Hey guys I just noted that our cars are equiped with a usefull gadget for parking at night.
Just turn off your car with the turn signal of the side you want to signal. Rhis will turn the side markers and the rear stof light of the side you want to protect, just as mercedes.

Enjoy it!!!!!

 

Huh??

 

Yeah, the European style parking lights are pretty cool. No one here in the US knows about them, though. I had people stop me a couple of times when I had the Mercedes: "You left your lights on!". Yeah, thanks.

Chip H.

 

>>Huh??

Exactly. Anyone want to explain what that person is talking about, but in English?

 

>> >>Huh??

>>Exactly. Anyone want to explain what that person is talking about, but in English?


......PLEEAAASE? It sounds cool, but I have no idea what you're describing here.

 

In Europe you'll often see parked cars with side marker and front and
rear parking lights on, in the hope that this will help people who are
parking fore and aft of you (but perhaps for some other reasons). So, I
gather that if you were to put on your turn signal, let's say, signalling
right when you park and shut off the engine, the side markers and parking
lights on the right side would stay on. Of course, this will yet be another
reason for people to interrogate you about your MINI, just in case you
haven't attracted enough attention already!

------------
Chili Red/black roof/classic Shih-tzu

 

It will eventually wear down the battery.

 

Hence the name "parking lights" Mercedes have actual positions on the head light switch to activate this, labeled with an arrow to the right or left. The idea is after parking, you turn the lights on the side that is exposed ot traffic. Which here in the US should always be the left side, and I guess over where they drive on the wrong side of the road, it would be the right side. The Mini has simplified this by eliminating the extra positions on the head lamp switch and controls it with the trun signal stalk. The lights will not flash with the car off, they stay illuminated constantly. Hope this helps. Oh, and it would have to be on for several hours before you would have to worry about the battery.

 

Yep, I had a 82 3000D with the parking lights. Each light panel had a smaller bulb (low curent) for this purpose. There should not be any worry about the battery if you don't have to use them every day. It only illuminates low power bulbs. I'm gald you told us about that! How did you find that out?

 

>>Yep, I had a 82 3000D with the parking lights. Each light panel had a smaller bulb (low curent) for this purpose. There should not be any worry about the battery if you don't have to use them every day. It only illuminates low power bulbs. I'm gald you told us about that! How did you find that out?
>>


Maybe reading the manual??

 

Check in your (2002) manual on page 49, center column about the "standing lamps".

I've tested this on my 2002 Cooper and noticed that they'll work even with the keys completely removed from the ignition! I don't think US motorists know what to do when they come upon a car with these on. They'll at least think something's odd and pay attention, I hope.

 

I haven't been able to make the "standing lights" work on our Maxine. we got her, though, in May. Perhaps they weren't programmed yet in the US?

 

>> Perhaps they weren't programmed yet in the US?





check the list of "dealer-programable items"?

 

on that same topic, i've noticed that if i shut off the car with the headlights on - the parking lights stay on.

 

Like I said before "Huh??"

I understand what the lights do (I guess), I just don't understand why or when you would use this feature.

I'm sorry for being dense, but this will be the first car that I've owned that was built after the Nixon administration. I'm still getting used to the fact that I will have a radio, power steering, and I won't have to roll the windows down by hand.

 

>>I'm sorry for being dense, but this will be the first car that I've owned that was built after the Nixon administration. I'm still getting used to the fact that I will have a radio, power steering, and I won't have to roll the windows down by hand.


That's too funny!

I like the feature - especially for when I have to park downtown on the busy streets.

As for the parking lights staying on, well, I've found less usefulness for that. I wished my dealer could set the "follow me home" lamps though.

 

As for it's use - I believe it would come in handy in dense fog. I use to live in the San Joaquin Valley, in CA, and have driven through fog so thick I had to open the door to see the dotted line. It would have helped to have some reference point on the right side as you motor down the road, such as the parking lights.

 

This feature is on all European cars because the streets are very narrow and they have about 1/4 of the street lights we do in America. The lights make the car more visable when parked on the street at night.

I have used the feature once since I have had the car one evening when I parked on the street where the nearest street lights were far enough away that the car was not illuminated!

It's pretty cool, I got use to seeing it when I was in Germany in the early seventys so I knew exactly what it was when I saw it in the owners manual.

It should work on all the MINIs regardless of build date, just turn the signal on before turning off the key !

 

>>It should work on all the MINIs regardless of build date, just turn the signal on before turning off the key !

BTW, It works at any point after the car is turned off, or the key is removed! So, if you forget to do it, you can easily go back, reach in, and flick the turn signal to the desired side you want the lights on.

Oh, how the simple things can be so nifty!

 

Mine doesn't do this.

R