One of my dealer-installed driving lights took a shot from a rock chip and broke. The dealer wanted an insane amount of money to replace it. I could get two brand new ones from PIAA for that price.

So my question is - is the wiring setup for the OEM lights compatible with PIAA lights? I can't see why it wouldn't be, but you never know.

Will I have to replace the brackets? Do I need to buy a full kit, or does PIAA sell just the lights themselves sans wiring and brackets?

Thanks so much and I apologize if these are really stupid questions...

ETA: Here are the lights I want to get:

http://www.ltbmotorsports.com/micocos02.html

 

I dont see why not. I'm sure you can buy just the lamps without the brackets and then all you would have to do is cut the PIAA wires down and then splice them into the existing lamp wiring. I'm sure if you do a search for PIAA 540 you could find a lot of retailers selling just the lamps.

 

just an FYI go on Ebay you can find them for around $160. i actually bought a pair off a guy who had them on his jeep before it got wrecked for $100.

 

Lights are basic electrical devices, so I don't see why not, either... Unless the OEM lights have some additional wiring that helps them interface somehow with the on-board computer or something (which oddly enough wouldn't surprise me seeing how MINI overengineered the switch bank accessories - the OEM lights require a onbpard computer upgrade from the dealership from what I hear).

Just see how many wires run into the driving lights - if there are just two (a positive and a ground) then I'd just try splicing into those leads, using a set of waterproof wire clips (you can get them from Radio Shack for like $3 - they're the blade-type ones with the clear plastic covers built-in). I'd test the operation of the lights before swapping brackets or actually bolting them on though, just to be sure.

Good luck!

 

Remember though that those connections will be exposed to water, salt, and whatever else your Mini experiences... be sure to solder and shrink wrap the wire connections to protect against corrosion.

My favorite trick is to crimp, give a touch of solder, one wrap of Scotch33+, then shrink tubing. A bit of a "belt and suspenders" solution, but it works for years.