After 3,657 miles you learn something everyday about your MINI. Today was no exception as I discovered the above as I was stopped at a light behind a SUV. As I lifted the parking brake, the daytime running lights turned off. What gives?

I know someone in MCO land knows the Germany Engineering reasoning behind this one. What is it?

SMKKVK

 

so you can sit in your car with it running with the lights off!
my wife's vw did this too!

 

I think it's done to warn other drivers of your stickshift clumsiness. Kinda like the way the brake lights stay on for elderly drivers. Cars are so smart these days!

 

This is a pretty normal feature, I know saturn does the same thing.

My brother had a saturn when running lights were still rare, and would get yelled at by guards when going onto post a night because he wouldn't turn his lights off so they could see his windshield decal without blinding them.

Now that they're more common, people realize that you can't turn your lights off until you come to a stop (Though there's still a few dingbats out there that will yell "Lights *******! Hey ******* Turn off your #v<+!n@ Lights"

Just like I always used to get yelled at /pulled over by MPs for not having my seatbelt on while driving my 65 falcon/66 valient / 59 T-bird.. These guys were too young/stupid (or both) to realize that there was NO SUCH THING as a shoulder strap on these cars, and in fact the seatbelts were optional and STILL not legally required unless you have made other modifications to the car. :evil:

 

>>After 3,657 miles you learn something everyday about your MINI. Today was no exception as I discovered the above as I was stopped at a light behind a SUV. As I lifted the parking brake, the daytime running lights turned off. What gives?
>>
>>I know someone in MCO land knows the Germany Engineering reasoning behind this one. What is it?
>>
>>SMKKVK
>>

Another possible reason could be to avoid needlessly turning on DRLswhen shutting car off after running at night. Every time you turn on the lights (DRLs are hi-beams on 1/2 pwr) you diminish their life. If you have completed your drive at night and turn off your driving lights with the engine still on, the DRLs would come on. By setting teh parking brake you avoid that. Just a thought.

 

Of all the DRL equipped cars I've driven, pulling up the parking brake always turns my DRL off.
And as this thread indicates, it SHOULD turn off my DRL on my MINI.

However, it doesn't on my 2004 MCS!!! I want it to go off when I pull up the parking brake, for reasons MG-BGT mentioned. What gives!? Is my car broken!?

 

>>Just like I always used to get yelled at /pulled over by MPs for not having my seatbelt on while driving my 65 falcon/66 valient / 59 T-bird.. These guys were too young/stupid (or both) to realize that there was NO SUCH THING as a shoulder strap on these cars, and in fact the seatbelts were optional and STILL not legally required unless you have made other modifications to the car.

Same thing in my 67 mustang, just lap belts. But I'm not in the military so I've never been pulled over by MPs I'm planning on adding racing harnesses to my mustang to make it a little safer.

 

>>my wife's vw did this too!

Yeah, my 99 VW does this as well. I don't know why, other than to allow you to have the car stopped with the lights off while it's still running. Maybe it helps with bank robbery getaways.
:smile:

 

I just called 866-ASK-MINI to see if this is another "unannounced change" of the 04s.
The rep says, yeah, my Saturn does that too. He put me on hold to ask a technical guy,
and came back and said, "all MINIs work that way since day one, pulling the parking brake up doesn't turn your DRL off"......

Would those with DRL please tell me whether pulling up your parking brake turns off your DRL?
Thanks!

 

March build 03 MCS

Handbrake on = DRL off--since day one

I think that technical guy was having an "off" day...

 

I've got an 05 with the same problem.

Does anyone have an answer to this question? Thanks.

 

Ditto here - Aug 05 build: e-brake on does NOT equal DRLs off.

 

whew, nothing like reviving a dead thread!

 

The parking brake didn't turn mine off on my 04 mcs.

 

My '99 GMC pickup did the same (parking brake on/lights off). Seems to be pretty normal. If you want to sit with the engine running but lights NOT on (ie Drive-in Movie), you'll see where it is necessary since there is no on/off switch for the DRLs.

Cheers

 

what I find scariest is that the guy at ask mini owns a saturn! they need to pay these guys more!!!

 

mine turns off when the e-brake is on. what's the problem?
it's suppose to be like that.

 

2003 MINI. Parking brake up = DLR's off.

 

My last few GM vehicles all did this and I liked the feature - only way to leave the vehice running and kill all of the exterior lights.

Both of our '05 MINIs have the DRL activated, but neither of them kill the lights when the parking brake is engaged. Our MCC is an Oct '04 build and my '05 MCS is an August '05 build. I'd like for the DRL kill to work on both of them - guess I'll need to ask next time I'm in for service.

 

So what was the consensus last time? Is this a feature to be turned on/off, or does it depend on the factory build date?

Any help appreciated - help us help ourselves

 

handbrake up - drl off

 

03 Mini = handbrake engaged and DRL's are off.

 

Hmm, another thought - is it a difference in transmission type?

For instance, I have a manual transmission and my DRLs stay ON with the handbrake UP.

Does anyone have an '05 automatic where the DRLs stay ON with the handbrake UP?

(On another thread, someone made a point about DRLs appearing to "flash" if a driver with a manual, on an incline, is using the brake when starting off and equated this to an annoyance to other drivers).

Just a thought

 

It's a model year thing. No way to change the way it works on your particular model car. On '02 and '03 cars, engaging the parking brake turns the DRLs off. On '04 and later cars, the DRLs can't be turned off, short of reprogramming to disable DRLs.

 

'03
Park brake on
DRL turns off

I thought it was ment to be that way...
so when you do "E" brake turns you are in stealth mode.