2004 MINI COOPER ignition
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41
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
IGNITION LOCK STARTING THE ENGINE0Steering locked The key can be inserted or removed in this
position only.
To lock the steering:
1. Remove the key
2. Turn the steering wheel slightly to the
left or right until the lock engages.
A sound alarm goes off if the key remains in
the ignition after opening the driver's door.
Vehicles with Continuously Variable auto-
matic Transmission (CVT):
Do not move the selector lever from
position P until the engine is running.
The ignition key cannot be turned to
position 0 and removed until the selector
lever is in position P, interlock.
1Steering unlockedIndividual electrical accessories are ready
for operation.
You will find that it is often easier to turn
the ignition key from position 0 to
position 1 when you move the steering
wheel slightly to help disengage the lock.2Ignition switched onAll electrical accessories are ready for oper-
ation.3Starting the engine
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Step on the clutch when starting the
vehicle. A lockout prevents the engine from
starting if the clutch is not depressed.<
Do not let the engine warm up with
the vehicle at a standstill. Move off
immediately at a moderate engine speed.<
Do not allow the engine to run in
enclosed spaces. Breathing the nox-
ious exhaust gases can lead to uncon-
sciousness and death. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and
colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. This is a safety hazard.
When driving, standing at idle, and parking
the vehicle, take care to avoid contact
between the hot exhaust system and flam-
mable materials, e.g. hay, grass, leaves, etc.
Such contact could lead to a fire resulting in
serious personal injury and property dam-
age.<
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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 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up from ignition key position 2,
refer to 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.<
To avoid corrosion and one-sided
braking, apply the parking brake
lightly from time to time when coasting to
a standstill, for instance at a traffic light,
provided that it is safe to do so.<
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MANUAL TRANSMISSION 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 gearBefore 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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PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS Switching on the parking lamps Turn to the first position. The front, rear
and side vehicle lighting is switched on.
Parking light on one side, refer to following
column.Switching on the low beamsTurn to the second position. With the low
beams on and with the ignition switched
off, only the parking lamps will remain on.
'Follow me home' lampsIf you activate the headlamp flasher after
having switched off the engine and the
lights, the low beams will stay lit for a pre-
set period of time.
You can have this function set by
your MINI Dealer.
1. Turn the ignition key to position 0 or
remove the key
2. Switch on the low beams
3. Move the lever to the adequate turn sig-
nal indicator position.'Lights on' warningIf the lights have not been switched off and
the ignition key is in position 0, an acoustic
signal sounds for a few seconds when you
open the driver's door to remind you that
the lights have not been switched off.
Daytime driving lamps* If you desire, the light switch can be left in
position 2.
When the ignition is switched off, the car's
exterior lights go out.
The automatic headlamp range con-
trol for xenon lamps only operates
with the light switch in position 1 or 2.<
You can have the daytime driving
lamp function activated/deactivated
by your MINI Dealer.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
WASHER/WIPER SYSTEMwindshield wipers are automatically con-
trolled depending on the amount of mois-
ture, including snow, on the windshield.
To activate the rain sensor:
From ignition key position 1:
Lever in position 1.
The wipers move over the windshield once.
To deactivate the rain sensor:
Put lever in position 0.
Switch the rain sensor off when pass-
ing through an automatic car wash.
Failure to do so could result in damage
caused by undesired wiper activation.
ing.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated by your MINI Dealer.
speed.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated by your MINI Dealer.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps* The system sprays washer fluid against the
windshield. The wipers are automatically
activated for a brief period.
When the vehicle lighting is on, the head-
lamps are also cleaned at appropriate inter-
vals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on
the windshield. For this reason, use an anti-
freeze agent, refer to page 98
Do not use the washers when the reservoir
is empty, since this could cause damage to
the washing pump.
position 2.
Rear window wiper6Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 6.
The rear window wiper moves across the
window a number of times before
switching to intermittent operationCleaning rear window7Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 7 and hold in
place
8In lever position 0:
Turn the cap to position 8 and hold in
place
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CRUISE CONTROL
*
On the multifunction steering wheel
and sports steering wheel
The vehicle maintains and stores any
desired speed when driving above approx.
20 mph / 30 km/h. Vehicles with manual
transmission must be driving in 3rd gear or
higher.
Do not use cruise control on twisting
roads, when high traffic density pre-
vents driving at a constant speed, or when
the road surface does not permit driving at
a constant speed, e.g. due to snow, rain, ice,
loose surfaces.<
To activate via the multifunction
steering wheelFrom ignition key position 1:
Press button 2.
The indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up.
Cruise control is active.To activate via the sports steering
wheel1. Start the engine
2. Press button 2.
The indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up.
Cruise control is active.
To deactivate Press button 2 repeatedly until the indica-
tor lamp goes out.
The cruise control is deactivated when the
ignition key is turned to position 0.
The stored speed is cleared.
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ODOMETER TACHOMETER FUEL GAUGE 1Trip odometer To set to zero:
With ignition key in position 1, press but-
ton 3 until the trip odometer is at zero.2OdometerYou can activate the displays shown in the
illustration, with the ignition key in
position 0, by pressing button 3 in the dis-
play elements.
Do not operate the engine with the needle
in the red overspeed zone of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the power is reduced
when you approach a certain engine speed
in this sector.
In the speedometer If the indicator light 1 begins to be lit con-
tinuously, there are approx. 2.1 gallons /
8 liters of fuel in the tank.
Fuel tank capacity:
approx. 13.2 gallons / 50 liters.
When you switch on the ignition, the indi-
cator lamp lights up briefly to confirm that
the system is operational.
If the angle of the vehicle varies, for exam-
ple when you are driving in mountainous
areas, the needle may fluctuate slightly.
Refill the gas tank early. If you drive
to the last drop of fuel, engine func-
tions are not guaranteed and damage can
occur.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
FUEL GAUGE COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGEIn the navigation system
Please also comply with the instruc-
tions in the previous section.<
If the indicator light 1 changes from orange
to red, there are approx. 2.1 gallons /
8 liters of fuel in the tank.
Low temperature The needle is at the bottom or on the right
of the range.
The engine is still cold. Drive at moderate
engine and vehicle speeds.Center positionNormal operating temperature of the
engine.High temperatureAs soon as there is a deviation from the
center position upwards or to the left:
Drive moderately and at low engine speed.
If necessary, switch off the engine and
allow it to cool down.
Checking coolant level, refer to page 100.
1Red indicator lampWhen you switch on the ignition, warning
lamp 1 comes on briefly to confirm that the
system is operational.
Lights up while driving:
Engine is too hot. Switch off the engine
immediately and allow it to cool down.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 it to cool down.
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