2012 MINI Countryman Owner's Manual

CONTROLSAdjustments
40
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.
Interior and exterior mirrors,
automatic dimming feature
It is controlled by two photosensors:
>Inside the interior rearview mirror, arrow.
> On the back of the mirror.
For proper function:
> Keep the photosensors clean.
> Do not cover the area between the interior
rearview mirror and the windshield.
> Do not place stickers or decals on the wind-
shield 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 du e to an unexpected move-
ment. <
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. <
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Transporting children safelyCONTROLS
41
Transporting children safely
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. Equipment is also described
that is not available because of, for example,
selected options or count ry version. This also
applies to safety related functions and systems.
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. Othe rwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an
accident. <
Children 13 years of age or older must be
buckled in with a safety belt as soon as there
no longer is any child re straint system that is
appropriate 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. ion on automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page 73.
Child restraint systems,
installation
Before installing a child restraint system on the
rear seats, move the seat as far back as possible.
5-seater: adjust the incl ination of the center
backrest to the respective outer backrest.
After the child restraint system has been
installed on the respecti ve rear seat, move the
backrest forward so that the it rests lightly
against the child restraint system, refer to Rear
seat backrests on page 98.
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions when selecting,
installing and using ch ild restraint systems.
Otherwise, the protective effect may be dimin-
ished. <
On the front passenger seat
After installing a child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, make sure that
the front, side, and knee airbags for the front
passenger are deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of injury 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.
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CONTROLSTransporting children safely
42
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 secure child restraint
systems.
Locking the safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.
2. Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3. Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut
against the child restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking the safety belt
1. Open the belt buckle.
2. Remove the child restraint system.
3. Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the
way.
Center belt: unlocking additional belt buckle
3, see page 38.
Guide safety belt to the take-up on the
headliner.
LATCH child restraint
fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.
To install and use the LATCH child restraint
system, follow the operating and safety
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
system; otherwise, the protective function of the
seat may be compromised. <
Anchor points for LATCH anchors
Before installing the child seat, pull the belt out
of the area for the child restraint fixing system.
The mounts for the lower LATCH anchors are
located at the points indicated by the arrows.
Make sure t hat bo th l owe r LATCH ancho rs
are properly engaged and that the child
restraint system rests fi rmly against the seat
backrest; otherwise, the protective function of
the seat may be compromised. <
Child restraint system with tether strap
Use the tether strap anchors to secure
child restraint systems only; otherwise, the
anchors could be damaged. <
4-seater
The child restraint anchor fittings, see arrows,
are located behind the back of the rear seats.
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Transporting children safelyCONTROLS
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5-seater
The child restraint anchor fittings for the two
outer seats, see arrows, are located behind the
back of the rear seats.
The child restrain t anchor fitting for the center
seat is located under the luggage-compartment
sill, position 4 in picture center seat.
Placement of the tether strap
Make sure the upper tether strap does not
run over sharp edges and is not twisted as
it passes to the top anchor. Otherwise, the strap
will not properly secure the child restraint sys-
tem in the event of an accident. <
Outer seats:
1 Direction of travel
2 Head restraint
3 Rear cargo well
4 Tether strap hook
5 Anchor
6 Seat backrest
7 Tether strap of the child restraint system
Center seat: 1
Forward driving direction
2 Head rest
3 Attaching clip
4 Child restraint anchor fitting
5 Load area floor
6 Seat back
7 Strap of the chil d restraint systemAttaching upper tether strap to the
attachment point
1.Slide the head restraint upward.
2. Center seat: fold the load area floor
backwards
3. Guide the tether strap between the head
restraint holders.
4. Attach the tether strap to the anchor using
the hook.
5. Push the head restraint into its lowermost
position.
6. Pull the tether strap tight.
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CONTROLSTransporting children safely
44
Securing doors and
windows
Rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors.
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for power windows
The rear power windows are blocked and can-
not be operated from the rear. Press safety
switch, refer to page33.
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DrivingCONTROLS
45
Driving
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. Equipment is also described
that is not available because of, for example,
selected options or count ry version. This also
applies to safety related functions and systems.
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 brak e 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 pressing the
button on the door handle or the
button on the remote control, refer to
Locking on page 30
> After a certain has elapsed
Ignition on
Most indicator and warning lamps in indicator
area 1, page 13, light up for va rying lengths of
time.
When the engine is off, switch off the
ignition and any unnecessary electrical
consumers in order to preserve the battery. <
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CONTROLSDriving
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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, inha lation of the noxious
exhaust gases can lead to loss of consciousness
and death. Exhaust gase s contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
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 inadequate ly burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the
catalytic converter.<
Do not let the engine warm up with the vehicle
at a standstill. Move off immediately at a moder-
ate engine speed.
When starting the engi ne, do not depress the
accelerator pedal.
Manual transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with Com-
fort Access, refer to page 30.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
Automatic transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with
Comfort Access, refer to page 30.
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 automati cally 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.
Secure the vehicle on steep upward and down-
ward slopes, for example, turn the steering
wheel towards the curb. <
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.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 828 - \251 07/12 BMW AG

DrivingCONTROLS
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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.
In addition, follow the instructions on page 46
under Switching off the engine.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
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 you 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: interlock. Remove the key
from the ignition lock, refer to page 45.
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 828 - \251 07/12 BMW AG