2006 MINI Hardtop 2 Door flat tire

103
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE
Model Tire size Pressures specified in psi/kPa
All pressure specifications in the table are
indicated in psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
Traveling speeds up to 100 mph/
160 km/habove 100 mph/
160 km/h
MINI COOPER S195/55 R 16 87 V M+S A/S
195/55 R 16 87 V30/210 30/210 30/210 30/210 35/240 35/240
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S 33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S A/S
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S
205/45 R 17 84 V35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 39/270 39/270
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S
205/40 R 18 82 W36/250 36/250 36/250 36/250 41/280 41/280
MINI COOPER S
with John Coo-
per Works Kit
*
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S A/S
195/55 R 16 87 V32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 35/240 35/240
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S 33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S A/S
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S
205/45 R 17 84 V35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 39/270 39/270
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S
205/40 R 18 82 W36/250 36/250 36/250 36/250 41/280 41/280

104
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE
More information about permissible loads and weights can be found on pages149,150. Model Tire size Pressures specified in psi/kPa
All pressure specifications in the table are
indicated in psi/kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
Traveling speeds up to 100 mph/
160 km/habove 100 mph/
160 km/h
MINI COOPER S
Convertible195/55 R 16 87 V M+S A/S
195/55 R 16 87 V30/210 30/210 30/210 30/210 35/240 35/240
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S 33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S A/S
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S
205/45 R 17 84 V35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 38/260 38/260
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S
205/40 R 18 82 W36/250 36/250 36/250 36/250 41/280 41/280
MINI COOPER S
Convertible
with John Coo-
per Works Kit
*
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S A/S
195/55 R 16 87 V32/220 32/220 32/220 32/220 35/240 35/240
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S 33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S A/S
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S
205/45 R 17 84 V35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 39/270 39/270
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S
205/40 R 18 82 W36/250 36/250 36/250 36/250 41/280 41/280

106
TIRE CODING TIRE CONDITION
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction per-
formance.
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.<
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest,
B and C, representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified indoor lab-
oratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.<
RSC: Run Flat tires
You will recognize Run Flat tires by a circu-
lar symbol containing the letters RSC on
the side of the tire, refer to page108.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter performance
properties than summer tires.
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Tire tread
Tread depth should not be allowed to go
below 1/8 in/3 mm even though in Europe,
for example, the legally specified minimum
tread depth is only 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Below 1/8 in/3 mm tread depth, there is a
very high danger of hydroplaning at higher
speeds, even with only small amounts of
water on the road.
At tread depths below approx. 1/6 in/
4 mm, the ability of winter tires to cope
with winter driving conditions decreases
perceptibly. For safety reasons, new tires
should be mounted.

108
RUN FLAT TIRES*
You will recognize Run Flat tires by a circu-
lar symbol containing the letters RSC on
the side of the tire.
Run Flat tires consist of conditionally self-
supporting tires and special rims. The tire
reinforcement ensures that driving
remains possible to a restricted degree in
the event of a pressure drop or even a flat
tire.
For information on continuing to drive with
a flat tire, refer to Flat tire warning,
page74.
Tire change set
In case of a flat tire, the tire change
set is not needed, since your vehicle
has Run Flat tires.
When changing a tire, always observe the
safety measures and the procedure for
changing tires starting on page131.<
Your vehicle is additionally equipped with a
tire change set.
In the MINI COOPER and MINI COOPER Con-
vertible this is located in the luggage com-
partment under the floor mat.
In the MINI COOPER S and MINI COOPER S
Convertible, the tire change set is located in
a separate bag which is attached to the
lashing eyelets on the luggage compart-
ment floor by means of tie-down straps.
Have new wheels and tires mounted
only by your MINI Dealer or a special-
ized tire shop that has specially trained per-
sonnel working in accordance with the
specifications of the MINI manufacturer.
Work that is improperly carried out could
result in consequential damage and pose
safety hazards.<
Retreaded tires
The manufacturer of your MINI rec-
ommends that you avoid using
retreaded tires, as this could impair driving
safety. This is due to possible variations in
casing structures and, in some cases, to
their extreme age, factors which can lead
to limited durability.<

