I just noticed on my 04 MC that if I leave a turn signal on the turn signal lights stay on!

No key in the car, lights off, car locked but the front, side and back TS light are on solid!

 

Yes, going WHOA! while driving a MINI is normal.

I'm not exactly sure if that is normal or not...uhhh, never tried it. Anyway, does it go away, or just stay on forever? My guess would be no, but I could be wrong.

-Cody

 

It doesn't sound normal, but could be a Euro thing. I had an old Volvo 780 coupe that would do that the same thing. It was a safety light for when you were broke down on the side of the road. I have only known Volvos and Saabs to have that feature.

Now I don't think the MINI has that option, but I could be wrong. Soooo, it is either a Euro thing that has been programmed on, or an "oops" that might need to be addressed.

 

If I get your meaning, that's absolutely normal. They are parking lights, presumably useful for narrower European streets. The stalk doesn't have to be in "turn-mode" when you shut the car off either....you can turn the car off and then turn the signal and, whichever way you turned the stalk, that set of lights will come on. It's a very cool feature.....not necessarily all that common/needed around here...but cool nonetheless!!

 

I don't think so, if I open my door (car not running) and turn my turn signal on, the lights on that side of the car come on and stay on! This will eventually drain the battery.

 

It is totaly normal. Refer to the section "Parking Lamps/Low Beams" in your 04 Owners manual. I don't know how long they will stay on.

On a related note, try flashing your brights after you turn the key off. The headlights will stay on for about 30 seconds. I thought the dealer had to program this feature but it turns out that they only program the time the lights stay on. Pretty cool.

 

Good point!! Best to use only purposefully, I guess.

 

I checked another source (European MINI site to remain nameless), and it is very normal.

It is a "Euro thing" intended for a break down. If you are on the right side of the road, you can turn just your right signal on solid, and the same if you are on the left. From what I read, it is something that you can have programmed on our off. I checked, and my 03 does this also. So aside from leaving just all of the park lights on via the dial at the end of the wand, you can also leave the left or right side on.

As stated before, this will of course kill your battery over time. But probably would take a while.

 

Most all European cars do that. ...

Gokart got it right Tiny streets ... parking lights.

 

mine does it toooooooooooooooo

 

Dealer told me today that it wasn't programmable.

 

Dont' see why it would have to be -- if you don't want to use this feature, don't turn it on. Seems pretty straightforward.

 

Yes it's normal...

When you park on a street with no lights, it can be useful... But I've never used it.

I usually get my trunk-monkey out and get him to watch my MINI while I am out lol

 

I love trunk monkey, especially the theft recovery system!!

 

This just happened to me today (turn signal on solid after engine off). I must have accidently hit the turn signal as I was turning off my car. Didn't notice it until I got out. I thought something was wrong with the car.

Thanks to NAM (once again), I saved a wasted call to the dealer...

 

doesnt sound "normal" but im sure it wont hurt it. Just turn it off after you turn.

 

My 30 year old 914 does that too. Did not realize there was a purpose.

 

I must have bumped with my elbow over the weekend when
I was installing a parcel shelf and finishing the foglight wiring.
gave me a heart attack that I had somehow screwed up the
wiring or something under the dash before I figured it out

 

You see this all the time in europe on the cars there along with them folding in their mirrors. I don't think they've figured out about the trun monkey yet though.

 

the car should be on for the signal lamps to work. That definitely isnt normal.

 

I guess you didn't read the whole thread

 

Cool feature, I'll have to check it out when I get home tonight.
That trunk monkey was a riot!

 

Many european cars have this feature and some are programmed to turn off before draining the battery. I was dissapointed to read in the manual that ours will not, although maybe it can be programmed by the dealer.

 

i think there was something about this a little while back

 

perfectly normal, more of a feature for europe, with their small roads, but...its still a cool thing to have here in the states