Well! I just read all 43 pages, and really learned a lot! Thanks all! Scoop is a weekend cream puff, so after 1 1/2 years she has almost 5000 miles on her, and there is STILL something I don't know about my MINI.

Read the manual, and still don't know.

Can I keep the high beams (not the driving or fog lights) on without holding the left hand wand towards me? Ortega Highway at night (very twisty mountain pass, 2 lanes for non So Cal folks) . . . no other cars for miles. . . hand got a cramp from keeping that blasted wand pulled in!

I don't have comfort access, auto lights, or a MF steering wheel. . .

I can keep the Saturn high beams on and click them back to regular for oncoming traffic, but have not been able to figure it out in the MINI! She does like to keep some secrets, I guess!

 

I haven't used my high beams in a while, but IIRC you can flick the wand away from you to toggle them on.

 

Pulling the wand towards you only turns the high beams on momentarily. Pushing the wand away from you turns them on permanently, or at least until until you pull the wand back toward you to switch back to low beams.

Other car makes do this, but it's not as common as your Saturn setup.

 

You can't be serious... really?

 

I know. Really? Srsly?

 

Sadly, yes! I know, I know, NOW it sounds so easy, but last night, well. . .


Thank you! "Push away for highs to stay." I'll remember!

 

^^^

I'll certainly keep that in mind when I pick mine up.

 

Scoop--can't believe this wasn't in your book, under lights, or something like that. It is a BMW trait, though--ours have had them like this. It's been a while since I've driven other makes at night, so I don't know how common it is.

BTW, it does NOT work if the "regular" beams aren't on, though--you have to keep pulling back on the stalk. One night we had a loaner that was set up for daytime running lights, although we didn't know it. We started the car at night, saw the lights go on, and "assumed" (I know, I know) that the regular lights were on. We were appalled at the nearly unusable light brightness on the way to our home in the country. In the morning, we told our SA NOT to send it out as a loaner until they had it fixed. Of course, afterwards we figured out what had happened, but we were pretty irate at the time!

 

Almost every car I have been in from Ford, GM, etc. does this. I have never seen another way of engaging high beams completely except for the above, described method.

 

Chevy pickups, SUVs, and all Honda/Acura makes engage high beams by pulling the handle toward you until you hear/feel it click. You disengage the high beams by pulling the handle toward you again until you hear/feel it click. To me this is normal. Pushing the handle away from you is a little unique. Guess it depends on what you have driven in the past.

 

I agree.

 

With my old Honda you pushed it away to fully engage the high beams... Maybe it's a new Honda thing (mine was an '07) but my moms CR-V does the same thing.

 

Know it's been gone for a long time.... but I still miss that big floor button that switched high/low beams.

This had been a standard for All Cars for many, many years.

 

I think it might be a new honda thing to switch over to push away to engage.

i had a 90 accord, and my gf still has a 98 civic, both only engage the highs by pulling towards you. You can't push the light stalk foward.

 

At work, we drive older model F250 Supers, brand new Chevy Tahoes with lift kits and no bumpers (off road kit I guess, I don't know SUVs), Suburbans with same off-road package, Ford Expeditions, Crown Victorias and Dodge Chargers... not sure about the Chargers, but the high beams in all of these function the same as the MINI... and my old Mazda Protege and my wife's Mercedes C280.

I guess I've just been lucky my whole life and all the vehicles I've driven have the same high beam setup.

 

it confuses me a lot...

whenever i switch over, i pull. i let go, and the highs disappear... then i remember i have to push. It's getting better, but i still make the mistake every other time.

 

I had a beaten up '76 Dodge Dart in college, and when I first got the car, I couldn't figure out how to turn the highbeam on. I found out when I accidentally stepped on the switch.

 

Had that on my first car (truck), a 1946 Fargo stepside. Very functional design, but I doubt they still know how to make switches that durable.

 

I miss the button, too, but we gained seat belts. Not a bad trade, IMO. Every time we drive in our 356, I'm reminded how I was surprised that it had them. It was a big change for the industry, and Porsche was one of the leaders. But a collapsing steering wheel? Padded dash? W-a-a-y over the horizon.

Geez, I feel old...

 

I remember that. We had it in one of our trucks at work. However, the floor became so dirty, the button would not depress.

 

Time to get out the shovel!

 

I don't think any amount of love would make that truck right again.

 

I had a few vehicles with the floor high beam button. And not too long ago either.

 

Can anybody tell me what the notch in the door pocket is designed for? It's such a weird shape. Here's a picture of the passenger's side:

 

Does the notch extend the length of the pocket for envelopes or something like that?