory armrest in my car and kind of broke the orange from the underside. I though I also broke the wire to the bulb, because it wouldn't glow, but after searching for the wire for over an hour, I couldn't find it!

Ironically there is a bulb installed in the ring, but after reading your comments, I wonder if it ever lit :s Apparently they just installed one of the enclosures that had the bulb, but never connected it. Where else could the wire have gone?? (the lighter itself works ok)

 

Thanks for the link. Is this part # the same for both the lighter socket in the dash and in the boot? I need to replace a part on the lighter in the boot and I want to confirm that this is the correct piece I need. Thanks again.

 

so who's gonna do it? install instructions and feedback. this forum never amazes me. something you couldn't care less about comes up and all of a sudden "cheap mod" comes to mind and ya wanna do it!

 

My 08 plugs don't light up. Hell, they don't even work . I am to lazy to take her to the dealer have them fixed.

 

I know for certain, that there is only one plug on the underside of the bulb carrier. But there is a second metal latch in the interior, so I assume it is interconnected to the lighter.

I am correct in assuming I only need to plug a +12V wire on the bulb carriage to light it up? I could use the lighter wires...

PS: I know someone has already done it like that (not entirely sure about the connections), but it will stay lit all the time...