The brake lights on the sides do not work, however the led strip does. This mean that the pedal switch is good. Also, from what I've read the 3 lights are on the same fuse, so it can't be the fuse.

Is there a separate fuse for the 3rd led?

It's unlikely that the bulbs both burnt out together. What are your thoughts?

 

None of the brake lights are directly on a fuse. They are all driven directly by the BCM computer (if the fuses for the BCM went out, you'd also have a lot of other problems). First check the bulbs to verify if they are good. Are you sure that one bulb hasn't been out for awhile and the second one just went out? Do the running lights work?

 

This was my first thought. Might as well try bulbs first before worrying about other potential problems.

 

I'm fairly certain that one has not been out for a while. Hopefully it's the bulbs, I'll go get them now and report back.

The running lights work.

 

OK, I got new bulbs, but that didn't do it. I took a voltmeter and tested the terminal for the bulb, nothing. So, I tested the wire (black w/green chaser), it's definitely the brake wire, and from the back it works.

So, my conclusion is the brake circuit shorted out and fried both of the bulb harness'. Does that sound crazy? I think the cause was an exposed wire behind the passenger harness that was linked to the right blinker for a trailer harness. It's been disconnected. Does this sound plausible? I see no other possibility.

If this is it I guess I'll be buying new lightbulb harness' for both sides.

 

Bet the bcm is fried...
The BCM takes a very low voltage or electroic signal, and basicly amplifies it to produce the power needed to light the bulbs...very different than older cars where it was just a circurt from the pedal switch...bet since the led's operate on such low volts/amps, they are lighting up, but not enough to light the brake lights...
Check the trailer wiring....and then take a voltmeter to the bulb sockets, and a ohm setting to the bulbs....see if you show good bulbs, and maybe SOME volts with the brakes spplied, but insufgicent to light the bulbs....
Just a guess...maybe the trailer wiring did it as you mentioned or maybe it was random....

 

From the top bulb socket I can't get anything. Not even running lights. Only the bottom bulb lights up for running lights. I can get 12 volts at the end of what I believe to be the only brake wire when I press the pedal (drivers side, black w/green chaser). So from my understanding, if the BCM was fried, I shouldn't get 12 volts off that wire, right? Can the board that the bulbs mount into be fried? That really seems to be what's wrong.

 

If your MINI is 2002-2004 vintage, the top bulb is the rear fog and won't light up unless the option is enabled on your car and you have a toggle switch for it. It will be there even if your car doesn't have a working rear fog.

The wiring diagram says the left brake light uses a black/green wire (and the right brake light uses a black/blue wire), so your analysis about the panel may be correct. You should be able to check whether there's a good path on the panel between the connector and the bulb socket. It's odd however that both sides would go out at the same time.

 

Now that I know the top bulb is a fog light, I'm relieved. It makes more sense now.
So the problem is a lack of power to light the second filament, like you guys were saying. Still I'm pretty sure I was getting 12 volts when the brake is depressed. I will have to inspect the board that the bulbs mount to and see if that's really the problem.

 

If you are getting power to the back of the lights but not the bulbs themselves, then it does seem odd that both would be out at the same time. It is even more strange that the other lights work. That is why I was thinking it was just bulbs. Just thinking out loud... how are you testing the operation of the brake lights? If I remember correct, the brake lights don't work if the car isn't turned on/ key in ignition, not sure about the running lights.

 

The car is on when I test the lights, and I have someone else press the pedal. At this point it's the bulbs or bcm. I've been moving so I haven't been able to work on it.

 

Ok, rookie of the year here. It was the bulbs. I made the mistake of thinking the top bulb was the brake lights. Thanks to rkw I learned about the rear fog lamp. Which is something I had never heard of before, but is probably common. I think the stress of moving a few hundred miles go the best of me. It's still odd that they both went out in such a short window. Perhaps the exposed wire touched the circuit and made 24 volts bust the brake filament. Anyway, thanks guys.

 

Glad it was something simple at least.