Has anyone had thiers installed yet? I know the kit cost approx. $75 and that is not including installation. My big question is according to the press release on MINI.COM the kit includes the toggle switch for the dash and that the car has to be reprogrammed. What has to be reprogrammed and can I do it myself? Thanks.

 

Greetings,

Pardon me, but I don't want the rear fog light kit !!!

My rear lights were modified by NoBull60 in May '03. (Took about 10 minutes.) The top (fog) light is now part of the brake light set up.
I like the idea of an additional brake light as I have heard of many MINIs being rear ended. I think an additional brake light may be more important to me than the fog light that I have to turn on and off manually.

Best Regards,
Ron

BTW: Welcome to MCO and a great MINI family!! Keep posting !!!


_________________

 

Ron,

I feel exactly the same way about the rear brake light mod. I did mine within two weeks of ownership and I feel much safer too. :smile:

 

I have been seriously considering that mod too. I don't have my wheels yet (8/22 EPD). My dealer is throwing in some freebies because they messed up my first order and set me back two months so I am just trying to decide what I want. I'm not in a big hurry to pay the dealer to install anything. Might use the empty toggle position for some rallaye lights (any one put Hella Black Lights on a Mini yet?) but I was real curious about the "regrogramming" blurb in the press release. Thanks for the inputs.

 

The kit won't be out until September.

The Onboard Computer (not the trip computer, but the one that holds your keyless entry options daytime running lights settings, etc...) is what needs to be programmed. Unless somebody has designed a hack for it, the average owner cannot access it. Your dealer has to do it.

As for the lights, I also have the rear brake light mod. However I also like the thought of the car being more visible all the time in poor weather, not just when I step on the brakes. So I may do it. It depends on how the lights actually work. The rear fogs on Jaguars and Land Rovers work on both the driver and passenger side, however supposedly on Volvo's only 1 lamp on one side of the car works, not both. If I can't get both than I don't want them, I may see if I can just get the switch panel installed by itself then.

 

My friend has a Volvo and I was asking about his rear fogs because I knew my MINI didn't have them. I wanted to see what they looked like. I'm pretty sure bothe sides light up. I also hope to opt for the rear fog option in september. If it is an 2002/2003, do they "punch out" the blank toggle and put in a switch? Or if not, where does the switch go?

 

I did a brake light mod that will not interfere with the eventual rear fogs. The upper and lower portions both light up with the brake applied, but the upper part remains independent for foglight use. Anyone who made the typical brakelight mod will run into problems if they want to add rear fogs; the entire brake light will be lit with the fogs on - not good.

I will post pics of this little simple mod soon.

 

>>My friend has a Volvo and I was asking about his rear fogs because I knew my MINI didn't have them. I wanted to see what they looked like. I'm pretty sure bothe sides light up. I also hope to opt for the rear fog option in september. If it is an 2002/2003, do they "punch out" the blank toggle and put in a switch? Or if not, where does the switch go?

The entire switch panel gets replaced.

 

>>The entire switch panel gets replaced.

Note to self:
"Keep original Toggle Switch Panel after paying MINI/BMW too much to upgrade what should've been included as standard. After all, I'm paying for the new part & the install!

 

The rear brake mod is nice, but that is why you have a 3rd brake light mounted high in the hatchback.

I much prefer the rear fog lights and will have the kit installed at the dealer once my '04 MCS arrives next month.

According to my tech, the installation of the kit could take anywhere between 1 to 3 hours. He will let me know the exact labor time (Rate per hour is $95 but I will negotiate that with the dealer as this is the second MINI we buy from them in less than a year) once he gets the chance to install the kit in a '04 MINI for the first time.

The toggle switch console panel must be replaced, the DME computer needs to be re-programmed. I think the wiring is already there from factory.

_________________
'02 Cooper CVT
On order: '04 Cooper S (Est production date: 9/5/03)

 

I've got the breaklight mod, but will do the foglight upgrade once available:
I would like to have a full panel of switches, for one.
I also want rear foglights that I can switch on when driving in fog.
In addition, once I get the foglight upgrade, I will do a modification to that so that the upper lights will come on when breaking (as now), or when activating the foglight switch. It's a simple mod with two high current schottky diodes.
M.

 

I'm trying to find out exactly what you get for $75. I believe (waiting for an answer from the dealer) that it is basically a new swicth panel and then programing. That should take less than an hour. My plan, unless derailed is to get the switch panel and install it the same time I install the aux cable then take it to the dealer for programing.

 

Somehow I have this uneasy feeling that MINI USA's plan for retrofitting the rear fog light is not to replace the whole switch bank. I would be extremely displeased, but not surprised, if the $75 retrofit kit is just a single switch to be mounted into a hole drilled into your knee bolster (similar to the driving light switch)

Do we have confirmation from MINI USA that the whole switch bank is to be replaced?

