A stone cracked my front parking light lens in my 2008 MINI. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could get a replacement, and could tell me how hard it is to replace. It looks like the front bumper may have to come off, and that looks like a real pain.

Rob

 

Pull the front wheel and the felt liner. You should be able to see the rear of the housing and the screws holding it in.

 

Great; thanks.

Now...where can I get a new lens? Only the dealer?

 

In looking at RealOEM, it's all one piece. The lens doesn't come off the front of it, or at least the parts diagram doesn't show that.

 

Thanks for the link; nice.

I had always wondered about fog lights; since it looks like more than a simple lens replacement I might decide to spring for the fog option. But I wonder if the wiring harness for them is in there somewhere. And if fog lights require any switchgear inside.

 

Wiring should be there. You will need to add a toggle switch and ideally the new panel with the fog light indicator printed on it. Then to "activate" the switch the car computer needs to be updated to use them. Normally that requires a trip to the dealer, but you can DIY with a J2534 tool and the MiniTech.info site (that tool is around $300 and Minitech is $30 per day, look for the thread with J2534 in title). If you don't have the rear fog lights, I would probably just add those to and get both programmed. :-)

 

You can get the parts through ECS Tuning, or Pelican Parts. Once you have it replaced, you might consider putting a clear vinyl protection on the fogs and headlights.

 

So the wiring should be in there, but I couldn't find it. Is it fairly easy to pull the toggle switch cover and add the toggle? (Again, assuming the wiring is there.)