4 replies to this topic

[Alexthelion94]

Hi all, only just got on here so sorry if I do something wrong!

I got my Mini this Saturday just gone (It's a Rover Mini Cooper, 1275 with HiF44, 1992) and I love it to bits already!!

Problem is that it came with a Mini branded CD player that needed a code, I've got the code but whenever it turns on it just says 'Code Wait'. But that's a different story. So anyway because I couldn't use that CD/Radio player I thought I'd just use my brothers old one so wired it in. I wired it in wrong... (Please be aware that I am currently doing an electronic engineering apprenticeship course and should have known better than to just plug something in which makes all this a LOT more frustrating to me) and as I was leaving my friends house his dad noticed my rear lights were out, so we started fiddling around for hours and hours and bla bla, but it ended up with smoke pouring out of my mini (which at the time I had owned for about 6 hours) and some wires therefore exposed. Now the first thing is that I don't think the CD player should have even been on the circuit for the front side lights, rear lights and dash lights?? and the second thing is, will the whole loom have to be replaced (guessing that's the more expensive option) or can the messed up wiring just be replaced (cheaper excellent amazing option)??

Just to let you know - We got it working in the sense that all the lights come on when I switch them on but the hazards and interior lights don't work (but I think that's a different circuit anyway?) and If you turn the sidelights on you just get dim head lights... but I can drive it (Y)

Sorry this went on a bit but any advise would be great!

Thanks, Alex

[Old Bob]

Unlikely you have screwed to whole loom so you should be able to do some simple checks and possibly replace a short section of a few wires.

Bob

[1984mini25]

Why people who have no clue about wiring attempt to fix or modify by adding items is beyond me. A current mini I'm working on has been so messed around with I'm surprised anything worked.

One bodge included a live directly from the fuse box to the brake switch, then spliced off and connected to the indicator relay. Witch was then spiced off again to a radio and live feed to the rear fog lamp. All made up from scraps of wire either twisted together left bare or those horrid blue snap connectors. I'm guessing most of the other items also didn't work as most of the wires behind the switches were spliced into each other.

Surprisingly, with the bodges removed and wired up as standard, everything was working as normal again.

What would be best if the current radio wiring looks to be suspect, is to remove it all and rewire the radio with it's own lives directly from the fuse box.

[Alexthelion94]

Thanks for the reply guys, once the wiring is sorted I'll wire in the radio on its own like you said. But I don't think I could do the wiring myself just because when we were working on it for almost 20 hours on the weekend it just confused the hell out of me haha. Will it cost big time to have a garage sort it out for me?

[1984mini25]

You'd be better off either finding someone who can or sitting down with a Haynes manual/tmf. Unfortunately with anything that isn't as simple as just bolting on new parts, most garages would just bodge it enough so it works.