2002 MINI Hardtop 2 Door Owner's Manual

31
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CORRECT SITTING POSTURE SEAT ADJUSTMENTThe ideal seating position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free
driving. The correct seating position also
works together with the safety belts and
airbags to provide occupants with
maximum levels of passive safety in an
accident. To ensure that the safety systems
operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instruc-
tions contained in the following section.
For supplementary information on trans-
porting children, refer to page 38. Sitting correctly with airbags
Always maintain an adequate
distance between yourself and all of
the airbags. Always hold the steering wheel
by the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions to keep any chance of
injury to hands or arms to an absolute
minimum, should the airbag be deployed.
No one and nothing is to come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Never use the front passenger airbag cover
as a storage surface for objects of any kind,
or as a support for legs or feet, as this will
increase the risk of injury in a collision severe
enough in which the airbag will deploy.<
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page 37.
Safe with safety belts
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a
passenger's lap. Avoid twisting the belt
while routing it firmly across the hips and
shoulder, wear it as snugly against your
body as possible. Do not allow the belt to
rest against hard or fragile objects. Do not
route the belt across your neck, or run it
across sharp edges. Be sure that the belt
does not become caught or jammed.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing that prevents
the belt from fitting properly, and pull on
the belt periodically to retension it over
your shoulders. In the event of a frontal
impact, a loose lap belt could slide over the
hips, leading to abdominal injury. In addi-
tion, the safety belt's restraint effective-
ness is reduced if the belt is worn loosely.
Expectant mothers should always wear
their safety belts, taking care to position
the lap belt against the lower hips, where it
will not exert pressure against the abdom-
inal area.<
For information on using the safety belts,
refer to page 35.
Important adjustment information
Never try to adjust your seat while
operating the vehicle. The seat could
respond with an unexpected movement,
and the ensuing loss of vehicle control
could lead to an accident.
Never ride with the backrest reclined to an
extreme horizontal angle (especially impor-
tant for front passengers to remember).
Keep the backrest relatively upright to
minimize the risk of sliding under the
safety belt and sustaining injury in an acci-
dent.<
Adjusting the seats, see next page.

32
SEAT ADJUSTMENTLongitudinal seat adjustment 1. Lift the handle
2. Push the seat into the desired position
3. After releasing the handle, apply pres-
sure to the seat to ensure that the latch
engages securely.
Make corrections in the longitudinal
adjustment of the seat to ensure that
the safety belt still fits firmly against your
body. If you do not do this, the protection
provided by the safety belt may be
reduced.<
Seat height 1. To raise:
Pull the handle up repeatedly,
continuing until the seat reaches the
desired height
2. To lower:
Push the handle repeatedly, continuing
until the seat reaches the desired height.
Lumbar support* You can adjust the contour of the backrest
for additional support in the curvature of
your spine's lumbar region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive
supplementary support to help you main-
tain a relaxed, upright posture.
Turn the wheel to increase or decrease the
curvature.

33
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SEAT ADJUSTMENT ENTRY TO THE REARBackrest tilt 1. Pull the lever at the inside of the seat
2. Apply weight to or remove weight from
the backrest as required
3. Release the lever so that the backrest
locks into place.
Easy Entry1. Press the lever on the outside of the seat
downwards, see arrow 1.
The backrest folds forward automati-
cally
2. Push the seat forwards, see arrow 2.Original position1. Push the seat back into its home posi-
tion
2. Fold the backrest back to the home posi-
tion to lock the seat.
When returning the seat to the rear
position, ensure that no one is
injured and that no objects are damaged.
Engage and lock both seats and backrests
into position prior to driving, otherwise
unexpected movement could increase the
risk of accident.<

34
HEATED SEATS
*
HEAD RESTRAINTS
The seat cushion and backrest can be
heated with the ignition key in position 2.
Select the temperature setting:
Press each button briefly.
Direct deactivation from second tempera-
ture setting.
Press the button for a longer period.
Adjusting the head restraintsTo raise: pull the head restraint upward.
To lower: press the button and push the
head restraint downward.
You can reduce the risk of spinal
injury and whiplash by adjusting the
head restraint to a height at which it is
centered roughly at ear level. until it is at maximum extension
2. Press the button and remove the head
restraint at the same time.
Installation1. Press the button and at the same time
insert the head restraint in the reception
points
2. Adjust the head restraint.
To avoid possible violation of
traffic laws, never retract the head
restraints unless the rear seats are empty.
Always ensure that the head restraints are
raised before transporting passengers in
the rear seat.<

