Since nobody really looks at the modifications forum:

I have been trying for months now to get LEDs to work for the turn signals. Long story short, I believe the solution will be to use CANBUS bulbs in all locations. However, the CANBUS bulbs for the front signals are polarity sensitive and require me to reverse the socket's polarity. Is there a depinning tool for MINIs out there to do this? I know the connectors are AMP style, but Matco makes 10 to 15 depinning tools for BMW so I don't know which one I need.

 

Amp connectors and pins? Take pictures and send them to customer service at amp.

 

Do they have a website? I can't find an official looking one.

 

That is weird. I bought cheap LEDs from eBay, then some more expensive Phillips (IIRC) from a local auto shop and they both just work. Seems odd for your bulbs to be reverse polarity!

James

 

Check and see if ECS has the right bulbs or correct tools.

 

The "regular" LEDs light just fine, but they cause hyperflashing with the turn signals. This is because LEDs draw far less current than halogens, so the ECM believes that the bulbs are out and causes the turn signals to hyperflash. I think CANBUS bulbs will solve the hyperflash problem, but the particular CANBUS bulbs I have from SBL for the front turn signals are polarity sensitive and the MINI is a positive ground car, which is uncommon.

Checked, there is nothing.

 

Sevin
I think you have a couple of separate things going on here:
First - the MINI is a NEGATIVE ground car - just look at the battery terminals - the negative cable is black, short & connects directly to a bolt on the chassis.
Second - Do the SBL CANBUS LED bulbs light up at the rear of the car (you only mentioned a problem at the front)? If they do, then the same bulb will be the correct polarity for the front. You can test this by using the original 1156A bulb in the front.
Third - Do the yellow bulbs hyper-flash? If they do, the only fix is to put a resistor across the two wires (SBL have them) & you'll need to do this on all 4 yellow bulbs. Or get bulbs with built-in resistors.

After all this, if the LED bulbs are truly polarity-sensitive, then the easiest & cheapest fix is to cut the wires to the bulb-holders & reverse them with crimp connectors - you can incorporate resistors at the same time if you need to. You shouldn't have to do this. Or just get better bulbs!!

I hope this helps.

Mike - 2002 MINI Cooper 'S'
MVPeters@comcast.net

 

It's negative ground? I never actually checked myself, but SBL told me the car was positive ground since the CANBUS bulbs for the front are polarity sensitive and neither bulb worked in the sockets.

The bulbs at the rear are not polarity sensitive, they work fine. I also have CANBUS bulbs for the side, so that's 6 total turn signal bulbs. I don't want to have to cut anything to make them work, that's why I thought depinning would be the most elegant solution to making the CANBUS bulbs in the front work.

 

YES, it's NEGATIVE ground - every new car has been negative ground for many, many years! Even my 1965 classic Mini Cooper 'S' was -ground!
It makes no sense that a bulb works at the rear but doesn't work at the front - the polarity can't possibly change between the two ends - is it just a dead bulb? Test it with one of the original bulbs to be sure the socket is OK.

I've converted 3 cars to all-LED now, using bulbs imported from foreign lands for pennies a piece. I've been lucky, some were wedge or festoon bulbs which can be reversed in the socket to correct polarities. MINI use a mixture of wedge & BA-base bulbs in various years, models & options. Reversing BA-base bulbs doesn't change the polarity. I agree re-pinning is preferable, but I don't believe it's needed - test the bulbs & sockets first.

E-mail direct if you prefer

Mike
MVPeters@comcast.net

 

Mike, I sent you an email.

 

11:20 - nothing yet!
Mike

 

I don't see the point of changing to LEDs then adding a resistor to get the current draw back up to the same as filament bulbs. And the worst thing is MINI put the flasher control module in the ECM instead of having a flasher relay that you could switch to an electronic LED capable one.

Do you have access to someone with INPA? Change the hot bulb check for turn signals off in the computer and it will go back to normal flashing. This is what I have done to my R53.

James

 

Strange, I don't see it in my sent either. Guess I'll have to rewrite it.

Didn't know that was possible, but no I don't know anyone with INPA.

 

Resent.

 

Back to the original question... you can try a paper clip like this:


Proper depinning tools are readily available. They are just a tube or prongs that you push in from the front and you choose the one that matches the pin size.

 

But the back of the connector has insulation at the top where the wire comes through. Do you have to remove that first somehow?

 

I can't remember exactly which the type of connector is on the turn signal. Some of the car's connectors have release tabs for the pins accessible on the side of the connector. Post some closeup photos of the connector.

 

 

I think this is the connector: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=61_4706
and this is how the pin assembles together with the grommet: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=61_1692

Unfortunately I no longer have my R52 to look directly. Examine closely around the body of the center plug of your first photo, and see if there is an opening to press in on the tab that locks the pin. If you find it, press on the tab while pulling on the wire.

 

Thanks for the links, but I couldn't find a tab. I did manage to remove that cover in the first photo that provides the backing for the terminals (the thing with the claws gripping the side of the terminal housing), but no tab for the pins as far as I could see.

 

Strike what I said, I'm stupid. The cover reveals the tabs, but I thought they would be plastic. I reversed the polarity and the bulbs now work but they still hyperflash. I figured they would still do it, CANBUS LEDs don't do what I initially thought. I thought they had integrated resistors to solve hyperflashing, but they just correct bulb-out warnings by communicating with the ECM over CANBUS.

Back to the drawing board...

 

Anyone figure this out? I'd like to switch to LED too but I'm not interested in wiring in resistor loads. Are there plug and play bulbs to use in the R53 and replace all bulbs?

 

My understanding is that so-called "CANBUS" bulbs do have integrated resistors, although I always thought the name is horribly misleading because they have nothing to do with the CAN data bus itself. If you Google "what is a canbus bulb", the results match up with what I was thinking, for example: http://store.ijdmtoy.com/Canbus-Erro...-FAQ-a/490.htm. Which specific bulb did you buy?

 

Everything else is plug and play. All of my exterior bulbs are SBL LED.

 

Front: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...fit/3416/7682/

Side: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...car/1127/2676/

Rear: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...ofit-car/1326/