
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 
hazards.<
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 thoroughly 
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.
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.< 

REFERENCE
AT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 11
3Always Open Timer57
7Ignition lock46
8Buttons
* on steering wheel
9Horn: the entire surface
10Adjusting the steering wheel42
11Releasing the bonnet116 4Tachometer12
Instrument lighting78
Resetting the trip odometer55
5
Wiper system51
6Switching the ignition on/off and 
starting/stopping the engine46
Continuing cruise control
*53
Right:
Storing speed and accelerating or 
decelerating
Left:
Increase or reduce volume
Activating/deactivating cruise 
control
*54
Telephone
*:
Accepting and ending a call, start-
ing dialing
* of selected phone 
number and redialing if no phone 
number is selected
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and 
lists with stored phone numbers 

REFERENCE
AT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 13
Indicator and warning 
lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in var-
ious combinations and colors in indicator area 
1or2.
Some lamps are checked for proper functioning 
and thus come on briefly when the engine is 
started or the ignition is switched on.
What to do in case of a malfunction
A list of all indicator and warning lamps, as well 
as notes on possible causes of malfunctions and 
on how to respond, can be found starting on 
page140. 

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 27
The handle recesses on the interior trim panel of 
the tailgate make it easier to pull it down.
Alarm system*
The concept
The alarm system, when activated, reacts if:
>A door, the engine compartment lid or the 
tailgate is opened
>There is movement inside the car
>The car's inclination changes, for instance if 
an attempt is made to jack it up and steal the 
wheels or to raise it prior to towing away
>There is an interruption in the power supply 
from the battery
The alarm system briefly indicates unauthorized 
entry or tampering by means of:
>An acoustic alarm
>Switching on the hazard warning flashers
Arming and disarming
Whenever the car is locked or unlocked, the 
alarm system is armed or disarmed.
Even when the alarm system is armed, you can 
open the tailgate by means of the   button 
on the remote control.
When you subsequently close the tailgate it is 
again locked and monitored.
In certain market-specific versions, 
unlocking via the door lock triggers the 
alarm.<
Panic mode*
You can activate the alarm system if you find 
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press the   button for at least two seconds.
Switching off the alarm: 
Press any button.
Switching off an alarm
>Unlock the car with the remote control.
>Insert the key fully into the ignition lock.
>In cars with Comfort Access
*, press the but-
ton on the door lock.
Display on the revolution counter
When the system is armed, all LEDs pulse. After 
approx. 16 minutes one LED flashes.
>LEDs pulse or LED flashes: system is armed.
>One LED flashes at short intervals:
A door, the bonnet or the tailgate is not 
properly closed. Even if these are not closed 
fully, the remaining items are deadlocked 
and the LEDs pulse after approx. 10 seconds 
for approx. 16 minutes. Afterwards, one LED 
flashes.
The interior movement detector is not acti-
vated.
>LEDs go out after the vehicle is unlocked:
No attempt was made to tamper with 
the car.
>LEDs flash after unlocking until the key is 
inserted in the ignition, but for no longer 
than approx. 5 minutes: an attempt was 
made to tamper with the car. 

