
Notes
6
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
>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 homologation 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 tele-
phone the toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510. 
You can also obtain other information about 
motor vehicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety 

 25
AT A GLANCE REFERENCE MOBILITYCONTROLS DRIVING TIPS COMMUNICATIONS
Closing
Make sure that the closing path of the lift-
gate is clear; otherwise, injuries may 
occur.<
The handle recesses on the interior trim panel of 
the liftgate 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 
liftgate 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 liftgate by means of the  button 
on the remote control.
When you subsequently close the liftgate 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 hood or the liftgate is not prop-
erly 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. 

 47
AT A GLANCE REFERENCE MOBILITYCONTROLS DRIVING TIPS COMMUNICATIONS
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 selected gear is displayed in the tachome-
ter, e.g. M1.
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 current 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. 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
62
Technology for driving comfort and 
safety
Park Distance Control 
PDC*
The concept
PDC assists you with parking in reverse. Acoustic 
signals warn you of the presence of an object 
behind the vehicle. To measure the distance, 
there are four ultrasonic sensors in either 
bumper.
However, an acoustic warning does not sound 
until an object is approx. 24 in/60 cm from the 
corner sensors, or approx. 5 ft/1.50 m from the 
center sensors.
PDC is a parking aid that can indicate 
objects when they are approached slowly, 
as is usually the case when parking. Avoid 
approaching an object at high speed; otherwise, 
physical circumstances may lead to the system 
warning being issued too late.<
Automatic mode
With the engine running or the ignition switched 
on, the system is activated automatically after 
approx. 1 second when you engage reverse gear 
or move the automatic transmission selector 
lever to position R. Wait this short period before 
driving.
Acoustic signals
As the distance between vehicle and object 
decreases, the intervals between the tones 
become shorter. If the distance to the nearest 
object falls to below roughly 1 ft/30 cm, then a 
continuous tone sounds.
If the distance remains constant, e.g. when driv-
ing parallel to a wall, the acoustic signal stops 
after approx. 3 seconds.
Adjustments
The volume of the acoustic signals can be 
adjusted, refer to the Owner's Manual for Radio.
Malfunction
Indicator lamp comes on: PDC has 
failed. Have the system checked.
To avoid this problem, keep the sensors 
clean and free of ice or snow in order to ensure 
that they will continue to operate effectively. 
When using a high-pressure cleaner, do not 
direct the jet toward the sensors for lengthy 
periods and only spray from a distance of at least 
4in/10cm.
System limitations
Even with PDC, final responsibility for esti-
mating the distance between the vehicle 
and any obstructions always remains with the 
driver. Sensors, too, have blind spots in which 
objects cannot be detected. Moreover, ultra-
sonic detection can reach its physical limits with 
objects such as trailer tow bars and couplings, 
thin and wedge-shaped objects, etc. Low 
objects already indicated, such as curbs, may 
enter the sensors' blind spots before or after a 
continuous audible signal is given. Higher, pro-
truding objects, such as wall ledges, may not be 
detectable. Therefore, always drive cautiously; 
otherwise, there is a risk of personal injury or 
property damage. Loud sound sources outside 
or inside the car can drown out the PDC signal.<
Driving stability control 
systems
Your MINI has a number of systems that help to 
maintain the vehicle's stability even in adverse 
driving conditions.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed, 
even with driving stability control systems. 
An appropriate driving style always remains the 
responsibility of the driver. Therefore do not 
reduce the additional safety margin by engaging  

Technology for driving comfort and safety
64
Activating DTC
Press the button, the indicator lamp for DTC 
lights up in the display elements and TRACTION 
is displayed in the tachometer.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes: 
DTC controls the driving and breaking 
forces.
The indicator lamp lights up and TRAC-
TION is displayed in the tachometer: 
DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC
Press the button again: the DSC indicator lamps 
go out.
Deactivating both DTC and DSC
Press the button for at least 3 seconds: the DSC 
indicator lamps in the display elements come 
on. The Dynamic Traction Control DTC and 
Dynamic Stability Control DSC are both deacti-
vated. There will be no more stabilizing inter-
ventions.
Interventions (differential lock
*) in braking 
occur to improve propulsion when drive wheels 
are rotating unevenly, even when the DSC is 
deactivated.
Activating DSC
Press the button again: the indicator lamps go 
out.
Hill Assist
Hill Assist aids you in comfortably driving off on 
inclines. It is not necessary to use the parking 
brake for this.
1.Hold the MINI with the brake.
2.Release the brake and immediately drive 
off.
Hill Assist holds the car in place for approx. 
2 seconds after the brake is released.
Depending on the load and gradient, the 
vehicle can roll backward slightly during 
this period. After you release the brake, immedi-
ately start driving since the Hill Assist only holds 
the vehicle for about 2 seconds, and it will start 
to roll backward.<
Sport button*
Pressing the button causes your MINI to respond 
even more sportily.
>Engine responds more spontaneously to 
movements of the accelerator.
>Steering response is more direct.
>Cooper S, John Cooper Works: the engine 
sounds more sporty in coasting mode.
With automatic transmission:
>More rapid gear shifting in Sport program. 

