need help with xenon lights anyone please???

[funk-star]

Firstly hi, im new as you can tell.

Secondly i am the owner of a 02-2005 mini one and have set about improving the look. I have recently aquired a pair or xenon lights nicely donated by a good friend that works at mini. I today instaled them and they worked fine or so i thought.

the xenons work with the car not running OK but as soon as i start the car they stop working, there are no loose wires and i cant figure what it is.

Is there any other parts i need i have the lights and the ballest. Do i need a special relay? or fuse? or is there a control unit?

Basically if any one has any ideas as to why this is happening please please please help.

Thanking you all in advance

Mark

PS: if you are looking for roof graphics with a difference i can make any design if a drawing/picture is provided, and at a price cheaper than any where in the UK (special discount for any one that comes up trumps with my xenon problem)

[Restyle]

Hi Funk Star & Welcome to MINI2.

Not sure what the problem is as you say they work without the engine running, so they`re getting the right voltage from somewhere ... unless its the ECU needed to be told about the XENONS

Anyway ..onto the more important stuff
Got any good ideas about roof graphics for cars with the sunroof, where the blackness of the roof remains as part of the design ??

[funk-star]

well im currently making myself a transformers autobot symbol for my roof, having problems in locating a vynal that gives a look of a hologram, might just do it in chrome. as to the sunroof graphic you may be able to do something with a semi transparant vynal (like windo tinting only out side) therefore giving the effect of a graphic but without the loss of light.

with the xenons are there normaly a control box for them? i cant work it out its like when the engine is started i sucks the power out of the lamps.

might stick them on ebay if i cant get to the bottom of it!

[Berthil]

I know Xenons are not permitted if you don't have a washer installation and auto-adjust beam height. Did you also install this? May be the height is controlled by the ECU but something is not communicating there so the ECU shuts the lights of assuming there is something wrong with the height adjustment, this to prevent blinding of oncoming traffic with the strong xenons. Jus a suggestion, I'm not a BMW technician.
O yeah, a nice Dutch lion in black and gray on my white roof would be awesome .

[Wobert]

IIRC the Xenon lights have to be programmed by the dealer........this may explain why they extinguish once the engine is started.

To be legal, you should also have the wash and levelling system as well. The wash can be bought from a dealer for £125, but the levelling system is part of the rear suspension assembly.

Without the above, the car will fail an MOT......

HTH

Robert

[funk-star]

didnt fit the washers, cant see that it would cause the lights not to work, but you might have something with the auto leveling i can adjust the level via the manual height adjustment in the car, and when i turn the car off the lights make a funny noise like a motor turning or something.
Im sure that some one must have fitted xenons after as a option i just need to track this person down!

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berthil

...O yeah, a nice Dutch lion in black and gray on my white roof would be awesome .

Get to work Funk Star

[Wobert]

Quote: Originally Posted by funk-star

didnt fit the washers, cant see that it would cause the lights not to work, but you might have something with the auto leveling i can adjust the level via the manual height adjustment in the car, and when i turn the car off the lights make a funny noise like a motor turning or something.
Im sure that some one must have fitted xenons after as a option i just need to track this person down!

My original reply did say that you have to have the lights programmed by the dealer.....

The levvelling motors get their signal from the sensors fitted to the rear suspension........if these sensors were not fitted, the system is unlikely to work correctly.

To drive with Xenons without wash or levelling is inconsiderate to other road users IMHO, as you will no doubt be blinding them with mis-aligned lights, made worse with lenses covered in road dirt. If the car will not pass an MOT in it's current state, then technically it is illegal to use on the road.

That's why all factory fit Xenon lights have these two items fitted in conjunction.

As a retrofit kit, BMW charge £785 plus fitting. I know of only one other person on here who has fitted these lights. They gave up because it was too costly to do properly.

To finish, the loom that "feeds" these lights is made from thicker gauge wire, due to the extra electrical load that is drawn when they are on. You seriously risk a fire, should the exisiting loom be unable to cope with the additional load.

HTH

Robert
(ex-Automotive Engineer)

[funk-star]

yea can do that piece of cake it would have to be either black or grey cant see what would be grey in the graphic. will get you a price should be about 2oz of finest duch super skunk
it will be about £45 for the material and about 2 hours designing so about £100 plus P&P will confirm.

Any one want to buy some xenon lights

[Wobert]

Quote: Originally Posted by funk-star

.....Any one want to buy some xenon lights

Sorry matey.......

[funk-star]

if the manual h/light adjustment is at the correct height then should this not be acceptable? also the dirty lenses should only be a problem if your a lazy git and dont keep your car looking factory clean. or if you run out of washer water would this not be of equal danger?

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by funk-star

..Any one want to buy some xenon lights

I hear BMW are missing a pair from their Factory ...Try Them

[funk-star]

any one wanta mini one? ill build my own mini via the back door of mini, got the xenons just a few more bits and i should have a mini cooper s by Xmas 2010.

sure you dont want some xenons they look very nice and shiny

[Berthil]

Quote: Originally Posted by Restyle

Get to work Funk Star

YES PLEASE!!! That Lion is almost as in the Dutch weaponshield which I would love on my roof (see pic).

It was me who was first with the auto-leveling system (and washers), it's just my crappy English that I called it auto-adjust beam-height

But sorry you probably can't get the xenons to work easily.

[Oz-i]

Have you checked that the Xenons are actually OK? We have Xenons on our 2003 Cooper and had some issues with the right one. After some trips to the dealer it now has been replaced under warranty. When we met with the dealer this weekend, he told us that there now is a known issue with the Xenon registered in the MINI PUMA system. Retrofit seems to be the solution.

You also start to wonder why your good friend did donate these lights?