Hey,

So I got my MINI a Christmas gift this holiday, I got her the OEM MINI Driving lights with the Xenon matched bulbs. Anyways, I am bringing them over to a local MINI Tuner, and he told me that I can either wire them up so they only work with high beams, like how the dealer does it, or I can have them wire it up to work whenever. My question is, if I have them wire it up so I can use it whenever, will the dealer give me any trouble as to future warranty work that deals with electrical stuff, will they try to get me on how I wired my driving lights? Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Motor On & Happy Holidays!

 

Really depends on your dealer and how the are with mods.

The question they are going to have it how you tapped into the circuits to make them work. The factory lights have a factory wiring harness and specific wiring procedure. If your tuner is going to use that, but tap into a hot wire that turns on when the key is on, then you'll probably be ok and never "found out" by the dealer.
If they are using a shop made harness and your dealer is a not so friendly place to be that may raise some questions.

Oh and you may get some replies about driving light not being on with low beams and blinding other drivers and on and on. Just promise to shut them off when you see others coming or aim them down low and to the right and you'll be aok.
I've got mine on a hot switch so I can turn them on at will. I've never been questioned at the dealer. Mine are not so factory Hellas with the Hella wiring harness.

 

He's going to tap it into a wire thats always hot, and yes, I will rarely use them, I only use my high beams when there is nobody around, so same goes with driving lights!

 

I think you answered your own question. If you will only use them with your high beams then why not have them wired as from the factory and you wont have to worry about any warranty issues?

 

You should be fine - they'll never know unless they really go looking for it, and why would they do that.

That said, I have non-factory Hellas as well with a completely rigged-up Hella harness to make it work with the rear fog toggle...my dealership has seen the car twice since and never said boo about it. So it definitely depends on the dealer.

 

The installer said it's the same price either way he does it, so I don't know which way I should have them wired up!

 

Bump!

 

Just go with High Beams, that way you don't have to worry about forgetting to turn them off. And you don't have to worry about any issues.

 

That's what I did and I'm happy. Also, you will have a set-up indistinguishable from "factory" - worth more in the end.

 

i like the whenever mode personally. i like that flexibility. and if they only come on with the high beams you won't be able to fully appreciate them.

 

Both of our cars (purchased new) have the factory driving lights, and whoever did the installation (either the dealer or the VDC) wired them so that they come on with the high beams -or- low beams. I compared the wiring to the installation instructions, and they're installed correctly, except that the installer used a constant-hot source for the lights, rather than a switched source that's only hot when the high beams are on. They used a good high-current source for the lights and I don't forsee any problems, so I've just left them as-is.