CONTENTS
2
© 2002 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 156 890
US English VIII/02
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper –
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.
Notes
About this Owner's Manual6
Symbols used6
Your individual vehicle6
Editorial notice7
For your own safety7
Symbol on vehicle parts8
Service and warranty8
Reporting safety defects8
At a glance
Cockpit12
Display elements13
Display elements with navigation
system14
Indicator and warning lamps15
Multifunction steering wheel19
Controls and features
Opening and closing:
Keys22
Central locking system23
Opening and closing – from outside23
Opening and closing – from inside26
Tailgate27
Electric power windows28
Sliding/tilt sunroof29
Roller sun blind30
Alarm system31
Adjustments:
Safe seating position33
Seat adjustment34
Entry to the rear35
Heated seats36
Head restraints37
Safety belts38
Steering wheel38
Mirrors39
Airbags40
Transporting children safely41
Vehicle Memory44
ba.book Seite 2 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
33
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SAFE SEATING POSITIONThe ideal seating position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driv-
ing. Together with the safety belts and air-
bags, the seating position plays an impor-
tant role in providing 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 41.
Sitting safely with airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance 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 min-
imum, 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 sto-
rage 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 40.
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 passen-
ger's lap. Avoid twisting the belt while rout-
ing it firmly across the hips and shoulder,
wear it as snugly against your body as pos-
sible. 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 abdomi-
nal area.<
For information on using the safety belts,
refer to page 38.
ba.book Seite 33 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
38
SAFETY BELTS STEERING WHEEL Drive with your safety belt onEven though there is an airbag, always fasten
your seat belt before driving off, because air-
bags are designed to enhance the effective-
ness of the safety belts, not to replace them.To fastenMake sure you hear the lock engage in the
belt buckle.
The warning lamp – Fasten safety
belts – lights up for several seconds
or until after the safety belts are
fastened.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 33.
If the safety belts are damaged or
stretched in an accident: have the
safety belt system replaced by your MINI
Dealer 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 posi-
tion
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.<
ba.book Seite 38 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
40
AIRBAGS 1Side airbags in seatback on the driver
and passenger side – front
2Head airbags on the driver and passen-
ger sides for both rows of seats –
front/rear
3Front airbags on the driver and passen-
ger sidesProtective effectThe front airbags supplement the safety
belts by providing additional protection for
the driver and front passenger in the event
of a frontal collision in which the protec-
tion 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 occupant's upper body.
For information on sitting posture, refer to
page 33.
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 tem-
porary hearing loss in sensitive individuals.
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, i. e. triggering, of the airbag restraint
system in accordance with its intended
function, commission a MINI Dealer with
the inspection, repair or disassembly. Do
not make any changes yourself to the indi-
vidual components and wiring. This
includes the padded covers of the steering
wheel, instrument panel and the roof sup-
ports, as well as the sides of the roofliner
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 Dealer to dispose of the air-
bag generators. Unprofessional attempts
to service the system could lead to failure
in an emergency or undesired airbag acti-
vation, either of which could result in per-
sonal injury. Do not touch the individual
components directly after the system has
been triggered, as otherwise there is a dan-
ger 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 air-
bag 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.<
ba.book Seite 40 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
41
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
AIRBAGS TRANSPORTING CHILDREN SAFELYIndicator lamp
The indicator lamp on the instru-
ment panel shows the airbag sys-
tem status starting from ignition
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 nor-
mal triggering range.
Have the airbag system checked as soon as
possible by your MINI Dealer.
Children younger than 12 years of age or
smaller than 5 ft / 150 cm must be trans-
ported in suitable child-restraint system.
Otherwise there is an increased risk of
injury in the event of an accident.
Commercially-available child-restraint sys-
tems are designed to be secured with a lap
belt or with the lap belt portion of a combi-
nation 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:
Your vehicle has one of two different types
of child-restraint anchor fittings on the
back of the rear seats, see arrows 1 or 2.
Depending on the location selected for
seating in the rear passenger area, attach
the tether strap to the corresponding
anchorage point to secure the child-
restraint system.
Adjust the tether strap according to the
child-restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Anchor fitting 1 is shown above.
Anchor fitting 2 is shown in the next
column.<
ba.book Seite 41 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
42
TRANSPORTING CHILDREN SAFELYBoth seating positions are fitted with a
head restraint. Lift the head restraint and
pass the tether strap between the head res-
traint and the seat back. It is recommended
to readjust the head restraint into the low-
est possible position.
