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Installing A Third Brake Light / Removing Back Seat


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#1 OlivierW2

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 07:23 AM

Hello,

 

Unfortunately, I have to install a third brake light (thanks to SUV drivers and huge modern cars…). I will place it at the top of my rear screen.

 

How can I pass the wire from inside the car to inside the boot? And make it as clean as possible.

 

On the MPI, compared to earlier models, there is a lot of fabrics and foam on the sides.

 

Should I remove the back seat? And how? In this thread: https://www.theminif...the-back-seats/ it's said there are two screws, but I may be blind: I can't find them :-(

 

Thanks in advance,

Olivier



#2 MikeRotherham

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 08:47 AM

To remove the rear seat:

 

The seat base (cushion) can be lifted up and pulled forward. Depending how thorough the previous owner was or if the seat has not been removed since the factory. The seat base has two straps that are fastened by screws to the body. These same screws also hold in the bottom of the seat squab (the back). You may find these screws are missing.

 

The seat back is held in by two screws that you can locate by sticking your head in the boot and looking up under the parcel shelf. Once again they may be missing or not have been replaced. The seat back just unhooks by lifting it over the upright flange on the front of the parcel shelf. You may need a stubby screwdriver to access the screw that is in the vicinity of the fuel tank.


Edited by MikeRotherham, 05 August 2022 - 08:49 AM.


#3 OlivierW2

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 10:59 AM

Thanks a lot Mike!

 

I have removed the two screws which were holding the base and back of the seat :-)

I have finally found the screw in the boot, near the fuel tank, and like you said, the other one was missing. The previous owner had a professional to install speakers on the parcel shelf, so maybe they had to remove the back seat.

 

I have unhooked the top of the seat back, the bottom is also moving, but unfortunately I still can't move it completely. It seems it's held on its sides. Are there others screws? Or a trick to remove it?



#4 Aly-g

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 10:28 PM

Hi Oliver , Mike explained removing the rear seat perfectly, although my rear seat has got two screws holding the seat base with the tabs located just under the rear seat squab and two separate screws holding the Squab as well, as for running the wires you might try the very corners of the the parcel shelf ,that's where I have run my wires for the same thing , you will find there is small gaps around the shelf with just enough room to thread the wires through and maybe you won't have to remove the seat at all.

 

Allan


Edited by Aly-g, 05 August 2022 - 10:36 PM.


#5 OlivierW2

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 11:07 PM

Hello Allan,

 

Thanks for your answer! :-)

 

Yes, Mike explained it very well and I have been able to remove the four (well, only 3, one was missing) screws he told me about :-)

I have been able to completely remove the seat base, but something still hold the seat back (near the sides, I believe).

 

When you talk about the corners of the parcel shelf, is it on the seat side or the window side?

Well, I'll check in a few hours, during the day :-)

 

Olivier



#6 roblightbody

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 04:21 AM

I couldn't put the brake light at the top of the back window because that was exactly where I look through the window through the rear view mirror with my seats/height. Worth checking.

I personally haven't driven a classic mini without one for nearly 30 years for the reasons you mention.

#7 OlivierW2

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 08:29 AM

Hello,

 

Well, just spend another hour, and still haven't found a way to remove the back seat… Seriously, what is preventing the removing of the seat on the Mini MPI, which isn't present on previous Mini?

I've watched this video: https://youtu.be/U3FqZmxfsy8?t=1243 and it seems so easy…

 

I also haven't found a way to run the wires. I have to find a rigid wire to try, it may be easier than a flexible one.

 

Thanks roblightbody, I'll check and hope it won't block my view. I'll be using MikeMPi1999's 3D printed brake light ( https://www.theminif...t-do-you-think/ ), so it's not a huge brake light.

I really want this brake light to be at the highest position, for our common reasons :-)

 

Olivier



#8 OlivierW2

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 09:06 AM

I've checked with a rigid wire, and I'm still having trouble: if I push it from the inside of the boot, it looks like it's going behind the fabric/plastic covering the C pillar.

Not sure I can push the wire from inside the car toward the boot. I'll try to get someone to help me see what's happening.

 

Also, when I check Steveston Motor Co's website, it's easy to install the 3rd brake light: they have an empty shell without rear screen, carpet, fabrics, foam,…

 

I've another question about Minis MPI, related to the wirings in the back. Does the MPI were pre-wired to install speakers on the parcel shelf? Or was it the professional hired by the previous owner who installed the speakers wires from the front to the back?

Anyone know where this wires are going? It seems they run between the "hard carpet" of the parcel shelf and the parcel shelf itself. Then where are they running? In the sides of the Mini?

 

Olivier



#9 Deeppockets

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 09:12 AM

I also fitted a high level brake light for the same reason. I found the Mini roof is lower than the windows on my LR Disco Sport and there are so many stories of Minis being rear-ended - must be something in this..

