First apologies if i double posted this as my computer was not behaving.

Has anyone thought about adding a rear light like the old coopers and hooking it into the back up setup ?

The backup lights on my r53 suck.

 

Gen1 '02-'04 have the reverse light in the center of the bumper, where the '05 & '06 have a black plastic plug. Looks about the same size hole - you could probably tap into your existing reverse lights and add the earlier light fixture.

 

This is a simple mod and there were vendors that sold kits to do it.

If you have a black plug in the center bumper, you can replace it with a red lamp as an extra brake light, or a white lamp as an extra backup light. Get the extra light here: http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop..._lamp_kit.html

There is a trick to the wiring. If your car was built 1/2005 or later, it is prewired for a rear fog. The cable and connector for the rear fog is coiled and taped up under the car. You can use this for the extra backup or brake light. The wiring harness for all of the rear lighting runs down the side of the car and is easily accessible from the side access panel in the luggage compartment. You only have to connect a short jumper between the reverse (or brake) wire and the rear fog wire. Outmotoring sells this wiring kit for extra brake light: http://www.outmotoring.com/add-a-bra...iring-kit.html. In the past, the same kit was used for extra backup light -- the instructions described which wire to attach the jumper depending on whether you were doing an extra backup or brake light. Contact Outmotoring and ask them about this.

 

Bought these off a member here, and the harness/jumper wiring from OutMotoring. I'm planning to use them as extra back up lights due to the right rear fog having the clear lens (found on some of the JCW models). So yes, it's very possible. I should have it all hooked up and working in the next couple of weeks and can update this with pictures when it's done if you'd like.

-Dave.

 

You have an R56 and your circumstances are different, but the basic concept is similar. The OP has an 05-06 R53 and wants to add an 02-04 style backup light.

 

The concept and the circumstances are both the same. Tapping into a reverse wire is going to be the same no matter what generation MINI you're dealing with. In the spirit of community, and that kind of stuff...you know. I don't think it will hurt him to show how an auxiliary reverse light can work to increase visibility. I have the same problem with my R56 having poor visibility when backing up-the same as an R53 does-due to the poor quality of the rear reverse light'a output.

 

I'd also like to know what's involved in this as my tails have no integrated reverse light.

 

I know you've changed out your tails for aftermarket, but with an '05 you should have reverse lights wired into your taillight housings, no?

I wouldn't mind having an option like mini-medic showed for the R56. One single, centered reverse light isn't adequate. Yeah, I could upgrade to later tails with reverse lights in the housings (and add the wiring), but I'm not sure what else I'd have to change out behind the OEM lights.

 

there's only two bulbs in the tails as they are made for 02-04

 

Do the same as described earlier. Purchase and install the white backup light for the bumper. Plug it into the connector for the rear fog (your '05 will have the wiring if it was built 11/2004 or later). Connect a jumper between two wires in the wiring harness.

The official instructions are here: http://www.motoringfile.com/files/2005_taillights.pdf. You can keep your current backup light and skip hooking up the rear fog.

However, you might first simply try a bright LED bulb, like this: .

 

Here is that kit, its now NLA, but you will see the parts for that plug : 63210309436

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/63210309436/





Last time I checked the conversion plug was NLA also.