My "new-to-me" 2004 MCS - MC40 seems to have some trouble with it's driving lights: any time I turn on the brights, the driving lights come on, too. The switch (key button - Part No. 63-12-0-144-134) for the driving lights doesn't seem to work as it won't turn the driving lights off and I don't need to press it to turn them on. They ALWAYS come on with brights whether I want them to or not. (This can't be good for the plastic covers, so I started running without them at night.)

To test things out, I disconnected the key button and the driving lamps behave in the exact same manner. I know precious little about automobile wiring, so I'm hoping that one of you can answer this question before I spend $70 on a replacement key button:

Does this problem sound like one that would be best remedied with a new key button?

Or should I be looking somewhere else in the wiring for the source of my woes?

TIA,

-Fred.

 

They might possibly be wired to something else or just hardwired to come on whenever the high beams come on. The previous owner of my Cooper wired the OEM driving lights into the toggle switch for the rear fog light

 

They were wired from the dealer to ONLY come on during high beam driving.

 

The previous owner (first owner) insists that she didn't change ANYTHING. If this is true, the car was stock - except for a MINIfini cup holder - when I purchased it from her last month. It only has 12,000 miles on it and is so clean that I'm willing to take her word.

Other than the possibly non-standard wiring, the other suspect part is the relay (changeover module); which costs just as much as the switch. :-(

-Fred.

 

nevermind..

 

One more piece of possibly relevant information (that I gleaned from the auxiliary driving lights installation manual): the green indicator light - which indicates whether or not the driving lights are in ready/standby mode - is ALWAYS illuminated. I don't need to press it after starting the car to "arm" them, it's already on.

-Fred.

 

Could still be switch or wiring. Any local MINI clubs that would assist in loaning a switch or relay to see if it is the culprit?
If the lights come on without the switch being present/activated, that says the issue is the wiring (or relay as you noted.)

 

Thanks for the idea, Eric. I'll check with my local club to see if I can "borrow" a switch to test with. That would at least rule one thing out if it doesn't correct the issue.

-Fred.

 

UPDATE: The switch is good (swapping it out didn't fix my problem).

So, the source of my problem is most likely one of two things:

(1) A bad relay.
(2) The aux. driving lights were wired incorrectly at the factory.

So, I'm either going to live with my issue and consider it part of the "charm" of my MINI; or track down a new relay.

-Fred.