15 replies to this topic

[andeeehh]

Right...

 

So a few days ago I decided to buy Xenon bulbs for the mini (dunno if that was an incredibly stupid thing to do) and the lights would go a little.. odd. e.g. one would work then the other would work and so on.. then suddenly no dipped.

 

I left the mini at a friends house whilst he went a bought brand new bulbs for me whilst I went to work. I fitted the bulbs just after work to see if the problem was the bulbs but even with the new bulbs, the dipped lights do not seem to be working!

 

To clarify:

 

Are sidelights working? YES

Are Dipped lights working? NO

Is the full beam working? YES

 

Does anyone know a way to fix them?! I am going to end up making someone crash at night!

 

Cheers!

Edited by andeeehh, 21 May 2013 - 10:59 PM.

[iTomKart]

This happened to me with a halogen bulb conversion and it turned out that one of the bullet connectors (the ones connecting the dipped beam wires) found near the slam panel in the engine bay had come apart and broken the circuit. Plugged them back together - working headlights! Could simply be that during the swap you pulled the wires and disconnected the connectors 

[tiger99]

The wires that are involved are blue-red, which should help you to find the one that may be adrift. There is also the possibility that the dim dip relay (if your car has one) has failed. If so, get rid of it, insulate all its wires, and solidly join the blue-red and blue-brown. The DDU is not a legal requirement.

[andeeehh]

I know this is a bit of a late reply.. but am I joining the blue-red and blue-brown out of the relay?

 

Cheers

[tiger99]

At the dim dip relay, yes. Apologies for not making that clear.

Edited by tiger99, 31 May 2013 - 06:32 PM.

[BenCoul]

I had a near identical problem, it wasn't bulb related though. It was just old corroded contacts (the connectors on the wires) onto the fuse box (mostly) plus a manky fusebox its self, and a manky switch.

[Captain Mainwaring]

The wires that are involved are blue-red, which should help you to find the one that may be adrift. There is also the possibility that the dim dip relay (if your car has one) has failed. If so, get rid of it, insulate all its wires, and solidly join the blue-red and blue-brown. The DDU is not a legal requirement.

 

On the subject of the law - how can you get HID's to pass the MOT? I thought they had to be in self leveling and have washers fitted, together with the glass being EU marked to state that it has been tested for use with HID's?

[andeeehh]

Tiger, I thank you a bomb! works like a beauty

 

No need for that relay really then!

 

cheers for the help people!

[Captain Mainwaring]

Tiger, I thank you a bomb! works like a beauty

 

No need for that relay really then!

 

cheers for the help people!

Perhaps taking the relay out gets it through the MoT...

[tiger99]

There is no legal requirement for the dim dip relay. There supposedly was going to be at one time, but it never happened. Someone told the whole story on here a while back. It introduces an extra, potentially dangerous failure mode into the headlight circuit, as you have seen, so is best gone. It means that you can throw out the finned resistor on its bracket, somewhere on the bulkhead too.

[Captain Mainwaring]

There is no legal requirement for the dim dip relay. There supposedly was going to be at one time, but it never happened. Someone told the whole story on here a while back. It introduces an extra, potentially dangerous failure mode into the headlight circuit, as you have seen, so is best gone. It means that you can throw out the finned resistor on its bracket, somewhere on the bulkhead too.

 I'll try again - how can you make HID headlights on a mini legal with just a plug in kit?

[tiger99]

You can't, as has been discussed here before umpteen times.

[Captain Mainwaring]

I suppose that's why he said he was going to make someone crash at night.

[Dan]

  You can't and I believe that under the new MOT requirements an aftermarket HID is an automatic fail even if you have added levellers and washers.  The government announce ages ago that all forms of aftermarket HID kit were considered illegal, doesn't stop people advertising them as legal though!

[andeeehh]

I suppose that's why he said he was going to make someone crash at night.

 

by using my full beam haha! i took the Xenons out, they were far too bright, I myself would be quite annoyed if someone came at me with them!