Anytime I turn on the car, the headlights are on and I cannot turn them off with **** at end of turn signal control.

Background:

Battery almost dead and I cranked car hard 3 times to get it to start. Yep I know not a good idea, but it is done/history.


Got home pulled battery out and took it to parts house and got new battery.

This was 30+ minutes that car had NO power.

Reinstalled battery.

Headlights still on whenever I turn the key.


Can anybody help?


I called my Mini dealership and their answer is to bring it in so that they can scan the electronics.

 

Did you go into the settings menu? There is an option for daytime lights. Turn it off.

 

Settings menu?????????

FYI sorry forgot to post this is a 2005 MINI Cooper S

 

I'm not sure on the first gens, sorry.

 

I agree with your thought on what is going on.

I just dont know how to reprogram it.

Other clue is that door locks dont auto lock on drive off like the used to and I am fairly certain that that is something that can be reprogrammed for individual preferences. At least I think I read something about that in the owners manual.

 

Not sure but I think a blown fuse can cause headlights to stay on.
You may want to check this as a quick fix.

 

any idea which fuse?

 

Inspected all fuses.

Found none blown

 

i'd check the manual again, both things indicate that they have been set in the personal preferences menu (I had to turn both on in my 2009) and that makes sense since those setting are maintained in the key fob. Of course I could be absolutely wrong since we are dealing with a 2005.

 

Looking at the owner's manual for a 2005 MINI Cooper S, when it talks about the door unlocking and the daytime running lights, and other 'personal setting' features, it says those can be set by the dealer.

I believe the "Settings" menu is a 2nd Gen only thing.

 

Is it the headlights that are on, or the daytime running lamps? On my 2006 with Xenons, the daytime running lights are actually the high-beam filaments being run at about 70% power. I don't know how the daytime running lamps work if you have the regular halogen headlamps, though.

You're correct that the daytime running lamps and the auto lock/unlock feature of the doors are dealer-programmable.

 

Sounds good.

But during my conversation with the Mini Service Manager, he never once mentioned that it might be a owner option that needs to be configured.

He immediately went to the fact that he would need to run a diag scan and to figure that he would need the car for 2 to 3 days


I think I will call him again and bring up these owner options and if he stonewalls me again, I will call another Mini dealer and see if I can get a better answer

 

Well one service manager said yes that the problem described was mostly likely a user option that got changed when battery went dead.


Had to leave message with original SM, but will up date post when I hear answer from him

 

2 or 3 days to run a scan?

Mini of Madison, Wisconsin will run a scan while you wait.

What a joke. Looks like a crooked dealer there. I'd stay away. Or ask for a loaner for 2 or 3 days and see what he says.....

 

As I understand it the X's only run at low beam and you have a set of halogens for the highs /// and for that matter the daytime running lights.

From Haynes 12.7 concerning Xenon headlight:

11 As the main beam bulb is a normal, halogen bulb, renewal is identical to that described . . .

sooo ... they are the same either way (x or regular) and DRL's in a GEN1 are a dealer programmable function. Average cost $45+ to re-flash.

 

That's right - the low beams are Xenon, the high beams are halogen (with the Xenon low beams on as well), and the daytime running lights are just the halogen high beams modulated at ~70% power.

I'm not sure why the Haynes manual is saying the "main beam" is a halogen bulb, though. By "main beam", are they talking about the low-beam?

 

DRL and HIGH BEAM from a X'n equipped GEN1 car come from lil' ol' halogen lights.

ain't that what the wiring diagrams say?

UK main = US 'high' ??

 

I'm not arguing with you, Capt - never have been. We've both been saying from the start that the high beams and DRLs on the Xenon cars are halogens.

Not sure what you think I've been "complaining" or "arguing" about. I think the Haynes manual is a little vague because they're either referring to the high beams as the "main beams" (which I think is confusing), or they're saying the low beams in the Xenon setup are halogens (which would be incorrect). I'm sure it would make sense if I read the entire section to put it into context, though.

 

You may find this link helpful:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-new-mcs.html

 

First thanks to all who posted.

Second will not be able to resolve this issue quickly as dealership is 250+ miles away and I just cant afford to drive over for these type of problems. Maybe next month or October.


And finally I did find in my owners manual a description of daytime running lights, but the description made no sense and did not state which bulbs should be lit. All I can tell you is that my Xenon's are lit and the halogens are off.

I will post an update once I can get the car by the dealer and allow the mech to reprogram the driving light option and the door lock at drive off option.

 

Check your bulbs.. If you just had any replced,, A bulb installed backwards will cause this problem also you might notice that when you apply the brakes your dash lights will come on...... If this is not the case then check your brake light switch (located on the brake pedal just under the dash....
Good Luck

 

Hey dgriffin, just curious if you ever got this resolved. my 2005 MCS has a very similar problem that I can't figure out.