Opening and closing
28
Tilt alarm sensor
The vehicle's inclination is monitored. The alarm 
is triggered, for instance, if an attempt is made 
to steal the car's wheels or tow it away.
Interior movement detector
Before the interior movement detector can 
operate correctly, the windows and glass roof 
must be closed.
MINI Convertible
The passenger compartment is monitored up to 
the height of the seat's surface. This way, the 
anti-theft alarm system including the interior 
motion sensor are armed, even if the convertible 
top is open. Falling objects, e.g. tree leaves, may 
trigger a false alarm, refer to Avoiding false 
alarms.
Avoiding false alarms
The tilt alarm sensor and the interior movement 
detector can be switched off together.
This prevents false alarms, e.g. in the following 
situations:
>In duplex garages
>When being transported on car-carrying 
trains, ferries or trailers
>If pets are to remain inside the car
Switching off the tilt alarm sensor and 
interior movement detector
>Press the  button on the remote con-
trol twice in succession.
>Lock the vehicle twice with the inte-
grated key.
LEDs flash in short succession for approx. 
2seconds.
The tilt alarm sensor and the interior movement 
detector are switched off until the car is next 
unlocked and locked.
Comfort Access*
Comfort Access enables you to enter your vehi-
cle without having to hold the remote control in your hand. All you need to do is wear the remote 
control close to your body, e.g. in your jacket 
pocket. The vehicle automatically detects the 
remote control within the immediate vicinity or 
in the passenger compartment.
Comfort Access supports the following func-
tions:
>Unlocking/locking the vehicle
>Unlocking the tailgate by itself
>Starting the engine
>MINI Convertible: Convenient closing
>MINI Convertible: Convertible top operation
Functional requirements
>The vehicle or the tailgate can only be 
locked when the vehicle detects that the 
remote control currently in use is outside of 
the vehicle.
>The vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked 
again until after approx. 2 seconds.
>The engine can only be started when the 
vehicle detects that the remote control is 
inside the vehicle.
>The doors and tailgate must be closed to 
be able to operate the windows and glass 
sunroof
*.
Comparison to standard remote controls
In general, there is no difference between using 
Comfort Access or pressing the buttons on the 
remote control to carry out the functions men-
tioned above. 
Instructions on opening and closing are found 
starting on page20.
Special features regarding the use of Comfort 
Access are described below.
If you notice a brief delay while opening or 
closing the windows, the glass sunroof or 
the convertible top, the system is checking 
whether a remote control is inside the vehicle. 
Repeat the opening or closing procedure, if nec-
essary.< 

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 29
To unlock
Press button 1.
Convenient opening with the remote control, 
refer to page22.
Locking
Press button 1.
For Convenient closing, press and hold button 1.
The power windows and the glass sunroof
* are 
closed.
M I N I  C o n v e r t i b l e :  I f  a  r e m o t e  c o n t r o l  i s  i n s i d e  t h e  
vehicle, windows and convertible top can be 
opened and closed as soon as the remote is 
operational.
Unlocking the tailgate separately
Press the button on the outside of the tailgate.
If the vehicle detects that a remote control 
has been accidentally left inside the 
locked vehicle's cargo bay after the tailgate is 
closed, the tailgate will reopen slightly. The haz-
ard warning flashers flash and an acoustic sig-
nal
* sounds.<
Windows and glass sunroof, electric*
If the engine is switched off, you can still operate 
the windows and glass sunroof so long as a door 
or the tailgate has not been opened.
If the doors and tailgate are closed again and the 
remote control is located inside the vehicle, the 
windows and the glass sunroof can be operated 
again.
Insert the remote control into the ignition lock to 
be able to operate the windows or glass sunroof 
when the engine is switched off and the doors 
are open.
Switching on radio readiness
Switch on radio readiness by briefly pressing the 
start/stop button, page46.
Do not depress the brake or the clutch; 
otherwise, the engine will start.<
Starting the engine
The engine can be started or the ignition can be 
switched on when a remote control is inside the 
vehicle. It is not necessary to insert a remote 
control into the ignition lock, page46.
Switching off the engine in cars with 
automatic transmission
The engine can only be switched off when the 
selector lever is in position P, page47.
To switch the engine off when the selector lever 
is in position N, the remote control must be in 
the ignition lock.
Before driving a vehicle with automatic 
transmission into a car wash
1.Insert remote control into ignition lock.
2.Depress the brake.
3.Move the selector lever to position N.
4.Switch off the engine.
The vehicle can roll.
Malfunction
Comfort Access may malfunction due to local 
radio waves.
If this happens, open or close the vehicle via the 
buttons on the remote control or using the inte-
grated key. 
Insert the remote control into the ignition lock 
and start the engine. 

