▷An acoustic alarm.▷Switching on the hazard warning flashers.
Arming and disarming
General information
Whenever the car is locked or unlocked, the
alarm system is armed or disarmed.
Door lock and armed alarm systemUnlocking via the door lock will trigger the
alarm on some market-specific versions.
To stop this alarm, unlock the vehicle with the
remote control or switch on the ignition.
Tailgate with armed alarm system
The tailgate can also be opened when the
alarm system is armed.
Press the button on the remote con‐
trol.
When you subsequently close the tailgate it is
again locked and monitored.
Switching off an alarm
▷Unlock the car with the remote control.▷Insert the key fully into the ignition lock.▷In cars with convenient access, press the
button 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:
Doors, engine compartment lid or tailgate
are not properly closed. Even if these are
not closed fully, the remaining items are
locked and the LEDs pulse after approx.
10 seconds for approx. 16 minutes. After‐
wards, 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.▷LEDs flash after unlocking until the key is
inserted in the ignition, but for no longer
than approx. 5 minutes: an attempt was
made to tamper with the car.
Panic mode
You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press the button for at least two sec‐
onds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button on the
remote control.
Tilt alarm sensor
The vehicle's inclination is monitored. The
alarm is triggered, for instance, if an attempt is
made to steal the car's wheels or tow it away.
Interior movement detector
MINI Coupe
Before the interior movement detector can op‐
erate correctly, the windows must be closed.
MINI Convertible, MINI RoadsterThe interior of the car is monitored up to the
height of the seat cushions. Thus the alarm sys‐
tem is armed together with the interior motion
sensor even if the convertible top is open. An
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Backrest tilt
Pull the lever, arrow 1, and apply your weight
to the backrest or lift it off, as necessary, ar‐
rows 2.
Lumbar support
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar re‐
gion.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup‐
plementary support to help you maintain a re‐
laxed, upright sitting position.
Turn the wheel to increase or decrease the cur‐
vature.
Entry in the rear
MINI Convertible: entry in the rear.
MINI Coupe, MINI Roadster: access to the rear
storage shelf.
1.Pull the lever on the back of the seat up‐
ward, arrow 1.
The backrest folds forward.2.Push against the backrest to move the seat
forward, arrow 2.
Restoring the original seat position
The driver's seat has a mechanical memory
function for the forward/backward seat setting and the backrest setting.
1.Push the seat back to the original position.
Do not fold back the backrest until the seat
is in its original position; otherwise, the seat
will engage in its current position. If this
happens, adjust the forward/backward po‐
sition manually, refer to page 53.2.Fold back the backrest to lock the seat.
Note the following when moving back the
seat
When moving back the seat, ensure that per‐
sons cannot be injured and objects cannot be
damaged. Lock the front seats and front back‐
rests before driving away; otherwise, there is
the risk of an accident if the seat or backrest
moves unexpectedly. ◀
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Interior rearview and exterior mirrors,automatic dimming feature
Two photocells are used for control:
▷In the mirror frame, see arrow.▷On the back of the mirror.
For proper operation:
▷Keep the photocells clean.▷Do not cover the area between the inside
rearview mirror and the windshield.▷Do not apply stickers to the windshield in
front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjusting Do not adjust while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving; otherwise, an unexpected movement
could result in an accident. ◀
1.Fold the lever down.2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seating posi‐
tion.3.Fold the lever back.
Do not use force to swing the lever back.
Do not use force to swing the lever back
up; otherwise, the mechanism will be dam‐
aged. ◀
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Engine stop
General information Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for exam‐
ple, cannot operate the windows and injure
themselves. ◀
Set the handbrake and further secure the
vehicle as required
Set the handbrake firmly when parking; other‐
wise, the vehicle may roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, for example, by turning the steering
wheel in the direction of the curb. ◀
Before driving into a car wash
To make it possible for the vehicle to roll in an
automatic car wash, follow the information on
Washing in automatic car washes, refer to
page 259.
Switching off the engine
Manual transmission1.With the vehicle at a standstill, press the
Start/Stop button.2.Shift into first gear or reverse.3.Set the handbrake firmly.4.Remove the remote control from the igni‐
tion lock.
Automatic transmission
1.Engage transmission position P with the ve‐
hicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.3.Set the handbrake firmly.4.Remove the remote control from the igni‐
tion lock.Handbrake
The concept
The handbrake is primarily intended to prevent
the vehicle from rolling while parked; it brakes
the rear wheels.
Also follow the instructions under Switching off
the engine, refer to page 66.
Setting
The lever engages automatically.
Releasing
Pull up slightly, press the button, and lower the
lever.
Notes Using the handbrake while driving
If it should become necessary to use the
handbrake while driving, do not pull the hand‐
brake too forcefully. Keep the button on the
handbrake lever pressed at all times.
