I have an '06 R52 JCW car with almost every option that could come with the car as far as I know.....one thing that it does not have is the red rear fog light assembly in the lower part of the rear bumper just above the exhaust tips. I did find the clear back up lens and housing assembly as found on the '04 and earlier cars a while back. My car came with just the little cover in there, no light at all.....I did pull the plastic cover out and looked inside the bumper and saw that the plug with the 2 wires are there taped up to the wire harness that runs from side to side

So, seeing as my '06 has the reverse lights up in the tail lights, my plan was to install the clear single lens & housing and just put a red 1156 bulb in there for the fog light that my car didn't come with. I reached through the bumper hole and pulled the wire connector though and connected it to my clear housing socket. Then I started the car, turned the lights and front fog lights on and looked at the rear of the car, it did not light up.....and yes, the bulb is new. Well crap, I kinda figured that it could not be that easy.

I also put the car in reverse just to see if it would light up as a back up light.....nope, nuthin again

So I called my local MINI dealer and asked to talk with the service department. One of the service advisers answered and I told her of what I was doing and asked how much it would cost me to have the car "coded" for a rear fog light to work in conjunction with the fronts......she had to go and ask someone else because I think she was new there...I know most of all the service and parts people there from visiting this dealer almost every weekend since last year when I got this car. She came back on the line and said that it could not be done....so I asked her why not?? The car is wired for something back there and the rear fog was optional to the car.....she didn't have an answer for me, so she took my name & number to have a service tech or an adviser call me back with an answer. That was over 2 hours ago...nobody called. I called them back and got a different person and explained my issue with the rear light not working.

She came back to me and said that it would be $145 + tax to have this little light coded to operate with the front fog lights.

REALLY???? $145+???? not gonna happen, I mean, how hard could it be to push a few buttons on a scanner to tell the bulb to work!!!

So I have two options here, either run one wire from the rear socket connection to the front of the car and tie it into the relay that operates the front fog lights, or, cut and splice that power wire and tap into the rear brake light wires and have it light up as another brake light.......

One person there said that the car could not be coded, and another said it would be $145 to have it done.....so which is it? Can the car be coded to make it work as OE or not?

Bryan

 

The light above your exhaust is the backup light. Rear fog lights are integrated into the top of the tail lights but it appears that your lights have been replaced with aftermarket LEDs.

 

Yes, the rear fog lamp can be coded in, but for it to be possible, you will need to have the toggle bank, p/n 61316958037 (Toggle Switch Bank - DSC / Front Fog Lights / Rear Fog Light), which has the rear fog lamp switch present. If the rear fog toggle switch is missing (a blank) on the toggle bank currently on your vehicle, the rear fog lamp simply will not work. As to the price charged at the dealer, it's usually a minimum 1-hour shop/labor fee to program the options, so if it's something you're going to do, I'd research if there are other options still available to you that you might not currently have, such as daytime running lights, chime when low fuel lamp illuminates, etc., then you can do multiples for the same fee.

On an '06, that light would actually be a rear fog light. Reverse lamps are in the tail lamp housing
The wires are there despite the lamp not present. Since the rear fog lamp option was not included when the car was assembled, the plastic plug was there.

 

Not on an '06.....back up lights are in the tail lights in 2005 & 2006 first gen cars

Bryan

 

Thanks, I did not know that I had to have the toggle switch bank with the extra fog switch.....those are kinda hard to find......so I guess I'll stick with my plan of running a wire from the rear fog to the front and only use the front fog toggle to operate all 3 lights. I'll put a red LED light in the rear for the fog lamp

My car already has the daytime lamps lit, and the low fuel warning chime as well......

Bryan

 

My 2cents. I have a 06 with the rear fog light, ( I mostly use it for those fools on the highway that seem to think I'm not there and want to be in the same spot that I'm currently occupying, when I flash them, they think I'm giving them a Brake Check, it works).... I digressed. The backup light is located in the left and right rear lens and the Fog light is just above the exhaust tips. There is a toggle switch that activates it rear Fog Light.

 

And yea guys....I know these rear tail lenses are not stock....I'm trying to find a decent OE set that I can afford, and also find a stock red third brake light for the convertible....I'm not fond of these "clear" LED lenses

Bryan

 

Yes. A dealer coded the rear fog on my '06 R52, over 13 years ago. You'll also need a console switch bank that has a rear fog switch. Here is the rear fog project I did in 2005: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d-extreme.html

$145 for dealer coding really doesn't surprise me. I guess you haven't dealt much with BMW/MINI service departments. You can code it yourself with a PC and cable — search this forum for NCS Expert software.

 

I don't have the special console switch bank that has the rear fog toggle.... I have seen them, rather pricey.

I will either run a wire to the front and tie it up to the front fog light relay, or tap into the rear brake light and have it as a fourth brake light back there.

My '04 R53 didn't get the rear fog option either, so I made those two lights at the top of the lenses light up as extra brake lights also along with the bottom bulbs. Really lights up the rear of the car. Plus I put LEDs in all the rear lights as well

Bryan. (I will try to get a picture of the '04 with the lights on)

 

If you find a toggle bank for a decent price, you can do the coding yourself. I did not have any fogs on my 05 R53 and retrofitted the fronts and added the light in the back. Found the toggle on ebay for $50 or something like that. Then codded the car. Cost me around $200. That included the front fog light kit from ECS, OBD coding cable and toggle bank.

But running a wire will allow you to turn bot front and back with one switch

 

I see the toggle switch bank frequently on ebay.

 

I agree with the value of the rear fog lights. I have found them to be effective at adding a little space behind me on the highway. I try to keep it on instead of flashing it to stop the guy behind me from getting that close in the first place. Since there are so few cars on the road with a rear fog light, people tend to pay more attention to the cars that have them. I assume they suspect I am riding my brakes and stay away from me assuming I don't know how to drive.

If you intend to use it to deter others from tailgating, I think linking the rear fog light to the front fog lights is a better idea than the separate switch. It should be a far cheaper option saving both the programming and the extra switch.

 

Regarding rear fog lamp usage, the only time I activate them is when weather warrants the use of them; i.e., fog, heavy rain (which adds more spray from rear). Keeping them on all the time would serve to annoy drivers behind you, as they are quite bright.

As to pricing of the toggle switch bank (p/n 61316958037), when I was on the hunt for mine, I found that one could be sourced on eBay from salvage yards the UK at a much lower price than could be found in the 'States, even with shipping added. I believe I paid $38 total USD for mine including shipping. There are a lot more of those toggle banks in the UK/Europe, as rear fogs are required by law in many countries there. Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Volvo all have rear fogs standard, even the US sold cars.

 

That is my plan at this point, just tie it into the fronts.....should have done this when I had the entire interior out of the car, would have been easier to run a single wire up front

Bryan

 

Keep in mind that if you do hard wire to front fogs, they will turn off and turn on whenever you turn on and turn off high-beams, which will appear as applying brakes to motorist behind you.

 

Good...maybe that will get them off from tailgating my butt......drivers up here are in such a hurry to get nowhere fast.....

Bryan