Attaching the upper retaining strap to
the mounting point
MINI Coupe1.Remove the front cargo cover, refer to
page 103.2.Slide the head restraint upward.3.Guide the upper retaining strap between
the supports of the head restraint.4.Attach the upper retaining strap to the
mounting point with the hook.5.Slide the head restraint into the bottom po‐
sition.6.Pull the upper retaining strap taut.
MINI Convertible
Ensure that the upper retaining strap 9 is
passed between backrest 8 and rollover protec‐
tion system with crossbar 3; otherwise, it will be
unable to properly restrain the child restraint
fixing system.
1.Slide the head restraint upward.2.Unlock the backrest and fold it forward
slightly, refer to page 105.3.Guide the upper retaining strap between
the supports of the head restraint.4.Attach the upper retaining strap to the
mounting point with the hook.5.Fold back the backrest and lock it. Slide the
head restraint down as far as possible.6.Pull the upper retaining strap taut.Seite 54ControlsTransporting children safely54
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DrivingVehicle equipmentThis 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.
Ignition lock Insert the remote control into the
ignition lock
Insert the remote control all the way into the
ignition lock.
Radio ready state is switched on. Individual
electrical consumers can operate.
Removing the remote control from the
ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control
out of the ignition lock
Do not forcibly pull the remote control out of
the ignition lock as this may cause damage. ◀
Before removing the remote control, push it all
the way in to release the locking mechanism.
The ignition is switched off if it was on.
Automatic transmission
You can only take out the remote control if
transmission position P is engaged: interlock.
Start/Stop button
Pressing the Start/Stop button switches the ig‐
nition on or off and starts the engine.
The engine starts when the Start/Stop button is
pressed and:
▷Manual transmission: the clutch is de‐
pressed.▷Automatic transmission: the brake is de‐
pressed.
Radio ready state
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Radio ready state is switched off automatically:
▷When the remote control is removed from
the ignition lock.▷With Comfort Access, refer to page 28, by
pressing the button on the door handle or
the
button on the remote control.
▷After a certain period of time.
Ignition on All electrical consumers can operate. Most indi‐
cator and warning lamps light up for different
lengths of time.
Seite 55DrivingControls55
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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 191.
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 57.
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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Reverse gearSelect only when the vehicle is stationary. When
the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a slight
resistance needs to be overcome.
Automatic transmission
with Steptronic
In addition to the fully automatic mode, gears
can also be shifted manually using Steptronic,
refer to page 63.
Parking the vehicle Secure the vehicle
Before leaving the vehicle with the en‐
gine running, move the selector lever to posi‐
tion P and set the handbrake; otherwise, the
vehicle will begin moving. ◀
Disengaging the remote control
To remove the remote control from the ignition
lock, first move the selector lever to position P
and switch off the engine: interlock. Remove
the remote control from the ignition lock, refer
to page 55.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
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.
Seite 62ControlsDriving62
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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
them in any way.Seite 80ControlsSafety80
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Cooling functionThe passenger compartment can
only be cooled with the engine
running.
The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before reheating it as required, according to
the temperature setting.
The cooling function helps to prevent conden‐
sation on the windows or to remove it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog up briefly when the engine is started.
To cool the air faster and more intensively
when external temperatures are high, switch
on the recirculated air mode.
Recirculated air mode If the air outside the car has an
unpleasant odor or contains pol‐
lutants, shut off the supply to the
interior of the car temporarily.
The system then recirculates the
air currently within the vehicle.
Should the windows fog up in the recirculated-
air mode, press the AUTO button or switch off
the recirculated-air mode and increase the air
volume if necessary. Make sure that air can
flow onto the windshield.
Recirculated air mode is automatically deacti‐
vated at low external temperatures.
Only use recirculated air mode for a lim‐
ited period
The recirculated air mode should not be used
continuously for lengthy periods; otherwise, the
quality of the air inside the car will gradually
deteriorate. ◀Temperature
Turn upward, red, to raise thetemperature.
Turn downward, blue, to lower
the temperature.
Rear window defroster The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a
certain period of time.
The rear window defroster
power may be lowered or even
switched off entirely to save on battery power.
Vent settings Direct the flow of air to the win‐
dows
, to the upper body
area
, or to the footwell .
Intermediate positions are possi‐
ble.
Windshield heating The windshield heating switches
off automatically after some
time.
The windshield heating may be
reduced or even switched off en‐
tirely to save on battery power.
Defrosting and defogging windows
1.Set the maximum air volume.2.Air distribution in position .
By switching on the cooling function, the
windows are defogged more rapidly.3.Set the highest temperature, red.4.Deactivate recirculated air mode.5.Switch on the windshield heating if neces‐
sary.6.Switch on the rear window defroster if nec‐
essary.Seite 97ClimateControls97
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Manual air distributionThe flow of air is directed, as se‐
lected, to the windows, to the
upper body area, or to the foot‐
well.
The automatic mode for the air
distribution can be switched back on using the
AUTO button.
Temperature Set the desired temperature in‐
dividually.
The automatic climate control
achieves this temperature as
quickly as possible regardless of
the season, using maximum cooling or heating power if necessary, and then maintains it.
When switching between different temperature
settings in rapid succession, the automatic cli‐
mate control does not have sufficient time to
adjust the set temperature.
Rear window defroster The rear window defroster
switches off automatically after a
certain period of time.
Defrosting and defogging windows Quickly removes ice and con‐
densation from the windshield
and front side windows. For this
purpose, also switch on the cool‐
ing function.
The windshield heating switches on automati‐
cally.Windshield heating
The windshield heating switches
off automatically after some
time.
Cooling function The cooling function cools and
dehumidifies the incoming air
before reheating it as required,
according to the temperature
setting. The passenger compart‐
ment can only be cooled with the engine run‐
ning.
The cooling function helps to prevent conden‐
sation on the windows or to remove it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog up briefly when the engine is started. Recir‐
culated air mode is switched on automatically if
necessary.
The cooling function is switched on automati‐
cally when the AUTO button is pressed.
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filterThe microfilter traps dust and pollen. The acti‐
vated-charcoal filter provides additional protec‐
tion by filtering gaseous pollutants from the
outside air. The service center replaces this
combined filter during routine maintenance.Seite 100ControlsClimate100
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Interior equipmentVehicle equipmentThis 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.
Cupholders and ashtray/
lighter
Cupholders
Two cupholders are located in the center con‐
sole in the front and another at the end of the
center console in the rear.
Shatter-proof containers and no hot
drinks
Use light and shatter-proof containers and do
not transport hot drinks. Otherwise, there is the
increased danger of injury in an accident. ◀
Unsuitable containers
Do not forcefully push unsuitable contain‐
ers into the cupholders. This may result in dam‐
age. ◀
Ashtray
The ashtray is located in one of the cupholders
in the center console at the front.
Emptying Take out the entire ashtray, arrow.
When installing, ensure that the ashtray is in‐
serted in the cupholder with the adapter.
Lighter
With the engine running or the ignition
switched on, press in the cigarette lighter.
The lighter can be removed as soon as it pops
back out.
Danger of burns
Only hold the hot lighter by its head; oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of getting burned.
Switch off the ignition and take the remote
control with you when leaving the vehicle so
that children cannot use the lighter and burn
themselves. ◀
Connecting electrical de‐
vices
The lighter socket can be used as a socket for
electrical equipment while the engine is run‐
ning or when the ignition is switched on. The
Seite 102ControlsInterior equipment102
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