I have the stock driving lights on my Mini. In the cold of winter, the plastic white covers will not come off, even if tugged hard. This has made one of the driving lights loose enough that there is now a slightly visible vibration when the engine runs. I want to use the lights because there are some windy wooded roads I go down to get home and they have many a time pointed out a sneaky deer waiting to jump out in front of me. I also want them covered because I travel a highway with lots of truck traffic to work, and I've already cracked a fog light.

Does anyone have recommendations for some driving light covers for the stock lights that are softer so they will come off easier in the cold?

 

I have clear protective film over my lenses. That way I can protect them AND use them without having to worry about fooling around with plastic covers. Little rally lights are a lot cheaper than a xenon headlamp which most people leave unprotected.

Try this: http://autoclearguard.com/

 

You sig line says you have the Xenons. Do you really notice a difference with the stock driving lights? Mine don't do much at all.

On my car, the Xenons on hi beam completely overwhelm the driving lights. The only reason you can tell they are on with my car is because they put out a light that is a different color from the Xenon light. You see the more orange color of the driving light in the middle of the Xenon beams. Yet you cannot see any illumination difference with the driving lights on or off.

If the driving lights were usable with the car's low beam, maybe I could tell a difference. Not with the hi-beam setting though.

 

The high beams in the xenon lights are standard halogen bulbs.

 

The high beams in the R53 xenon lights are standard halogen bulbs.

Activating the high beams in the R56 xenons shifts a reflective plate to widen and raise the focal point of the beam. Bright as heck, and depending where you aim your driving lights, they don't add much additional light.

They sure look cool, though. Breaks up the larger R56 nose nicely.

 

Interesting - I can definitely see the difference with the driving lights vs. my high beams (as stated, highs are halogen vs. xenon) I don't get to use them too much, but did an off/on test in the middle of nowhere and the difference was clearly visible.

 

I have driven the R56 with both and they are almost the same aside from the vibration in the add-on driving lights.

 

They're not xenon, but assist my xenon bulbs. I can definitely see a difference with and without them. But I want them covered during the day and uncovered for the ride home. The white caps in the pic are hard material that gets even harder in the cold and will not flex to be removed.

 

Your URL listed protective film for cooper, not cooper-s. i'm in process of modifying cooper film for my MCS. is that what you did?

 

MiniMania has vinyl covers for the previous gen, but nothing for the R56.

 

Well there is one thing you could do. My driving lights came with a built in heating system. Try turning them on for a few minutes to let the bulb heat up the cover before trying to remove them. Not too long though, maybe 5 minutes or less? Not really sure how warm they may get and you don't want to burn the bulb housing or covers.

 

i was just going to suggest this.... halogen bulbs heat up pretty fast and they create a good amount of heat.... just turn them on for a few minutes, that should get the cover nice and soft.

 

I hate to revive this, but the topic has been under discussion in my household for a coupla days now...
We decided to get protective film installed on our driving lights, like Yucca Patrol above.
The OEM covers are really unbelievable- you can't get them off for anything! My God, I can't imagine what it would be like in super-crappy weather, struggling to get those d@mn things off!! You'd break the lights themselves off WAAAaaay before you'd ever get the covers off!!
WTH?
Yes, I suppose you could drive around w/ the lights on, under the covers (ooh! ) to soften them up, but I think we made the right call- the lights are protected and you don't hafta pull over just to pop the covers off and use the lights.

 

Mine come without much effort. A plastic film won't stop a rock like that hard plastic cover will. Good luck.

 

That's my concern. I want something that will stop a rock because I travel on the highway a lot. I was thinking of something that latches on, making it easier to remove in the cold. Those plastic covers just will not come off in the cold. Today it is 45 and I was actually able to get the covers off for the first time in weeks. I'm probably going to wash the car today!

 

Next time it's really cold here I'll see how mine are. I'm surprised turning them on for a few minutes doesn't produce enough heat in the cover to make them come off like they normally would.

 

My covers come off easily if they're lined up correctly; there's a little indent on them.
But I've noticed that they're making some little scratches on the chrome.
I use them so much and drive so many backroads that I've begun to leave them uncovered.
Just stay off the highways... ...backroads are worth the longer drive.

 

LOL. You're in Monterey. It doesn't GET really cold here.

 

Wish I could. I travel 50 miles to work each way, so highways are the only way to get home at a decent time.

 

Real cold to us here is anything in the 30s or lower. It's been in the 30s this last week and a couple nights in the 20s. Rain trying to fall here today so that kept lows up higher, 38 last night.

Maybe I won't ever have that problem of them freezing on...

 

Geez- sounds like Monterey is getting the same weather we are in Portland, same temps and everything! (Well, except we had a tiny dusting of snow on Xmas)

Yeah, I guess we'll see how it works, but the Clearbra worked really well on my Subaru's foglamps... and I definitely like the idea of being able to just flip a switch to use them rather than pull over, get out, wrassle w/ the covers while praying I don't pry the driving lamps off, getting back in, listening to it DING DING DING while I get belted in and then taking off!
And what if I'm in the middle of a really great driving song and hafta stop to tussle with those cursed plastic covers? Oh, the horror... the horror...

Besides, if a gigantic rock breaks one- well, that's just an excuse to go w/ some big ol' PIAAs!

 

No matter how I rotate the covers they don't seem to come off any easier. Clearbra option is not for me, since I want to be sure a stone isn't going to poke the car's eyes out.

Contacted the dealer while in for service and tehy tell me there are no OEM options. Hella doesn't seem to have anything without the plastic snap-on cover. I just need something to strap on to the headlights for easy on and off access.

 

Shokk- I stand by my film recommendation; I've had Clearbra on other cars as well -it would take quite a stone to break your lens thru the protective film. We don't salt the roads around here in Oregon, we "sand" them, but the sand is really pea-gravel!! I drive thru it alla time, no worries.
(Plus, I can flick on the lights any time I want, no pulling over and no driving around w/ the lamps on thru the covers -egads!! )

If you still don't like that option, you could always find the old-fashioned "cage"-style fog/driving lamp covers. I'm sure one of the classic Mini suppliers here can source them for you.
Good luck.

 

The caged look isn't me. I'll check out the clearbras.

 

On the R56 the high beams are Xenon. When I see the sticker on the headlamp housing it says "Bi-Xenon"