First every car I've ever seen that had this type of feature the headlights stayed on for a predetermined time after you cut the car off. What is MINI's (lack of) logic on their bizarre implementation?

I have Pathway Lighting (and set to 45 seconds) but have never got it to work. I also have auto headlamps (Xenon) and leave it on auto (also have daytime running lights set). Also have keyless ignition and don't put FOB in the dash. When I cut my car off (one push of the start button) the lamps go off. If I pull the stalk back my lights flash and then go off.

Even if it will work it is a poor design. I see three major problems: 1) You add a manual step (or more) to what should be an automatic system. 2) You have to cut your lights off and then "flash" them back on attracting attention. 3) Off and on cycle causes unnecessary wear and tear and shortens the life of the lamps (especially Xenon's but Halogen's also).

How is it suppose to work and is there a mod to make them just stay on for the time (like they should).

 

I have had cars that work both ways some like the MINI and some like what you feel it should be.

Now you have given us every bit of information wee need to assist you except for the year of the car. That can make a very big difference in the way it works. So what year is your car?

Personally I like the way the MINI works better as they are not on EVERY time I turn the car off. They are only on when I need them to be on. And yes that is a manual turn on.

 

Thanks for the post. I had no idea how the pathway lighting worked. Now that I do, like schatzy62, I like it.

 

What other cars have lighting this way? Is it a BMW thing? Is there any way to modify it? Here is my full car info, thanks.

 

Count my vote in the "no logic to BMW's Logic" column. Make sure you add columns for door locks and CD player operation while you are at it.

 

I usually get by with the "dimmer half of the foglight" light when I arrive and leave at night. Then again, I came from driving a Civic that didn't even have a working interior light... so this is a luxury.

I know what you mean though. With the auto headlamp setting, it should be easy enough for BMW to program it to keep the headlamps on if dark and the pathway lighting system is enabled.

For turning on the headlamps after parked, though, have you tried pushing the stalk forward? Because that's the way you turn on the high beams (pulling back just flashes). I don't use the feature often so I can't recall exactly.

...I actually like the double-door-pull to exit. Other makes do this as well... VW/Audi, for one. It's second nature, and since I sit in the car for a little while sometimes after parking, I feel safer. Though the POS Dodge Caravan we rented this summer could do the same in one pull, so it's probably part "tradition" on BMW's part.

 

"Though the POS Dodge Caravan we rented this summer could do the same in one pull, so it's probably part "tradition" on BMW's part."

Exactly! All GM's are just like Chryslers in that regard. No reason you can't be safe and exit with one pull. To defeat the double pull from frustrating all passengers I just keep all auto locking off, which, as you point out, is not the safest solution.

 

Seems like all cars I can remember driving work this way. Pulling the door handle unlocks and opens in one pull. Not sure way MINI/BMW wants you to pull the handle twice. They even have a *warning* in the manual about locking passengers inside the MINI the since they may not be able to figurie out how to get out. Silly and strange.

 

From the manual, looks like you are supposed to activate the "headlight flasher" once the car is parked (I assume turned off) and lights turned off in order to turn on the pathway lighting. Not a feature I use, but may play around with it tonight to test.

As for logic, I would guess the assumption is that once parked, the "default" is for the lights to be off and some type of affirmative action by the driver should occur to turn on the pathway lighting. jmo, but this makes more sense than requiring some type of affirmative action to turn the lights off. Given the state of technology, one would think end users should be able to program this more discretely.

 

It doesn't make more sense because you don't have to do anything to turn the lights off, they just cut off at the predetermined time. On all cars I've driven (including my 02 (and previous 97) Ford Explorer) you just set the timer and put the lights on auto and forget, that's it. When you cut off the car the lights stay on for a few seconds and then go off. You never have to think about it or do anything. If you watch other cars park you will see this all the time (except MINI's/BMW's).

 

And as it is now with the MINI, you don't have to do anything to turn the lights off. But you do have to do something to turn the lights on. That's what I'm trying to say - MINI seems to be approaching it from a perspective that requires one to do something to turn the lights on instead of requiring them to do something to turn the lights off. Apparently they are not allowing for the possibility that some people will always want the lights to stay on.

