Greetings,

I have searched the forums looking for the answer, and I have yet to come across a real answer. The conversation descends into blinding drivers, stabbing kittens and so on.

I have the OEM rally lights, and I would like to be able to use the switch on my dash to TURN THEM ON. I understand the law, but I just want to have control over them.

I have heard 2 things. My MA told me that if I got a dash switch from the EU market that will fix the issue. And I also know there is some changes you can make to the wiring as well. Does anyone have a step by step on making those changes? Anyone know if there is any truth to the EU Switch?

Thank you all for the advice. I just want to turn them on during the day in the rain!

 

I've been looking into the same issue.After studying the wiring , I don't think a switch change out would matter. I think there is a high beam trigger in the relay that would need to be moved to; lets say the side marker lights.

 

I don't have oem driving lights so I can only speculate....The oem lights include a "control module" which looks suspiciously like a standard light relay. It should be zip tied under the dash near the clutch pedal. If I were trying to do what you're suggesting; I'd temporarily remove the control module and investigate its function. If it's a simple relay, it should have 4 connectors on the back: one is a ground, one is 12v in to trip the solenoid in the relay, and the other 2 are poles for the power in/power out to run the lights. There may even be a circuit diagram embossed on the relay itself. If you want to be able to turn your driving lights on independently of the high beams you need to trip the relay with voltage from your parking lights (or side markers).

 

it has nine inputs/outputs

 

I've installed a number of sets of the factory driving lights on GEN1 and can tell you that the OEM relay pack builds extra functions into the unit & it has many wires/poles but as a previous post said the basic relay function is there, and what's being done is the relay switch power is drawn from the high beam power line so the relay is only able to work if the high beams are on. This is easier to see in the GEN1 kit, but appears to be the same in the GEN2. Here's my best guess:

Here is a link to a PDF for the oem dl KIT - I believe to be accurate for your 12
http://www.minimania.com/pdfile/R56_Rally_Lights.pdf

Look to part 3, the connection diagram & part 9 is a circuit diagram. A1 appears to be the line that goes to a high beam line (I determine this since this is the one connection that's different for hal' vs X's) Yellow/Blue. I believe that if you take this line to an always on 12v source, you will be able to turn the lights on at will. You will of course loose all the fancy functionality MINI built in .....


(on a GEN1 the diagram is clear - there is a yellow wire that runs from the control unit {relay} from the driver side mounting location to the pass' side where it joins the high beam trigger at the control unit .... moving this line to an always on or a switched always on {like the cig' lighter} gives control)

[it might be easier to just cut the feed wires to the DLs, and rewire them to a simple switch! If I was really hard over on having this control, I think it is what I would do - $25 in parts: some wire, a toggle, a relay and a fuse]

 

I'll be probing into this sometime soon. There is a high beam trip, but with electronics it could be a momentary signal.

 

any luck with this?

 

I tried to install some bling fog lights on my non fog light Mini. I tried to splice into the DRL wire and the lights would not work and it threw a bulb out light on my car. I took it to the Mini Dealer and he said, that it is possible that I could have shorted the computer out. The light out warning comes on every time I start the car. I have a 2011 Mini which has a computer which monitors how much power each light is drawing.

 

if all the lights are working now and you get the "light out" warning you might need to start and run the car through several cycles, and the "light out" warning might reset. I doubt the computer is burned out it would not work anything. Another idea is to rest the codes with a code reader. It probably would have worked if you used a relay. I'm still goofing around with my setup, it bench tests great.






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