New 05 MCSC with dealer installed driving lights.
Switch under dash only activates on/off with high beams.
Can't switch be programmed to activate driving lights without high beams?
MA said no, then I drove off....
I want to turn them on and off whenever.


05 MCSC, HB, sport, premium, cold, black stripes, chrome ext, driving lights, alloy patina, space cloth.

 

you shoulda just gotten a set of aftermarket ones that are completely independent of the factory lighting. i wouldnt ever put those on my car just because its a hokey factory setup and all factory setups only allow lights to be turned on with certin other lights on....

only ones id ever buy are the factory fogs, just cause the integrate with the factory body...

you could always just rewire them.

it isnt rocket science....

 

My MA told me the same thing, but mine are obviously not installed correctly because they work with or without the high beams!

 

You may have to open them both up at the same time to see the difference !

 

The reason they are only supposed to work with the high beams is that they have a very good chance of blinding oncoming drivers. I wouldn't want to blind someone traveling towards me at a relative speed of 100+ mph. If there is no-one oncoming to be blinded - hey hit the high beams . =)

 

"screw the other drivers" is what i go by. if it looks sweet, i'll do it!!!!!

 

It makes sense that they should only come on with the hight beams because "way bright" is an understatement - my lamps light up the desert like it's nuclear!

 

Huh? You can't get driving lights from the factory. They are a dealer add-on.

And watch your language on the boards...

 

You need GBMini's RLR (Rally Light Relay): http://www.gbmini.net/MINIcircuit/RLR.shtml

He is the same guy that created the auto-up window circuit.

 

OK. Now I'm really confused. Since mine work with either the regular headlights as well as the high beams, and the rally lights were dealer installed, how come I keep reading that you need a special set-up or switch to override the pre-programmed "only work with the high beams on" setting?!?

If my bumbling-azz dealer did it by accident, doesn't that mean it's possible for the average layman to override?

 

Cherry - yes, anyone could override the typical dealer driving light wiring. Basicly you just need to pull power for the lights from a different location.

Unless something changed for 05, if your driving lights can turn on with your low beams, then your lights aren't wired as MINI intended. It's possible that your dealer did that on purpose thinking it would be a service to their customers. It's also possible they just did a poor job wiring them up. I doubt it happened by accident, I would say it was either intentional or due to incompetence.

 

:smile: I had my after-market PIAAs installed on last year's roadtrip by Stephen, an independent mechanic in Birmingham, AL, who owns a MINI! They're set up to run with either the regular or high beams!


Clover

 

I believe it to be the latter. After installation, they gave me the obligatory instructional spiel, and did tell me that they would only work with the high beams on.

 

You need GBMini's RLR (Rally Light Relay): http://www.gbmini.net/MINIcircuit/RLR.shtml

Thanks. That looks great. Will probably do.

 

im keeping my mouth shut on this subject

 

i wired my PIAA540's so I can turn 'em on when the car is in the ON position.
car doesn't have to be running. :smile:

 

Be creative. Find the hot wire and hook it to whatever source you want. Mine are wired as a completely seperate system. I can turn them on whenever I wish. They're great for flashing other Minis during the day.

ripley

 

To play devil's advocate, I don't understand the desire to wire driving lights to work with anything BUT the high beams.

I have the Alta rally style light bar, and those IPF 6" lights are very bright and far-reaching beams, and would most certainly blind oncoming traffic, no matter HOW you have them aimed. I'm sure most other driving lights are the same in that regard; they're designed to turn night into day.

Now I'm all for as much light as you can possible throw out there for better visibility, but you MUST consider oncoming traffic! So it is natural that you wire them up in tandem with your high beams, like the MINI driving lamps are wired by the dealer.

There is no simpler way to switch on and off your driving lights quicker than by using your high beam stalk. Your hand already knows exactly where that stalk is, and you can access it with both hands still on the wheel for maximum safety during spirited night drives.

Most aftermarket switches are mounted too far away from the steering wheel to turn off your supernova's quickly and easily in the event of an oncoming car. Not to mention, I believe I've read in other posts, that it is actually illegal in lots of states to have auxilliary driving lights wired to work independantly of the high-beams...

 

Right on - Jonnieoh!

 

You're exactly right. Use of fog and driving lamps for other than their intended use (i.e. only when there's no oncoming traffic; in foggy conditions for fogs; only at night for driving lamps) is dangerous. It only takes a split second to temporarily blind other drivers. The consequenses of this can be fatal.

Is it worth potentially killing someone just to "look cool"?

God, I hope not.

 

Judging by the number of times a question about using the fogs all the time or rewiring the driving lights, apparently to some of our members it is.

 

I had my driving lights re-wired to work independently of other lights... I also ditched the crappy, 5 cent, chinese-made plastic switch. I don't know about anyone else but I thought it gave pretty poor user-feedback. I wanted a real, ol' fashioned toggle that went 'CLICK' when I turned it off or on.

So, I put in one of these heavy-duty, metal tottle switches from Moss MINI:
"http://www.mossmini.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=42935"

Works great - and gives off a cool, ghostly blue, purple light in the cockpit at night too. :smile:

You do need to be careful when using driving lights. But I've found with a little common sense, they're not a problem. And yes, they do work well for flashing other MINI owners during the day - or just for added visibility.

- - michael

 

Apparently someone needs to brush up on motoring etiquette.

On behalf of the people sharing the road with you, I hope your tickets and numerous and expensive.

 

I have the dealer installed driving lights and they only function with the high beams.

Unfortunately, I find the quality of the light to be subpar. They are very yellow, particularly compared to the bright quality of the MINI's highbeams. They also jiggle like the lights on an old MG-TD. Except for the way they finish off the front of the car, I'd say they're pretty useless.