 

According to the press release it's a new switch bank. The $75 is JUST for the switch bank. Installation is extra

 

I was at the dealer today for my 10k oil change and asked the question on kit availability. The customer service agent, parts guy and mechanic said they have not heard of a date. No kits available.

Why announce the upgrade, then not fill the pipeline with kits? To top that, why has the dealer network not been given a date for availability as a response to enquiring customers?

SMKKVK

 

No fog Horn? (the title of the small article on the rear fog lights for MINI in my local newspaper)

Here's the article:
Mini USA is bowing to US owners' demands for rear fog lights.

"You will see a rear fog light on the Mini in the not-so-distant future," says Jack Pitney, the divisions genral manager. "And we will come up with a retrofit rear fog light for existing customers."

The decision to add the safety feature is in response to an online petition by more than 700 US Mini owners requesting rear fog lights on their cars.

Many owners say they want the feature because they fear trucks won't see their small cars in bad weather.
Fog lights are standard on Minis sold in Europe.
---------
Well I talked to several MINI dealers in the UK and they all said that the top rear light in the MINI does not come on. I was told that the bottom light comes on and when you brake it gets brighter. Then on the dash there is a rear fog light toggle switch and when it is switched on the bottom light on each side is brighter and when you press on the brake it lights up a bit more.

I've done my own jumpers in the rear and I can get the top rear red light to be on all the time (does not change with pressing the brakes) with the lights on and the bottom is on and gets brighter with the brake on. Just jump the first position with the 5th not 4th wire.

 

There is now an official bulletin at the dealership ... go to my web log for more ...

 

There is now an official bulletin at the dealership ... go to my web log for more ...

 

Upon seeing This Thread right after it was posted, I am officially first in line with my order to Classic Mini for the front and rear fog light kits. I have a detailed mod that I did a couple months back to post which details a mod what makes the unused rear fog lights work as extra brake lights WITHOUT interfering with their use as fog lights. Once I get the kit in, I will take more pics and post them all here along with my install experiences for everyone like I have done in other threads.

I cant wait!

 

>>Greetings,
>>
>>Pardon me, but I don't want the rear fog light kit !!!
>>
>>My rear lights were modified by NoBull60 in May '03. (Took about 10 minutes.) The top (fog) light is now part of the brake light set up.
>>I like the idea of an additional brake light as I have heard of many MINIs being rear ended. I think an additional brake light may be more important to me than the fog light that I have to turn on and off manually.
>>
>>Best Regards,
>>Ron
>>
>>BTW: Welcome to MCO and a great MINI family!! Keep posting !!!
>>
>>
>>_________________
>>
>>


Ron,

I would like to get my rear lights modified like you did (top fog light part of brake set up) Who did it for you? I member of MCO? I live in northern jersey who can I go to to have that done?

Thanks

RaceCarDriver

 

I know this might sound stupid to some but to each his own. I am interested in the factory kit because I do want to mod my brake lights but I would like to use the factory switch position to enable/disable the mod. I really don't think people in my area would pay much attention to the fog lights as much as the modded brake lights. At the same time I don't want everyone becoming accustom to them and not notice them.

 

Hey MINI motorers!
I've had my new mini T-REX for just over 2 weeks now, and trying to
get a handle on all the mods and add on's one can make to this car so ....
I just want to know why one should install front & rear fog lamps?
I live in nyc and other than going back to the dealer
(where I'd probably pay a premium to have them installed) where would
I go to get this done?

 

T-Rex, check out the sponser anouncements on the home page. Classic Mini has the factory front and rear fog light kits for sale. Any good shop in your area should be able to install them w/ no major problems if your not into that sort of thing.

 

>>I know this might sound stupid to some but to each his own. I am interested in the factory kit because I do want to mod my brake lights but I would like to use the factory switch position to enable/disable the mod. I really don't think people in my area would pay much attention to the fog lights as much as the modded brake lights. At the same time I don't want everyone becoming accustom to them and not notice them.

Like many other here I like the brake light mod better than the fog light mod but I do like the idea of the fog light kit if for no other reason then it would fill the gigantic hole in the dash left by the missing switch. What I was wondering is if you all think that maybe this switch could be used for the rally lamps or even a kill switch. Ok the kill switch is probably a little much because I doubt it could handle the amps but I am curious about whether or not the dealer really needs to activate the switch and if so would they entertain an alternate function?

Thanks

Chuck

 

I have applied the jumpers so my top (fog) light is now part of the brake light .

Now, here's my plan:
I have ordered the rear fog light kit from the dealer. They now say it will be December before the kit is available. Before the install I'll pull the jumpers and have the rear kit installed. Next I will order a Hella rear fog lamp (about $40 US).

Next I'll hard wire the Mini fogs to the brake lights. Yep, I'll cut the wire and splice the fogs into the brake circuit. Finally, I will splice the Halla lamp to the Mini rear fog circuit and (drum roll) I have BOTH additional brake lights AND a rear fog lamp!