I installed my switches for my rear fog light about a month or two ago. Yesterday, while my car was in for it's first oil change, and software update, I decided to get the rear fog light activated.

I noticed that both sides light up when I use the rear fogs though. On my old A4, it was only on the drivers side, and most other cars only light up on the drivers side. Is the MINI different, and light up on both sides, or did the service guy do it wrong?

Thanks!
-Steve

 

He did it correctly.

 

I'm confused. Why would you have 2 fog lights on a car if they didn't both light up?

 

Generally in Europe, only one side of the rear lights up for the fog light. In all Audis, and porsches, this is the way it is. I assumed that MINI would be the same.

 

My wife's 2000 Volvo C70 has a socket for a fog light bulb in each taillight assembly, but only the left side (driver's side) socket is actually connected. My guess is that in RH drive countries, only the right side would be connected?

There may be some sort of regulation somewhere (in one of the US states or some other country) that you can only have one rear-facing fog light (either in the center, like the 05 MINIs, or in one of the taillight assemblies, like my wife's Volvo). Or it may just be something some manufacturers think is a good idea.

I can see how a single foglight in one taillight might convey more "information" than two. For instance, if the fogs on the car in front of you are real bright and in the same place as the brake lights, having the fog lights on could actually make it harder to distinguish when the driver is braking. (Which of course is one of the most important pieces of information you can have in fog!) With one fog on one side only, the brake lights coming on would be much more obvious.

Or then again, maybe they do it just to discourage the idiots who think it's cool to have their fogs on all the time. I mean, having only one fog on one side doesn't make your car look very cool. (I was behind a Jag with his fogs on Interstate 5, coming down the hill past Sylmar recently. Someone should have given him a ticket - a very treacherous stretch of road, very crowded, with everyone going way too fast down a steep hill, and there's this idiot shining a bright light in everyone's eyes!)

 

The general theory on the MINI rear fogs is that the US DOT has no real mandate or guidelines when it comes to rear fog lights. That's why they're not common on American cars, but do come on many European cars.

Remember the rear fog lights weren't originally even available on US spec MINIs, no retrofit, no plans to introduce it. Why? Because there was no need in MINIUSA and BMWUSA's opinion for them. Especially since the US DOT has no guildelines for them...

It was the actions of MANY MINI owners that got MINIUSA and BMWUSA to change their position on the rear fog lights for the MINI. However, acting without any guidance with regards to a light pattern for the rear fogs from the DOT (i.e. drivers side only, passenger side only, or both) combined with the fact that both lights are actually wired up and usable, the dealers just typically install the switch and program te computer....

Now some dealers will go one step further... MINI of Towson will remove the passenger side bulb to ensure the only one side lights up... But that's done at the dealer level and not based on a MINI, state or federal direction...

 

Ok, I am really stupid here.... isn't the rear fogs on the mini in the center of the rear bumper, right over the tailpipe (Cooper S)? I am just not following the conversation here.


Again, really sorry for being stupid.

 

You are not stupid. The 2005 rear fog light is in the center of the rear bumper. On 2004s, they are in the tail light assembly.

 

Nope, not stupid at all. Don't feel that way. You've just pointed out one of the more noticeable differences between a 2002-2004 MINI and a 2005 MINI.

Where the rear fogs are now on the 2005's is where the backup light is on the 2002-2004's....

 

ohhhhh.... that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

Obviously never drove down Interstate-5 in a tule fog!