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I just bought a 2004 Mini Cooper S and am modifying it to be flat towed. I'm installing a wiring kit and need to know the pin out for the wiring harness. I've looked at several hundred images attributed to this, have yet to find one.

There are five pins on the assembly and three lights. My "research" tells me this: Brakes -> bottom light; running lights -> bottom light; Turn signals and flashers -> middle light (yellow). I cannot find anything that activates the top light (which is red). The bottom light (red) has a bulb with two elements, one for running lights and a brighter one for brake lights.

I'd like to get a wiring diagram of the two tail lights, since they share only the brown wire in common. I've seen some You Tube videos, including one that had blatant and embarrassing errors in it which makes me suspect the rest of the video.

I've also been searching for diagrams and its remarkable how similar "Mini Cooper" and "Sienna" must sound to search engines.

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! If I'm understanding your right, you're just trying to flat tow the vehicle behind something and need the lights to work once wired to the towing vehicle? If so, why do you need the top light if you've figured out the rest? You only need to energize the brake, turn, running, & flasher lights and it sounds like you've already nailed these. Just curious why you are worried about the top light if you've got the rest figured out?
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented May 23, 2022 at 22:27
  • Thanks for the response. I know what causes the lights to illuminate, but not entirely sure which wires. If this was interior lighting, I'd go with what I have, however, these are the brakes and turn signals and running lights and if I do something wrong, I would liable for damages (or death, etc.). I want to get it right and I want documentation that proves what I did was correct. Its a CYA thing.
    – user3481644
    Commented May 23, 2022 at 22:58
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    Have you tried to just pull the lense(s) and just see what is attached to what? I know this seems like a stupid question on my part (and maybe it is!) but things like this always seem obvious to me and observation is the best way to decipher something like this if you don't have a diagram.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented May 23, 2022 at 23:03
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    There are so many mini forums that would be able to help. Minitorque seems like a useful one. See minitorque.com/threads/wiring-diagrams-2006-mini.34321
    – Rory Alsop
    Commented May 25, 2022 at 13:13
  • @Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 - Yes, I pulled them and tested the 5 terminals. 1 is common, the others are for the top, middle, and a double filament bulb on the bottom. From that, I thought I had the two wires that I needed. The turn signals work fine, the bottom light is on all the time using the dimmer filament, but when the brakes come on, it activates both turn signals instead of the brighter filament in the bottom bulb. I screwed something up! I'll get it fixed when the mini gets back from a maintenance check.
    – user3481644
    Commented May 26, 2022 at 15:17

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I am unable to provide a screen print from my scan tool of the wiring diagram for both tail lights for a 2004 Mini Cooper. Add a comment if you have questions and I will do my best to answer them.

The left tail light has three bulbs - PARK fed by GRY/VIO wire, TURN fed by BLU/GRN wire, BRAKE fed by BLK/GRN wire.

The right tail light has three bulbs - PARK fed by GRY/YEL wire, TURN fed by BLU/BRN wire, BRAKE fed by BLK/BLU wire.

The common wire between the left and right tail lights is brown.

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