2011 MINI Countryman ignition

AdjustmentsCONTROLS
37
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 th e 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 page 43.
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 inju ry 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 passeng ers keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not lean
against the cover of the head airbag, otherwise
injuries can occur when the airbags are trig-
gered. <
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 ex tremely sensitive individ-
uals. This effect is usually only temporary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page 76.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head rest raint 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 page 39.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additi onal safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
Number of safety belts
Never allow more th an one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow
infants or small children to ride in a passenger'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 sh arp 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 page 40.

AdjustmentsCONTROLS
41
Safety belt reminder
Front seats
The indicator lamps come on and an
acoustic signal sounds.A message also
appears on the Control Display.Check
whether the safety belt has been fas-
tened correctly. The 'Fasten safety belts'
reminder is issued when the driver's safety belt
has not been fastened. The 'Fasten safety belts'
reminder is also activate d at road speeds above
approx. 5 mph or 8 km/h if the front passenger's
safety belt has not been fastened, if objects are
placed on the front passenger seat, or if driver or
front passenger unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or stressed
in an accident: have the safety belt system
and its seat-belt tensio ners replaced and the
belt anchors checked. Have this work carried out
only by a MINI dealer or by a workshop that has
specially trained personnel working in accor-
dance with the specifications of the MINI manu-
facturer; otherwise, correct operation of these
safety systems is not ensured. <
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is more
curved than the driver's mirror. The
objects seen in the mirror are closer than they
appear. Do not gauge your distance from traffic
behind you on the basis of what you see in the
mirror; otherwise, there is an increased risk of an
accident. < 1
Adjusting the left or right exterior mirror
2 Folding mirrors in and out
*
Manual adjustment
The mirrors can also be adjusted manually: press
the edge of the glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Turn the knob beyond the pressure point in
direction 2. The mirrors can be folded in at road
speeds up to approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
This can be beneficial in narrow streets, for
example, or for moving mirrors that were folded
in by hand back out into their correct positions.
Automatic heating*
At external temperatures below a certain limit,
both exterior mirrors are automatically heated
while the engine is running or the ignition
switched on.
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce glare from vehicles behind you when
you are driving at night:
Turn the knob.

CONTROLSDriving
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Driving
Ignition lock
Inserting the key into the ignition lock
Insert the key all the way into the ignition lock.
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Removing the key from the ignition lock
Press in the key briefly. It is ejected slightly.
At the same time:
>The ignition is switched off if it was on
beforehand.
Automatic transmission
The key can only be removed if the selector lever
is in position P: interlock.
Start/Stop button
Press the Start/Stop button to switch radio readi-
ness or the ignition on and off. Do not depress
the brake or clutch while doing so.
If the Start/Stop button is pressed while
the clutch is depressed in the manual
transmission or the brake pedal is depressed in
the automatic transmission, the engine starts. <
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. The
time and external temperature are displayed in
the tachometer.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the key is removed from the ignition
lock
> When using Comfort Access
* by pushing the
button on the door handle or the button on the remote control, refer to
Locking on page 33
> After a certain has elapsed
Ignition on
Most indicator and warn ing lamps in indicator
area 1, page 13, light up for varying lengths of
time.
When the engine is off, switch off the igni-
tion and any unnecessary electrical con-
sumers in order to preserve the battery. <
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the displays
go out.
The ignition switches off automatically if the
driver's door is opened. Pressing the Start/Stop
button again switches the ignition back on.
The ignition is not switched off in situations such
as the following:
> The clutch or brake is depressed
> The low beams are switched on
Starting the engine
Do not allow the engine to run in enclosed
areas; otherwise, inhalation of the noxious
exhaust gases can lead to loss of consciousness
and death. Exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colo rless, but highly toxic

DrivingCONTROLS
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gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running; otherwise, such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car while the engine is run-
ning, place the transmission in neutral or move
the selector lever to position P and forcefully
apply the parking brake to prevent the car from
moving.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
not burned or inadequately burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the cat-
alytic converter. <
Do not let the engine warm up with the vehicle
at a standstill. Move of f immediately at a moder-
ate engine speed.
When starting the engine, do not depress the
accelerator pedal.
Manual transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with Com-
fort Access, refer to page 32.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
Automatic transmission*
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with Com-
fort Access, refer to page 32.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Shift the selector lever into position P or N.
3. Press the Start/Stop button. The starter operates auto
matically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Switching off the engine
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll. <
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the Start/
Stop button.
2. Shift into first gear or reverse.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Automatic transmission*
1.With the car at a stop, move the selector
lever to position P.
2. Press the Start/Stop button.
3. Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Before driving into a car wash
By following these steps, the vehicle is able to
roll:
1.Place the remote control, even with Comfort
Access, in the ig nition lock.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Move the selector lever to position N.
4. Switch off the engine.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.

