Things to remember when driving
90
area of the tailgate; otherwise damage can
occur.
Fasten roof-mounted cargo correctly and
securely to prevent it from shifting or falling off
during the trip.
Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden acceleration and
braking maneuvers, and take corners gently.
Saving fuel
Fuel consumption depends on a number of dif-
ferent factors. The implementation of certain
measures, your driving style and regular mainte-
nance can have an influence on fuel consump-
tion and on the environmental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts no longer in use
Remove auxiliary mirrors, roof- or rear-mounted
luggage racks whenever you are not using
them.
Attached parts on the vehicle affect its aerody-
namics and increase fuel consumption.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct tire inflation
pressure at least twice a month and before start-
ing on a long trip.
Low inflation pressure increases rolling resis-
tance and thus leads to greater fuel consump-
tion and tire wear.
Drive off immediately
Do no t wa it for t he eng ine to warm u p wh ile the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds. This is the
fastest way for the cold engine to reach its oper-
ating temperature.
Think ahead while driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking by
maintaining a suitable distance to the vehicle
driving ahead.Driving smoothly and anticipating impending
traffic situations reduces fuel consumption.
Avoid high engine speeds
Use first gear only for driving off. In second and
higher gears, accelerate smoothly to a suitable
engine and road speed. In doing so, avoid high
engine speeds and shift up early.
When you reach your desired traveling speed,
shift to the highest suitable gear and drive at
constant speed.
As a rule: driving at low engine speeds lowers
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red traffic light, take your
foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast
to a halt in the highest suitable gear.
On a downhill gradient, take your foot off the
accelerator and let the vehicle coast in a suitable
gear.
Fuel supply is shut off automatically when the
vehicle is coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings or
in traffic congestions.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have your vehicle serviced regularly to achieve
good economy and a long vehicle life. The man-
ufacturer of your MINI recommends having the
vehicle serviced by a MINI Dealer. Also note the
MINI Maintenance System, page110.
Wheels and tires
96
Wheels and tires
Tire inflation pressures
Information for your safety
It is not merely the tires' service life, but also
driving comfort and, to a great extent, driving
safety that depend on the condition of the tires
and the maintenance of the specified tire pres-
sure.
Checking pressure
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly
and correct it, if necessary: at least twice a
month and before starting long trips. If you fail
to observe this precaution you may be driving
on tires with incorrect tire pressures, a condition
that can not only compromise your vehicle's
driving stability, but also lead to tire damage and
the risk of an accident. Do not drive with
deflated, i.e. flat tires, except when using Run-
Flat Tires. A flat tire will seriously impair your
vehicle's handling and braking response.
Attempts to drive on a flat tire can lead to loss of
control over the vehicle.<
Check the tire inflation pressures only on cold
tires. This means after a maximum of 1.25 miles/
2 km driving or when the vehicle has been
parked for at least 2 hours. When tires are warm,
the tire inflation pressure is higher.
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, page60,
or reset the Tire Pressure Monitor, page61.<
Checking the inflation pressure of the
space-saver spare tire* of the MINI
A valve extension for checking the inflation pres-
sure is located behind the bumper.
Checking the inflation pressure of the
space-saver spare tire* of the MINI
Clubman
To check the inflation pressure, fold up the level
load floor. Remove the onboard tool kit and the
space-saver spare tire, refer to page123.
Inflation pressure specifications
The tables below provide all the correct inflation
pressures for the specified tire sizes at ambient
temperature.
The tire inflation pressures apply to the
tire sizes approved and the tire brands
recommended by the manufacturer of your
MINI. Your MINI Dealer will be glad to advise
you.<
For correct identification of the right tire infla-
tion pressures, observe the following:
>Tire sizes for your vehicle
>Load conditions
>Maximum allowable driving speed
Tire inflation pressures for driving up to
100 mph or 160 km/h
For normal driving up to 100 mph or 160 km/h
and to achieve optimum driving comfort, adjust
pressures to the respective tire inflation pres-
sures listed on the following pages in the col-
ReferenceAt a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
97
umns for traveling speeds up to a maximum of
100 mph or 160 km/h.
These tire inflation pressures can also be found
on the driver's-side door post when the driver's
door is open.
The maximum permissible speed for these
tire pressures is 100 mph or 160 km/h. Do
not exceed this speed, otherwise tire damage
and accidents could occur.<
Tire inflation pressures for driving above
100 mph or 160 km/h
In order to drive at maximum speeds in
excess of 100 mph or 160 km/h, adjust
pressures to the respective tire inflation pres-
sures listed on the following pages in the col-
umns for traveling speeds including those
exceeding 100 mph or 160 km/h. Otherwise tire
damage and accidents could occur.<
Observe all national and local maximum speed
limits, otherwise violations of the laws could
occur.
