First I am new to this site and any help received will be greatly appreciated. I have no reverse light: I have already checked the fuse and replaced it just in case, replaced bulbs, tail lights assembly, and went as far as replacing the backup light switch #BS31609. Still with no luck.. I am guessing theres a short in my wires but finding a short somwhere is beyond me. So before I turn her in to a dealer I figured I give you guys a try

 

9 times out of 10 it's your reverse light switch. It's located om the gearbox housing. Kind of a pain to get to. It could be bad or just dirty.

 

What is this part you refer to (not a standard MINI part number)? Do you have manual or automatic transmission, and what year is it?

 

I have a 2002 standard mini cooper S. Well I went to BMW / mini in va beach blvd told them i what i needed and thats the part no. on the bag of the pressure switch that they gave me. looks just like the one i removed.

 

replaced that switch already

 

If you have a 2002, I'm confused about your comment about replacing bulbs (plural) and taillights. Your reverse light is the single light in the center of the bumper.

 

Yeah, me too. Well I guess it has to be a broken or cut wire somewhere.'the only other thing is the gear box isn't knocking that switch the way it's supposed to.

 

MINI part number is 23117527716

Should be less than $20.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...17&hg=23&fg=15

 

HUH?? ok I have had this mini for a total of 2 weeks, love the car but your saying that the reverese light is in the center of the bumper.... all i have is a black cap where i guess somthing goes and my tail lights have a bulb on the bottom that dont light up. I had stock lights and when the bottom light didnt work i bought LED lights then they still dint work. but your saying my reverse light is in the bumber?

 

Yep. Right between the Alta decal and the exhaust tips in the picture you posted.

 

so iafter i read the last post and i replied i decided to go and envestigate. sombody covered the reverse light with a plug!!

 

Here's some information you may find useful...

2002-2004 had a single reverse light in the center bumper.

The taillights were updated in 2005. The reverse light was moved to the bottom corner of the two taillights. The center bumper became the location for the rear fog light (black plug if the car has no rear fog option).

The LED taillights you purchased are the 2005+ design with integrated reverse light. They can be fitted on a 2002 but your original wiring harness does not include the reverse signal. You'll have to splice in the signal to make reverse work in those taillights.

What type of taillights did you swap out (with or without integrated reverse light in the corner)? It's confusing that in a 2002 you would have a black plug where the reverse light should be. I doubt that the black plug was even available until 2005, when it was created for new cars with no rear fog. Are you sure your car is a 2002?

 

Wow, this is getting good. So, I guess the original owner decided that he didn't need reverse lights or didn't know how to modify the wiring for the newer light housing's reverse lights. Or, as stated above, this ain't no 2002!!

 

I guess so..I just purchased the reverse light pluged it in and it works fine. My mini is defitnatly a 2002 it just had 2005 and up stuff. So now I have to wire up the tail lights so i have a reveres light there also. I will post pictures later

 

Glad you got it figured out. To behonest, the single reverse light isn't the greatest anyway. I think they only did It to be like the original Mini's set up.

 

Thank you guys who helped me thrugh my mini dilema, next will project will be reducing the pulley on the super charger to 15%. After market intake and exaust have been installed just waiting for my pulley and msd coil pack