CONTROLSDriving
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Releasing
Pull upward slightly, press the button, arrow,
and guide the lever down.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force could lead to over-
braking and loss of traction, i.e. fishtailing, at the
rear axle. <
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise,
the engine could be damaged if yo u inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear. <
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission*
with Steptronic
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you can
shift gears manually using Steptronic, page 49.
Parking the vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always
select position P and apply the parking
brake before leaving the vehicle with the engine
running. <
Removing the key
To remove the key from the ignition lock, first
move the selector lever into position P and then
switch off the engine: in terlock. Remove the key
from the ignition lock, refer to page 46.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the tachometer
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed, or the
current gear in the manual mode.
Changing selector lever positions
> The selector lever can only be moved out of
position P when the ignition is switched on
or the engine is running.
> Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise, the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.

CONTROLSDriving
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on the steering wheel. The transmission auto-
matically switches to manual mode.
If you do not shift gears with the shift paddles or
accelerate for a certai n amount of time, the
transmission automatically returns to D, auto-
matic drive.
> Pull one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts up.
> Push one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts down.
M1 through M6 are displayed in the tachometer.
Manually releasing the selector lever
lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of
position P even though the ignition is switched
on, the brake is depressed and the button on the
selector lever is pressed, the selector lever lock
can be overridden:
1. Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2. Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out. Disconnect the
cable connector if necessary.
3. Insert extractor hook 1 into the loop on the
passenger's side. 4.
Pull the loop up.
5. Move the selector lever into the desired
position by pressing the button on the front
of the selector lever.
Before manually unlocking the selector
lever lock, firmly set the parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling away. <
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1Turn signal
2 Headlamp flasher
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the resis-
tance point. Unusually rapid flashi ng of the indicator
lamp indicates that an indicator bulb has
failed. <
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
You can set whether the turn signal flashes once
or three times.
1."Settings"
2. "Lighting"

DrivingCONTROLS
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3."Triple turn signal"
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Wiper system
1 Switching on wipers
2 Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3 Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to intermittent operation
when the vehicle is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyo nd the resistance point.
The system switches to normal speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the
intermittent-wipe time is preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time
between wipes is contro lled automatically and
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The rain
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press button, arrow 3.
This symbol is displayed in the tachom-
eter.
Deactivate the rain sensor before entering
an automatic car wash. Failure to do so
could result in damage caused by undesired
wiper activation. <
Adjusting the sensitivity of the rain
sensor
1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page 46.
2. Press the button on the turn signal indicator
as often as necessary until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
3. Press and hold the butt on until the display
changes.

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4.Press the button as often as necessary until
the symbol and "SET" are displayed.
5. Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
6. Press the button to se lect the desired sensi-
tivity.
7. Wait, or press and hold the button until the
display changes.
The settings are stored.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain
sensor
Press the button again, arrow 3.
Brief wipe
Press the lever downward once, arrow 2.
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow 4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and
the wipers are operated briefly.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched on,
the headlamps are cleaned at regular and
appropriate intervals. In cars equipped with an alarm system, the
headlamps cannot be cleaned when the hood is
open.
Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is emp ty; otherwise, you will
damage the washer pump.
Only use the washers if the hood has been com-
pletely closed; otherwise, the headlamp washer
system
* may be damaged. Do not use the
washers if there is any danger that the fluid will
freeze on the windshield. If you do, your vision
could be obscured. For this reason, use anti-
freeze. <
Window washer nozzles
The window washer nozzles are heated auto-
matically
* while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on.
Rear window wiper
0 Rear wipers parked
1 To switch on intermittent wipe :
Turn the cap to level 1.
Operation is continuous in reverse gear.
The rear wiper does not move if the cap is in
interval stage 1 before the ignition is switched
on.
Cleaning the rear window
2 To clean the rear window during intermit-
tent wipe :
Turn the cap further to level 2 and hold it
there.
3 To clean the rear window when wipers are
parked :
Turn the cap to level 3 and hold it there.