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I emailed my dealers service department to set up an appointment because a number of people have told me my drivers side back up light is out.

Here is the copy and paste reply.

[SIZE=2]The back up lamp is not equipped on the driver side, passenger only. The driver side is left blank for a rear fog lamp.

Now that just seems wierd to me. Is this normal for all Coopers?
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Yes it is, for the Clubman that is.
Weird huh

Now I wish I'd gotten the rear fog lamp just so I could flip the switch and show people what the spot is for. :(

 

Ya, totally. If my MA had made it clear that I wouldn't have a drivers side back up light unless I spring for rear fogs I would have gotten them.

 

I know i'm straying (Go MCS!) but are you guys sure it's not the Euro-style parking light? In Europe, parking on the sidewalks is pretty normal - and in order to avoid more accidents, you can turn on a single light (usually in the back) that stays on dimly, constantly, even though the car's turned off. ..........?

 

My husband mentioned that my driver's side back up light was missing last Wednesday...I said "Huh?". I got out of the car to look...and sure enough, the bottom of the passenger's side was clear and the bottom of the driver's side was red, and only the clear passenger's side lit up. We were on our way to my company picnic, and he kept suggesting I call my MA or that we drop by the dealership on our way home because there was something very definitely wrong.

I hesitated, however, because I've already discovered several quirks only to question my MA and be told "Nope, that's how it's supposed to be!" (or find that out through browsing the manual). So I waited til I got home and started viewing all the Clubman boots in the "Show us your Clubman" thread...they were just like mine! ...and then I double confirmed it by opening up the owner's manual and finding the page that labels the lights.

The little discoveries never cease!!!!

I'm with you, jonabad...makes me kinda wish I had ordered the rear fog light, too!

 

Gosh...I have no idea. Back up lights, as far as I know are turned on by a switch screwed into the transmission when the car is shifted into reverse....

 

Hmm...well, this Euro-style light I mean wouldn't turn on when backing up...just when you put your parking lights on (don't have to have the car on or the key in, either.) I don't have a Clubman, so I can't test it out for ya...but it's a thought!

 

The Clubman manual labels the bottom section of the driver's side as the rear fog lamp, and the bottom section of the passenger's side as the backup lamp (p118).

Interesting concept, though!

 

* The Clubman manual labels the bottom section of the driver's side as the rear fog lamp, and the bottom section of the passenger's side as the backup lamp (p118). *

DUH, that's what you guys were saying...sorry. Brain fart.

 

This discussion makes me glad that there was a delay of a few weeks after declaring my intent to order and when the dealer was able to accommodate me. During those couple of weeks I obsessively read posts on this site. I gave in to the one that said it was worth the $100 to get the rear fog light if for no other reason than to get a switch to fill the empty spot on the dash.

There are so many possible configurations on a Mini that everyone is likely to find something they wish they did differently. I will just be happy to get the car when I can get my hands on it in a couple of weeks. It's been a long wait.

Cheers!

 

Actually, you would have gotten one rear fog light if you ordered it, and no additional reverse light. Just one of each: fog on drivers side, reverse on passenger side.

 

No worries It was still interesting to hear about the parking light! And that would be about as good an explanation as any, the way Mini does quirky things. (Not complaining about the quirks...I like them!...they're just always showing up! )

 

I know what you're talking about, its an extra light in the side scuttles to help see the sidewalk when you're parallel parking. Its supposed to be turned on via the turn signal stalk but as I understand it, its for the european markets only.

 

Buffalo, you are correct.

We paid $100 to fill in our toggle switch bank.

 

I think you are misunderstanding. If you order the fogs, only one lights up and you still only have one backup light that lights.

My mini s, also a 08 has both backup lights and 2 rear fog lights. Mini is screwy about all this imo.

 

The Scion XB also has only one rear back up light. I think it is the way things are headed for whatever reason.

 

When I had a run flat replaced on the 3rd day of ownership (yeah, irreparable flat), the Firestone store pointed out that one of my backup lights was out. Fortunately, I already knew why! I didn't go the dealer route as they wanted $350 to replace ONE tire (17" all season Continental ContiPro) while Firestone was only $229.

 

Energy conservation. Cars with only one reverse light have one tenth of the carbon footprint of cars with two reverse lights.

 

The 02-04 R53's also had just one reverse light ... it was in the lower center of the bumper however, not on one side like the Clubman.

 

You should never mix tire brands on a car!! make them all firestone or all conti.

 

 

One of my friends noticed the same thing on my MCCS yesterday. Thanks for this post. It answered my question.
It is a little strange, though!

My husband suggested I only back up during the day (ha,ha).

 

I didn't mix brands, the Firestone store supplied the identical Continental tire for considerably less than the Mini dealer. I left the Firestone store without buying one, as they didn't have one in stock (available the following day, tho). I called the Mini dealer, figuring they'd have one in stock for a little more (ha!), and when I told the service guy what Firestone was going to charge he said "Go for it!" Waiting a day was worth over $100...

 

When did this thread titled "Drivers side back up light ...doen't exist" turn into a thread about tires and getting them replaced. this is totally off subject.

Now back to the subject

The drivers side of a clubman has a fog light in it, the passenger side has the back up light.

The reason the fog light is on the drivers side is because in Europe and many other parts of the world require a fog light to be on the side of the car that in NOT on the curb side, so rather than make a light set up for the US the just made them all the same. Except for those in right hand drive cars and their fog light is on the drivers side (left side of car)

This is wrong the "Parking Light" light feature is another requirement of many other countries in the world. IT is a feature that turns on the parking lights of only one side of the car so that when the car is parked on a narrow road the lights that again is not on the curb side are the only ones that are on. This feature is used by turning the car off and then pressing the blinker stalk to the side that you wan the lights to light up on. so if you want the drivers side only parking lights on then press the stalk down if you want the passenger side lights only to be on then press the stalk up.

This function is not explained well in the manual but it is on page 68 of my manual in the section call "High Beams/Roadside Parking Lamps"

I have not tried this function on my clubman yet but if it works it would be the top light in the rear light assembly for either side and no lights on the front, at least that is how i remember them working when i lived in England.

 

A single backup light mounted on only one side of the car is dumb, plain and simple. Backup lights are a safety feature. There should either be two, or a single center mounted light that casts a broad beam across the rear path of the car. As for a rear foglight, I had never even heard the term before owning my Clubman. It may be useful in some very specific weather conditions, but I'd certainly prefer two backup lights over one backup light and one rear fog light.