15 replies to this topic

[zelliott]

and take the entire unit off?
The bulb's blown and 22 years of road use has left the screws and bolt useless, i pretty much can't get into it. And a little voice in my head says that it only has to pass if its on the car. So, could i just remove it from the back of the car all together and therefore pass?

cheers guys

[Se7enS1ns]

If it had it as standard (the applicable year fails me) it must have it, regardless. If it's been added, it must work, or be removed. Check which year fog lights became manditory from.

[Ethel]

1 April 1980

[Se7enS1ns]

Ethel you must be a demon at a pub quiz!!

[Doovydoo]

Do what I did, wire one of the fog light wires into one of the reverse light wires (right hand side wiring) and replace the white bulb with a red one.

Job done, can take off the fog lamp and nice and legal

[AVV IT]

Do what I did, wire one of the fog light wires into one of the reverse light wires (right hand side wiring) and replace the white bulb with a red one.

Job done, can take off the fog lamp and nice and legal

I didn't think that the fog/brake light conversion is actually legal though is it? I thought that it was too close to the brake light to be deemed legal?? That's not to say that it wouldn't pass an MOT though.

[Frisco]

Lots of new cars have the fogs in the light clusters right beside the brake light so I can't see how it would be illegal

[Doovydoo]

As above, many cars have it in the rear light cluster, my old Punto did for sure.

[AVV IT]

Lots of new cars have the fogs in the light clusters right beside the brake light so I can't see how it would be illegal

I've done a bit of digging and it appears that under The Construction and Use Regulations 1986, the rear fog light must be at least 100mm from any brake light. (and yes apparently there are a number of modern production cars that break this rule as standard!) So it seems that you cannot legally convert the reversing lamp in the classic mini tail light cluster to a fog lamp. There is also the issue that a red bulb in a standard reverse lamp would probably not be bright enough to be used as a fog lamp either. Rear fog lamps tend to consist a reflective mirrored lens behind the bulb to maximise the light emitted and to make them significantly brighter than a brake light is.

I believe that this has been covered here a number of times, mainly because of the fog/reverse lamp conversion kits for the classic mini that are available on Ebay.

Edited by AVV IT, 28 September 2011 - 04:26 PM.

[zelliott]

Its not in the cluster, its its own separate little pod below the bumper.
That's that idea out the window, anyone got any ideas how to get into rounded off rusty screws?

[AVV IT]

anyone got any ideas how to get into rounded off rusty screws?

Are you trying to remove the screws that attach the fog lamp mounting bracket to the rear valance panel, or the ones that attach the bracket to the black plastic rear casing of the fog lamp itself.

To get the screws out of the valance panel, soak them with penetrating oil first, if you open the boot you should be able to get some access to the back of the captive nuts that they are screwed into in the valance panel, by spraying penetrating oil through the holes in the boot floor beneath the tail light cluster (where the fog lamp wiring passes through the boot floor). Leave the penetrating oil to do its job for a while, then use an impact rider to remove them (some heat would also help too here). Chances are that the impact rider will either free them off, or shear them off. If the worst does happen then your only real option will be to carefully drill them out and re-tap the holes if neccesary.

Edited by AVV IT, 28 September 2011 - 04:48 PM.

[zelliott]

The rear casing of the fog lamp itself, I only need to replace the bulb, just those tiny screws are so covered in dirt and rust Im only rounding them off.

[AVV IT]

Oh you mean the screws that hold the red lens cover onto the black casing??

There's two options then really:

Firstly... carefully cut a small groove in the head of each screw using a "Dremmel" type tool, taking care not to slip and damage the red plastic lamp cover. Then use a flat blade screwdriver to turn the screws in the groove that you have just created.

Secondly (or if the the first option fails)... carefully drill off the head off of each screw (again take care not to slip with the drill and put a hole in the plastic lens) then remove the plastic lens cover and use a pair of pliers or mole grips on the shaft of each screw to twist the remains of the screws out of the casing.


... Fit a new bulb, then replace the lens cover using some new screws (preferably stainless ones with a little copper grease smeared on the threads so it doesn't happen again next time!)

EDIT: By the way in my experience it's rarely the bulb that is the problem and more often it's the electrical contacts on the bayonet holder inside the lamp. Either way you will need to get the screws out and the lens cover off to find out which is the problem.

Edited by AVV IT, 28 September 2011 - 05:06 PM.

[zelliott]

Cheers man, TMF needs more of people like you!

[Wil_h]

I think if you presented the car without the light (and switch) in the first place you would likely have got away with it. But as it has failed on it not working, taking it off is not really an option now.

Last time mine failed it was the fuse holder beind the carb. It had gone rusty and high resistance. It was a pain to find as with no bulb in (and hence no load or current) you could measure 12V at the lamp. Only when you put the bulb back did the 12v dissapear.