2008 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE Owners Manual

127
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLEdamage caused by undesired wiper activa-
tion. 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 note: do not rub the head-
lamps dry and do not use any abrasive or
caustic cleaning products. Remove dirt and
contamination, 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 upholsteryDepressions 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 the bonnet grille,
door handles, and similar parts:
Particularly if they were exposed to road
salt, clean these parts carefully with
plenty of water and shampoo additive, if
necessary. For additional treatment, use
chrome polish
>Rubber components:
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, artificial leather surfaces,
headliner, lamp lenses, cover glass over
display elements as well as matt-black
die-cast parts:
Clean these parts with water and plastic
care products, if necessary. Do not
dampen seats and the headliner.
Never use solvents such as lacquer thin-

128
CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLEner, heavy-duty grease remover, fuel or
similar
>Fine-wood parts
*:
Please clean wood paneling and other
wood parts only with a damp cloth. Dry
off with a soft cloth
>Safety belts:
Only clean using mild soap, leaving the
belts installed.
Do not dry clean, as the fabric can be
destroyed.
Always roll up safety belts only when
dry.
Dirty safety belts prevent unrolling and
thus negatively affect safety
>Floor carpets and floor mats
*:
Use an interior cleaner to clean these
items if they are heavily soiled. Floor
mats can be removed to allow the inte-
rior to be cleaned
>Wiper blades:
Clean with soap and water. Replace
wiper blades twice a year, before and
after the cold season. This is particularly
important on vehicles fitted with a rain
sensor.
Caring for leather* and imitation
leatherThe leather and imitation leather used by
the manufacturer of your MINI are high quality products processed using state-of-
the-art methods and will retain their qual-
ity level for many years if cared for prop-
erly.
Regular cleaning and care are necessary, as
dust and road dirt scratch in pores and
creases and lead to heavy wear as well as
premature brittleness of the leather and
imitation leather surface.
This is why you should use a cloth or vac-
uum cleaner to remove dust on a regular
basis.
Since dirt and oil slowly destroy the protec-
tive layer of the leather and imitation
leather, a treatment with a leather care
product is necessary twice a year. This pre-
serves the quality of the leather and pre-
vents electrostatic charging.
Cleaning agents can contain hazard-
ous or health-damaging substances.
For this reason, always observe the warn-
ings on the package. For interior cleaning,
always open the doors or windows of the
vehicle.
Do not use any products that are not
intended for cleaning the vehicle.<
Care of the MINI Convertible's top The appearance and service life of the con-
vertible top largely depend on the proper
care and operation of the convertible top.
You should therefore observe the following
notes in particular:
>Whenever possible, park your vehicle in
the shade to protect it from intense sun-
light
>Do not fold the convertible top when it is
wet, dirty or frozen; otherwise water
marks, moisture stains and chafing could
result
>If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed
area for a longer period of time, make
sure that there is sufficient ventilation
>Remove bird droppings immediately
because they have corrosive properties.
Never use spot removers, paint thin-
ner, solvents, cleaning fuel or similar
since these products can destroy the rubber
seals and cause leaks.<

129
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLE VEHICLE STORAGE If the convertible top is very dirty, it is rec-
ommended that it be cleaned with a spe-
cial convertible top cleaning agent. Your
MINI Dealer will be glad to advise you.
Clean the convertible top as follows:
>Spray the convertible top with an
approved convertible top cleaning agent
>Then scrub the convertible top with a
wet sponge using circular motions
>Afterward, finish cleaning the vehicle in
a car wash or rinse the convertible top
thoroughly with plenty of water.
After washing the convertible top three to
five times, it should be treated with a
waterproofing agent.Wind deflector*>Clean the wind deflector with a soft
sponge and water evenly across the
entire surface so that water marks do
not form
>Do not clean it with a vacuum cleaner or
upholstery brush attachment, otherwise
the net could be damaged.Your MINI Dealer will be glad to advise you
on what is important if the vehicle is to be
decommissioned for longer than three
months.

130

OVERVIEW
CONTROLS
OPERATION, CARE, MAINTENANCE
OWNER SERVICE PROCEDURES
INDEX TECHNICAL DATA
131
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Repairs

132
ONBOARD TOOL KIT WIPER BLADESThe 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 tireIn the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.MINI Mobility System with tire change
set and onboard toolsIn the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.Tire change set and onboard tool kit
with Run-Flat TiresMINI 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 wiper1. Rotate the wiper arm completely out
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.

133
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
WIPER BLADES LAMPS AND BULBSRear window wiper*1. Rotate the wiper arm completely out
2. Turn the wiper blade as far as it will go
to the rear
3. Press the wiper blade against the limit
and thus out of the mounting
4. Press the new wiper blade into the
mounting.
Lamps and bulbs are an important compo-
nent of vehicle safety. Therefore, proceed
carefully when handling bulbs.
To replace bulbs which are not described
here, please contact a MINI Dealer or a
workshop that has specially trained per-
sonnel working in accordance with the
specifications of the MINI manufacturer.
Do not touch the glass portion of a
new bulb with your bare hands since
even small amounts of impurities burn into
the surface and reduce the service life of
the bulb. Use a clean cloth, paper napkin, or
similar material, or hold the bulb by its
metallic base.<
A replacement bulb set can be obtained at
your MINI Dealer.
Whenever working on the electrical
system, switch off the electrical
accessory you are working on or disconnect
the cable from the negative terminal of the
battery. Failure to do this could result in
short circuits.
To prevent injuries and damage, comply
with any instructions provided by the bulb
manufacturer.<

134
LAMPS AND BULBS1Low beamsH7 bulb, 55 watts2High beams H7 bulb, 55 watts
The H7 bulb is pressurized. Therefore,
wear safety glasses and protective
gloves. If the lamp is damaged there is a
risk of injury.<
For checking and adjusting headlamp
aim, please contact your MINI
Dealer. net.
1. Gently pull the retaining wire of the
headlamp cover and guide it outwards
2. Fold down the headlamp cover
3. Disconnect the cable connector from the
bulb socket and pull out the bulb
4. Place the bulb holder on the lower edge
of the mounting and press it in until it
engages in the bulb socket
5. Reconnect the cable connector and
install the headlamp cover again.Xenon lamps*The service life of these bulbs is very long
and the probability of a failure is very low,
provided that they are not switched on and
off an unusual number of times. If one of
these bulbs should nevertheless fail, it is
possible to continue driving with great cau-
tion using the fog lamps, provided traffic
laws in your area do not prohibit this.
Have any work on the xenon lamp
system, including bulb replacement,
carried out only by a MINI Dealer or a work-
shop that has specially trained personnel
working in accordance with the specifica-
tions of the MINI manufacturer. Due to
high voltage, there is a risk of fatal injury if
work on the xenon lamps is carried out
improperly.<
Turn signal indicators, front 21 watt bulb
1. Open the bonnet
2. Reach into the opening for the turn sig-
nal indicators from above
3. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb holder
while turning it to the left
4. Remove and replace the bulb.Parking lamps and standing lamps5watt bulb
The parking lamps and standing lamps are
integrated in the lamp housing of the turn
signal indicator.
1. Turn the bulb holder to the left and pull
out
2. Remove and replace the bulb.