Hey everybody.

I am getting more and more annoyed at the behavior of my lights when I turn the car off (2003 Cooper Base). When you drive in the late afternoon with the headlights on for safety (even though it's not quite dark yet), the headlights turn off when you turn the car off. The problem is, the parking lights don't! Is this one of those dealer programmable features? I really would prefer if all of my lights turned off automatically when I turned the car off. Seeing the headlights go off makes you think all the lights went off.

How can I change this so all the lights go off when the car turns off?

PS: Just another report of a 2003 Cooper Base at 15K miles without a single problem. Runs perfectly, and is a great car all around. If I'm complaining about lights not turning off, this has to be one good car. There is nothing else to whine about! :smile:

Sean

 

THe headlights turn off automatically to save the battery. The parking lights will not drain the battery to a point that will harm the battery. Just remember to turn the lights off when you turn the car off. It may be annoying but after a while you will get used to it and not think twice

 

Wow! Thanks for the quick post. I'm a little bummed there is no way to change that, but thanks for the confirmation. Maybe I'll have to paint a big "turn headlights off, idiot" sign on my dash. :smile:

Thanks again.

 

This doesn't sound right. You should double-check to see that you've really got the Follow Me Home Light correctly set in Vehicle Memory. My headlights and park lights shut off after about 1 minute if they're left on when I turn off the ignition.

_________________
2002 Indi Blue Cooper w/ Black top & mirrors, sport seats and Prem. Pkg. Christened "Ringo".

 

I reread your post. Now, I don't think you wanted the FMH lights set anyway. You just want the darn lights to shut off when you turn off the car, all of them, and without having to use any switch or ****. Hmmmm. I think you're stuck with parking lights staying on.

 

Have all of your previous cars turned their lights off automatically when you switched off the ignition? Most don't. That's what the "OFF" position of the headlight switch is for...and it's also why your car goes "bong, bong, bong, bong...." when you open the door without having turned the lights off first.

Actually, I do have fully automatic lights in my van, and never have to touch the switch (turns 'em on at dusk and off at dawn). It's convenient, but sort of stupor-inducing in a way. Like, how much effort is it to remember to turn off the lights when you don't need them and then turn them back on when you do? We shouldn't fork this sort of basic responsibility over to robots! Ayeeeeeeeeeee!!!.....I feel an anti-techno rant coming on

 

After years of using the auto-on faucet at the sink in my office's Mens Room, I now find that I'm putting my hands under faucets in every other Mens Room and momentarily wondering why the water isn't flowing. Seems I still have to deal with faucet *****!

 

For me, the more manual, the better. I like to operate my car. I really wish the mini came with crank windows. Seriously.

 

why not have the drl activated. this way you never have to worry about the parking light being on at dusk or dawn.

 

^ I don't get that... You wouldn't want to use drl for headlights when you really needed headlights, and they'd go off when you turn off the car (thus being useless as "parking" lights). As far as I'm concerned, drl is just a way to reduce high beam bulb life.

 

My wife's Cherokee has auto lights and it is indeed convenient, but I don't mind using the switch in the MINI.

If I could "un-automate" anything in the MINI, it would be the windshield wipers and squirters. I hate that the wipers engage automatically when you squirt the windshield. They always swipe one more time than necessary. I'd rather be in control of that.

 

Anybody remember (or ever learned) how to add, divide, substract and multiply by hand? Same thing with auto lights.....it is easy to get used to just getting out, to the point where even the bells don't register.......it is all an evil plot......just kidding....