109
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
NEW WHEELS AND TIRES
The correct wheels and tires
The manufacturer of your MINI rec-
ommends mounting only wheels and
tires that it has specifically approved for
use on your particular model. Although
other wheels and tires may theoretically
have the same dimensions, variations in
factors such as manufacturing tolerances
can result in contact between tire and
bodywork, ultimately leading to serious
accidents. The manufacturer of your MINI
cannot evaluate non-approved wheels and
tires to determine if they are suited for use,
and therefore cannot ensure the operating
safety of the vehicle if they are mounted.<
Your MINI Dealer will be glad to inform you
about the correct wheel and tire combina-
tion for your vehicle.
The correct wheel and tire combination is
also important for various systems that
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS or
DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single brand
and tread configuration. In the event of tire
damage, remount the previous wheel and
tire combination as soon as possible.
Run Flat tires
For your own safety, use Run Flat tires
when mounting new tires or replacing
summer tires with winter tires or vice
versa. Keep in mind that no spare wheel is
available in the event of a flat. Your MINI
Dealer will be glad to advise you.
For safety reasons, the manufacturer
of your MINI recommends having
Run Flat tires replaced, not repaired, if they
are damaged.<
Tire designation
For each tire size, the manufacturer of your
MINI recommends certain tire brands. You
can recognize these by the clearly visible
designation on the tire's sidewall.
When used properly these tires meet the
highest standards regarding safety and
handling characteristics.

110
NEW WHEELS AND TIRES SNOW CHAINS*
Special characteristics of winter tires
The manufacturer of your MINI recom-
mends winter tires for driving in adverse
winter road conditions. While all-season
tires with the M+S designation provide bet-
ter winter traction than summer tires, they
generally do not achieve the full perfor-
mance of winter tires.
Observe speed ratings:
Never exceed the maximum speed
for which the winter tires are rated.<
Storage
Store tires in a cool, dry place, protecting
them against light whenever possible. Pro-
tect the tires against contact with oil,
grease and fuel. Do not exceed the tire
inflation pressure specified on the tire side-
wall.
Only certain types of snow chains have
been tested by the manufacturer of your
MINI, classified as road-safe and recom-
mended. Contact your MINI Dealer for
more details. Their use is only permitted in
pairs on the front wheels on winter tires of
the following types:
>175/65 R 15 M+S
>175/60 R 16 M+S.
When fitting, comply with the manufac-
turer's instructions. With chains, do not
exceed a speed of 30 mph / 50 km/h.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor
after attaching snow chains to the
tires.
When driving with snow chains, it can be
helpful to switch off the ASC or DSC for a
brief period, refer to page71.<

126
ONBOARD TOOL KIT WIPER BLADES
The picture shows as an example the tire
change set with onboard tools for vehicles
with the space-saver spare tire.
Depending on the equipment version, your
vehicle is equipped with a special onboard
tool kit stored at the locations described
below:
Tire change set with onboard tools for
space-saver spare tire
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
MINI Mobility System with tire change
set and onboard tools
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
Tire change set and onboard tool kit
with Run Flat tires
MINI COOPER and MINI COOPER Convert-
ible:
>In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
MINI COOPER S and MINI COOPER S Con-
vertible:
>Tire change set:
In the luggage compartment in a sepa-
rate pouch
>Onboard tool kit:
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
Windshield wiper
1. Rotate the wiper arm completely out
from the windshield
2. Set the wiper blade at an angle
3. Press the securing spring, see arrow
4. Unhook the wiper blade towards the
windshield
5. Pull the wiper blade past the wiper arm
toward the top
6. Insert the new wiper blade
7. Press into position until you hear it
engage.

131
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
REPAIRING A FLAT TIRE SPACE-SAVER SPARE TIRE*
Safety measures in the event of a flat
tire:
Stop the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Switch on the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead wheel position and engage the
steering lock. Engage the parking brake and
shift into 1st or reverse gear – selector lever
in P.
All passengers should be outside the vehi-
cle and well away from your immediate
working area – behind a guardrail, for
instance.
If a portable hazard warning lamp is avail-
able, set it up on the roadside at an appro-
priate distance from the rear of the vehicle.
Comply with all safety guidelines and regu-
lations.<
In the event of a flat tire, different proce-
dures should be followed depending on the
equipment included in your vehicle:
>Vehicles with Run Flat tires, refer to
page108
>Vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
refer to the following section
>Vehicles with MINI Mobility System,
refer to page135.To change a space-saver spare tire, proceed
as follows:
>Remove space-saver spare tire, refer to
the section after the next one
>Prepare for tire change, refer to page133
>Jack up the vehicle, refer to page134
>Mount the space-saver spare tire, refer
to page134
>Tighten the lug bolts, refer to page134
>Drive with space-saver spare tire, refer to
page133.
Tire change set
On vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
the tire change set with onboard tools is
stored in the luggage compartment under
the floor mat.
1 Chock, folding
2 Hubcap remover
3 Wheel stud wrench
4Jack
5 Special wrench for removing the space-
saver spare tire
6 Towing eyelet
7 Lifting handle
The onboard tool kit includes a pouch with
a plastic bag in which you can place the
damaged wheel.