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OWNER'S MANUAL
MINI
MINI CONVERTIBLE 
         
        
        
     
        
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Cooper
Cooper S
John Cooper
WorksCongratulations on your new MINI
This Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of 
this vehicle. It should stay with the vehicle when sold to provide 
the next owner with important operating, safety and mainte-
nance information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience. 
         
        
        
     
        
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© 2010 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft 
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
US English II/10
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling. 
         
        
        
     
        
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REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 3
CONTENTS
The fastest way to find information on a particu-
lar topic or item is by using the index, refer to 
page160.
Using this Owner's Manual
4Notes
6Reporting safety defects
AT A GLANCE
10Cockpit
CONTROLS
18Opening and closing
35Adjustments
41Transporting children safely
44Driving
53Controls overview
63Technology for driving comfort and safety
74Lamps
79Climate
84Practical interior accessories
DRIVING TIPS
92Things to remember when driving
MOBILITY
102Refueling
104Wheels and tires
116Under the hood
119Maintenance
121Care
125Replacing components
136Giving and receiving assistance
140Indicator and warning lamps
REFERENCE
154Technical data
160Everything from A to Z 
         
        
        
     
        
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Notes
4
Notes
Using this Owner's 
Manual
We have tried to make all the information in this 
Owner's Manual easy to find. The fastest way to 
find specific topics is to refer to the detailed 
index at the back of the manual. If you wish to 
gain an initial overview of your vehicle, you will 
find this in the first chapter.
Should you wish to sell your MINI at some time in 
the future, remember to hand over this Owner's 
Manual to the new owner; it is an important part 
of the vehicle.
Additional sources of information
Should you have any other questions, your MINI 
dealer will be glad to advise you at any time.
You can find more information about the MINI, 
for example on its technology, on the Internet at 
www.MINI.com.
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be fol-
lowed precisely in order to avoid the pos-
sibility of personal injury and serious damage to 
the vehicle.<
Indicates information that will assist you in 
gaining the optimum benefit from your 
vehicle and enable you to care more effectively 
for your vehicle.<
Refers to measures that can be taken to 
help protect the environment.<
tion.
*Indicates special equipment, country-specific 
equipment and optional accessories, as well as 
equipment and functions not yet available at the 
time of printing.
Symbols on vehicle components
Indicates that you should consult the rele-
vant section of this Owner's Manual for 
information on a particular part or assembly.
The individual vehicle
The manufacturer of your MINI is the Bayerische 
Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, BMW AG.
When you ordered your MINI, you chose various 
items of equipment. This Owner's Manual 
describes the entire array of options and equip-
ment that the manufacturer of your MINI makes 
available with a specific model range.
Bear in mind that the manual may contain infor-
mation on accessories and equipment that you 
have not specified for your own vehicle. Sections 
describing options and special equipment are 
marked by asterisks 
* to assist you in identifying 
possible differences between the descriptions in 
this manual and your own vehicle's equipment.
If your MINI features equipment not described in 
this Owner's Manual, observe the enclosed Sup-
plementary Owner's Manuals.
Editorial notice
The manufacturer pursues a policy of continu-
ous, ongoing development that is conceived to 
ensure that MINI vehicles continue to embody 
the highest quality and safety standards com-
bined with advanced, state-of-the-art technol-
ogy. For this reason, it is possible in exceptional 
cases that features described in this Owner's 
Manual could differ from those on your vehicle. 
         
        
        
     
        
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REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 5
For your safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of 
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance and 
repair methods. Therefore, have the necessary 
work on your MINI only carried out by a MINI 
dealer or a workshop that has specially trained 
personnel working in accordance with the spec-
ifications of the MINI manufacturer. If this work 
is not carried out properly, there is a danger of 
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts 
and accessories approved by the manu-
facturer of the MINI.
When you purchase accessories tested 
and approved by the manufacturer of the MINI 
and Original MINI Parts, you simultaneously 
acquire the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by the manufacturer of the MINI 
to ensure optimum performance when installed 
on your vehicle.
The manufacturer of the MINI warrants these 
parts to be free from defects in material and 
workmanship.
The manufacturer of the MINI will not accept any 
liability for damage resulting from installation of 
parts and accessories not approved by the man-
ufacturer of the MINI.
The manufacturer of the MINI cannot test every 
product made by other manufacturers to verify 
i f  i t  c a n  b e  u s e d  o n  a  M I N I  s a f e l y  a n d  w i t h o u t  r i s k  
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-
pants.
Original MINI Parts, MINI Accessories and other 
products approved by the manufacturer of the 
MINI, together with professional advice on using 
these items, are available from all MINI dealers.
Installation and operation of accessories that 
have not been approved by the manufacturer of 
your MINI, such as alarms, radios, amplifiers, 
radar detectors, wheels, suspension compo-nents, brake dust shields, telephones, including 
operation of any mobile phone from within the 
vehicle without using an externally mounted 
antenna, or transceiver equipment, for instance, 
CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or similar acces-
sories, may cause extensive damage to the vehi-
cle, compromise its safety, interfere with the 
vehicle's electrical system or affect the validity of 
the MINI Limited Warranty. See your MINI dealer 
for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of 
the emission control devices and systems 
may be performed by any automotive repair 
establishment or individual using any certified 
automotive part.
California law requires us to issue the following 
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of 
automobile components and parts, 
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In 
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and 
certain products of component wear contain or 
emit chemicals known to the State of California 
to cause cancer and birth defects or other repro-
ductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories 
contain lead and lead compounds. Wash your 
hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have 
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always 
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with 
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication 
thoroughly.
Your MINI is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty 
         
        
        
     
        
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Notes
6
>Federal Emissions System Defect Warranty
>Federal Emissions Performance Warranty
>California Emission Control System Limited 
Warranty
Detailed information about these warranties is 
listed in the Service and Warranty Information 
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and 
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and 
designed to meet the particular operating con-
ditions and registration requirements in your 
country and continental region in order to 
deliver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle 
is operated under those conditions. If you wish 
to operate your vehicle in another country or 
region, you may be required to adapt your vehi-
cle to meet different prevailing operating condi-
tions and registration requirements. You should 
also be aware of any applicable warranty limita-
tions or exclusions for such country or region. In 
such a case, please contact Customer Relations 
for further information.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following applies only to vehicles owned 
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect that 
could cause a crash or could cause injury or 
death, you should immediately inform the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
NHTSA, in addition to notifying MINI of North 
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, 
New Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone 
1-800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may 
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety 
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order 
a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA 
cannot become involved in individual problems 
between you, your dealer, or MINI of North 
America, LLC.To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle 
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 
(TTY:  1-800-424-9153); 
go to http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: 
Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain 
other information about motor vehicle safety 
from http://www.safercar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a 
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, 
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may call 
1-800-333-0510 toll-free from anywhere in 
Canada or 1-613-993-9851 from the Ottawa 
region and from other countries, or contact 
Transport Canada by mail at: transport Canada, 
ASFAD, Place de Ville, Tower C, 330 Sparks 
Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5.
You can also obtain other information about 
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca