2003 MINI COOPER parking brake

3
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX

Driving:
Ignition lock45
Starting the engine46
Switching off the engine47
Parking brake47
Manual transmission48
Continuously Variable automatic Trans-
mission (CVT)49
Parking lamps/Low beams52
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher52
Instrument lighting53
Fog lamps53
Interior lamps53
Light-emitting diodes54
Washer/wiper system54
Cruise control56
Everything under control:
Odometer58
Tachometer58
Fuel gauge58
Coolant temperature gauge59
Service interval display60
Clock60
Computer60
Technology for safety and driving
convenience:
Automatic Stability Control plus Traction
(ASC+T)62
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)63
Flat Tire Monitor64
Park Distance Control (PDC)66
Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving:
Air conditioning system67
Automatic climate control70
Interior conveniences:
Glove compartment73
Ashtray/Beverage holder73
Cigarette lighter/12 V power supply73
Loading and transporting cargo:
Cargo area cover74
Foldable rear backrest74
Loading cargo75
Roof-mounted luggage rack76

Operation, care, maintenance
Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures80
General driving notes81
Refueling82
Fuel specifications83
Antilock Brake System (ABS)83
Brake system84
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure85
Tire condition87
Tire replacement87
Wheel and tire combinations89
Winter tires89
Snow chains90
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX

INDICATOR AND WARNING LAMPS

Technology
that monitors itself
The system runs a check on the warning
and indicator lamps marked by
●
each time
you switch on the ignition. They each light
up once for different periods of time.
If a malfunction should occur in one of
these systems, the corresponding lamp
does not go out after the engine is started
or it lights up while the vehicle is moving.
You will see below the correct way to react
to this.
Red: stop immediately
Battery charge current
●
The battery is no longer being
charged. Indicates a defective alter-
nator drive belt or a problem with the
charge circuit. Please contact the nearest
MINI Dealer.
If this lamp lights up, the power-assist for
steering can be deactivated.
If the drive belt is defective, do not
continue driving. The engine could be
damaged due to overheating. When the
power-assist is deactivated, increased
steering effort is required.
<
Engine oil pressure


●
Stop immediately. Switch off
engine. Check the engine oil and fill
as needed. Please contact the nearest MINI
Dealer.
Do not continue driving, otherwise,
the engine could be damaged
because of inadequate lubrication.
<

Brake warning lamp
●
If the lamp comes on when the
parking brake is not engaged:
Check the brake fluid level. Before driving
further, be sure to comply with the infor-
mation on pages 84 and 97.
Brake warning lamp for Canadian
models.
With navigation system option:
Coolant temperature warning
lamp in the speedometer
●
Lights up while driving:
Engine is too hot. Switch off the engine
immediately and allow to cool down, see
also page 59.

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INDICATOR AND WARNING LAMPS

Yellow: stop immediately
Flat Tire Monitor
●
Flashes: tire failure.
Reduce speed immediately and
stop the vehicle.
With Run Flat tires:
Carefully reduce the driving speed to below
50 mph / 80 km/h and continue to a safe
location.
In both cases, avoid hard brake applications
and steering maneuvers. Check the tire
inflation pressures.
Conduct in the event of a flat tire, refer to
pages 112, 116.
General information on the system, refer to
page 64
Red and yellow: continue driving
cautiously
Brake warning lamp together with
the gold indicator lamp for ABS,
EBD and ASC+T/DSC:
The control system ABS, EBD and
ASC+T/DSC has failed. Drive cau-
tiously and defensively. Avoid full
brake applications. Please have the
system checked by your MINI
Dealer as soon as possible.
More information on pages 62, 63
Brake warning lamp together with
the yellow indicator warning lamps
ABS, EBD and ASC+T/DSC for
Canadian models.
Red: an important reminder
Brake warning lamp
with parking brake applied.
More information on the parking
brake on page 47

Brake warning lamp for Canadian
models.
Fasten safety belts
●
Lights up for several seconds or,
depending on the version, until
after the safety belts are fastened. A sig-
nal

*
also sounds depending on the version.
More information on page 38
Depending on the level of equipment,
the indicator lamp is in the vicinity of
the navigation system.
<
Airbags
●
Please have the system inspected
at your MINI Dealer.
More information on pages 33, 40
Depending on the level of equipment,
the indicator lamp is in the vicinity of
the navigation system.
<
Bonnet/Tailgate
Lights up when the bonnet and/or
tailgate are open.
More information on pages 27, 91

