FuelVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
Fuel recommendation Note General fuel quality
Even fuels that conform to the specifica‐
tions can be of low quality. This may cause en‐
gine problems, for instance poor engine start-
up behavior, poor handling and/or poor
performance. Switch gas stations or use a
brand name fuel with a higher octane rating. ◀
Gasoline For the best fuel efficiency, the gasoline should
be sulfur-free or very low in sulfur content.
Fuels that are marked on the gas pump as con‐
taining metal must not be used.
Refuel only with unleaded gasoline with‐
out metallic additives.
Do not refuel with any leaded gasoline or gaso‐
line with metallic additives, e. g. manganese or
iron, as this can cause permanent damage to
the catalytic converter and other compo‐
nents. ◀
Fuels with a maximum ethanol content of
25 %, i. e. E10 or E25, may be used for refuel‐
ing.Ethanol should satisfy the following quality
standards:
US: ASTM 4806–xx
CAN: CGSB-3.511–xx
xx: comply with the current standard in each
case.
Do not use a fuel with a higher percent‐
age of ethanol
Do not use a fuel with a higher ethanol per‐
centage than recommended or one with other
types of alcohol, e.g. M5 to M100; otherwise
this could damage the engine and fuel supply
system. ◀
Recommended fuel grade
MINI recommends AKI 91.
Minimum fuel grade
MINI recommends AKI 89.
Minimum fuel grade
Do not use any gasoline below the mini‐
mum fuel grade as this may impair engine per‐
formance. ◀
If you use gasoline with this minimum AKI Rat‐
ing, the engine may produce knocking sounds
when starting at high outside temperatures.
This has no effect on the engine life.
Fuel quality
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in
harmful engine deposits or damage. Addition‐
ally, problems relating to drivability, starting
and stalling, especially under certain environ‐
mental conditions such as high ambient tem‐
perature and high altitude, may occur.
If drivability problems are encountered, we rec‐
ommend switching to a high quality gasoline
brand and a higher octane grade — AKI num‐
ber — for a few tank fills. To avoid harmful en‐Seite 170MOBILITYFuel170
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Viscosity grades for engine oils
When selecting an engine oil, ensure that
the engine oil belongs to one of the viscosity
grades SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40, and
SAE 5W-30 or malfunctions or engine damage
may occur. ◀
The engine oil quality is critical for the life of the
engine.
Approved engine oil types You can add oils with the following specifica‐
tions:Gasoline engineBMW Longlife-01BMW Longlife-01 FE
Additional information about the approved
types of engine oils can be obtained from the
service center.
Alternative engine oil types If the approved engine oils are not available, up
to 1 US quart/liter of an engine oil with the fol‐
lowing specification can be added:
Gasoline engineAPI SM or superior grade specification
Engine oil change:
The vehicle manufacturer recommends that
you let the service center change the motor oil.
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