Adjust the tether strap according to
the child-restraint manufacturer's
instructions. Before installing any child-res-
traint system, please read the following:
Never install a rearward-facing child-res-
traint system in the front passenger seat of
this vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
supplemental restraint system for the front
passenger. Because the backrest on any
rearward-facing child-restraint system –
of the kind designed for infants under
1 year and 20 Ibs. / 9 kg – would be within
the airbag's deployment range, you should
never mount such a device in the front pas-
senger seat, since the impact of the airbag
against the child-restraint's backrest could
lead to serious or fatal injuries.
If it is necessary for a child – not an infant –
to ride in the front seat, certain precautions
should be taken. First, move the passenger
seat as far away from the instrument panel
as possible. This important precaution is
intended to maximize the distance
between the airbag and the child. Older
children should be tightly secured with a
safety belt, after they have outgrown a
booster seat that is appropriate for their
age, height and weight. Younger children
should be secured in an appropriate for-
ward-facing child-restraint system that has
first been properly secured with a safety
belt. Never install a rearward-facing child-
restraint system in the front passenger
seat.
We strongly urge you to carefully read and
comply with the instructions for installa-
tion and use provided by the child-
restraint's manufacturer whenever you use
such a device.
Be sure that all occupants – of all ages –
remain properly and securely restrained at
all times.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seats than in the front seating positi-
ons.<
All rear seats in your vehicle conform to the
guidelines defined in SAE J1819, an indus-
try recommended practice for securing
child-restraint systems in motor vehicles.
ba.book Seite 42 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
43
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TRANSPORTING CHILDREN SAFELYChild seat securityAll of the rear belt retractors and the front
passenger's safety belt can be locked for
mounting and securing child-restraint
systems.
Information regarding this is located near
the buckle latch of each safety belt.
To lock the belt Pull the entire length of the belt from the
belt retractor. Allow the reel to retract the
belt somewhat and engage the buckle,
then tighten the belt against the child-res-
traint system.
The retraction mechanism is now locked. To unlock the belt Release the buckle, remove the child-
restraint system and allow the belt retrac-
tor to reel the belt completely in.
LATCH child-restraint systemOpen the cover.
The illustration is an example showing the
mounts for the LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren, child-restraint moun-
ting system at the right rear.
The system is also available at the left rear
position.
Canadian models only:
The LATCH anchorage points are identified
by buttons, see illustration.
Always follow all manufacturer's
instructions and observe all safety
precautions when installing the LATCH
child-restraint system.<
ba.book Seite 43 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com
EVERYTHING FROM A TO Z
137
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
safety belts100
upholstery material99
wiper blades100
wood parts100
Cargo
stowing75
Cargo area75
cover74
lamps53,111
opening, remote control
volume132
Caring for your vehicle99
Carpets100
Cassette player, see separate
Owner's Manual
CD changer, see separate
Owner's Manual
CD player, see separate
Owner's Manual
Center high-mount brake lamp
bulb replacement110
Central locking
system23,26
Changing battery, remote
control22
Changing bulbs107
Changing lamps107
Changing tire
space-saver spare tire112
tire change
set112,117,121 Checking oil level94
Checking tire inflation
pressure121
Child seat41
Child seat fastening system
LATCH43
Child-restraint systems41
Chrome parts100
Cigarette lighter73
socket73
Cleaning headlamps99
Cleaning rear window55
Cleaning windshield55
Clock60
Closing
from inside26
from outside23
Clothes hooks81
Clutch80
Cockpit12
Combination of wheels/
tires89
Compact Disc player, see
separate Owner's Manual
Compression ratio130
Compressor118,120
Computer60
average fuel
consumption61
average speed61 cruising range61
outside temperature61
Condensation68,71
Consumption61
Consumption display, see
Fuel gauge58
Continuously Variable
automatic Transmission
(CVT)49
electronic transmission
control module EP51
gear display51
ignition45
interlock45
manual mode50
parking50
reverse gear50
selector lever shift-
lock45,49
shiftlock49
sport program50
towing127
transmission
malfunction51
Control elements12
Convenience opening
from inside26
Convenience operation
sliding/tilt sunroof25,29
windows25 Coolant96
level96
thermometer59
Cooling68,71
Copyright2
Cosmetic mirror, see
Vanity mirror39
Cruise control18,19,56
Cruising range61
Cup holder, see Beverage
holder73
Curb weight132
Currency of the Owner's
Manual7
CVT (Continuously Variable
automatic Transmission)49
Cylinders130
D
Dashboard12
Data
dimensions131
engine130
technical130
weight132
Daytime driving lamps52
Deep water, see Water on
roadways81
Defrost setting69
ba.book Seite 137 Montag, 5. August 2002 8:09 20
ProCarManuals.com