Originally posted by Grinder
A while ago there was a thread where some guy claimed to have broken through the MINIUSA code and enabled his foglights through software... What ever happened to that?

Oh man...if that were true, we could enable all sorts of good things! Imagine having your heated seats come on when the temperature is below X degrees? This is something for the software gurus among us to get cracking on! (no pun intended)

Steve

WOW!
Great news - but too early to celebrate until we hear the details. Still, this is highly encouraging and a VERY positive step for MINI USA to take!!


From AutoWeek magazine at http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...t_code=05902078

"Mini will get a rear fog lamp in the not-too-distant future," says Jack Pitney, head of Mini’s U.S. operation. Pitney says all U.S. Minis, new and used, will get rear fog lamps.

:-)

Jason

Jason, Thank you for your efforts!

Very grateful to you.:)

Maybe I'm not seeing the right article, (I looked at THIS AUTOWEEK LINK (http://www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=autoshows&content_code=05902078) ) but where does it mention that new AND used Mini's will be getting the upgrade? Also, anyone know of a trickle-down effect into Canadian spec Mini's?

Steve

Originally posted by sniece
Maybe I'm not seeing the right article, (I looked at THIS AUTOWEEK LINK (http://www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=autoshows&content_code=05902078) ) but where does it mention that new AND used Mini's will be getting the upgrade? Also, anyone know of a trickle-down effect into Canadian spec Mini's?

Steve

Full text of the page you just linked:

Mini will offer rear fog lamp in not too distant future

Mini will get a rear fog lamp in the not-too-distant future, says Jack Pitney, head of Mini’s U.S. operation.
Big deal?

Well, it is to 729 signers of an e-petition (petitiononline.com/MINIfogs) irked over a disabled fog lamp that dresses the Mini’s rear end.

Europe gets the working edition of the lamp, but U.S.-spec cars are lacking the switch and software to activate the light. Pitney says all U.S. Minis, new and used, will get rear fog lamps.

The last sentence in that little article says "Pitney says all U.S. Minis, new and used, will get rear fog lamps." This news in AutoWeek generated huge activity on MINI2 and other lists, but I've not seen anything else anywhere that feels official to me?

Wouldn't you expect a Presse Release or MINIUSA.Com notification?

Originally posted by johnewald

Wouldn't you expect a Presse Release or MINIUSA.Com notification?

I'd only expect a press release when they know which end is up. As we've shown in the thread, its not simple and there's a bunch of things that need to get sorted out, now that the plan is in place. When there's dates and hardware and costs set out, a release would be useful. Otherwise it'll be a release that creates more questions then it answers.

My car was in for service today and I asked the Service Advisor to find out about the rear fog light reto-fit for used MINIs per Pitney's announcement. He said his contact at MINIUSA did not know about this yet....

I also asked a MINI sales person who had never even heard of rear fog lights....

So, it looks like we'll have to wait a while for this to filter down...

Originally posted by johnewald
The last sentence in that little article says "Pitney says all U.S. Minis, new and used, will get rear fog lamps." This news in AutoWeek generated huge activity on MINI2 and other lists, but I've not seen anything else anywhere that feels official to me?



Ooops, I did read it, but must have had a brain dump when I read the last sentence! :rolleyes: Thanks for pointing it out. I'll have to remember to ask my dealer about this when I'm in for service in a couple of weeks.

Steve

If I were to go out and BUY a copy of Autoweek at the newsstand, which issue would this appear in?

(I'm willing to spend a few $ to have this in print, as I suspect it will be needed later on to get them to honor it...)

Apparently the link is dead already - didn't work for me...

It's not out yet in print. Print out from their website, then check next week's (Monday 5/19) issue at the stands or at home if you get it.

Gee - wonder if my Mini -build date TOMORROW!!!!! Will get them?!

Dave

Does this mean we'll have to pay for them or that they'll retrofit for free?

Dave

Originally posted by Dave
Does this mean we'll have to pay for them or that they'll retrofit for free? Dave

The idea with the petition was that we'd pay for it. However, MINI's announcement seems to indicate that this will be free.