Wheels and tires
98
MINI Cooper tire inflation pressures
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Speeds up to a
max. of 100 mph /
160 km/hSpeeds including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications
in the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold
tires. Cold = ambient tem-
perature
175/65 R 15 84 T M+S
175/65 R 15 84 H M+S
175/65 R 15 84 H
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S RSC
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S RSC
205/40 R 18 82 W RSC33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
Emergency wheel:
115/70 R 15 90 M61/420 61/420 – – 61/420 61/420
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page147.
ReferenceAt a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
99
MINI Cooper S tire inflation pressures
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Speeds up to a
max. of 100 mph /
160 km/hSpeeds including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications
in the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold
tires. Cold = ambient tem-
perature
195/55 R 16 87 V RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S RSC
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S RSC33/230 33/230 33/230 33/230 38/260 38/260
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V RSC
205/40 R 18 82 W RSC
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S RSC38/260 38/260 38/260 38/260 41/280 41/280
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page147.
Wheels and tires
100
MINI Clubman Cooper tire inflation pressures
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Speeds up to a
max. of 100 mph /
160 km/hSpeeds including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications
in the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold
tires. Cold = ambient tem-
perature
195/55 R 16 87 V RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S RSC
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S RSC32/220 32/220 33/230 33/230 35/240 38/260
175/65 R 15 84 T M+S
175/65 R 15 84 H M+S
175/65 R 15 84 H
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S RSC
205/40 R 18 82 V RSC35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 38/260 41/280
195/55 R 16 87 H RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S RSC34/240 34/240 34/240 34/240 38/260 41/280
Emergency wheel:
115/70 R 15 90 M61/420 61/420 – – 61/420 61/420
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page147.
ReferenceAt a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
101
MINI Clubman Cooper S tire inflation pressures
Tire size Pressure specifications in psi/kPa
Speeds up to a
max. of 100 mph /
160 km/hSpeeds including those exceeding
100 mph / 160 km/h
All pressure specifications
in the table are indicated in
psi/kilopascal with cold
tires. Cold = ambient tem-
perature
195/55 R 16 87 V RSC
195/55 R 16 87 H M+S RSC
195/55 R 16 87 V M+S RSC35/240 35/240 35/240 35/240 38/260 41/280
205/45 R 17 84 V RSC
205/45 R 17 84 V M+S RSC
205/40 R 18 82 W RSC
175/60 R 16 82 H M+S RSC38/260 38/260 38/260 38/260 41/280 44/300
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page147.
Wheels and tires
104
ommends tire replacement after no more than
6 years, regardless of the actual wear of the
tires.
Run-Flat Tires*
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall.
Run-Flat Tires comprise a conditionally self-sup-
porting tire and a special rim. The reinforcement
in the sidewalls ensures that the tire can con-
tinue to be used subject to certain restrictions,
even if depressurized.
For information on continuing to drive with a flat
tire, refer to Indication of a flat tire, page60.
New wheels and tires
Have new wheels and tires mounted only
by your MINI Dealer or a specialized tire
shop that has specially trained personnel work-
ing in accordance with the specifications of the
MINI manufacturer. If this work is not carried out
properly, there is a danger of subsequent dam-
age and related safety hazards. Make sure that
the new wheels are balanced.<
Retreaded tires
The manufacturer of your MINI recom-
mends that you avoid using retreaded
tires, as this could impair driving safety. The
causes for this include potentially different tire
casing structures and often wide variations in
tire age, which can result in a limited service
life.<
Correct wheels and tires
The manufacturer of your MINI recom-
mends 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 dimen-
sions, variations in factors such as manufactur-
ing tolerances can result in contact between tire
and bodywork, ultimately leading to serious
accidents. The manufacturer of your MINI can-
not evaluate non-approved wheels and tires to
determine if they are suited for use, and there-
fore 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 combination for
your vehicle.
The correct combination of wheels and tires is
also necessary to ensure reliable operation of
various vehicle systems such as ABS and DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single brand and
tread configuration. After a tire has been dam-
aged, mount the previous wheel and tire combi-
nation again as soon as possible.
Wheels with Tire Pressure Monitor TPM
electronics
When mounting new tires or changing over from
summer to winter tires, or vice versa, only use
wheels with TPM electronics; otherwise the Tire
Pressure Monitor may not be able to detect a
puncture, refer to page62. Your MINI Dealer will
be glad to advise you.