Hey,

I am seriously considering having my dealer install the driving lights they quoted me a price with parts that was around $700 as I recall. Is this price reasonable to pay to get them? I like the looks of the OEM ones rather than the PIAA ones, or the aftermarket alternative. I am choosing to go OEM because I've seen the interior switch and it looked more OEM compared to the aftermarket solutions. Also will it be possible that dealer will give me a break on installation and parts, since the R56 are in and they might want to be pushing out the R53 parts? Thanks everyone and take care!

Thanks,
Joseph

 

If you do the work yourself, you can have a set of driving lights for considerably less than half of that price. Of course, if the little accents like the look of the switch is important enough to you to warrant the extra cost, I'd go that way - I always say it's best to get what you really want the FIRST time - after all, in a year, are you really going to remember paying the extra, provided every time you flip that switch you're looking at what you REALLY wanted? Probably not.

Keep in mind though that the switch you get with the lights doesn't have to be the switch you use - I used an illuminated LED rocker switch for mine, for example, instead of the boring, rectangular switch I got from my light manufacturer....

If you do end up deciding to go aftermarket and do the job yourself, I have a big How-to on both the lights AND the bonnet mounting brackets - follow the link in my sig and look for the link to "Driving Lights on Outmotoring Bonnet Brackets". Good luck!

 

I had my driving lights installed at the dealership then I later swapped them out for Cibie Tangos for their superior illumination with the same looks. Later, I installed a set of OEM MINI lights on a friend's car. She had bought the entire kit on eBay for $250. If you want the genuine MINI lights and you're comfortable doing it yourself, buy them off eBay and DIY. It's not a bad job.

Rawhyde

 

I bought the PIAA's off ebay got them and installed with the Mini kit in an hour. Something to cosider when paying the price for labor! My kit was a takeoff of a sold Mini I payed $91.00 shipped to my door. I like the black Piaa's better than the chrome oem's, but they match the overall look of my car better than the oem's. The install sounds a lot more difficult than it really is.

 

I've installed both a PIAA kit and a factory kit.

The non-factory is a lot easier to wire.

The factory ties into the headlites to ensure you only use driving lites with brites. OK that's the legal way but makes hooking up the harness harder. You need to access the back of the radio in the center pod - and harness over on the pass side kick panel to get to the bright-trigger. (following MINI's instructions)

In the non-factory all you need is a loop of wire for the relay trigger, interupted by a toggle in the pass compartment. Add a ground and hot if you want an illuminated switch.....and then you can use 'em when U want.....

not a MAJOR difference, but if I was doin' MY car ... I'd skip the factory hook up.

 

You can probably find an OEM switch, either at the dealer, or on e-bay. As to hooking them up legally - some states will check that during safety inspections and fail the car if not legal (e.g. NJ, MD).

 

So the PIAA would always fail in NJ? - I'm not doubting you, I'm asking....I don't live in either of those states! So - remove the wire for the inspection - they are static bling bling - dispaly only .... then reconnect later. {actually I think the PIAA kit actually showed tie into the brites under the hood rather than in the pass compartment - but the diagram was for non-xeon; which the car had - so we didn't bother. If the person who has these lites has had an insp problem he didn't come back to me....

 

I just installed a pair of amber Hella 500 fog lights with outmotoring bracktes and only spent $110 altogether, it was easy and the lights look amazing You mentioned you wanted an OEM look but for $700 there are plenty of cheaper and better alternative

 

Are the driving light install that hard, I double checked the price and it was $798 I might do it at the dealer, anyone have any pro or con about the OEM lights vs. aftermarket?

 

I run aftermarket and I love them. Literally paid less than a quarter of that price for my lights and I did my own install. I have How-tos, including one for the driving lights linked in my sig.

 

OK, I am now confused... I am planning on installing some alt. lighting, as my MCS has only the reg. (non-Xenon) lights...
I thought Aux. driving lights (aka 'fog lights') can only be *ON* if the brites are off, but the can be on if the parking lights or lows are on (similar to the wifes' 325...)

And yes, I live in NJ, so I am REALLY interested about the safety inspection!

 

NJ inspection won't bother you, just make sure the aux lights are inoperable (disconnect the wiring) or make sure the switches are "off" when inspected. You'll also want to be sure they have white bulbs of no more than 55 watts (don't laugh, I've had NJ inspection stations ask, the one in Washington NJ was pretty picky once...) .

FOG lights should be able to be used with low beams or parking lights only, and project a wide, flat, short beam maybe 100-150' down the road. Best to mount fog lights low and wide on the car if possible, recognizing that Minis are only so high and only so wide...

DRIVING lights project a long-to-very-long range, narrow beam snd should be used with bright lights only. Best to mount 'em higher up and OK to mount closer together.

Some lights claim to be both, that would be kinda hard since too much light on the ground closer to the car (the goal of fogs) will interfere with. longer-range vision (the goal of driving lamps). Some "auxiliary" lamps are pretty simply headlights that give different beam patterns.

Long story short, be sure you know what you want your aux lights to do (fog vs driving) and buy the right ones. Of course, if you only want "bling", then buy the ones that look the best unlit.

oOOo configuration with the lower case o's as fogs and upper as driving lights.

Hope this helps...

 

I've always wired my driving lights such that they worked independant of any other light, period. Use them with fog, parking, low, high or nothing if I knew how to shut the drl's off.

 

$800 is steep! (though standard )

I went with a DIY OEM ($150 on ebay), and I like them. You can get the lights from Classic MINI for ~$320. No need for the dealer to install. If you don't DIY, any competent shop should be able to do it for far less than $400.

As for OEM vs. aftermarket, it's really up to your preference. Some aftermarket lights will be brighter than the OEM, but IMO, the OEM lights are plenty bright.
I don't use them all that much, but they're nice to have, and my wife loves the look. ("They're just so CUTE!")