Opening and closing
30
Warning lamps
The warning lamp comes on when an 
attempt is made to start the engine: the 
engine cannot be started. The remote 
control is not inside the vehicle or is malfunc-
tioning. Take the remote control with you inside 
the vehicle or have it checked. If necessary, 
insert another remote control into the 
ignition lock.
The warning lamp comes on when the 
engine is running: the remote control is 
no longer inside the vehicle. After the 
engine is switched off, the engine can only be 
restarted within approx. 10 seconds.
The indicator lamp comes on: replace 
the battery in the remote control.
Replacing the battery
The remote control for Comfort Access contains 
a battery that will need to be replaced from time 
to time.
1.Remove the cover.
2.Insert the new battery with the plus side fac-
ing up.
3.Press the cover on to close.
Take the old battery to a battery collection 
point or to your MINI dealer.<
Glass sunroof, electric*
To prevent injuries, exercise care when 
closing the glass sunroof and keep it in 
your field of vision until it is shut.
Take the key with you when you leave the car; 
otherwise, children could operate the sunroof 
and possibly injure themselves.<
Raising
>Press the switch backward to the resistance 
point and hold it there.
Both glass sunroofs are raised.
Releasing the switch stops the movement.
>With the ignition switched on, press the 
switch backward beyond the resistance 
point.
Both closed sunroofs are raised fully.
Pressing again stops the movement.
Opening, closing
With the ignition switched on and the glass sun-
roof raised, press the switch backward and hold 
it there.
The front glass sunroof opens.
The rear glass sunroof is closed.
Releasing the switch stops the movement.
The glass sunroof can be closed in the same way 
by pressing the switch forward.
The front glass sunroof remains in a raised posi-
tion. The rear glass sunroof is raised. Pressing on 
the switch again closes both sunroofs com-
pletely.
Convenient operation via door lock or Comfort 
Access, refer to page22,24,29.
Roller sun blind
The roller sun blind can be opened and closed 
independently of the glass sunroof.
Following interruptions in electrical 
power supply
After a power failure, there is a possibility that 
the glass sunroof can only be raised. In this case, 
have the system initialized. The manufacturer of  

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
 31
your MINI recommends that you have this work 
done by your MINI dealer.
Windows
To prevent injuries, exercise care when 
closing the windows. 
Take the remote control with you when you 
leave the car; otherwise, children could operate 
the electric windows and possibly injure them-
selves.<
If, after a window is opened and closed 
several times in close succession, the win-
dow can only be closed and not opened, the sys-
tem is overheated. Let the system cool for sev-
eral minutes with the ignition switched on or the 
engine running.<
Opening
>Press the switch downwards.
The window opens until you release the 
switch.
>Tap the switch downwards. 
A s  s o o n  a s  t h e  r e m o t e  is  r e a d y , t h e  w in d o w s  
will open automatically. Tap the switch 
again to stop the opening movement.
MINI: Closing
The window can be closed in the same way by 
pressing the switch up.
MINI Convertible: Closing
In order to close the window, press the switch 
up. The window closes until you release the 
switch.
Electric power windows
initializing
If the battery was disconnected, e.g. for 
changing batteries or vehicle storage, 
reinitialize the power window switch; otherwise, 
the windows will not be lowered. 
MINI Convertible: Opening the convertible top is 
not possible.<
1.Close the doors.
2.Open both windows.
3.Close both windows.
In the event of a system malfunction, please 
contact your MINI dealer.
MINI Convertible: Central power 
window unit
>Press the switch downwards.
First the rear windows, then the front win-
dows open until the button is released.
>Tap the switch downwards. 
With ignition turned on: rear and front win-
dow open automatically. 
Tap the switch again to stop the opening 
movement.
To close the window, push the button upward 
and hold.
Do not close the windows until the closing 
procedure for the convertible top is fin-
ished. Otherwise, it is not ensured that the side 
windows will close properly against the rubber 
seals of the convertible top. Convertible top, 
refer to page33.<