2011 MINI Countryman Owner's Manual

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Reference Driving tips

Driving tipsThings to remember when driving
90
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 distan ce 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
Closing 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 addi tion, 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 an d the glass sunroof
*.
2. Switch off recirculated-air mode and switch
the airflow control of the air conditioner or
automatic climate control to high, refer to
page 77 or 79.
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 drivingDriving tips
91
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
reduce road speed. If you do not, a wedge
of water can form betw een tires and road sur-
face. This situation, known as hydroplaning, can
cause partial or complete loss of tire contact
with the road surface, so that the car cannot be
steered or braked properly. <
The risk of hydroplaning increases with declining
tread depth on the tires, refer also to Tread
depth on page 135.
Driving through water
Drive through water on the road only if it is
not deeper than 1 ft/30 cm, and then only
at walking speed at the most. Otherwise, the
vehicle's engine, the electrical systems and the
transmission may be damaged. <
Parking brake on inclines
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle with
the clutch; use the parking brake. Other-
wise, greater clutch wear will result. <
For information on drivin g off using Hill Assist,
refer to page 62.
Braking safely
Your MINI is equipped with ABS. If you are in a
situation which requires full braking, it is best to
brake using maximum brake pressure. Since the
vehicle maintains steeri ng responsiveness, you
can still avoid possible obstacles with a mini-
mum of steering effort.
The pulsation of the brake pedal, together with
the sound of hydraulic regulation, indicates that
ABS is functioning properly.
Objects in the move ment range of the
pedals
Keep floor mats, carpet, and other objects
out of the movement range of the pedals;
otherwise, they may inhibit the function of the
pedals during driving. Do not place additional
floor mats onto an existing one or onto other objects. Only use floor mats that have been
approved for the vehicle and can be appropri-
ately fastened. Make sure that the floor mats are
securely fastened again
after they have been
removed, e.g. for cleaning. <
Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet or there is heavy rain, briefly
exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal every
few miles. Monitor traffic conditions to ensure
that this maneuver does not endanger other
road users. The heat generated in this process
helps dry the pads and rotors to ensure that.
Then full braking force will be immediately avail-
able when it is needed.
Hills
To prevent overheatin g and the resulting
reduced efficiency of the brake system,
drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Even
light but consistent brake pressure can lead to
high temperatures, brake wear and possibly
even brake failure. <
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, all the way to first gear if neces-
sary. This strategy helps you avoid placing
excessive loads on the brake system. Downshift-
ing during manual oper ation of the automatic
transmission, refer to page 45.
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in neutral or with
the engine switched off; otherwise, engine brak-
ing action will not be present or there will be no
power assistance to th e brakes or steering.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any other
objects to protrude into the area around the
pedals; otherwise, pedal function could be
impaired. <
Corrosion on brake rotors
When the vehicle is driven only occasionally,
during extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all, and in operating conditions where
brake applications are less frequent, there is an

Driving tipsThings to remember when driving
92
increased tendency for corrosion to form on
rotors, while contaminan ts accumulate on the
brake pads. This occurs because the minimum
pressure which must be exerted by the pads
during brake applications to clean the rotors is
not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake rotors, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating
effect that even extended application will fail to
cure.
When the vehicle is parked
Condensation forms while the automatic climate
control is in operation, and then exits under the
vehicle. Traces of condensed water under the
vehicle are therefore normal.
In the MINI Cooper S, the coolant pump may
continue to run for some time after the engine is
switched off. This will generate noise in the
engine compartment.
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their
approved carrying ca pacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage
develops inside the tires. The ultimate result can
assume the form of a sudden blowout. <
Avoid fluid spills in the cargo area as they
could damage the vehicle. <
Expanding cargo area
Cargo area cover
Do not place any objects on the cover;
otherwise, they could endanger the car's
occupants, e.g. in the case of braking or sudden
swerving, or they may damage the cover. raised.
To load bulky luggage, the cover can be
removed.
1.
Unhook the lift straps from the liftgate.
2. Lift the cover slightly, arrow 1, and pull it
rearward out of the bracket, arrow 2.
Rear seat backrest
Before folding down the rear seat back-
rests, ensure that th e range of motion for
the backrests is unobstructed. Ensure that there
is no one within the range of motion of the back-
rest or that no one reac hes into that region. Oth-
erwise, injury or damage can result. <
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection,
observe the safety belt information on
page 35.<
Expand the cargo area by raising the split rear
seat backrests to a steeper angle.
The backrests can be adjusted as needed in
10 stages between a comfort position and a
transport position or can be folded down.
In the comfort position, the backrests are as far
back as possible; in the transport position, they
are in an approximately vertical position.
Before installing a ch ild restraint system,
observe the instructions starting on page 38.