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46
STARTING THE ENGINE Do not allow the engine to warm up with
the vehicle at a standstill. Move off imme-
diately at a moderate engine speed.
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas. Breathing
the exhaust gases poses an extreme health
risk, and can lead to unconsciousness and
death.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. This is a safety hazard.
When driving, standing at idle or parking
the vehicle, take care to avoid contact
between the hot exhaust system and flam-
mable materials – e.g. hay, leaves, grass,
etc. Such contact could lead to a fire, result-
ing in serious personal injury and property
damage.<
StartingWhen starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time. Do not turn it for more
than approx. 20 seconds. Release the igni-
tion key immediately when the engine
starts.
Extended starting attempts, characterized
by excessively frequent or long periods
with the starter engaged, can lead to dam-
age in the catalytic converter.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt, for instance if the engine is very
hot or cold:
>When starting the engine, press the gas
pedal down halfway.
When first starting the engine at very low
temperatures – from +5 7 / –15 6:
>When starting the engine, press the gas
pedal down halfway
>For the initial start attempt, allow the
starter to remain engaged somewhat
longer, approx. 10 seconds.
Manual transmission1. Engage the parking brake
2. Put the manual gearshift lever in neutral
3. Press the clutch pedal
4. Start the engine.Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)*1. Press the footbrake
2. Put the selector lever in position P or N
3. Start the engine.
Move the selector lever to position P
and engage the parking brake before
leaving your vehicle with the engine run-
ning.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. This is a safety haz-
ard.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE PARKING BRAKE
You should never remove the ignition
key when the vehicle is in motion, as
the steering lock could engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key and engage the steering
lock.
When you park on downward slopes,
engage the parking brake.<
Manual transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)*Engage selector lever position P, turn the
ignition key to position 1 or 0.
The parking brake is designed primarily to
prevent the vehicle from rolling when it is
parked. It operates against the rear wheels.To engageLever automatically locks in position.
The warning lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on when the ignition key is in
position 2, see page 16.To release1. Pull up slightly
2. Press the button
3. Push the lever downwards.
If, in exceptional circumstances, it
should be necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is in
motion, do not pull the lever with excessive
pressure. Keep your thumb pressed against
the release button while carefully pulling
the lever up to apply moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to overbraking
and loss of traction, i.e. fishtailing, at the
rear axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when the
parking brake is engaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on hills and inclined surfaces, as
first gear or reverse may not provide ade-
quate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with CVT:
Place the selector lever in P.<
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MANUAL TRANSMISSION The manual gearshift lever neutral plane
lies in the gear plane of the 3rd / 4th gear.
When shifting from each gear into Neutral,
the manual gearshift lever springs back
automatically into the gearshift lever neu-
tral plane.6-speed transmission*
When changing gear in the 5th/6th
gear plane, press the gearshift lever
to the right to prevent inadvertently shift-
ing to a gear of the 3rd/4th gear plane.<
Reverse Before selecting reverse gear, ensure the
vehicle is stationary; then, fully depress the
clutch pedal and pause briefly before mov-
ing the gearshift lever into position.
5-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever to the right and to
the back.
6-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever towards the left.
Thereby overcome the slight resistance and
press forward.
As you do this, the backup lamps will turn
on automatically when the ignition key is
in position 2.Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Riding the clutch causes the clutch assem-
bly to wear out sooner.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
You can drive with a continuously variable
shifting CVT. In addition, you can also shift
manually.
When you move the selector lever from the
D position to the right into the M/S + –
range, the performance-oriented shift pro-
grams of the CVT are engaged. Steptronic
enters the manual selection mode and
executes the desired shift whenever you
tap the selector lever in the direction
indicated by + or –.
Whenever you want to use automatic
again, just move the selector lever toward
the left to position D.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Range selectionInadvertent engaging of certain selector
lever positions is prevented by a lock.
Press the button on the front side of the
selector lever knob. The lock is released.
While the vehicle is stationary, and
before shifting out of P or N, press the
brake pedal in order to disengage the selec-
tor lever lock mechanism – Shiftlock.
If the engine speed is too high when the
vehicle is at a standstill, the selector lever is
also blocked to protect the transmission.
Hold the brake pedal down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep" when
a drive position is engaged.<
To prevent the vehicle from starting
off on its own, always move the
selector lever to position P and engage the
parking brake before getting out of your
vehicle with the engine running.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. This is a safety haz-
ard.<
If the selector lever is not placed in
position P when the vehicle is parked,
the position display of the selector lever
stays on. This can lead to battery dis-
charge.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
GENERAL DRIVING NOTES Parking the vehicleCondensation forms in the air conditioner
system during operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed
water on the ground are therefore normal.Brakes
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. Even light but
consistent pedal pressure can lead to high
temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure.<
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a
wedge of water can form between tires and
road surface. This phenomenon is charac-
terized by a partial or complete loss of con-
tact between the tires and the road surface.
The ultimate results are loss of steering and
braking control.<
Driving through water
Do not drive through water on the
road if it is deeper than 1 ft / 30 cm,
and then only at walking speed at the
most. Otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission
may be damaged.<
Clothes hooks
When suspending clothing from the
hooks, ensure that they will not
obstruct the driver's vision. Do not hang
heavy objects on the hooks. If you do so,
they could cause personal injury during
braking or evasive maneuvers.<
High temperatures
High temperatures occur in any vehi-
cle equipped with a catalytic con-
verter. Do not remove the heat protection
plates fitted in the area of the exhaust sys-
tem and do not apply body-cavity pro-
tectant to this area. When driving, standing
at idle or parking the vehicle, take care to
avoid contact between the hot exhaust sys-
tem and flammable materials – e.g. hay,
leaves, grass, etc. Such contact could lead
to a fire resulting in serious personal injury
and property damage.<
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