Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: Controls and displays
1Adjusting the exterior mirrors, folding them
in and out
*46
2
Parking lamps87
Low beams87
Automatic headlamp control
*87
Turn signals55
High beams88
Headlamp flasher55
Roadside parking lamps
*88
Computer
*61
MOBILITYAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS ENTERTAINMENT
11
NAVIGATION REFERENCE
3Always Open Timer62
7Ignition lock51
8Buttons
* on steering wheel9Horn: the entire surface
10Adjusting the steering wheel47
11Releasing the bonnet176 4Tachometer12
Instrument lighting89
Resetting the trip odometer60
5
Wiper system56
6Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine51
Continuing cruise control
*58
Right:
Storing speed and accelerating or
decelerating
Left:
Increase or reduce volume
Activating/deactivating cruise
control
*58
Telephone
*:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call, starting dialing
* of
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
>Press longer: redialing
Activating/deactivating voice acti-
vation system
*21
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and
lists with stored phone numbers
MOBILITYAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS ENTERTAINMENT
21
NAVIGATION REFERENCE
Voice activation system
The concept
The voice activation system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems without
removing your hands from the steering wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. It is not necessary
to use the MINI joystick.
The voice activation system transforms oral
commands into control signals for the selected
systems and provides support in the form of
instructions or questions.
Precondition
Via the onboard monitor, select the language in
which the voice activation system is operating,
so that the spoken commands can be identified.
Setting the onboard monitor language, page73.
Symbols in the Owner's Manual
Saying commands
Activating voice activation system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
This symbol on the Control Display and an
acoustic signal indicate that the voice activa-tion system is ready to receive spoken com-
mands.
2.Say the command.
The command appears on the Control
Display.
This symbol is displayed on the Control Dis-
play when you can enter additional commands.
If no further commands are possible, continue
by operating the item of equipment via the
onboard monitor.Terminating or canceling voice
activation system
Press the button on the steering wheel or
Commands
Having the possible commands read
aloud
You can have the system read aloud the possible
commands related to the selected menu item
on the Control Display.
*
{...} Say the specified commands word
for word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice acti-
vation system.
{Cancel}
Voice activation system
22
Having the possible commands read aloud:
For instance, if you have selected "CD", the com-
mands available for operating the CD player and
CD changer are read out.
Opening help
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a
function, e.g.:
Calling up functions immediately via
short commands
Short commands enable you to perform certain
functions immediately, irrespective of which
menu item is selected, page207.
Opening the start menu
Example: selecting a track
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.4.Press the button on the steering wheel.Notes
For information on voice commands for
the telephone, refer also to the separate
Owner's Manual.<
For voice commands, bear in mind the fol-
lowing:
>Pronounce the commands and digits
smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding
excessive emphases and pauses. The same
applies to spelling when entering a destina-
tion for navigation.
>Always speak the commands in the lan-
guage of the voice activation system.
>When selecting a radio station, use the stan-
dard pronunciation of the station name.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass roof
*
closed to prevent interference from outside
noise.
>Avoid ambient noise in the vehicle while
speaking. {Options}
{Help}
{Radio on} or {Turn radio on}
{Main menu}
2.{Entertainment}
The system says:
{{Entertainment}}
3.{CD}
The system says:
{{CD on}}
5.Select a track, e.g.:
{Track 1}
The system says:
{{Track 1}}
Adjustments
42
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital contri-
bution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head restraints
and the airbags, the seated position has a major
influence on your safety in the event of an acci-
dent. To ensure that the safety systems operate
with optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the follow-
ing section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page48.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
minimize the risk of injury to the hands or arms
in the event of the airbag being triggered off.
No one and nothing should come between the
airbags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. Ensure
that the front passenger is correctly seated, e.g.
that no feet or legs are propped against the
dashboard. Otherwise, leg injury could result if
the front airbag suddenly deployed.
