2011 MINI Countryman seats

AdjustmentsControls
33
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.
On the front passenger seat as well, do not
incline the backrest too far to the rear while the
vehicle is being driven; otherwise, there is a dan-
ger in the event of an a ccident of sliding under
the safety belt, eliminat ing the protection nor-
mally provided by the belt. <
Comply with the instruct ions on head restraint
height on page 34 and on damaged safety belts
on page 36.
Seat adjustment, front
Observe the instructions on page 33 to
ensure the best possible personal protec-
tion. <
Longitudinal direction
Pull lever, arrow 1, and move the seat into the
desired position, arrows 2.
After releasing the lever, slightly move the seat
forwards or backwards so that it properly
engages.
Height
Pull up or push down the lever repeatedly,
arrows 1, until the desired height is reached.
Backrest
Pull lever, arrow 1, and apply weight to or
remove weight from the backrest as needed.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a
relaxed, upright sitting position.

ControlsAdjustments
34
Turn the wheel to increase or decrease the cur-
vature.
Seat adjustment, rear
Do not adjust rear seats while the vehicle
is moving; otherwise, passengers could be
injured.
Make sure that the locking devices of the rear
seats engage properly. Otherwise the restrain-
ing effect of the safety belts during an accident
could be reduced. <
Longitudinal adjustment
1.Pull the lever and slide the seat into the
desired position.
2. Release the lever and mo ve the seat slightly
forward or back so that it engages properly.
Backrest
Adjusting backrest an gle, refer to page92.
Head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all
occupied seats; othe rwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in an accident. <
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approximately at ear level.
Height adjustment
To raise: pull up.
To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and slide
the head restraint down.
Removing
Only remove a head rest raint if no one will be
sitting on the seat in question.
Reinstall the head restraint before trans-
porting passengers, as otherwise the head
restraint cannot provid e its protective func-
tion. <

AdjustmentsControls
35
Front
1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2. Fold the backrest back slightly.
3. Press button 1 and pull the head restraint
out as far as it will go.
4. Also press button 2 with a suitable tool and
completely remove the head restraint.
5. Fold back the backrest.
Rear
1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2. Fold the backrest forward slightly.
3. Press button 1 and pull the head restraint
out completely.
4. Also press button 2 with a suitable tool and
completely remove the head restraint.
5. Fold rear seat backrest back into position.
Seat heating*
Switching on
Press once for each temperature level.
Three LEDs indicate the highest temperature.
If you continue driving within the next
15 minutes, the seat heating is automatically
activated at the previously set temperature.
The temperature is lowered or the heating is
switched off entirely to reduce the drain on the
battery.
The LEDs stay lit.
Switching off
Press button longer.
Safety belts
Observe the instructions on page 33 to
ensure the best possible personal protec-
tion. <
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.
Front and rear seats
Closing
Make sure you hear the lock engage in the belt
buckle.
The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of
any stature as long as th e seat is adjusted prop-
erly, page 33.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2. Press the red button in the buckle.
3. Guide the belt into its reel.
Height adjustment for rear seat belt
tongues
When the outer rear seats are unoccupied, the
seat belt tongues can be slid back to the cargo
area trim panel with a clasp to prevent noise.

ControlsAdjustments
36
Safety belt reminder
Front seats
The indicator lamps come on and an
acoustic signal sounds.Check whether
the safety belt has been fastened cor-
rectly. The 'Fasten safety belts'
reminder is issued when the driver's safety belt
has not been fastened. Th e '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 ar e damaged or stressed
in an accident: have th e safety belt system
and its seat-belt tensioners 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 mirro r 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 mi rrors 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.

ControlsTransporting children safely
38
Transporting children safely
The right place for
children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening the
doors, for example. <
Children should always sit in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seat.
Only transport children under the age of
13 or smaller than 5 ft/150 cm in the rear
in a child restraint system suitable for their age,
weight and size. Otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent. <
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child restraint system that is appro-
priate for their age, size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Front passenger airbags
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags must be deacti-
vated. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of
injury to the child if th e airbags deploy, even if
the child is seated in a child restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page 68.
Child restraint systems,
installation
Before installing a child restraint system on the
rear seats, move the seat as far back as possible. After the child restr
aint system has been
installed on the respecti ve rear seat, move the
backrest forward so that the it rests lightly
against the child restrain t system, refer to Rear
seat backrests on page 92.
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions when selecting,
installing and using child restraint systems. Oth-
erwise, the protective effect may be dimin-
ished. <
On the front passenger seat
After installing a chil d restraint system on
the front passenger se at, make sure that
the front, side, and knee airbags for the front
passenger are deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of inju ry if the airbags deploy.<
Seat position
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back and up
* as
possible to obtain the be st possible position for
the belt. Do not change the seat position after
this.
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be prevented from being
pulled out in order to se cure child restraint sys-
tems.

