[BruceK]

It's one thing to market something. It's another to know what you are selling!

From the MOSS MINI picture below you'd think the smaller plastic protective shields MOSS sells are designed for the turn signal indicators. Wrong-O! My wife bought me a gift of these lens protectors, and the package is clearly marked "headlight/foglight". Not "turn signal". And sure enough, they are just the right diameter for the front foglights.

That makes more sense to me (although a nice set of 3 pairs of plastic pieces to protect all of the lights on the front of a MINI would really be the best). Still, I'll take my chances with having to replace a damaged the turn signal indicator assembly. They are cheaper to replace and easier to get to compared to a damaged fog light. (I'm speaking from experience - I've previously had a stone shatter the glass lens of one of my MINI's fog lamps and I had to replace one of them)

BTW, these plastic shields sold by MOSS seem like great products and the installation was easy (even including removing the bumper to properly install them on the foglamps). After a week all the haze disappeared up and they are crystal clear now.

[sniece]

That's very strange. I ordered the same set from Moss, and they were headlight and turn-signal protectors. I can't remember what the packaging said, but I KNOW the smaller protectors in my kit were way too big for the fog lamps. I agree, the installation was pretty easy, but I would recommend following the instructions to the letter, including warming up the shield. I didn't on the first one, and it was significantly more difficult to get right than the second one, which I warmed up.

Steve

[AprilWhine]

That is a good wife, getting you car accessories for gifts!

[Speedd]

I think i definitely need some of the fog protectors as was on a small Mini run and poor little pheasant decide to pop out onto the road its was hidden in the grass so i had no time to even brake. Well its for definite that i will be going to hell The poor fella took my fog light clean out of its socket and I think the bracket the light is screwed onto is now broken .
The light itself is fine but the body impact has snapped the housing so now I have to take the bumper off.

Bruce, you mentioned that you have previously removed the front bumper and was wondering if you have any advice on the removal of it ???

It was honestly inevitable to avoid the poor thing and hope it rests i peace

Anand

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by sniece
That's very strange. I ordered the same set from Moss, and they were headlight and turn-signal protectors. I can't remember what the packaging said, but I KNOW the smaller protectors in my kit were way too big for the fog lamps. ....

I'm sure it was the same kit. You see, the fog lights are larger than the appear through the holes in the front bumper. Once you take the bumper off, you'll see the full lens area on the foglights are the same size as the pair of round pieces of plastic supplied in the kit. (I guess the smaller bumper holes have to do with the size of the light pattern produced?)

I agree the small circular plastic pieces are similar to size of the turn signal lens, but the package clearly indicated they were for the foglights. Since I previously had the experience of a broken foglight lens, that's where it was important for me to apply the protectors.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by Anand
...Bruce, you mentioned that you have previously removed the front bumper and was wondering if you have any advice on the removal of it ???....

Sure. Removal and replacement of the front bumper will take as little as 15 minutes, but more likely about 30 to 45 minutes or so if you take your time (and why shouldn't you? ) (I think there are 2 likely reasons to drop the front bumper: removal and replacement of the turn signal lamp assemblies due to damage, or installation of the plastic protective covering on the foglamp lenses. Note: to change the foglamp bulbs themselves, or remove and replace the complete foglamp housing, you do not need to drop the bumper. Instead you must remove the wheel well inner lining to gain access)

(I don't have a front license plate or license plate bracket on my car, so if you have one of those you'll probably need to remove it first).

To remove the front bumper, you'll need a #2 Phillips screwdriver, 8mm (or was it 9mm?) and 10mm sockets, and a Torx T30 driver. Start by turning the front wheels all to one side to gain access to the wheel well where two bolts (one each side) hold the bumper on. This is where you use the 8mm (9mm?) socket to get to these upside down bolts. Next, you can see the 2 Torx T-30 bolts when you open your car's hood on either side of the radiator. The rest are under the bumper itself, behind the airdam skirt on the Cooper S: three 10mm bolts and two Phillips head screws holding the bottom of the bumper on to the car itself.

Make sure you put a soft covering like an old blanket on the ground while you work as the bumper just lifts (or falls) off easily and you don't want to damage it. When you have the bumper cover free, you'll see the lighting wires for the sidemarker lights, turn signal indicators, front fog lights, and temperature sensor still connecting the bumper cover to the car. They either unplug or you twist the light bulb out of the housing to free the bumper from the car. Now you can very easily see the fog lamps to apply the plastic protector covering on the lenses.

Replacement is the obvious reversal of removal. (See, I can write over-simplistic instructions just like a Haynes manual! )

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by AprilWhine
That is a good wife, getting you car accessories for gifts!

You betcha!

[Bad Manners]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK
To remove the front bumper, you'll need a #2 Phillips screwdriver, 8mm (or was it 9mm?) and 10mm sockets, and a Torx T30 driver.

Nice and clear, Bruce

I was with Anand today when this happened. Poor birdy
We found the first four nuts/bolts OK. Looks like the others are underneath.

Good luck Anand!

[GadgetGav]

I bought what is probably the same kit. I got mine from HMS Motorsport. It said headlamp / foglamp on the pack, but I found the small circular ones too big for the fogs and slightly too small for the turn signals. I ended up putting them on the turn signals becuase I didn't know about removing the bumper to expose bigger fog lenses. Wish I'd have known - I don't think you can get just the small ones can you..?

[CurtP]

Don't expect those thin pieces of plastic to protect very well if a stone gets thrown up and gets a direct hit on the lens.

[GadgetGav]

Is your glass half empty Curt..???

They are fairly thick and quite rubbery. I think they'd do a pretty good job, but I hope I never have to find out..!

[BruceK]

Here's an interesting new thread that, among other things pictured, shows the size of the front foglamp lenses with the front bumper removed and the application of the plastic protectors to those lenses. http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...&postid=403550

I lifted this image of the application of the plastic protectors to the foglight lenses from that thread because it perfecting illustrates what I was talking about above.

[Speedd]

BRUCEK Thank you very much for the instructions

I'm sad that a pheasant was involved but may it rest in peace where ever it is....

I will make an attempt in the next few days and will give all an update.

Thank goodness for MINI2 as I know BMW UK would charge me a small fortune

Anand

[kerryd]

I bought the protector set and was disappointed at the lack of film for ALL lights. A quick Google search for EXPEL turned up an inexpensive solution, however. For about $7 (+ frt.) I ordered a set of protectors for a Camaro - when I received them I cut them to size for my fogs using an appropriately sized juice glass (as a template) and an exacto knife. Now all is protected.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by kerryd
I bought the protector set and was disappointed at the lack of film for ALL lights. A quick Google search for EXPEL turned up an inexpensive solution, however. For about $7 (+ frt.) I ordered a set of protectors for a Camaro - when I received them I cut them to size for my fogs using an appropriately sized juice glass (as a template) and an exacto knife. Now all is protected.

Thanks for the tip! But after a fruitless search, I think you meant to type X-pel rather than EXPEL?


The kits on the website below are said to cover all SIX lights on the front of the MINI "Headlamp, Signal Lamp and Fog Lamp kit". Can anyone verify this?

http://www.xpel.com/

[waynef]

Quote: Originally Posted by CurtP

Don't expect those thin pieces of plastic to protect very well if a stone gets thrown up and gets a direct hit on the lens.

Mine saved mine. And the stone that hit it was H-U-G-E and on the motorway at 70mph.

I KNOW that they work. Sorry.

[Dark Silver S]

RSpeed sells a nice set of fog light protectors, and installation does not require removal of the bumper. See installation. They also sell headlight protectors. I was very pleased with their attention to customer service.