Make sure that passengers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag in the MINI;
otherwise, serious injuries can result if the airbag
deploys. <
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circumstances.
The ignition and inflation noise may provoke a
mild hearing loss in extremely sensitive individ-
uals. This effect is usually only temporary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page84.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page44.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Never allow more than one person
to wear a single safety belt. Never
allow infants or small children to ride in a pas-
senger's lap.
Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits low
across the hips and does not press against the
abdomen. The safety belt must not rest against
the throat, run across sharp edges, pass over
hard or fragile objects or be pinched. Fasten the
safety belt so that it is pulled taut across the lap
and shoulder, fitting the body snugly without
any twists. Otherwise, the belt could slide over
the hips in the event of a frontal collision and
injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing bulky cloth-
ing and regularly pull the belt in the upper-body
area taut; otherwise, its restraining effect could
be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page45.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
MOBILITYAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS ENTERTAINMENT
47
NAVIGATION REFERENCE
Interior mirror, automatic dimming*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
rearview mirror
* is controlled by two photo cells
in the mirror. One photo cell is in the mirror
frame, arrow; the other is on the back of the
mirror.
In order to ensure that the system functions cor-
rectly, keep the photo cells clean, do not cover
the area between the interior rearview mirror
and windshield, and do not affix adhesive labels
or stickers of any kind to the windshield directly
in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion; otherwise, there
is a risk of accident due to an unexpected
movement.<
1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
distance and angle to suit your seated
position.
3.Swing the lever back up.Do not use force to swing the lever
back up; otherwise, the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Driving
54
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start.<
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
Overriding the selector lever lock
Press the button on the front of the selector
lever, arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The transmission locks to prevent the drive
wheels from turning.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
Select this when you are in a car wash, for exam-
ple. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operation conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you drive in position D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual
operation M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The Sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played. This position is recommended for a per-
formance-oriented driving style.
To deactivate the sport program or manual
mode M/S, move the selector lever to the right
into position D.
Shifting with the selector lever
Push the selector lever forward or pull it back
to activate manual operation. Steptronic shifts
the gear.
>Pull the selector lever in the + direction.
Transmission shifts up.
>Push the selector lever in the – direction.
Transmission shifts down.
The tachometer displays M1 to M6.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only when
they will result in a plausible combination of
engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, a
downshift that would cause the engine to over-
rev will not be executed by the system. The
selected gear is displayed briefly, followed by
the actual gear.
Shifting on the steering wheel*
With the selector lever in position D, automatic
drive, you can shift gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel. The transmission auto-
matically switches to manual mode.
Driving
58
Washer fluid reservoir
Only refill washer fluid that contains anti-
freeze when the engine is cool, to avoid
contact with hot engine parts. Otherwise, fluid
spills constitute a fire hazard and a risk to per-
sonal safety.<
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 2.6 US quarts/2.5 liters.
With headlamp washer system:
Approx. 4.8 US quarts/4.5 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
Cruise control is available at vehicle speeds of at
least approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then
stores and maintains the speed that you specify
using the button on the steering wheel.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g., snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise, you could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<
Activating
1Resuming cruise control
2Activating/deactivating cruise control
3Maintaining, storing and increasing speed
4Maintaining, storing and decreasing speed
Indicator lamp in the speedometer lights up. The
cruise control system is ready and can be acti-
vated.
Activating/deactivating cruise control
Press button 2.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>When the brakes are applied
>When the clutch is depressed
>When the automatic transmission is in selec-
tion lever position N
>When the driving stability control system is
active
Cruise control is not deactivated by depressing
the accelerator pedal. Once the accelerator
pedal is released, the stored speed is achieved
again and maintained.
The stored speed is cleared when the ignition is
switched off.
Maintaining current speed
Press button3.
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine braking effect
is not sufficient, the controlled speed may be
exceeded. On uphill grades vehicle speed may
drop if the engine output is insufficient.