Jason

The person I spoke with at 866-ASK-MINI indictaed that it would be a free retrofit. Only time will tell...

wow! this is excellent news!

i guess BMW bent the DOT's arm into making our 'illegal' rear lamp fall into compliance, eh =)

Glad to hear we're finally going to see a retrofit. :)

Originally posted by Qamper
The person I spoke with at 866-ASK-MINI indictaed that it would be a free retrofit. Only time will tell...

Ooooh. Well, MINI USA HQ still haven't given me their final confirmation of the plan on this one.

A free retro fit would be expensive, so I guess they have to way up the PR pros and cons.

I know we're making progress, but I feel obligated to point out yet another accident. In Maryland too, not exactly where you'd expect 85 cars to squish into each other in the fog. Sadly, seems at least 2 people have died.

http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20030523-104906-5776r.htm

This has better pictures but less text:

http://www.sunspot.net/news/health/bal-te.md.accident24may24,0,1754693.story?coll=bal-health-headlines

A free retro fit would be expensive, so I guess they have to way up the PR pros and cons.

I wonder if perhaps, due to costs, instead of it being a new switch panel and software, if they will just update the software to turn on the rear fogs with the regular fog lamp switch (perhaps up for rear, down for front?)

Steve

Think that would be much more trouble than the existing method. At least as far writing the programing.
Installing the new switch takes about 15 minutes. Updating the computer another 10. To rewrite the entire program for the switch to activate two different lights as well as rewiring it for said function could require as much as 3 months of work before you even get to installing. Install itself could require as much as 3 hours of labor for rewiring.

It would likely have to be an updated software build specific for NA cars though I would assume. My guess would be that they wouldn't just be able to drop in code written for European specs? Unless the fog lamps work in the software the same way the DRLs work, in which case it's just flagging the rear fogs to 'enabled'...is this the way people are figuring it at this point? I was just thinking of it as not having a cost to replace hardware.

Steve

sniece,
The toggle switches in the panel do not have "up" and "down" functions - switching in either direction gives the same signal to the electronics.

It appears that there is not a simple change in the SA code, like the DRLs were ... unless I messed up all the testing!
UK owners: When exactly do the rear fogs function?
Do the side lights have to be on? the head lights? does the engine need to be running?


Currently I know that if you have the six switch toggle panel, then all the wiring is present for the electronics to sense the switch, drive the LED and turn the lamps on.

I think that a change will be needed in the software program in the MINI dealerships computer but hopefully not in the car electronics.

Originally posted by iancull
sniece,
The toggle switches in the panel do not have "up" and "down" functions - switching in either direction gives the same signal to the electronics.


Maybe I'm confused, but last time I checked, the windows opened only when the toggle was down, and closed only when the toggle was up, so it seems it is possible, but unknown if its the software that interprets those two toggles as such, or if they're actually different to allow that feature.

Originally posted by stryder
Maybe I'm confused, but last time I checked, the windows opened only when the toggle was down, and closed only when the toggle was up, so it seems it is possible, but unknown if its the software that interprets those two toggles as such, or if they're actually different to allow that feature.

Ian, Stryder,

I think some of the switches have different tracks to the connector for up and down and some don't... I haven't got the schematic I worked out from the PCB here at the moment but I think that's how it is. Obviously the windows have to have two different contacts as stryder says, but most (all) of the others do the same thing whether you push them up or down, so they share a pin to the BC1. The software just works out that if the thing is on, turn it off and if it's off, turn it on.

O.K. I searched around in different forums and didn't find anything so maybe I'm the first on MINI2 to mention it, but it appears the official rear-fog retrofit kit is now availble for the US from your MINI dealer as of September 25th. I'm including pictures of the actual bulletin, but it apparently consists of the appropriate rocker panel switch as well as the CD 35 software upgrade which enables the swtitch to activate the lights.

I just happen to be bringing my S in to the dealer on Monday so I'll ask about them ordering the kit and let you know.

Enjoy!!

Great news! Thanks for posting the info. Time for me to setup something with my dealer...

Jason

The info was posted on the thread started by MINI Division here:http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?p=524719 somewhere around the end (Page 6...)

Alas, now that we have rear fog lights, we no longer have rear fog lights ('05)
Sigh.

Well, at least it seems that they're planning on having a dealer installed kit for them again. And even if you're in CA or OR, I'd like to think you could go out of state and get it installed, not like half the things people do with civics in CA are legal.