ControlsTechnology for driving comfort and safety
68
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2 Knee airbag 3
Side airbags in backrests
4 Head airbags at the front and rear
Protective action
Observe the instructions on page 32 to
ensure the best possible personal protec-
tion. <
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by re sponding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the head
and side airbags help provide protection in the
event of side impact. The relevant side airbag
supports the side upper body area. The head air
bag supports the head.
The airbags are designed to not be triggered in
every type of collision, e.g. not in minor acci-
dents, certain rollover situations or rear impacts.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the dashboard and window on the passen-
g e r s i d e f r e e f r o m o b s t r u c t i o n , i . e . d o n o t c o v e r i t
with adhesive film or co verings, and do not affix
any holders such as for a navigation device or a
mobile phone.
Do not attach seat cove rs, cushions or other
objects not specifically approved for seats with
integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not
hang items of clothing su ch as coats or jackets
over the backrests. Do not attempt to remove
the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do not modify the individual components of the
syste m o r its w iring in any way. Th is includ es the
upholstery in the center of the steering wheel,
on the instrument cluster, the doors, and the
roof pillars as well as the sides of the headliner.
Do not attempt to remove or dismantle the
steering wheel.<
Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been
triggered, because there is a danger of burns.
Have the testing, repair, removal, and disposal
of airbag generators executed only by your MINI
dealer or a workshop that has the required
explosives licenses.
Otherwise, unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emergency
or undesired airbag activation, either of which
could result in personal injury. <
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
The presence of a passenger in the front passen-
ger seat is detected by measuring the resistance
of the human body. The system correspondingly

Technology for driving comfort and safetyControls
69
activates or deactivates the front, side, and knee
airbags for the front passenger.Make sure that the front passenger's feet
remain in the footwell; otherwise, it is not
possible to guarantee the function of the front
passenger airbags. <
The indicator lamp above the interior rearview
mirror shows the current status of the front pas-
senger airbags, deactivate d or activated, refer to
Status of front passenger airbags below.
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Transport-
ing children safely, page 38.<
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation
When teenagers and adul ts assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front, side, and
knee airbags to deactiva te. The indicator lamp
for the front passenger airbags lights up when
this occurs. In such cases, the passenger should
change his or her sittin g position so that the
front passenger airbags are activated and the
indicator lamp goes out. If the desired airbag
status cannot be achieved by changing the sit-
ting position, transport the relevant passenger
on a rear seat.
> Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by the manufacturer of your MINI.
> Do not place items on the front passenger
seat.
> Do not place items un der the seat which
could press against th e seat from below.
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger's front, side , and knee airbags in
accordance with whether and how the front
passenger seat is occupied. The indicator lamp
shows whether the front passenger airbags are
activated or deactivated.
> The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a specially designated child restraint system
i s p r o p e r l y d e t e c t e d o n t h e s e a t o r t h e s e a t i s
unoccupied.
The front, side, and knee airbags for the
front passenger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system. This particularly applies to
child seats that were required by NHTSA at
the time of manufacture of the vehicle. After
installing a child seat, check that the indica-
tor lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up. It indicates that the child seat has
been detected and that the front passenger
airbags are deactivated. <
> The indicator lamp does not come on as long
as a person of sufficient size and in a correct
sitting position is detected on the seat.
The front, side, and knee airbags for the
front passenger are activated.

Practical interior accessoriesControls
83
original hand-held transmitter and release
both buttons as soon as the LED 2 flashes
rapidly.
If the LED 2 does not flash rapidly after
approx. 60 seconds, alter the distance and
repeat this step.
Canada: if the LED is not flashing rapidly
after 60 seconds, change the distance and
repeat the step or, if the programming was
interrupted by the hand-held transmitter,
press and hold the memory button and
press the button on the hand-held transmit-
ter for 2 seconds and release several times.
Glove compartment
Opening
Pull the handle to open the cover.
The light in the glove compartment comes on.
Closing
Fold cover up.
To prevent injury in the event of an acci-
dent, close the glove compartment after
use while the vehicle is being driven. <
Ventilation*
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
glove compartment can be ventilated and, if the
cooling function
* is switched on, can also be
cooled.
Opening
Rotate the switch in the direction of the arrow.
Closing
Rotate the switch in the opposite direction of the
arrow until it is in the vertical position.
Depending on the temperature setting of the air
conditioner or the automatic climate control,
high temperatures may result in the glove com-
partment.
Connection for external
audio device
You can connect an external audio device such
as a CD or MP3 player an d play audio tracks over
the vehicle's speaker system, refer to the Enter-
tainment chapter, page 109.
Center armrest*
Storage compartment
The center armrest between the front seats con-
tains either a compartment or the cover for the
mobile phone base plate
* or the snap-in
adapter
*.