Why is it that the driving lights only come on when I engage my high beams? It's nice having all that extra light, but I'd also like to have them come on with my dims as well. Any way I can make them work like that?

 

If you run driving lights with your low beams...YOU WILL BLIND ON COMING DRIVERS....one could even hit you head on!!

 

I don't want to blind anybody. I may just install some aftermarket fog lights in my bumper then. Has the spot for them

 

welllll ... you just may want to read up on that just as you should on the factory driving lights . . .


you CAN change the on/off function of the DLs by moving one wire ... but this MAY put you afoul of state laws because DLs are seen as aux high beams in the US. Yours are operating 'legally' and can only come on with your brights/high beam....

When you say you have a 'spot' for the fogs .... do you mean a spot for the toggle? ..... WELLLLL than spot is not for an actual toggle, but for a momentary switch that sends a signal to the body computer tell IT to turn on the fogs.

You CAN do what you want to do .... but again I recommend reading here a BUNCH . . .

either you hack the toggle panel to install a simple toggle to control your fogs, or you replace the toggle panel with a 'fog' one and get the dealer to reprogram the computer . . . or install non factory fogs with a simple switch away from the panel . . .

Let us know which way you decide to go . . .

If near Cape Canaveral Fl, bring it by and we can talk .... I've installed just about every variation of what you think you want . . .

 

I would like to know what one wire can you move to make these lights controllable without the high beam ACC signal and just the switch?

 

My Mini did not come with the factory fog lights only DRLs. I also do not have the Driving lights (ones that fit on top of the bumper)

What I did was replace the DRL light assembly totally with a after marker driving /fog light. I remove the factory DRL light assembly , and left the DRL wiring and bulbs just like they were. I then installed in the same spot a bumper driving /fog light and wired it to the battery and installed a switch in the dash to turn them on and off. This way , I can run them by themselves, or in conjunction with either the the hight or low beams on,

Be advised it is illegal in most states to have the fog lights and high beams on at the same time. I think , Minis that have both factory fog and driving hookups are prevented from having both sets on at the same time. Driving lights are made to be operated with high beams and fog lights with low beams.

One issue is when wired to the battery, they do not turn off when you turn the engine off, so you have to remember to turn them off manually everytime.

You may ask why I did not disable the DRL wires, the reason being they are monitored by the computer and if you change the voltage they draw or cut them you will get a bulb out warning. Mine are just hanging loose inside the bumper, but I did disable them thru the inside computer.

 

Oh ok makes sense, mini wired mine through that high beams before i purchased the used car. So i have no idea how they took an aftermarket kit and made it oem...

 

It has nothing to do with making it OEM, it's making it legal and rational.
Driving lights are high beams on steroids. If your high beams (and driving lights) are on, you can flick the stalk to turn them off should you meet oncoming traffic. If your driving lights are on independently, you have to feel around for the switch wherever it's been mounted. It's slower and puts oncoming drivers at risk.

I can't think of a situation where I need lots of light thrown out front (driving lights), but not TOO much light (i.e high beams as well.)

 

Fog lights are aimed low and wide, and won't blind oncoming drivers. Driving lights just throw a ton of light down the road. If you're just looking for a 'look', fogs are the answer. The OEM is an involved install, but if you went that route you could also get an Ian Cull module (or similar) and have the fogs come on automatically whenever the headlights are on. This is done by sending a signal through the BCM rather than via wiring.

 

short version ... find the relay switch side power wire .. it is connected to high beam power or control. Move this to a switched but always on like the cig' lighter.


not so short

an accessory like driving lights is usually wired using a relay so the ‘big amps’ needed to power the accessory does not run thru the switch; the factory version is like this and most add-on kits. A relay has 4 terminals and two sides. One set of terminals forms what I call the accessory or power side and one terminal connects to the battery/power (and is typically fused), the other side of this pair routes power to your lights ... the lights then connect to ground. The other side of the relay is the switch side and it controls the on/off of the power side. The pair of terminals here are one side connected to a 12 volt, low amp source, the other side goes to ground and is ‘interrupted’ by a switch – a toggle, or a push button (for a horn). The way a relay works is if the switching side is HOT (has power and the line is ON ... not interrupted), the POWER side is HOT and sends full amps thru to the accessory. If the 12 volt ‘control’ line is always hot the accessory can be used at any time. If the source is always hot ONLY when the ignition is on, the accessory can be used anytime the car is running, but when the car is OFF the accessory goes OFF (can’t leave the lights on). If the power source is run to the high beam activator line .... the accessory can only be ON if the high beams are ON . . . this is the way driving lights are ‘supposed to be’ installed. On a GEN1 MINI with the factory kit look for a yellow wire spliced into one of the wires coming out of the BCU in the pass’ side kick panel.... In a generic DL install trace the switch side of the relay.



factory fogs use the BCU/GCU as the relay so the rules are different here.

I've posted pictures and diagrams if search is working. Or go to MinimiMania.com and in their PDF librabry you can find the GEN1 DL kit install instructions . . . has a complete schematic. The MINI DL kit has some extra wires ... the MINI kit resets the switch to OFF when ever the car is shut down .. the extra wires connect to the back of the radio ... yes the radio . .

 

I bought my DLs aftermarket and haven't been given an issue. I have the spec-d headlights and they are not that bright so I pointed my DLs more down on the road so they dont blind anyone and drive with them on all the time. I do not have the factory fog lights so if anyone ever did give me a hard time I'd just say they were fog lights. I'd probably laugh at them if they told me they were too high off the ground to be fog lights