3OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Driving:Ignition lock
51
Starting the engine
51
Switching off the engine
52
Parking brake
53
Manual transmission
53
Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)
54
Parking lamps/Low beams
57
signal/Headlamp flasher
58
Instrument lighting
58
Fog lamps
58
Interior lamps
59
Washer/wiper system
59
Cruise control
61
Everything under control:Odometer
63
Clock
63
Fuel gauge
63
Coolant temperature gauge
64
Tachometer
65
Service interval display
65
Onboard computer
66
Technology for safety and driving
convenience:All Season traction Control (ASC)
68
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
69
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
70
Flat Tire Monitor
71
Airbags
72
Park Distance Control (PDC)
74
Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving:Air conditioning system
75
Automatic climate control
78
Interior conveniences:Glove compartment
81
Ashtray, drinks holders
81
Cigarette lighter, 12 V power supply
82
Integrated universal remote control
83
Loading and transporting cargo:Luggage compartment in the MINI
85
Luggage compartment in the MINI Convertible
86
Loading cargo
86
Roof-mounted luggage rack
89
OPERATION, CARE, MAINTENANCESpecial operating instructions:Break-in procedures
92
General driving notes
93
Refueling
94
Brake system
96
Wheels and tires:Tire inflation pressure
97
Tire coding
99
Tire condition
100
Run Flat tires
101
New wheels and tires
102
Snow chains
104
51
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
IGNITION LOCK
STARTING THE ENGINE
0 Steering locked
The key can be inserted or removed in this
position only.To lock the steering:1. Remove the key2. 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.Interlock Vehicles with Continuously Variable auto
-
matic Transmission (CVT):
The ignition key cannot be turned to
position
0 and removed until the selector
lever is in position
P.
1 Steering unlocked
Individual 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.
2 Ignition switched on
All electrical accessories are ready for oper
-
ation.3 Starting 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 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.
vehicle at a standstill. Move off immedi
-
ately at a moderate engine speed.
52
STARTING THE ENGINE
SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE
StartingWhen starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not stop the starting procedure too early, and do not continue it for
more than approx. 20
seconds. Release the
ignition 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.
hot or cold:When starting the engine, press the gas
pedal down halfway.Cold start at very low temperatures, above
approx. +5
7
/ –15
6, at high altitudes
above 3,300
ft / 1,000 m:
>For the initial start attempt, allow the
starter to remain engaged somewhat
longer, approx. 10
seconds.
>When starting the engine, press the gas
pedal down halfway.
Manual transmission1. Engage the parking brake2. Put the manual gearshift lever in neutral3. Depress the clutch pedal, especially at
low temperatures4. Start the engine.
Move the gearshift lever to neutral position and engage the parking
brake before leaving your vehicle with the
engine running.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running. This is a safety haz
-
ard.
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.<
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 parking on inclines, engage the park
-
ing brake, or the vehicle could roll.
Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)Engage selector lever position
P, turn the
ignition key to position
1 or 0.
53
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
PARKING BRAKE
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
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
17.
To release1. Pull up slightly2. Press the button3. 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.<
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.<
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.<
54
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
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 come
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. Oth
-
erwise, a high degree of clutch wear could
result.<
In addition to the fully automatic mode,
you can shift gears manually using Step
-
tronic, refer to page
55.
Selector lever positionsP R N D M/S
+ –
Range selection Inadvertent 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
55
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
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.<
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is completely
stopped. The transmission locks to prevent
the rear wheels from turning.R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.N Neutral Idle
Engage this gear, for example, when you
are in a car wash. The vehicle can roll.D Drive: CVT driving position
This position is designed for driving under
all normal operating conditions. Kickdown Kickdown can be used to achieve maxi
-
mum vehicle performance.
Press the accelerator pedal past the
increased resistance point at the full-throt
-
tle position.
