2014 MINI COOPER Owners Manual

Seite 145Storage compartmentsCONTROLS145
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DRIVE ME.
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AT A GLANCE
CONTROLSDRIVING TIPSMOBILITYREFERENCE
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Things to remember when drivingVehicle equipmentAll standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehi‐
cle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Breaking-in period General information
Moving parts need to be broken in to adjust to
each other.
The following instructions will help achieve a
long vehicle life and good economy.
Engine and axle drive
Always obey the official speed limit.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:▷For gasoline engine, 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.▷For diesel engine, 3,500 rpm and
93 mph/150 km/h.
Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐
stances.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Tires Due to technical factors associated with their
manufacture, tires do not achieve their full trac‐
tion potential until after an initial breaking-in
period.
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Brake system Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake discs
and brake pads. Drive moderately during this
break-in period.
Clutch
The function of the clutch reaches its optimal
level only after a distance driven of approx.
300 miles/500 km. During this break-in period,
engage the clutch gently.
Following part replacement The same breaking in procedures should be ob‐
served if any of the components mentioned
above have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
General driving notes
Closing the tailgate Drive with the tailgate closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, in the event of an accident or braking and
evasive maneuvers, passengers and other road
users may be injured, and the vehicle may be
damaged. In addition, exhaust fumes may en‐
ter the passenger compartment. ◀
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:▷Close all windows and the glass sunroof.▷Greatly increase the blower speed.Seite 148DRIVING TIPSThings to remember when driving148
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▷Drive moderately.
Hot exhaust systemHot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure
that flammable materials, e. g. hay, leaves,
grass, etc. do not come in contact with the hot
exhaust system during driving, while in idle po‐
sition mode, or when parked. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of seri‐
ous personal injury as well as property damage.
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise,
there is the danger of getting burned. ◀
Diesel particulate filter The diesel particulate filter collects soot parti‐
cles and burns them periodically at high tem‐
peratures.
During the cleaning time of several minutes,
the following may occur:
▷Temporarily, the engine may run less
smoothly.▷Noises and a slight amount of smoke com‐
ing from the exhaust until shortly after the
engine is shut down.▷A somewhat higher engine speed is neces‐
sary to achieve the accustomed perform‐
ance.
Mobile communication devices in the vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is advised that you do not use mobile com‐
munication devices, e.g., mobile phones, inside
the vehicle without connecting them directly to
the external antenna. Otherwise, the vehicle
electronics and mobile communication devices
can interfere with each other. In addition, there
is no assurance that the radiation generated
during transmission will be discharged from the
vehicle interior. ◀
Hydroplaning On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning. ◀
Driving through water Drive through calm water only if it is not deeper
than 9.8 inches/25 cm and at this height, no
faster than walking speed, up to
6 mph/10 km/h.
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission may be
damaged. ◀
Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a standard
feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations when this is neces‐
sary.
The vehicle maintains steering responsiveness.
You can still avoid any obstacles with a mini‐
mum of steering effort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.Seite 149Things to remember when drivingDRIVING TIPS149
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Objects in the area around the pedalsNo objects in the area around the pedals
Keep floor mats, carpets, and any other
objects out of the area of motion of the pedals;
otherwise, the function of the pedals could be
impeded while driving and create the risk of an
accident.
Do not place additional floor mats over existing
mats or other objects.
Only use floor mats that have been approved for the vehicle and can be properly fixed in
place.
Ensure that the floor mats are securely fastened
again after they were removed for cleaning, for
example. ◀
Driving in wet conditions When roads are wet or there is heavy rain,
briefly exert gentle pressure on the brake pedal
every few miles.
Ensure that this action does not endanger other
road users.
The heat generated in this process helps dry
the brake discs and pads.
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
HillsDrive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear in which the least braking is required. Oth‐
erwise, the brake system may overheat, result‐
ing in a reduction in the brake system effi‐
ciency.
You can increase the engine's braking effect by
shifting down, going all the way to first gear, if
necessary.
Avoid load on the brakes
Avoid placing excessive load on the brake
system. Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brake wear and
possibly even brake failure. ◀Do not drive in neutral
Do not drive in neutral or with the engine
stopped, as doing so disables engine braking.
In addition, steering and brake assist are un‐
available with the engine stopped. ◀
Brake disc corrosion Corrosion on the brake discs and contamina‐
tion on the brake pads are furthered by:▷Low mileage.▷Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.▷Infrequent use of the brakes.
Corrosion occurs when the minimum pressure
that must be exerted by the pads during brake
applications to clean the discs is not reached.
Should corrosion form on the brake discs, the
brakes will tend to respond with a pulsating ef‐
fect that generally cannot be corrected.
Condensation under the parked vehicle
When using the automatic climate control, con‐
densation water develops that exits under‐
neath the vehicle.
Traces of water under the vehicle like this are
normal.
Ground clearance Limited ground clearance
Observe the limited ground clearance of
the vehicle, e. g. while entering underground
parking garages or when driving over obsta‐
cles. Otherwise, damages to the vehicle may
result. ◀
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LoadingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equipment
is also described that is not available in a vehi‐
cle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Hints Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carry‐
ing capacity of the tires, never overload the ve‐
hicle. Overloading can lead to overheating and
increases the rate at which damage develops
inside the tires. This could result in a sudden
loss of tire inflation pressure. ◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be dam‐
aged. ◀
Heavy and hard objects
Do not stow any heavy and hard objects
in the passenger compartment without secur‐
ing them; otherwise, they may present a dan‐
ger to occupants, e.g., during braking and eva‐
sive maneuvers. ◀Determining the load
limit1.Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:▷The combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or
YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to the ve‐
hicle and unstable driving situations
may result.2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or YYY
pounds.4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load ca‐
pacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs pas‐
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs =
400 lbs.5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.Seite 151LoadingDRIVING TIPS151
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Load
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported.
Stowing cargo
▷Cover sharp edges and corners on the
cargo.▷Heavy cargo: stow as far forward as possi‐
ble, directly behind and at the bottom of
the rear passenger seat backrests.▷Very heavy cargo: when the rear seat is not
occupied, secure each of the outer safety
belts in the opposite buckle.▷If necessary, fold down the rear backrests
to stow cargo.▷Do not stack cargo above the top edge of
the backrests.Securing cargo
Lashing eyes in the cargo area
Without storage compartment package: to se‐
cure the cargo there are two lashing eyes, ar‐
row 1, in the cargo area.
With storage compartment package: to secure
the cargo there are six lashing eyes, arrows 1
and 2, in the cargo area.
Securing cargo
▷Smaller and lighter items: secure with re‐
taining straps or with draw straps.▷Larger and heavy objects: secure with
cargo straps.
Attach the cargo straps, retaining straps or
draw straps to the lashing eyes in the cargo
area.
Securing cargo
Stow and secure the cargo as described
above; otherwise it may present a danger to
the occupants, e.g., during braking and avoid‐
ance maneuvers. ◀
Roof-mounted luggage
rack
Note Installation only possible with roof rack.
Roof racks are available as special accessories.
Seite 152DRIVING TIPSLoading152
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