2nd Gen R55 Clubman Most liked posts in thread: Unused Dash Switches

IMHO this would be the easiest way to add a switch and still make it look OEM (but a bit pricey).... Item #3 is the color matched dash panel and switch for the factory driving lights. If you aren't concerned about the OEM aspect, well then you can do just about anything.....



RealOEM.com * BMW R56 Cooper S INSTALLING SET ADDITIONAL HEAD LIGHT

 

Well......
The wife is going to be involved with a horse show this weekend, sooooooo.....

Stop on by my shop on Saturday and I'll find that fuse for ya.....

Being newly retread err retired (that word keeps trippin me up) Hehehe, you certainly have the time to make the quick run over here.....

 

It's probably a tough question. The thing about the MINI from an electrical standpoint is that practically everything is routed through the ECU with special programming that identifies each operating system. The button you are pointing is a dummy button cover (#5) for electrically heated windshield offered in Europe (we get the button cover). That's a pretty complicated electrical module. It would be near impossible for you to incorporate or modify for your intended use (and a very expensive part itself). My guess is you would have a hard time making it work IMHO.



An easier switch might be the optional factory driving light switch that mounts to the right of the tachometer in the dash trim panel.

 

MINI switches are "fly by wire", so there are no wires. I'm guessing your best bet is to remove the current switch and install one of your own, which might not be easy.

Jim

 

Speaking of the OEM driving lights MM, I still have not located the stupid fuse. Not in the kick well that I can find. I have no idea where they put it, as it was a dealer add on. :mad2:

Jim

 

The one for the driving lights is an add on and has wires. The ones on the dash (at least the toggles) activate a sending unit that talks to the ECU. It isn't a switch as you know one.

Jim

 

In a word.......yes.

Jim

 

You don't have to use the car's computer to operate aftermarket driving lights. I am in the process of adding driving lights to my MINI, they will be wired independently of the car's wiring. With their own fuses and triggering relay tapped into the high beam wire of one of the headlights, I want them to work only when the high beams are on. I am installing the driving light switch onto the turn signal stalk, where it will be out of sight but easily accessible. It doesn't have to be a big switch, as it will only be handling the trigger current for the relay and not the full current of the driving lights.

I will use a thermosetting plastic modeling material, called Fimo, to sculpt a switch housing that will blend with the turn signal stalk and not look out of place.

Dave

 

Without holding the OEM switch in my hand and testing it, I don't know if it's a SPDT or a momentary contact switch (like a door bell button). If it's SPDT then yes, just hook it up or through a relay for higher amperage requirements with a fuse of course. If its a momentary contact you will need to use a "latching relay". This will allow a momentary contact switch to latch on with the first push of the button and then latch off with the second push of the button.....

 

If it were me I wouldn't cut the wiring. Just tap into something easy like the cigarette lighter wire. NAPA sells something called Posi Tap that makes doing this easy.

 

The metal point pierces through the wire insulation when you tighten one end. The other end handles the wire you're making the connection with.
They work best in areas that aren't exposed to the elements. Corrosion can enter into the connection pierce if it gets wet.

 

No. Almost all switches in the MINI are momentary. Most switches are not connected to the actual function. They are connected to the computer, which detects that a button has been pressed, and the computer performs the function.

The windshield heater switch would be momentary, just like the rear defogger switch. If you turn off the car while the switch is on, it will be off when you turn on the car again. If it were a mechanical SPDT switch, it would stay on.

 

It's in the footwell area. Look at the diagrams in the installation instructions: http://motoringfile.com/files/R56_aux_lights.PDF

BTW, judging from the wiring diagram, it looks like the driving light switch is momentary.