Excessive application of the handbrake can
block the rear wheels and lead to fishtailing of
the vehicle. ◀
The brake lamps do not light up when the
handbrake is pulled.
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Displays in the tachometer
The selector lever position is displayed and the
engaged gear, such as M4, is displayed in
manual mode.
Changing selector lever positions
▷With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P.▷When the vehicle is stationary, step on the
brake before shifting out of P or N; other‐
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
Press on the brake pedal until you
start driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain pres‐
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready
to start. ◀
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
To override the lock, press the button on the
front of the selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
front wheels are blocked.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is NeutralFor example, engage this position in a car
wash. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position Position for normal vehicle operation. All for‐
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con‐
sumption is lowest when you are driving in po‐
sition D.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the accelerator beyond
the resistance point at the full throttle position.
Sport program and manual mode M/S Activating the Sport program
Move the selector lever from position D toward
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.
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Activating the M/S manual modeMove the selector lever from position D toward
the left into the M/S shifting slot.
Push the selector lever forward or backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The tachometer displays the engaged gear,
e. g. M1.▷To shift up: press the selector lever back‐
ward.▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.
The vehicle only shifts up or down at appropri‐
ate engine and road speeds, e.g., it does not
shift down if the engine speed is too high. The
selected gear is briefly displayed in the instru‐
ment panel, followed by the current gear.
Shifting gears using the shift paddleson the steering wheel
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
▷When the shift paddles on the steering
wheel are used to shift gears while in auto‐
matic mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode.▷If the shift paddles are not used to acceler‐
ate or shift gears for a certain amount of
time, the transmission switches back to au‐
tomatic mode.
If the selector lever is in the M/S gear plane,
manual mode remains active.
▷Pull one of the two shift paddles:
The transmission shifts up.▷Press one of the two shift paddles:
The transmission shifts down.
The vehicle only shifts up or down at appropri‐
ate engine and road speeds, e.g., it does not
shift down if the engine speed is too high. The
selected gear is briefly displayed in the instru‐
ment panel, followed by the current gear.
Manually unlocking the selector leverlock
If the selector lever is locked in position P al‐
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 over‐
ridden:
1.Switch off the ignition.2.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.3.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
Pull off the plug-in cable connector if nec‐
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SafetyVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series.Therefore, it also
describes equipment that may not be found in
your vehicle, for instance due to the selected
special equipment or the country version. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
Airbags1Front airbags2Side/head airbags in the seat backrests
Front airbags
Front airbags help protect the driver and front
passenger by responding to frontal impacts in
which safety belts alone cannot provide ade‐
quate restraint.
Combined side/head airbag
The combined side/head airbag supports the
side of the body in the chest area and the head.
Protective action Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the opti‐
mal protective effect of the airbags▷Keep at a distance from the airbags.▷Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
keep the danger of injury to your hands or
arms as low as possible if the airbag is trig‐
gered.▷There should be no people, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.▷Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.▷Keep the dashboard and window on the
front passenger side clear, i.e., do not cover
with adhesive labels or coverings, and do
not attach holders such as for navigation in‐
struments and mobile phones.▷Make sure that the front passenger is sitting
correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and legs
in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries can
occur if the front airbag is triggered.▷Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.▷Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as
jackets, over the backrests.▷Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
can occur if the airbags are triggered.▷Do not remove the airbag restraint system.▷Do not remove the steering wheel.▷Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, cover them or modify
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▷Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents or the wiring in the airbag system.
This also applies to steering wheel covers,
the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars
and the sides of the headliner. ◀
Even when all instructions are followed closely,
injury from contact with the airbags cannot be
ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term and, in most cases, temporary hear‐
ing impairment in sensitive individuals.
In the case of a malfunction, deactivation
and after triggering of the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered;
otherwise, there is the danger of burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
your service center or a workshop that has the
necessary authorization for handling explo‐
sives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or
undesired triggering of the airbag, either of
which could result in 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 occupation of the seat is detected by eval‐
uating the impression on the occupied seat sur‐
face of the front passenger seat.
The front and side airbags on the front passen‐
ger side are activated or deactivated accord‐
ingly by the system.
The indicator lamp above the interior rearview
mirror, refer to page 92, shows the current
status of the front passenger airbags, deacti‐
vated or activated.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise, the
front passenger airbags may not function prop‐
erly. ◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, read the safety and operating instruc‐
tions under Transporting children safely, refer
to page 59.◀
Malfunction of the automatic deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front passenger airbags may be deactivated
in certain sitting positions. In this case, the indi‐
cator lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front passenger airbags are activated and
the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To make sure that occupation of the seat cush‐
ion can be detected correctly:▷Do not attach seat covers, seat cushion
padding, ball mats, or other items to the
front passenger seat unless they are specifi‐
cally recommended by the manufacturer of
your MINI.▷Do not place any objects on the front pas‐
senger seat.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.Seite 91SafetyControls91
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