M/S
+ – Manual mode and Sport
program Switch from D into M/S
+ –:
Activates the Sport program and displays
SD in the gear indicator in the speedome
-
ter. Press selector lever once:Shifts from the Sport program to the man
-
ual mode.Shifting with the selector lever>Press selector lever briefly towards +:
Transmission shifts upwards>Press selector lever briefly towards –:
Transmission shifts downwards.1 to 6 appear in the gear indicator.
56
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
Shifting on the steering wheel* The shift paddles allow the gears to be
changed rapidly and, above all, safely, since
both hands can remain on the steering
wheel.Use one of the two shift paddles to shift
upwards or downwards:>Pull shift paddle toward body:
Transmission shifts upwards>Push shift paddle away from body:
Transmission shifts downwards.1 to 6 appear in the gear indicator.
The transmission will only execute upshifts
or downshifts that will result in a plausible
combination of vehicle speed and engine
rpm, e.g. downshifts that would result in
excessive engine speed are not executed.
In order to accelerate rapidly in the M/S
+ – Manual mode and in the
Sport program, e.g. when passing, shift
downwards manually or by kickdown.<
Whenever you want to return to automatic
shifting, just move the selector lever
toward the left to position D.Switching from M/S
+ – Manual mode into
the selector lever positions P, R and N is
only possible via D.
Available displaysP R N D SD 1 2 3 4 5 6 EPMalfunctionEP appears on the display. The transmission
system is malfunctioning. Avoid high loads.
All selector lever positions can still be
engaged; in the forward driving positions,
however, the vehicle can only be driven
with a limited gear selection.
Have the system checked immediately.Jump-starting and towing, refer to
pages
134
, 136
.
96
BRAKE SYSTEMBrake fluid levelIf the brake fluid level is too low and brake
pedal travel has become longer, there may
be a defect in one of the brake system's
hydraulic circuits.
Proceed to the nearest MINI Dealer. Higher brake application pressure
may be necessary under these conditions,
there may be a slight pull to one side, and
brake pedal travel may be longer. Please
remember to adapt your driving style
accordingly.<
Disc brakesWhen the vehicle is driven only occasion
-
ally, during extended periods when the
vehicle is not used at all, and in operating
conditions where brake applications are
less frequent, there is an increased ten
-
dency for corrosion of the brake rotors and
accumulation of contamination on the
brake pads. This occurs because the mini
-
mal pressure that must be exerted by the
pads to clean the rotors by brake applica
-
tions is not reached. Corrosion on brake rotors is signaled by a
running or pulsation during braking; even
extended subsequent braking will not cure
this phenomenon.
It is a good idea to periodically dry the
brakes with a gentle application when driv
-
ing in rain and on wet roads.
Monitor traffic conditions to ensure that
this maneuver does not endanger other
road users. The resulting heat dries the
brake rotors and pads. Then if the braking
force is needed, it is immediately available.Driving downhill
To prevent overheating and the resulting reduced efficiency of the
brake system, drive down extended or
steep mountain gradients in the gear
which requires the least brake applications.
Otherwise, even light but consistent pedal
pressure can lead to high temperatures,
brake wear and possibly even brake fail
-
ure.
ther utilized by downshifting, to first gear if
necessary, in the manual mode of the auto
-
matic transmission, refer to page
55. This
protects the brakes from excessive loads.
Do not coast with the clutch pedal pressed or with the transmission or
selector lever in Neutral. Do not coast with
the engine switched off. The engine pro
-
vides no braking effect when the transmis
-
sion is in Neutral, and there is no power-
assist for braking or steering when the
engine is switched off.
Make sure that there are no floor mats,
floor carpets or other objects in the vicinity
of the brake or accelerator pedal, as the
travel path of the pedals could otherwise
be impeded.
the rear axle monitor the brake pad condi
-
tion. When the brake pads reach the wear
limit, the brake wear warning lights up,
refer to page
18.
Use brake pads which the manufac
-
turer of your MINI has approved for
your particular vehicle model. The manu
-
facturer of your MINI cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if they
are suitable for use, and therefore cannot
ensure the operating safety of the vehicle
in the event of their use.<