04 S with aero wires over driver's sill
 

Yesterday a dropped socket while reinstalling the immobilizer unit in my 04 Mini Cooper S JCW with areo package required the removal of the left (driver) side side panel and door seal to find it. With the rubber seal and the side panel off we saw a small wrapped cable that came from the forward area along the inside of the sill and then up across the top of the sill through a hole in the sill flange and then under the side aero trim. I should have taken a photo of it while the trim and seal were off but didn’t think of it at the time. I looked under the Mini today and see nothing underneath in the area of where the wiring crosses the sill and I have no idea what it is for. Any suggestions?

Wiring for the optional lighted JCW door sills?

I wondered about lighting under the car, but I don't feel anything under there. Did this option have visible LEDs in the side panels? Guess I should take up the door seal on the other side and see if there are wires there also. I don't see anything along the lower side that would light up, but these panels could have been changed before I got it.

The illuminated sills are in the door jamb. They had JCW logo, MINI, and MINI COOPER S versions. Here's a pic of the S sill.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...d9d1d37f68.jpg

Here are the instructions. There are holes drilled under the sills for the wiring so maybe those are your wires. http://www.motoringfile.com/files/il...door_sills.PDF

Thanks. I just went out to look at my sills and there does seem to be translucent plastic in the Mini Cooper S logos on the sills, but nothing lights up, even with the lights on, so perhaps there are lamps that are burned out.

I learn something new every day on this car. I am amazed at how many variations there are and how many accessories were offered. Is that a BMW thing? Or a Mini thing? Now if that light could just keep folks from kicking the speaker grill while getting in and out.

Update: after reading the installation instructions it appears that these do not have replaceable lamps and they are stick on strips. I am not sure I'd want to try prying them off to see, and definitely not while the weather is below freezing - better to have them not light up than be broken, because replacements start at $250 and are apparently not available for Gen1 Minis. But at least I now know what the wires were for.

The instructions have all of the wiring so that should help you troubleshoot why the sills aren't illuminating.

The variations and accessories are a MINI thing... they called it You-ification. Now they have a program for new MINI's called MINI Yours which offers more exclusive and hand-crafted options.

Guess my Mini has had its share of you-ification and some de-you-ification too. I still need to pull the bonnet insulation blanket to find the driving light wiring the PO said he tucked up there (that's Tucked with a T) when he changed the bonnet and grill. The switch for driving lights is still there but it doesn't light up so perhaps it has to be connected to lights for the indicator to work. If the wiring is still good, I saw an eBay kit that included the brackets for $80 - Probably Chinese, but still might last awhile with care.

BTW, anyone know what kind of lighting was in the lighted sills? Tiny LEDs on the ends of the plastic inserts perhaps?

Tiny LEDs, they are a very rare option to have. Some people have done the DIY route, so its possible to have that.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...door-sill.html


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...df763aef7e.jpg