Have had my 04 mini r53 for a few months now and this problem has only happened once so far. Lately it has seemed to struggle starting (just not starting right off the turn) but it still starts. Problem is when I started it i went to roll the window down and my left headlight turned off. When I rolled it up or turned on. Did it a few more times and after a few roll ups roll downs it did it once more. Not sure what it could be. Not corroded terminals or battery issues. Short somewhere? But the window has no relation :confused

 

I'm probably not going to be the first to say this, but I don't think they're directly related...

Electrical gremlins are a pain to track down, improper ground can cause some really funky stuff going on, but I think you should start with more simple stuff. Get you alternator and battery tested (I know it's probably not those, but best to grab low hanging fruit first and you do have trouble starting), after that I'd look into the headlight itself/ballast although I think these are harder to test without just replacing.

Other things to check, but I wouldn't jump right into, is surrounding ground connections in the engine bay and around the driver seat - Most are lugs with a bunch of brown wires coming out.

 

Test your battery. It can cause all sorts of weird electrical issues. How to test your battery - http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...stallation.htm. Make sure all your grounds look like they're in good working condition and aren't loose. Check the ground strap from the engine mount bracket on the passenger side of the car (yellow arrow). Report back and let us know what you find out.

 

Checked all I could and everything was fine. My light is now just flickering in and off whenever. Common answer is you have xenon lights that flicker but I have halogen lights. Possibly just a bulb going out? Guess I don't understand the flickering with a halo

 

What did the battery test at? Are you still having starting issues? You can also check the connection of the bulb. I've had a poor connection before which caused the light to go in and out. This article may help you with checking that: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._and_Bulbs.htm.

 

Try switching the bulbs to see if it changes sides.