 

I always wondered what the pathway lighting was too! I missed that section in the manual. I just showed this feature to my Dad on his 645i!

 

Just tried under the following conditions. Pulled in garage (should be dark enough to activate the auto headlamps (it does on my Explorer and all previous cars)). Hit on/off button (to turn off engine) and pushed stalk forward, nothing. Hit on/off button again (to cut off ACC) and pushed stalk forward, nothing.

 

Julien,

Tested on mine. Turn lights off. Turn engine off - completely, not even accessories. Activated the pathway by pulling the stalk toward me. Difference being I don't have the auto headlamps and I don't have the convenience package. So not sure what the difference would be to get yours to a completely "off" state, which appears to be what it takes to then activate the pathway lighting.

 

2009 MCS with auto Xenon's just went out and played with the pathway lights seems with mine you cut the car off open the door and then pull the stalk forward did not work with the door closed, Pathway lights come on for the set time when they cut off the interior lights come on then fade.
Have had pathway lights on other cars but remember they did turn on by themself but you could not program a set time.

JohnNJohn

 

I saw with the BMW today you need to shut off key then pull the stalk towards you briefly, this was with the door open BTW.

 

Seems working the Pathway Lighting is about as intuitive and straight forward as setting the clock on a VCR used to be. No mater how you slice it if most or many are unable to "figure out" how to use it then it is a poor design. Especially when you compare to the fact that almost everyone (since you don't have to do anything) can use an automatic system like found on most cars. Having expunged my rant I got mine to work but it requires a modification in the way I must exit the car (another "feature" of this poor design).

Now I must remember to hit the start button twice (I only hit it once and use the door button feature to cut off and lock car) then pull the stalk (not push) in order for the Pathway to work.

So in order to use the Pathway feature you must eliminate the door button ACC off feature.

 

I have owned 3 MINI's since 2002 and way to many BMW's
The car I remember having pathway lighting I owned other then a BMW product was a Honda accord coupe and this car was loaded and I will take a wild guess that the same car without all the bells and whistles meaning no automatic headlamps did not have this feature. I think the Germans had to set it up this way so everyone can have pathway lighting so it will work on the 18 grand car as well as the 33 grand car.
What's the big deal? Do you want them to make a car where only you get to use this feature? So what you open the dang door and pull the stalk .
I'm not sure what your gripe is about but hey maybe you can find a way to make it all work in a seamless fashion and while you do that talk to the other car company's and demand pathway lighting for all!

JohnnJohn

 

Cost is not the issue since it's about software programing and design implementation. Also I had a MB (although it used the fog lights instead of the headlights) and it didn't work this way. So while it may be a BMW thing it's not a German thing (not sure about Porsche and Audi).

 

mine is an 08 and the pathway lighting works np

 

Personally, I would hate to have it be an automatic thing all the time and prefer to have it turn on when needed, so have no problem with the implementation. I use it when I need it without having to bother people when I get in late. I guess they could have included an automatic programming as well as the manual one they have now.

 

Guessing your MB had auto head lamps so pathway lights are a given I believe you get pathway lights with a MINI no matter what you paid for the the car so cost is the issue and not your idea of programing or design.

I park in a garage and did my 1st play with the pathway lights on my MINI in said garage I had to open the door to make it work for some reason in the garage but gave it a second play outside and it worked without opening the door. Maybe the 1st test was a vodka moment!

JohnNJohn

 

Again, costs has nothing to do with it since the auto headlights are already in the MINI and you have already paid for them. BMW chooses to design and program them so you must manually cut them on. So it IS a design/program issue and has nothing to do with costs. BMW could have just as easily designed them to be fully auto and it would add nothing to the costs since the auto headlight system is already in place and included in the price of the car.

 

Julien this is your thread when you started this thread you stated that your pathway lighting will not work (at all) .
At this point in this topic all I can do is a circler argument. It seems your pathway lighting works but not how you want it to so this is a bad design in your mind. ALL MINI's have pathway lighting funny thing is NOT all MINI's have auto headlamps. Please point me to a car that offers pathway lighting for all and not just the people that paid the COST for auto headlamps.
I'm sorry you have to turn your car off and pull a lever to turn them on, How can BMW repay that 2.5 seconds you lose of your life doing this horrid manual labor ?

JohnNJohn