2006 MINI Hardtop 2 Door wheel

73
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
FLAT TIRE MONITOR
The concept
As you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor keeps
track of the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires. The system alerts you when there is a
substantial pressure loss in one of the tires
relative to another.
In the event of tire pressure loss, the rolling
radius of the tire changes, thereby affect-
ing the rotational speed of the wheels. This
change is detected, and a flat tire warning
is issued to the driver.
System requirements
To ensure the reliability of flat tire warn-
ings, the system must be initialized with
the correct tire inflation pressures.
Each time you correct the pressure in
a tire, or change a wheel or tire, the
system must be reinitialized.<
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot alert you
to severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors, nor does it
detect the gradual and minor loss of pres-
sure in all four tires.<
The system could issue a false warning or
function in a delayed manner in the follow-
ing situations:
>System was not initialized
>You are driving on a snow-covered or
slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented driving: slip at the
drive wheels, high rates of lateral accel-
eration
>You are driving with snow chains.
When driving with a space-saver spare tire,
the Flat Tire Monitor cannot function.
Initializing the system
Initialization is completed while you
are driving, but you can stop the car
at any time. Initialization is automatically
continued when you continue driving. Do
not initialize the system if you are driving
with snow chains or a space-saver spare
tire.<
1. Before a journey, start the engine, but do
not start driving.
2. Press the button until the indicator lamp
in the display elements lights up in yel-
low for several seconds.
3. Drive off.
Initialization is completed during the
drive, without any feedback issued.

82
AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL*
Automatic air distribution and volume
The LED is lit when the AUTO pro-
gram is on.
Automatic adjustment of the air distribu-
tion and volume, and adaptation of the
specified temperatures to external influ-
ences, e.g. outside temperature and insola-
tion.
In the automatic program (AUTO), the air
conditioning is activated automatically. To
create a pleasant air climate, the air tem-
perature coming from the vents in the
upper body area is lower than the air tem-
perature in the footwell.
Air volume/Blower
Switching automatic climate control
off/on
Press the left or right half of the
button to vary the air volume.
Automatic adjustment of the air volume is
deactivated.
Switching air conditioner on/off.
Press the left half of the button while the
blower is at the lowest setting. The blower,
heating and air conditioning are switched
off. All displays go out.
Switch the automatic climate control back
on by pressing any button.
Cooling function
The LED is lit when the cooling
function is on.
The air is cooled and dehumidified and,
depending on the temperature setting,
rewarmed.
The cooling function is automatically acti-
vated in the AUTO program.
Depending on the weather, the windshield
can fog up temporarily after the engine is
started.
When the air conditioning is on, con-
densation is formed which then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed
water on the ground are therefore nor-
mal.<
Recirculated air mode
The LED is lit when the recirculated
air mode is on. Supply of outside air
into the vehicle is blocked.
The air within the vehicle is recirculated.
In the automatic program (AUTO) in hot
weather conditions, the recirculated air
mode is activated temporarily to enable
faster cooling.
The LED for the recirculated air button is
not lit.
The recirculated air mode should not
be used constantly over a longer
period of time; otherwise the air quality in
the vehicle's interior will gradually deterio-
rate. If the windows fog up in the recircu-
lated air mode, turn the recirculated air
mode off and, if necessary, increase the air
supply.<
Rear window defroster and windshield
heating*
The LED comes on when the rear
window/windshield heating is on.
The heater switches off automatically after
a short time.
Temperature
Tap or turn the wheel in the
appropriate direction to change
the temperature step by step.
The figures in the display provide
a general indication of interior tempera-
ture. When you start the vehicle, the sys-
tem ensures that the selected temperature
is achieved as quickly as possible and then
maintained.
Permanent heating with maximum
power output at temperature selec-
tion HI. Permanent cooling at LO. With the

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.

107
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE CONDITION
Wear indicators in the tread-groove base
are spread around the circumference of the
tire and are marked on the sidewall of the
tire with TWI, Tread Wear Indicator. When
tire tread is worn down to the level of the
wear indicators, the remaining tread depth
is 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Wheel/tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note
that wheels, tires and suspension
parts are more susceptible to road hazards
and consequential damage.
Unusual vibrations while driving can indi-
cate tire damage or other damage to the
vehicle. This may be caused, for example,
by driving over a curb. This is also true for
abnormalities in the vehicle's handling
characteristics, such as a pronounced ten-
dency to pull to the left or right.
In such situations, reduce your speed
immediately. Drive carefully to the nearest
MINI Dealer or tire dealer, or have the vehi-
cle towed there, if necessary.
Tire damage can endanger the lives of both
the vehicle occupants and other road
users.<

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.<

120
CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLE
damage caused by undesired wiper activa-
tion.<
Rod antenna
If necessary, for example before
entering a car wash or a garage with
elevator ramp, remove the rod antenna.
To do so, grip the rod antenna at the base
and unscrew it from the antenna foot by
turning it to the left.<
Headlamps
When cleaning the headlamps,
please observe the following: do not
rub them dry, and never use abrasives or
strong solvents. Remove dirt and contami-
nation, such as insects, by soaking with
shampoo and then rinsing with plenty of
water. Always use a deicer spray to remove
accumulated ice and snow; never use a
scraper.<
Vehicle paintwork
Regular care contributes greatly to driving
safety and value retention.
Environmental influences varying from one
region to the next can affect the vehicle
paintwork. Please base the frequency and
scope of car care on these various influ-
ences.
Care of upholstery
Depressions that come about on the uphol-
stery material of the seats in daily use can
be brushed out using a slightly damp brush
against the grain.
The fact that velour lays down is not a qual-
ity defect, but rather is inevitable in the
case of home textiles or clothing materials.
In the case of strong sunlight and longer
parking periods, cover the seats or all win-
dows to prevent discoloration.
Care of special parts
>Light-alloy wheels*:
Use wheel cleaner especially during the
winter months, but do not use any
aggressive, acidic, strong alkali or rough
cleansers or steam jets above 1407/
606. Observe the manufacturer's
instructions
>Chrome parts
* such as bonnet grill, door
handles, etc.:
Especially if exposed to road salt, care-
fully clean these parts with plenty of
water and possibly with a shampoo addi-
tive. For additional treatment, use
chrome polish
>Rubber parts:
Treat only with water or rubber care
products.
Do not use silicon sprays or other
silicon-containing care products,
otherwise noise and damage could
occur.<
>Plastic parts, imitation leather surfaces,
headliner, lamp glass, covering glass for
the display elements, as well as matt
black molded parts:
Clean with water and, if necessary, plas-
tic care products. Do not dampen seats
and the headliner.
Never use solvents such as lacquer thin-