have a ? about what switches do what

[fenix4o9]

hello im going to buy a mini cooper s
and in all of the ones ive found online (autotrader) only a few have a switch in the 4th switch spot
what is that switch used for and im not 100% sure about the others can someone please fill me in so i know what features im looking at online

starting from driver side

s1 looks like driver power window
s2 says "dcs" dont really know what thats for as well?
s3 looks like a lock or rear whiper or spray dono that one ?
s4 missing on almost all the minis ive seen WHAT IS IT?
s5 kinda looks like a light or something?
s6 looks like passenger power window

[M.O.S]

s2 - dsc is traction control, cornering stability control etc
s3 is a lock
s4 and 5 = fog lights

These are for r50/52/53

[MINIcharged]

Yeah, definatly fog lights, one is for front and one is for rear, the tips of the switches light up to let you know if they're on or not.

As rear fogs are a legal requirement, switch 4 will be front fogs.

[Anitan1]

So, here's a question for you gurus, I have these lights (see arrow on picture) on my car which I thought were foglights, but I have no switches in the s4, s5 spots (which are supposed to control foglights, right?). Furthermore, I can't figure out how to turn these on. No position or combination of positions on the headlight controls turns them on. Any suggestions? 2002 Cooper S

[Alfa Veloce]

Try turning the lever on the left hand side on and then push the switch upwards.. If the foglights are lit the switch(or stick) should have a small light lit at the tip..

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Anitan1 (original)

So, here's a question for you gurus, I have these lights (see arrow on picture) on my car which I thought were foglights, but I have no switches in the s4, s5 spots (which are supposed to control foglights, right?). Furthermore, I can't figure out how to turn these on. No position or combination of positions on the headlight controls turns them on. Any suggestions? 2002 Cooper S

Attachment 158683

It's possible a previous owner fitted the foglights after purchasing the car. You need to fit a new switchbank with the requried switch. If you do this you might as well retrofit the rear foglights too.

[Anitan1]

Thanks Alfa, but this didn't work (unless I'm not understanding what you are asking me to do). I guess the first thing i need to know is are these actually foglights? Why would my car have them and not have a switch in the S4 or S5 position? Is there another common method for operating these lights? If they were installed after the fact, where would the switch be located? Any help provided will be GREATLY appreciated...

[cheswick]

Quote: Originally Posted by MINIcharged (original)

Yeah, definatly fog lights, one is for front and one is for rear, the tips of the switches light up to let you know if they're on or not.

As rear fogs are a legal requirement, switch 4 will be front fogs.

I don't think rear fog lights are a legal requirement in the USA where he is from. My guess is that the ones that are missing a switch are lacking the rear fog lights not the front ones.

[Anitan1]

MINIAC,
Ok, that's reasonable and I actually considered that. But, if these were installed by the previous owner, then where would the switch be? I can't imagine he would have installed these lights as inoperable...? If I add the switchbank as you suggested, can I assume that there is already a wiring harness in place? Finally, what are the rear foglights that you mentioned? Can you provide a picture of those?

[MINIcharged]

Cheswick,
Yes, I should have mentioned that... UK requirement.

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Anitan1 (original)

MINIAC,
Ok, that's reasonable and I actually considered that. But, if these were installed by the previous owner, then where would the switch be? I can't imagine he would have installed these lights as inoperable...? If I add the switchbank as you suggested, can I assume that there is already a wiring harness in place? Finally, what are the rear foglights that you mentioned? Can you provide a picture of those?

I can't provide any insight regarding the front foglights.

The rear foglights in your MCS are already included in the rear taillight assembly. There used to be a retrofit kit available:

Official Rear Fog Retrofit Kit

[Anitan1]

Can anybody else shed some "light" on the subject???

[beken]

Anitan1's front foglights under his bumper do not look stock. It is possible the previous owner just wanted to put something there instead of the black plastic cover. If the car came with foglights from the factory or dealer retrofitted, you will have the toggles on the toggle panel. If not, the two locations would be blanked out. The front toggle (position 5) Has a green light that turns on when the front foglights are on.

In the US, a rear foglight, in fact was illegal in some states. That is why the early build 05's had the plastic cover and no provisional pre-wire for the rear foglight. It wasn't until later that they became legal. Not sure about the 2002 cars though. My own car came with the toggle for the rear foglights programmed but no wiring so they don't work. The toggle lights turn on and off like they should though.

It is possible that on that car, there is another switch somewhere that turns them on and off. The MINI front foglights are programmed to work only if the marker lights and/or headlights are turned on. If you turn on your highbeams, the foglights will turn off. The green bulb on the toggle will turn off also. If you turn off all your lights, the foglights will also turn off. Then when you turn your lights back on, the foglights will default to the off position and you have to turn them on again.

Foglights are actually hard to see if they are on or off, if you are sitting in the driver's seat. They are pointed low directly in front of your car and the beam is wider than your headlights. What happens is they light up the area directly in front of your car. I find when it rains, I can see the road lines much better with them on. Otherwise, those that turn them on during perfectly clear evenings (or even daytime ) are doing it strictly for looks. They really are a safety asset when it gets really foggy at night.

The rear foglight is actually VERY BRIGHT. If you turn it on on a clear night (or even during the day) you can actually blind the person behind you. So if you have it, use it only if you absolutely need to. I have followed a car which had a rear foglight mounted too high. After a traffic light turned green and he drove away, I was temperarily blinded to while pulling away from the intersection. If the car in front of me had slammed on the brakes, I would not have seen it.

[Anitan1]

OK, I dug into these over the weekend. The previous owner wired these lights in parallel with the lights shown immediately above the fogs in the picture (specifically the smaller side bulb inside the light). Since those lights (I think they are parking lights) work, I'm guessing the bulbs on the fogs are burnt out. Unfortunately, they seem to be extremely difficult to get to in order to change them.

Also, the lights appear to be very poor quality. So, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble to put the effort into changing them. I'm thinking I should rip them out and replace them with a factory set and new switchbank. I understand this will be fairly technical, but I think it's the best way to proceed. Thoughts?

PS. Here's a link to another thread, in which I posted several pics of the vehicle. Let me know what you think...
MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring - My first Cooper S

[beken]

As I understand it, most people remove the fender liner inside the wheelwell to get at pretty well anything. Though I've never done it myself, I am under the impression that removing the fender liner is as simple as popping the 3 or 4 plastic hold down rivots and easing the liner over your wheel. Sounds like it takes 5 minutes to do.

If you do install a new switch panel, consider installing the panel with all the switches (including the rear foglight). You may not actually install a rear light, but having that extra switch fills the blank nicely. I don't think the full panel costs any more than the one with the rear foglight switch blanked out.

I suspect your current front foglights are there strictly for looks and not foglight functionality. The factory ones work much better, but I think there are some aftermarket ones that are even better.