HOW TO….Double Your Brake Lights!
By David Blakey
Getting started: 

Open the boot and remove the access panels, both left and right.  All you have to do is press down on the two tabs at the top of the panel and pull smartly.

This gives you access to the tail light assemblies and all the wiring. You will also notice a MINI Tool Kit which contains your tow hook and some mostly worthless tools.

Remove the tool kit and reach in and follow the wires to the back side of the tail light assembly (peek with a bright flashlight if you wish). 

There is a small tab on the bottom of the connector.  Depress the tab and gently work the connector out of the assembly.  There are five wires going to the connector.
Cut a piece of 14 Gauge wire that you got at Home Depot (a foot is 11 cents) about 2” long. 

Strip the ends about ½”. 

This isn't rocket science so close is good enough. Fix two pieces, one for each tail light assembly and put the 8” you have left in you tool box for a friend.

Here's the trick I have learned:

The 14 gauge wire is too large to fit in the connector so pick a suitable anvil, in my case a hammer was handy, and gently flatten the soft copper. 

Tap gently and get it thin enough to fit in the connector beside the wiring pins. You will see it is very easy to do.

Now that the ends are flattened, bend the wire into a “U” shape with about ½” between the two legs.  This is going to be used to connect terminals #1 and #4 on your wiring connector.

There are five (5) wires to the connector, and six (6) holes, one is unused. 

#1 is the yellow wire. 
#4 is the 4th wire over, next to #5.

Slip the connector you have made beside the terminals #1 and #4. 

There is just enough space to press it in.  It is a pretty tight fit and in about 10,000 miles I haven't had a bit of trouble.  If it should work loose, the only effect is to loose the brake light you don't have now. 

Many MINI owners have used paper clips without a problem.

 

Here it is, all ready to go.  If you feel like you have to tape it, watch out for the clip that holds the connector in the brake light assembly.  Now plug it back in.

You know the funny thing is that MINI comes with the extra bulb already in the fixture, but no power to it.

If you decide to have the optional fog lights for the rear installed, that is what this bulb is for.  Instead of a jumper wire, you will simply use a diode to get the same effect.

 

Here is the end result.  Your brake lights are now double the original intensity. 

Total cost of the job was 11 cents worth of wire from Home Depot and about 30 minutes of my time with 7 cents worth left over.

The bonus may just be that some guy in a jeep doesn't run up your six because he didn't see you!