When I turn on my car, the front light is automatically turned on. The control **** behind the left side of the steering wheel is in the OFF position. I try to turn the **** around but the light stays on, and it's not going lighter or brighter as I thought it would do as you turn the control ****. I feel stupid for being unable to figure it out as it should be a simple matter (like I was able to do with my old car!). Can anybody help?

 

It sounds to me like the lights are set to "Daytime Running". Check in your manual for "Daytime Running Lights and there is a way to disable this. Mine were not set this way and i changed it to have them on all the time. I am at work right now but can check to see what page it is on to change this when i get home.

Schatzy

 

That's definitely it... My insurance company gives me a discount for having daytime running lights - so I have mine set to on, as well.

 

Yours is programmed to have the daytime running lights on, which is full strength xenon (if you have them)--use your manual to find how to not have them on. You have to click the programming button a bunch of times--manual explains best.

 

Just got through fiddling with this on my car. (Seems our MA programmed only one remote and we just realized it.) Anyway, it's on pg. 67/68 in the manual, but I think it's very confusing! It's a long complicated series of "press" and "press & hold" motions that you'll eventually get the hang of. Good Luck with it!

 

Right, everyone says that if one has THE Navigation option that it is much easier and more intuitive.

 

BTW, in Canada it is law to have the daytime running lights on. . .

Just an FYI for the canucks out there .

 

Perhaps it is time for me to emigrate. Honestly, having those lights does get people's attention sometimes when you really need it.

 

Just a thought...you can have daytime running lights...just don't turn them on and save a bulb or two....but you didn't hear that from me....who said that...stop it....

 

Thanks everyone. Pardon my ignorance, but, does daytime running lamp the same as full strenth lights that are supposed to be turned on at night? Seems like the strength of my lights are the same whether it's on 0, 1 or 2. I'm confused.

 

Daytime running lights on the Mini is just the same as manual headlights at night. It just turns on the low-beams. Makes this little car easier to see.

 

do they turn on the dash lights and side indicators as well?

 

I have them on, not just for the insurance discount, but because I figure the more things to help other cars see me (namely large trucks), the better. In my Subaru, it had daytime running lights that were significantly less bright than the regular low beams. So I kept the low beams on 24/7.

If you have xenons: In my BMW 325xi wagon, I had the xenons on everytime I drove, day or night, and after 85,000 miles, I had still never had to replace a bulb, so I wouldn't worry so much about that. DRL's are a good thing, and there's almost no reason to not have them on.

 

On the 1st Generation, the day time Xenons running lights were not the same as the regular headlights, so initially this threw me.

Not sure about the side indicators and no the dash lights don't go on the way they do when turn on the lights to "on".

Agreed on the easier to see.