2006 MINI Hardtop 2 Door light

53
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
IGNITION LOCK STARTING THE ENGINE
0 Steering locked
1 Steering unlocked
2 Ignition switched on
3 Starting the engine
Steering 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.
An alarm goes off if the key remains in the
ignition after opening the driver's door.
Interlock for automatic transmission with
Steptronic:
The ignition key cannot be turned to
position 0 and removed until the selector
lever is in position P.
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.
Ignition switched on
All electrical accessories are ready for oper-
ation.
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.
Before getting out of the vehicle with the
engine running, put the transmission in
idle or position P, and apply the parking
brake. If you fail to do this, the vehicle
could move.<
Do not let the engine warm up with the
vehicle at a standstill. Move off immedi-
ately at a moderate engine speed.
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.<

54
STARTING THE ENGINE SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE PARKING BRAKE
Manual transmission
1. Engage the parking brake
2. Gearshift lever in idle position
3. Depress the clutch
4. Start the engine.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
1. Press the footbrake
2. Put the selector lever in position P or N
3. Start the engine.
Special starting conditions
In the following situations, depress the
accelerator pedal halfway and continue
starting the engine for up to approx.
10 seconds:
>If the engine does not start on the first
attempt, for instance if the engine is very
hot or cold.
>The engine is started at very low temper-
atures, below approx. +57/–156, at
high altitudes above 3,300 ft/1000 m.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.<
Manual transmission
Turn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
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 engage
Lever automatically locks in position.
The indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up from ignition key position 2,
refer to page17.
To release
1. 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

55
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
PARKING BRAKE MANUAL TRANSMISSION
force. Keep your thumb pressed against the
release button while pulling the lever up
carefully.
Otherwise, excessive force could lead to
overbraking and loss of traction, i.e. fish-
tailing, at the rear axle.<
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. The brake
lamps do not come on when the parking
brake is engaged.<
6-speed transmission*
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear,
press the gearshift lever to the right.
Otherwise, the engine could be damaged
by accidentally engaging 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Before selecting reverse gear, ensure the
vehicle is stationary; then, fully depress the
clutch and pause briefly before moving 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.

59
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS
1 Parking lamps
2 Low beams
3 Automatic headlamp control
*
Parking lamps
Turn the light switch to position 1.
The front, rear and side vehicle
lighting is switched on.
For the additional option of activating the
lights on one side of the vehicle for parking,
refer to Switching on the standing lamps,
page59.
The parking lamps discharge the bat-
tery.
Avoid using them for longer periods of
time; otherwise, you may not be able to
start the engine.<


Low beams
Turn the light switch to position 2.
With the low beams on and with
the ignition switched off, only the
parking lamps will remain on.
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position 3, the system
automatically activates and can-
cels the low beams in response to
changes in ambient light, for example in
tunnels, at dusk, and when there is precipi-
tation.
When driving into a tunnel with bright
overhead lights, there may be a delay
before the low beams come on.
The low beams may also come on when the
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
When you switch on the fog lamps,
the low-beam headlamps remain on
regardless of the ambient light. When the
daytime driving lamps are activated, refer
to page60, the low beams come on and
remain lit when the switch is in position 1
and the ignition is switched on.<
Automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for the driver's
judgement in determining when the vehi-
cle lights should be switched on. For exam-
ple, the sensors are not able to detect fog.
To avoid safety risks, you should respond to
these kinds of low-visibility situations by
switching the headlamps on manually.<
You can have the sensitivity of your
vehicle's automatic headlamp con-
trol adjusted.<
Pathway lighting
If 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 pro-
grammed.<
Switching on the standing lamps
For parking, you can activate lights on one
side of the vehicle. Observe local laws.
In ignition key position 0:
Move the lever to the adequate turn signal
indicator position.
The standing lamps discharge the
battery. Avoid using them for longer
periods of time; otherwise, you may not be
able to start the engine.<

60
PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR/HEADLAMP FLASHER
'Lights on' warning
If 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 convenient, the light switch can be left in
position 2.
When the ignition is switched off, the
external lights go out.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated.<
1 Turn signal indicators
2 High beams/Headlamp flasher
To signal briefly
Gently push the lever up to the point of
resistance and hold it there, if necessary.
The indicator lamp flashes and the
relay clicks faster than normal: a turn
signal indicator has failed.<

61
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
INSTRUMENT LIGHTING FOG LAMPS INTERIOR LAMPS
To control the instrument lighting, press
the button.
To increase the illumination intensity
Press the button until the desired bright-
ness is achieved.
To decrease the illumination intensity
Press the button briefly.
With each brief pressing of the button, the
illumination intensity is reduced in steps.
When the parking lamps/low beams are
switched on:
Tap the switch upwards or downwards.
Tap it again to switch off.
Fog lamps*
The parking lamps or low beams
must be on. The green LED in the
switch lights up.
The fog lamps are on.
Rear fog lamp*
The low beams must be on. The
yellow LED in the switch lights up.
The rear fog lamp is on.
Observe all legal regulations concerning
the use of fog lamps.
Switching the interior light in the MINI
on and off manually
Press button 1 briefly.
Permanently turn off interior light:
Press button 1 until the interior light comes
on for a short while.
Press button 1 to revert to normal opera-
tion.

62
INTERIOR LAMPS WASHER/WIPER SYSTEM
Switching the interior light in the MINI
Convertible on and off manually
Press button 1 briefly.
Permanently turn off interior light:
Press button 1 until the interior light comes
on for a short while.
Press button 1 to revert to normal opera-
tion.
Switching the reading lamps on and
off
Press button 2.
0Wipers parked
1 Intermittent operation or rain sensor
2 Normal wiper speed
3 Fast wiper speed
4Brief wipe
5 Clean windshield and headlamps
Intermittent operation
Not on vehicles with rain sensor.
The interval time for the wipers is depen-
dent on the vehicle speed.
Rain sensor*
The rain sensor is located on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rear-
view mirror.
When the rain sensor is activated, the
windshield wipers are automatically con-
trolled depending on the amount of mois-
ture, including snow, on the windshield.
To activate the rain sensor:
Lever in position 1.
The wipers will move once across the wind-
shield.
To deactivate the rain sensor:
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.<
Normal wiper speed
When the vehicle is stationary, the wipers
switch automatically to intermittent wip-
ing.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated.<
Fast wiper speed
When the vehicle is stationary, the wipers
switch automatically to normal wiper
speed.

63
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
WASHER/WIPER SYSTEM WASHER FLUID
You can have this function activated/
deactivated.<
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 anti-
freeze, refer to page64.
Do not use the washers if the fluid reservoir
is empty, as the washer pump will other-
wise be damaged.<
Heated windshield washer jets*
The windshield washer jets are heated
automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.
Rear window wiper*
6 Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 6.
The rear window wiper moves across the
window a number of times before
switching to intermittent operation
Cleaning the rear window*
7 Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 7 and keep it
there
8 Wipers parked:
Turn the cap to position 8 and keep it
there.
Headlamp* and window washer
systems
The capacity of the headlamp washer sys-
tem is approx. 2.6 quarts/2.5 liters, that of
the windshield and rear window washer
system approx. 2.4 quarts/2.3 liters.
Fill with water and, if necessary, with anti-
freeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
We recommend that you mix the
washer fluid before filling either res-
ervoir.<
Antifreeze agent for the washer sys-
tems is flammable. Always keep it well
away from sparks and open flames, and
store it in tightly closed original containers
well out of the reach of children. Always
observe the instructions on the containers.<