I just got an email from this guy

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...light_kit.html

He says the standard setup is like the regular ones
and that they only work with the high beams on.

He said he thinks there is a way to rewire it to
work with the low beams on.

Does anybody have a clue on this?

 

I personally don't know how to do the OEMs with the low beams. Maybe some electrical whiz could figure it out. Most 3rd party lights are a lot easier to install and you can have the option of not tying them to the highs. That's what I did. In fact I got my lights from Outmotoring. I used PIAAs with OEM brackets.
BTW here are the official driving light install instructions.

 

I'm going to think on this.

I'm thinking the thing to do
is to get the parts from morristownmini
by mail, and hook most everything up
except where it gets power from
then just get power the way you would
for aftermarket on a regular car.

I'm going to talk to my ex brother in law.

He's an electronics whiz.

I don't have the money right now but yes,
I will document everything and make the post
if it works out.

 

Good luck and keep us posted.
The other thing you should take into consideration is that the OEM lights have you going through the firewall on the driver side. It's a lot harder over there vs. the passenger side. It makes it easier (closer) to attach the OEM switch though. Trade-offs to consider for sure.

BTW I had an 87 Si although not the CRX. Man I loved that car.

 

I think the Hella 500 lights look better anyway (a little larger) and the kit at www.vipcustomparts.com looks good. I have no idea how difficult they may be to install.

 

Just curious, why do you want to do this?

The point of driving lights is auxillary lighting in rural conditions with no approaching traffic, times when you'd already have your high beams on. What do you intend to do with yours?

Don't tell me you're one of those dweebs who drives around all day with your fog lights on?

 

Who cares about practicality? The look cool!

 

HA HA

I want to use them for daytime running lights
particuarly in inclimate weather, which here
means rain, but also to make the car appear
bigger but without having to use all the lights
like the programmable DRL feature.
Which, I couldn't get to come on anyway.

Or as supplimental lights for at night (my intent
is to have them aimed much lower than normal use
if you were using the high beams)

 

I like those.

 

Has anyone figured out how the rewire the factory driving lights to come on with the Low beams?

 

I had my OEM driving lights installed at the Mini dealer (Vista in S.Florida) SA asked me if I preferred the driving lights to work on high beam only or low beam. I am glad he asked or I would have not even thought to ask. I like how the are setup on low beam. My only mild complaint is while on, there is very noticeable visible light beam shaking while on. at idle and driving it's very noticeable. but they look great in black!!

 

I haven't installed a factory GEN2 kit, but have done several GEN1 factory kits and several aftermarkets. In both these cases the way the high beam lock works is the relay gets its power from the high beam power line. Unless the high beams are on the DL relay is dead. the factory kit gets a bit more involved because it is supposed to remember the setting but no matter. For the GEN1 kit there was a yellow wire that ran from the relay box you installed as part of the kit, to the pass' side computer in the kick panel and spliced into a wire - the high beam trigger. Only when the high beams were active would the relay work.

If you simply take this wire to an 'always on' or an always on with ignition on (a better choice) the DLs can be activated anytime your lil ol heart desires . . . . the cig' lighter / aux power plug is a decent source. or just go down to the fuse panel and find something that tickles your fancy . . . . if you were to tie to the low beam power, I guess they would work low beam only and I'm not sure I'd want that.

In short it is a matter of where you pull the relay power from - not the power the relay then routes TO the lights ... the relay's power, very minimal draw .. .

 

That seems logical. I just need to track down the wire that is the "On" trigger for the relay then run it to another source. Was hoping someone knew where this wire is currently located with factory wiring of the DLs.

Looking at the schematic; I think it goes to a post on the fuse box. Need to pull out a test light and do some investigation.

 

the "post on the fuse box" is usually a direct hook to full 12 volt power (a cable direct from the battery) and is the "main feed" to power the lights. It is THIS feed that is controlled by the relay . . . and should be fused . . . .

 

Looking at the wiring diagram. It looks like wire A1 that normally goes to the computer's A4 pin is the trigger wire.

 

Is the "footwell" computer module where the A1 wire connects located on the drivers or passenger side of the car? I assume it's on the driver's side but rather not remove parts if I don't have to. Thanks.

 

on a GEN1 it was on pass side, I think it moved to driver's on GEN2 but not sure - like I said I have not done a GEN2 factory install. I'd recommend pulling the proper install instructions .... they can be found at MiniMania's site and other places I'm sure.

 

On a R56 it is on the passenger side.

 

I found the module; it's located on the drivers side foot well on the R55. You need to then locate the Yellow wire with the blue stripe. This is the relay trigger wire that's hot when the High beams are on. Then I located another wire that was hot only when the ignition switch was on. Ironically this turned out to be the grey wire that was already spliced for the DLs. I was not able to undo the factory splice and add yellow/blue wire to the existing junction and had to add another splice. I really wanted to find the low beam wire but there wasn't a lot of space down there and it was too hot today to spend any more time searching for it. So now they can be turned on at any time and can not be left on when the ignition is turned off. A few skinned knuckles from the module; man that thing has some sharp edges but overall a great outcome.

 

This post is from before I got it all worked out.
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/c...Picture008.jpg

I used hella 500s fog beam as DRLs. They are pointed between my low beams and the fog lights that came on the car so as to be visible but not blind people.
I do not normally use them on two lanes at night, but the interstate I do.
I always use them in the day.

It significantly decreased my close calls. People looking at you, waiting, and then
pulling right out.

Huge difference and I did experiments for 3 months.

If you get the aftermarket brackets you don't have to cut your grill trim.

 

Do you guys think that I can get the dealer hook them up to a switch where my missing rear fog switch would be (I just have the fronts)? That way they'll be drawing power from wherever the rear fog light would draw from and I'd have full controll over having them on or not.

 

You could probably do this but, I doubt the dealer would do it. It would involve splicing into the driving light harness switch wire and then connecting that to the other rear foglight switch. The factory Driving lights and I'd imagine aftermarket kits have their own wiring, power points, and a relay of some sort that serves as the "trigger" for them to come on. So whatever wires are used for the factory rear fog light may not be useable for wiring up a stand-alone lighting system. But, you'd need to test the switch harness to see what's there.

 

You think it'll void my warranty if I get aftermarket ones and wire them to a toggle switch in the blank spot there?

 

No.