Things to remember when driving
92
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to 
each other. Please follow the instructions below 
in order to achieve the optimal service life and 
economy of operation for your vehicle.
Engine and differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at varying engine and road speeds, but do 
not exceed the following:
>Gasoline engine
4,500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the 
transmission's kickdown mode.
After driving 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Engine and vehicle speeds can be gradually 
increased.
Tires
Due to technical factors associated with their 
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac-
tion potential until after an initial break-in 
period. Therefore, drive cautiously during the 
first 200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of 
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized 
contact and wear patterns between brake pads 
and rotors. Drive cautiously during this break-in 
period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal 
level only after a distance driven of approx. 
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period, 
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement
The same break-in procedures should be 
observed if any of the components mentioned 
above have to be renewed in the course of the 
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Close the liftgate
Only drive with the liftgate closed. Failure 
to do so may endanger passengers or 
other road users or may damage the vehicle in 
the event of an accident or a braking and eva-
sive maneuver. In addition, exhaust gas may 
flow into the passenger compartment.<
If special circumstances make it absolutely nec-
essary to drive with the liftgate open:
1.Close all windows and the glass sunroof
*.
2.Switch off the recirculated-air mode and sig-
nificantly increase the air flow rate of the air 
conditioner or automatic climate control, 
page79 or81. 
Hot exhaust system
As in all vehicles, extremely high tempera-
tures are generated on the exhaust sys-
tem. Do not remove the heat shields installed 
adjacent to various sections of the exhaust sys-
tem, and never apply undercoating to them. 
When driving, standing at idle and while park-
ing, take care to avoid possible contact between 
the hot exhaust system and any highly flamma-
ble materials such as hay, leaves, grass, etc. Such 
contact could lead to a fire, with the risk of seri-
ous personal injuries and property damage. Do 
not touch hot exhaust tail pipes. Otherwise, 
there is a risk of burns.< 

Things to remember when driving
98
When loading, make sure that there is sufficient 
space for the movement of the glass sunroof 
and that no objects protrude into the swiveling 
area of the liftgate; 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 jams.
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, page131. 

 107
AT A GLANCE REFERENCE MOBILITYCONTROLS DRIVING TIPS COMMUNICATIONS
What to do if…
For information on suitable mobile phones, refer 
to page102.
The mobile phone could not be paired or con-
nected.
>Is Bluetooth activated in the vehicle and in 
the mobile phone? Activate Bluetooth in the 
vehicle and in the mobile phone.
>Do the Bluetooth passkeys on the mobile 
phone and the vehicle match? Enter the 
same passkey on the mobile phone and via 
the radio.
>Is the passkey input taking longer than 30 
seconds? Repeat the pairing procedure.
>Are too many Bluetooth devices connected 
to the mobile phone? If so, delete the con-
nections with other devices on the mobile 
phone.
>Is the mobile phone in power economy 
m o d e  o r  d o e s  i t  o n l y h a v e  a  s m a l l a m o u n t  o f  
battery charge remaining? Charge the 
mobile phone in the snap-in adapter
* or via 
a charging cable.
>Depending on the mobile phone, it may only 
be possible to connect one device to the 
vehicle. Unpair the connected device from 
the vehicle and only pair and connect one 
device.
>Is the mobile phone no longer responding? 
Switch the mobile phone off and back on 
again. Repeat the pairing procedure.
Phone book entries are not displayed, not all of 
them are displayed, or they are displayed 
incompletely.
>The transfer of phone book entries has not 
yet completed.
>It is possible that only the phone book 
entries of the mobile phone or the SIM card
* 
are transferred.
>It may not be possible to display phone book 
entries with special characters.
>The number of phone book entries to be 
stored is too high.
>The data volume of the phone book entry is 
too great, e.g. due to additionally stored information such as notes? Reduce the data 
volume.
The telephone connection quality is low.
>Depending on the mobile phone, it is possi-
ble to adjust the strength of the Bluetooth 
signal.
>Insert the mobile phone into the snap-in 
adapter
* o r  p la ce  it  in  t h e  v ic in it y  o f  t h e  ce n -
ter console.
>Adjust the volume of the microphone and 
speaker separately.
If you have gone through all items in the list and 
still cannot activate the desired function please 
contact the Hotline or your MINI center.
Operation
Overview
The following functions can be operated using 
the radio:
>Accepting/refusing a call
>Dialing phone numbers
>Dialing a phone number from the phone 
book
>Dialing a stored phone number, e.g. from 
the list of accepted calls
>Ending a call
When the ignition is switched off and in radio-
ready mode, e.g. after removal of the infrared 
remote control, an ongoing conversation can be 
continued for a maximum of 25 minutes using 
the hands-free system.