Fog lights and side lights on together

[GordonD]

i am trying to get the fog lights to stay on when the side lights (i.e. no headlights) are on. In Canada we have DRLs on in "No Light" or "Side Lights" mode but the fog lights only stay lit when I have the side lights on and the hand brake on - not optimum for driving.

I am concerned that that the Xenons are too bright in heavy snow and would like to use the DRLs and the fog lights but need to know how to stop the handbrake nonsense

[monsta]

Hang on, am I reading this correctly?

Your fog lights only work if you hand brake is on?!

Thats gotta be wrong!

Just for the record my UK MINI's front foglights work as long as the side lights are on and work entirly independent of the handbrake

[GordonD]

Unfortunately you've got it right.

for some reason the DRL's go out when you put the hand brake on (my Miata - MX5 to you - did the same with the turn signals which were used as DRLs.

It's kind of weird if you are driving with 'no' lights - meaning DRLs only - and they go out at every traffic light when you put the hand brake on.

[monsta]

Even with the whole DRL thing it sounds wrong, get your dealer to investigate

[GordonD]

actually forgot one other thing - the fog lights come on (assuming the switch is on) only when the DRLs go off.

If you run full headlights then the Xenons and fog lights stay on together no matter where the hand brake is but the fogs go out as soon as you put high beams on

[motoring]

It's an issue with the DRL's. The fog lights don't work if the highbeam circuit is active and the DRL's run on the highbeam circuit.

[stryder]

Quote:

Originally posted by motoring
It's an issue withthe DRL's. The fog lights don't work if the highbeam circuit is active and the DRL's run on the highbeam circuit.

Smells more like a Canadian Quirk. (Or a flaw, I'm not sure) My car has DRL's programmed, and I can drive with the running lights on, and the fogs, and DRL's. DRL's will only light however if the handbrake is down. (I'm pretty sure this is the case since I tested it like 2 days ago).

Its logical the "automatic" DRL programming for Canadian MINIs somehow is weird and figures if you're using the fogs you don't need DRLs. (I recall seeing some early 90's cars in Canada using their fogs as DRLs).

[stryder]

Quote:

Originally posted by stryder



Smells more like a Canadian Quirk. (Or a flaw, I'm not sure) My car has DRL's programmed, and I can drive with the running lights on, and the fogs, and DRL's. DRL's will only light however if the handbrake is down. (I'm pretty sure this is the case since I tested it like 2 days ago).

So I parked behind a minivan, so I tested this. Doesn't work for me either. I sit corrected. I can play with the handbrake which effectively switches DRL's and fogs just as you said. I guess you need to futz with something about the handbrake sensor? sorry. (eh, blame MINI)

[GordonD]

Thanks for people's comments.

i suspect there is some strange law at work here but I will ask MINI and if they can't/won't fix it maybe I'll try Joe's garage

[HarryHBMCC]

It is a combination of things. MINI felt it was silly to allow the highbeams and fogs to be on at the same time since highbeams bounce off fog. BUT they didn't take into account the fact that low intensity DRLs, which happen to be highbeams, don't have this problem but when they're on they still cut off the fogs. In Canada the only way to turn on the fogs is to turn off the highbeams which means either turning on the lowbeams or pulling up the handbrake. Driving around with the handbrake on for long periods is not recommended, even just at the first click.

You'll have to splice into the light wiring harness. I thought a thread a while ago mentioned this when discussing how to splice in the driving lights. Search for "driving lights" and you might find it, mentioning which pins do what.

I'm fairly certain that MINI won't touch the harness. It is illegal for them to disable the DRLs and I doubt there is any way for them to convince the MINI that DRLs aren't highbeams and thus shouldn't cut off the fogs.

Harry

[GordonD]

thanks Harry - as always you are a source of reasoned ideas.

i guess i will see if I can get my local garage to decouple the fogs from the rest of the lighting so that i can have them on or off at my discretion - just like an adult.

I never understood the rational of having DRLs go off when the handbrake is applied. It used to bug me in my Miata and it bugs me in the MCS so I suppose it is a Transport Canada thing.

[HarryHBMCC]

In a way, I'm surprised that they even let the parking brake lift turn off the DRLs. If Transport Canada had its way, the DRLs would be on when the key was in the ignition.

Only thing I wonder is how high up the cutoff circuit goes? IIRC, the green LED on the switch turns off when you turn the highbeams on which indicates that it might not be as simple as a jumper in the light harness unless you always want the fogs on with the running lights or something like that.

Harry

[GordonD]

i suspect h atyou are right and its not just a simple fix.
My thinking is more along the lines of can someone wire the fog light directly into the switch on the panel in such a way that it is on or off and my discretion

I have a small garage locally where the races and has a couple of kit car type of projects on the go - he might be a good one as a couple of his mechanics run BMWs and probably are familiar with the intricasies (sp?) of the wiring

[motoring]

It is not a simple rewiring project. The toggle switches are like keyboard buttons…there is no direct connection between the toggle and the light. It is merely a trigger that tells the BC1 to turn on the fog lights.

It would be possible to wire the fog lights to operate the way you would like but not with the factory toggle. I am not an electrician, but I understand that the toggle switches are microswitches only capable of handling very low current. Conversion of the toggle (and green led) will be quite difficult.

Good luck, I know lots of people will be interested if you come up with a solution.

[monsta]

In the UK, the fogs stay on even with high beam