1st Gen R53 Cooper S Windshield replaced - now automatic lights on all the time

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by Thunderball Kaboom, Sep 8, 2010.

  1. Thunderball Kaboom

    Thunderball Kaboom New Member

    Aug 17, 2010
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    I am the Coordinator for a program that provides h
    Live and play in Central Phoenix - Camelback corri
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    Hello All:
    I recently purchased a 2007 Cooper S, that was scheduled to have its windshield replaced the day I bought it. The car has automatic wipers/headlights. The first windshield that was installed was for a MINI without the auto feature - they simply glued the sensor box to the glass! I complained and they installed the correct windshield for the auto sensor, but now my auto lights seem to come on all the time - once they are triggered, they stay on. I really didn't look at the sensor area before the replacement, and have seen a variety of configurations - some solid with a blue tint (currently on the car), some with the sensors exposed on the passenger side of the box. The wipers work as they should.

    Can anyone help with what might be wrong? I checked and don't have the daytime running lights set. Here are my thoughts:

    1) The blue covering the sensor is wrong for the model, and is tricking the sensor into thinking it's night all the time. I want to say the two "bulbs" on the passenger side for the sensor were originally exposed, but I really can't say.
    2) I've somehow set up a funky configuration in the system
    3) Something's been shorted out during the install
    4) some sort of reset/recalibration needs to be done
    5) This is normal (would a truck casting a shadow trigger the lights?)

    I was going to check to see if the blue tint was removable, but while I can get the plastic cover off, the sensor box seems solidly mounted. Does anyone know what is used to mount it, and if simply pulling hard will work (or damage the sensor in the process)? I'm hoping to learn whether the flat surface of the sensor box is a sensing surface, or just a cover for the electronics with the the two "bulbs" on the passenger side being the sensors.

    Thanks in advance for any help. The windshield install techs were buffoons - I don't want to take the car back to them. All my dealer rep wanted to do was sell me a new windshield install.

    The first picture is my current windshield. The second is of a car (unknown year, but 2nd gen) at the dealer.
     

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  2. Dr Obnxs

    Dr Obnxs New Member

    Jun 11, 2009
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    A Man of Wit and Charm! (Just ask my wife!)
    Woodside, CA, up in the hills and trees.
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    I don't know the cause

    but it's not normal. You can see if the windshield part numbers are different for the different years by spending some time on realoem.com. Let whomever installed the windshield know you have a problem. I'm guessing a dealer visit is in your future, but you should be able to hand the bill over to the windshield guys! They aren't making any money on this install, that's for sure!

    Matt
     
  3. Thunderball Kaboom

    Thunderball Kaboom New Member

    Aug 17, 2010
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    I am the Coordinator for a program that provides h
    Live and play in Central Phoenix - Camelback corri
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    +1 / 0 / -0
    Thanks so much - I'll check out the website.
     
  4. cal330ci

    cal330ci New Member

    Aug 30, 2010
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    Automotive Technician
    Vancouver BC
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    Does your car have Automatic wipers... Is the Rain/light sensor plugged in ??
     
  5. Thunderball Kaboom

    Thunderball Kaboom New Member

    Aug 17, 2010
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    I am the Coordinator for a program that provides h
    Live and play in Central Phoenix - Camelback corri
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Yes, it has auto wipers/headlights. THe wipers seem to work ok, but the lights used to go on/off fairly consistently before the new windshield - now they seem to trigger at the slightest change in brightness - shadows from trees, etc. and never go off afterward.

    I believe the sensor cover is wrong - the blue tint covers the sensors, but most late G2s I see have the sensor exposed. I'm going to check with the dealer to see if I can correct this somehow without replacing the windshield again.
     

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