Things to remember when drivingDriving tips
93
1.Hold on to the backrest near the top, for
example on the headrest, and pull on the
loop, arrow.
2. Lock backrest in the de sired position or fold
down.
Folding the backrests back into position
When folding the backrest, ensure that the
lock properly engages. Otherwise, for
example during braking and avoidance maneu-
vers, cargo can be thrown into the interior and
endanger the occupants. <
If the rear seat backrests are positioned at
a steeper angle, do not install child
restraint systems in the rear of the vehicle as
their protective features may be ineffective. <
When backrests are folded back from the
folded-down position, they lock in the transport
position.
To set the desired backrest angle or a comfort-
able position, pull the lo op forward and adjust
the backrest.
Cargo area privacy screen
Between the cargo area and the rear seat back-
rest, there is a cargo area privacy screen. It can
be folded down and used as a loading platform.
When the rear seat backrests are folded
down, do not fold the privacy screen
upright. In an accident , cargo could fold down
the privacy screen and damage it. <
Folding down the privacy screen
1.If necessary, remove the cargo area cover,
refer to page 92.
2. Fold the privacy screen up and to the rear,
arrow 1.
3. Release the locking mechanisms on the left
and right sides, arrows 2.
4. Grasp the outer sides of the privacy screen
and guide it downward.
Do not exceed the maximum load of
330 lbs./150 kg of the privacy screen
when it is in folded do wn into the loading plat-
form position; otherwis e, damage may occur.<
Folding the privacy screen forward
1.Fold down rear seat backrests.
2. Unlock privacy screen, see above.
3. Grasp the outer sides of the privacy screen
and guide it forward onto the folded-down
rear seat backrests.
Removing
1.Removing cargo area cover, page 92.
2. Fold the privacy screen up and to the rear
and unlock it, refer to Folding the privacy
screen forward.

Driving tipsThings to remember when driving
94
3.Remove it from the guides on the cargo area
floor, arrows, and remove the privacy
screen.
Flat load floor*
Do not exceed the maximum load of
150 kg for the load floor; otherwise, dam-
age may result. <
Access to the storage space
Under the load floor, there is storage space, e.g.,
for the cargo net
*.
1. Reach into the recess, arrow 1, at the back
edge of the load floor.
2. Lift up load floor behind and fold forwards,
arrow 2.
Before closing the liftgate, put the load floor
back on the cargo area floor.
Removing
If necessary, the load fl oor can be removed. To
do this, lift the load floor at the recess, fold up
and remove.
Cargo net*
Ensure that the cargo net is firmly
attached; otherwise, injuries may occur. <
Before installing
1.Remove the pouch with the cargo net from
the storage compartment under the pull-out
floor panel in the cargo area.
2. Remove the cargo net from the pouch, then
unroll and unfold it.
After use, fold the cargo net together, roll it
back up in the same way, and place it in the
pouch so that it can be stowed under the
floor panel again. When doing so, make sure
that hooks and tensioning buckles do not
rest against the rod elements.
3. Unfold the cargo net until the rod elements
snap into place.
Installing behind the front seats
1.If necessary, remove the cargo area cover.
2. Fold down the rear seat backrests, refer to
Expanding cargo area.
3. Insert each cargo net mounting pin all the
way into its respective front mount in the
headliner, arrow 1, and push it forward.
4. Attach the hook, arrow 2, at the bottom of
each retaining strap to the respective eye on
the vehicle floor.
5. Lash the cargo net se curely. To do so,
tighten the retaining stra ps at the tensioning
buckles.