Hey all,

I have a question about the daytime running lights. Ok, I would assume (silly me) that they would be similar to the DRL on my BMW 335. BUT, they are not. What I mean by this is that on the mini, the lights are on as if you flipped the switch (i.e.: xenons, that bit above the fogs, and rears, and the side markers all on). The only difference is that the orange interior lighting is not on. On the bimmer, only one set of lights in on in the front only.--nothing else.

I just think this is strange about the mini. If I were to make the DRL on mini, I would just light up the xenons only.

PS...this is the way it is supposed to be...right? Or is my mini different?

 

Different manufacturers implement DRLs in different ways. Some have dedicated front headlamps, some use front parking lights, others, such as saab and mini, simply turn all exterior lights on. It bothers some (a friend with a saab hates their implementation) but I am not bothered. And yes I have the DRLs turned on in my mini.

 

Yeah, it's not bad. I just wondered since most other things about the mini are bmw-esque. Must have been a decision from higher powers.

 

I turned my DRL off to be less noticable to the police since my car stands out enough on the road being Chlili Red.

 

I turned them off because Xenon bulbs and ballasts are expensive.

 

Good point which I never even thought of being that this is the first car I have with Xenon headlights or DRL for that matter.

 

+1

 

That concerns me too but here in Canada we can't turn them off - the DRL on/off option is removed from the OBC. Wish I knew how to get it back. On a VW GTI you can program it to use the fogs instead of Xenons as DRLs, and that would suit me fine on the Mini, if the choice was offered.

 

I keep them on, even though I have xenons, because (1) an accident is more bothersome than a burned light, and (2) I'll likely replace the MINI by the time the warranty is gone.

 

Does the DRL option power the Xenon bulbs at full power, same as if you had the headlights on? I thought that a DRL system ran the lights, but at a reduced power. If they're on full power all the time it seems like overkill to me.

 

it turns on the xenons at full power...seems like a waste to me too.

 

russr - I'm very surprised that the DRL option turns the headlights on at full power all the time. I turned this option off!

 

Yeah I guess it is a lot harder to not operate them at full power.

 

There's a really nice DRL look that newer BMWs have where the projection lens in front of the Xe bulb is illuminated around its periphery. It doesn't look like the Xe itself is on.

Does anybody know how that works?

 

My understanding is that the way HIDs work prevents them from being used at a reduced voltage. Generally, vehicles with HID headlights either run them at full power as DRLs, or use another bulb (e.g., fog lights) as DRL instead.