All,

I'm thinking of getting the rally light for my MC. My dealer (Cincinnati MINI) showed me that the switch was located on the lower portion of the dash to the left of the steering wheel where my left knee would be.

The switch itself was nothing special, just a push button toggle, but since it was in the middle of nowhere (no other features/buttons around it), it made the installation of the lights appear to be an afterthought (like not really designed).

My question is...is this the same location where everyone else's rally lights switch is? (Obviously different for RH drive cars :smile. Has any one used a blank toggle switch location to put a rally light switch?

Thanks,
Bill

 

Hi:

I have the driving lights and
my switch is on the left side of
the dash, just as you described.
It doesn't look strange or out of place
to me and it's nowhere near my knee.

Hope this helps!

lhowlett
(Owner of Mrs. Peel)

 

Yes - you are correct. It is on the left side - but really not in the way of your knee. You can hardly notice the switch

Donna

 

yes, my switch for the rally lights is on the left side of the steering wheel
and it looks fine there and my knee doesn't hit it (i'm 6 ft tall)
i don't know why they didn't use the blank toggle spot?
and i don't know what that blank toggle spot is for

 

We have rear fog lights in UK

 

>>We have rear fog lights in UK

seperate switch from the front fog lights?

 

Yes, thats what goes in the blank switch for you lot state side

 

In Canada, the rally lights are hooked up with your highbeams. so there is no switch. when you put on the high beams those go on instead.the empty switch is for rear foglights that are not available in north america

 

>>Yes, thats what goes in the blank switch for you lot state side

thanx, i was just curious
i think i'm going to do that mod, where the rear fog lights hook-up to the brake lights

 

i am told that you can buy a new toggle switch kit that has all of the toggles there and hook up the rear fogs .

 

I ordered my rally lights from minispares.com and they hook directly into the highbeams so no switch at all.

 

here's a pic i found on mini2 of the switch:


_________________
MINI COOP' DU JOUR: looks like velvet red/black, everything but the kitchen sink. Also r87 rims, clear side markers and front looks bulbs. Predicted March build/April delivery.

 

They also installed my switch to the left of the steering wheel as others have indicated, wired so the high beams work separately and the switch turns on the driving lights but only with the high beams. The blank toggle would have been nice.

 

that does look a little bit out of place, does anyone know if teh US mini's still have the bulb bracket for the rear fog light? i know my VW does and it's a handy mod when it's really foggy and traveling in a pack of cars and in the middle of the night as well.

 

yes and it has the blubs
there's a mod to connect it with the brake light switch
or i suppose you can hook it to the blank toggle for rear fogs like in the UK

 

blubs

 

COOPERation......your almost gone

 

Ahhh yes, but the sun is also rising...

 

If you can find pictures of the parcel shelf that you can get as a kit to replace the panel around the steering wheel, it looks like there is a nice designed in place for the switch on that one ...
Picture thanks to "macncheese"

 

OK, this is really odd.

Rear fog lights are not available in the US and Canada, where fog is actually an issue in many places, yet I got them standard with my Mini in Mexico, where I don´t need them and in most parts of the country there´s no fog. Isn´t that strange?

I guess Minis built for Mexico share most of the accessories with the euro spec minis rather than the "American or Canadian" spec Minis.

For me, I don´t like the rear fog lamps because I get to see many drivers of european cars driving with them on in the city, which is really annoying (very very bright red lights). So I don´t think I´ll ever use them.

 

First, Do the driving lights help and whouldnt you want to use them with low beams or do they function as highbeams and need to be added to brights.

Also what in the world would be the function of rear foglights???

 

>>Also what in the world would be the function of rear foglights???
>>

rear fog lights are brighter then the regular taillights
but not as bright as the brake lights
so when it's foggy the guy behind you can see you and not run into your car

 

Volvo used to call it a "High Intensity Rear Beacon" It is just a bright red light that lets idiots driving 100mph in the fog see you before they slam into your trunk. Germany used to have horrible fog related pile-ups on the autobahn. Instead of slowing down, they turn on their front and rear fog lights! Saab still puts them on their US spec cars as a safety feature.

 

wjklos,

Yep, the factory location for the driving lights in the US is that spot on the left driver side kick panel. When doing the installation, it is even molded on the backside for the switch, so I don't think it was an afterthought. I would be very happy with the toggle in the rear fog location, and it would make sense to put it there for US cars, since we don't have the rear fogs.

Hope that helps!

Randy

 

>>>Also what in the world would be the function of rear foglights???

They're for Irishmen backing up on the freeway!!!