35
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SAFETY BELTS STEERING WHEEL Drive with your safety belt onEven though there is an airbag, wear a
safety belt every time you get in the
vehicle, because airbags enhance safety by
providing added protection.To fastenMake sure you hear the lock engage in the
belt buckle.To release1. Press the red button in the belt buckle
2. Hold the belt
3. Guide the belt back into its reel.
Safety belt height adjustmentUse the height adjustment mechanism to
adapt the safety belt to the ideal position
for your own body:
Press the button and at the same time push
the entire unit upwards or downwards.
Also observe the instructions on adjusting
the seats on page 31.
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the
safety belt system replaced by your MINI
center and the belt anchors checked, other-
wise the safety function can no longer be
guaranteed. If a child-restraint system was
in the vehicle during an accident, consult
the manufacturer's instructions regarding
replacement.<
To adjust the steering wheel height1. Push the locking lever downward
2. Adjust the desired steering wheel
position
3. Pull the lever back in.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving, other-
wise unexpected movement could increase
the risk of accident.<

36
MIRRORS Adjusting exterior mirrors1 Switch for choosing between the left and
right mirror
2 Switch for 4-way adjustment.

Manual adjustmentThe mirrors can also be adjusted manually:
Press the edge of the lens.Electric heating*Both mirrors are heated automatically
when the ignition key is in position 2.
Interior rearview mirror To reduce glare from vehicles behind you
when you are driving at night:
Tilt the lever forward.Illuminated vanity mirrorFrom ignition key position 1:
1. Fold down the sun visor
2. Fold the cover panel upwards.Sun visorsCan be swung sideways.

37
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
MIRRORS AIRBAGS Interior rearview mirror, automatic
dimming feature* The mirror dims automatically as required.
The mirror becomes clear again when you
engage reverse gear or select selector lever
position R.
Keep the photocells free and clean to
ensure that the mirror functions perfectly.
There is one photocell in the mirror frame;
the other is on the back of the mirror.
Do not cover the area between the
inside rearview mirror and the wind-
shield, and do not place stickers or toll tags
on the windshield in front of the mirror.<
1 Side airbags in seats on the driver and
passenger sides (front)
2 Head airbags on the driver and
passenger sides for both rows of seats
(front/rear)
3 Front airbags on the driver and
passenger sidesProtective effectThe front airbags supplement the safety
belts by helping to provide additional
protection for the driver and front
passenger in the event of a frontal collision
in which the protection afforded by the
belts alone may no longer be sufficient.
When needed, the head and side airbags
help to furnish protection in the event of
side impact. Each of the side airbags is
designed to help support the seat occu-
pant's upper body.
For information on sitting posture, refer to
page 31.
The airbags do not deploy in response
to minor collisions, rear impacts and
certain kinds of vehicle rollover.<
Even when all safety guidelines are
observed, there is a small residual risk that
passengers will sustain facial, hand or arm
injuries in isolated instances. The ignition
and inflation noise may induce a mild
temporary hearing loss in sensitive individ-
uals.
Do not apply adhesive materials to
the cover panels of the airbags, cover
them or modify them in any other way. Do
not fit covers, cushions or other items to
the front seats that have not been specially
approved for seats with side airbags. Do
not hang clothing, e. g. jackets, over the
backrests. Do not attempt to remove the
airbag restraint system from the vehicle. In
the event of malfunctions, immobilization
or use (triggering) of the airbag restraint
system in accordance with its intended
function, only commission a MINI center
with the inspection, repair or disassembly.

38
AIRBAGS TRANSPORTING CHILDRENDo not make any changes yourself to the
individual components and wiring. This
includes the padded cover of the steering
wheel, in the instrument panel and the roof
supports, as well as the sides of the roof-
liner and the original backrest covers on the
front seats. Do not attempt to remove or
dismantle the steering wheel. In view of
the applicable safety regulations, arrange
for your MINI center to dispose of the
airbag generators. Unprofessional
attempts to service the system could lead
to failure in an emergency or undesired
airbag activation, either of which could
result in personal injury. Do not touch the
individual components directly after the
system has been triggered, as otherwise
there is a danger of burns.<
At all times, occupants should sit
upright and be properly restrained
(infants and small children in appropriate
child-restraint systems; larger children and
adults using the safety belts). Never let an
occupant's head rest near or on a head
airbag because the inflating airbag could
cause serious or fatal injury. A child which
is not properly restrained could place his or
her head on or near the airbag.<
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp on the instru-
ment panel shows the airbag
system status starting from igni-
tion key position 1.
System operational:
>The indicator lamp comes on briefly.
System malfunction:
>The indicator lamp does not come on
>The indicator lamp fails to go out after
the engine has been started, or it comes
on during normal driving.
A system defect could prevent the airbags
from deploying in response to a severe
impact occurring within the system's
normal triggering range.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible by your MINI center.
Children younger than 13 years and/or
smaller than 5 ft (150 cm) should only
travel in the rear in suitable restraint
systems.
Commercially-available child-restraint
systems are designed to be secured with a
lap belt or with the lap belt portion of a
combination lap/shoulder belt. Improperly
or inadequately installed restraint systems
can increase the risk of injury to children.
Always read and follow the instructions
that come with the system.
If you use a child-restraint system with a
tether strap: