According to the owner's manual (end of page 39 in my US version), "unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp indicates that a bulb has failed."

I think the system is programmed to react this way if little or no current is detected on the turn signal circuit. It's a feature on Mini's part, but is there a way to defeat it?

 

Why would you want to?

 

I thought all cars did this?

 

If it's because you want to use an LED turn bulb, you need to add a load resistor, available from most vendors that sell LED replacement bulbs.

 

Are the turn signals based on electronics switching or electro-mechanical switching devices?

Electro-mechanical devices change speed when the load changes. The speed change cannot be altered by programming. They either speed up or they slow down when a bulb burns out. It depends on how they are designed.

 

Why would you try to defeat it, its trying to tell you something is wrong.!!

 

(If you swap in LED bulbs, the load drops, and it makes the flasher think there isn't enough load)

I haven't messed with it on a Cooper, but the flashers are pretty common-not quite like bulbs. There are flashers that are designed to use with less load. You can pull yours out, go by a parts store and see whether they have one that'll work that's like this. Should just be able to plug it in and go.

 

Change the light...?

In most other cars the blinkers start to act like that before they go out/need to be changed.

 

One reason someone might want to defeat the rapid blinking is if it's expected due to a change. The main one I can think of is LED lights. Some people swap them out for various reasons-aesthetics, mods.

I had assumed OP was familiar with WHY it's blinking fast, and so knew it wasn't just an indication of a light out. It's actually a neat way of telling a bulb is out. Of course that could have been the case...

 

easiest thing to do if you are not using a kit with a load resistor...
Measure the resistance of the current bulb (or what-ever) with a multi-meter.

Goto RadioShack and buy a resistor with the same resistance rating.

Make sure it can handle the load (see what amperage the ciruit is rate for on the electrical/fuse diagram in the owners manual/fuse panel.

HTH.

 

The resistance over the bulb will be a LOT different whether it's on and drawing current or not (an interesting characteristic of incadescent bulbs)

 

In MINI, it is electronics switching controlled by the BC1 computer. Many cars use an independent blinker module that plugs into a fuse box or other location. LED vendors sell an electronic replacement for this type of module to work with LED bulbs. However, MINI does not use this type of module and cannot use the electronic replacement.

That's exactly what the kits are: merely a resistor (enclosed in a heat sink) along with splice connectors for convenient installation. The resistor simulates a standard bulb and gets as hot as one, so you need to be careful where to position it.

 

Thanks for everyone's info. I am thinking about changing to LED turn signals and kinda worried about the heat dissipation from load equalizers.

rkw, are you saying that MINIs don't use any conventional flasher relays? So I have no hope in simply buying one and fixing the problem in a safer way?

 

Yes, that is what I'm saying. The turn bulbs connect directly to the BC1 computer, not to flasher relays.

 

The computer monitors the load on the circuit? And does its own quick-flashing? I didn't know that...

 

That's correct, and here's some interesting behavior I discovered. I swapped the turn bulbs to LEDs, and they did the fast blinking when I tried them (curiously though, for turn signal only; hazard lights blinked normally). So I simply swapped the regular bulbs back and didn't drive the car until later. When I did, the first time I used the turn signal they continued to fast blink! After a few seconds they went back to the normal blinking. So the computer keeps some memory about the state and takes some time to re-verify the load on the circuit.