 

I fitted a BNIB Halfords aftermarket unit from the 90's at the same position as the factory. A fabricated bracket holds it in place on the parcel shelf under the shelf trim. 

 

At the time I did some research into a Hello OEM item but it seems to have been dropped from their product line in Europe. They do, however, supply an LED version in Aus/NZ which looks like an interesting alternative (not CE approved) .

LED Centre High Mounted Stop Lamps (CHMSL) (hella.co.nz)



#10 OlivierW2

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 09:30 AM

Hello Deeppockets,

 

Yes, it's scary, more and more cars have their bonnet way too high. I almost want to install a flag on the roof, or maybe a lighting red pole? :-D

 

My problem isn't finding the 3rd brake light, I already have it. It's not CE approved as it's a homemade one, but well… not sure all my LED bulbs are CE approved ;-)

 

My problem really is running the wire from the third brake light to the boot of my Mini. How did you do it on your MPI? Did you have to remove the back seat?

 

Olivier



#11 OlivierW2

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 10:19 AM

Ok, in fact the solution to remove the seat back was easy… I had to remove one of the burr walnut "door" capping. Can't believe it was just that which was blocking on the sides.

Will continue later with the installation of the brake light.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

PS: I still hope I'll get an answer regarding my post #8, about the rear speakers wires: was they factory installed or have they been installed by the professional hired by the previous owner?

 

Olivier


Edited by OlivierW2, 06 August 2022 - 10:22 AM.


#12 Ethel

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 11:30 AM

Impossible to say if an installer added their own wiring, but the factory original speaker wiring was yellow on the left & orange on the right with a pink stripe for +ve & a black stripe for -ve.

 

I'd have thought the easiest access would be by unscrewing a window catch and easing back the window seal to get behind the C pillar trim, the screen washer hose likely creates a space. I've never had an MPI to try though.



#13 Deeppockets

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Posted 06 August 2022 - 07:23 PM

The wiring for the shelf speakers is factory.  The wiring harness runs front to back in a floor gully down the left hand side, into the lower rear of the LH bin under the LH rear seat (the yellow cable above is the seat belt SRS) and over the LH wheel arch behind the trim. On my car it then drops to the boot floor (not sure if this is factory) behind the tank - around here the speaker wires branch off to the shelf.

 

You could splice into the harness at this point to pick up the brake and -ve wires but I chose to pick it up from the rear of the LH lamp, leaving the harness unmolested. I ran a brake and -ve wire together up to the shelf behind the tank using Tesa fabric tape to wrap the wires and make a neat job. 

 

How did the factory wire the 3rd brake light?

 

<edit>

Thinking about this again I think it is unlikely the -ve is available in the harness so a wire to find a local body earth or will need to be run back to the earthing point on the HL rear lamp anyway.


Edited by Deeppockets, 07 August 2022 - 07:50 AM.


#14 OlivierW2

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Posted 07 August 2022 - 09:52 AM

Hello all :-)

 

roblightbody, I've checked: the high mounted 3rd brake light doesn't block my view, so that's good!

 

 

Thanks Ethel and Deeppockets, I'll have to check the colors of the speakers cables. But from what you are telling me, I would think this are the factory installed cables.

 

 

Deeppockets, in the boot, on the right side, I have found two connectors which aren't connected to anything: one has a black wire, so is ground and the other is blue and yellow, so, from the schematics, it looks like it is to connect the fog light on the right (my Mini is LHD, the the fog light is on the left).

At least I could use this ground plug, if I knew its reference.

There is also a ground point located at the right side of the boot: it's a bolt attached to the body of the car.

 

 

In one of the documentaion of the Mini, named "Schémas total MPI.pdf" (can't remember where I downloaded it, so I attached the relevant page), the electrical diagram shows "LAMP-BRAKE-HIGH MOUNTED (1076)" and it refers to the 3rd brake light.

 

I was hoping to find an unconnected connector in the boot, to plug my light, unfortunately it isn't present.

 

My Mini is from 1999, does the very last MPI had a wire for the 3rd brake light?

 

Anyway, I'll see how to cleanly plug my brake light.

For now, I have the wires arriving on the right side: I don't want to deal with the fuel tank on the left :-D

Deeppockets, I don't know how you managed to plug your light behind the fuel tank: did you remove it for another job, like changing the shock absorbers?

 

Olivier

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Edited by OlivierW2, 07 August 2022 - 10:01 AM.


#15 Deeppockets

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Posted 07 August 2022 - 02:28 PM

When I had the tank out for shocks and welding I installed the cable, though did not fit the light for another year. 

 

From your diagram it indicates that the factory high level brake light wire is spliced into the harness at the same point as the RH brake lamp. My MPI is a '97 so would not have had the option.






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