In the interest of better forward momentum,
brake intervention is performed in the manner
of a differential lock when the drive wheels spin
unevenly even when DSC/DTC is deactivated.
Indicator/warning lamps The indicator lamp in the tachometer
flashes: DTC is controlling the drive
forces and brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC and DTC has
failed.
The indicator lamp in the speedometer
lights up and TRACTION appears in the
tachometer.
DTC is activated.
Hill drive-off assistant This system supports driving away on gradients.
The parking brake is not required.
1.Hold the vehicle in place with the foot
brake.2.Release the foot brake and drive away
without delay.
Driving off without delay
After releasing the foot brake, start driv‐
ing without delay, since the drive-off assistant
will not hold the vehicle in place for more than
approx. 2 seconds and the vehicle will begin
rolling back. ◀
Sport button
When this button is pressed, the vehicle re‐
sponds in an even sportier manner.▷The engine responds more spontaneously
to accelerator movements.▷The steering responds more directly.▷Cooper S, John Cooper Works: the engine
sounds sportier when coasting.▷For Steptronic transmissions: more rapid
gear changes in the Sport program.
Activating the system
Press the button; the LED in the button
lights up and SPORT is displayed briefly
in the tachometer.
Deactivating the system
▷Press the button again.▷Switch the engine off.
MINI Coupe, MINI Road‐
ster: automatic rear
spoiler
General information The automatic rear spoiler increases the driving
stability of the vehicle.
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Note the area of movement
Make sure that the area of movement of
the rear spoiler is clear; otherwise, damage or
injuries may result. ◀
Do not use the rear spoiler for pushing, or else
it could be damaged.
Notes on the car washes and care, refer to
page 194.
Automatic operation
If the rear spoiler is retracted, it is in automatic
mode when the engine is started. In this case,
the system is initialized when the vehicle is set
into motion; this may cause a short noise to be heard.
Automatic extension:
When the vehicle exceeds a speed of ap‐
prox. 50 mph/80 km/h.
Automatic retraction:
When the vehicle drops below a speed of ap‐
prox. 38 mph/60 km/h.
The rear spoiler cannot be manually retracted
in automatic mode at speeds above
38 mph/60 km/h.
Manual mode Manual mode can, for example, be used to
clean the rear spoiler when the ignition is
switched on or the engine is running. In manual
mode, the LED in the switch is lit.
If the rear spoiler stops in an intermediate posi‐
tion after it is extended and retracted multiple
times, the system is overheated. The rear
spoiler can be operated again after a short
cooling period.
Extending the rear spoiler
Press the switch back.
Retracting the rear spoiler If the rear spoiler was manually extended and a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h has not been ex‐
ceeded, the rear spoiler can be retracted again.
Otherwise, it can only be retracted after the
speed drops to below 38 mph/60 km/h.
▷Speed range between 12 mph/20 km/h and
50 mph/80 km/h: press the switch forward
briefly or hold.▷Speed below 12 mph/20 km/h: press the
switch forward and hold.
Malfunction
The indicator lamp lights up briefly
when the ignition is switched on and an
acoustic signal is issued.
Display in the following situations:
▷The rear spoiler is extended.
Retract the rear spoiler manually, or it is re‐
tracted again automatically at ap‐
prox. 12 mph/20 km/h.▷The rear spoiler cannot be extended from
the rear spoiler box.
Check whether the rear spoiler is free of
snow or ice, for example. Clear the rear
spoiler or de-ice it.
The warning lamp lights up and an
acoustic signal is issued a number of
times.
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▷The transmission position D is disengaged.▷DSC intervenes.
Maintaining, storing the current speedPress button 1 or button 3.
The current speed is maintained and stored. It
is displayed briefly in the tachometer.
On downhill gradients, it may prove impossible
to maintain the set speed if the engine braking
power is insufficient. On uphill gradients, it may
prove impossible to maintain the set speed if
the engine power output is insufficient.
Increasing speed
▷Press button 1 repeatedly until the desired
speed is reached.
Each time the button is pressed, the speed
increases by approx. 1 mph/1 km/h.▷Press and hold button 1 until the desired
speed is reached.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. After the button is
released, the achieved speed is maintained
and stored.
Decreasing speed
Press button 3 repeatedly or hold it until the
desired speed is reached.
The functions are the same those when the
speed is increased, only that the speed is re‐
duced.
Resuming a speed stored beforehand Press button 4.
The last stored speed is resumed and main‐
tained.
The stored speed is cleared when the ignition is
switched off.
Display in the tachometer
The selected speed is displayed briefly.
If the display --- mph or --- km/h appears
briefly, conditions may not be adequate to op‐
erate the system.
For better control The indicator lamp lights up in the
speedometer. Cruise control is ready to
operate and can be activated.
Malfunction The warning lamp in the tachometer
lights up.
The system is malfunctioning or has
failed.
Park Distance Control
PDC
The concept
PDC provides support when parking in reverse.
Signal tones indicate that the vehicle is ap‐
proaching an object behind it. Measurements
are made by four ultrasound sensors in the
bumpers.
The range of these sensors is approx. 6 ft/2 m.
An acoustic warning is first given:
▷By the two corner sensors at ap‐
prox. 24 in/60 cm.Seite 97Driving comfortCONTROLS97
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▷By the rear middle sensors at approx.
5 ft/1.50 m.
Avoid driving quickly with PDC
PDC is a parking aid that can display ob‐
jects when the vehicle approaches them slowly,
as is the case during parking maneuvers. Avoid
driving toward an object quickly as the system
may then be too late in issuing a warning for
technical reasons. ◀
Automatic operation
The system is activated after approx. one sec‐ ond when reverse gear or selector lever posi‐
tion R is engaged while the engine is running or
the ignition is switched on. Await this short pe‐
riod before setting the vehicle into motion.
Signal tones
The closer the vehicle is to the object, the
shorter the intervals become. If the distance to
a detected object is less than approx.
12 in/30 cm, a continuous tone is sounded.
If the distance remains constant, for example
when driving parallel to a wall, the signal tone
is stopped after approx. 3 seconds.
Volume
The signal tone volume can be adjusted.
Radio MINI Boost CD, refer to page 128.
System limits Check the traffic situation as well
PDC cannot serve as a substitute for the
driver's personal judgment of the traffic situa‐
tion. Check the traffic situation around the ve‐
hicle with your own eyes. Otherwise, an acci‐
dent could result from road users or objects
located outside of the PDC detection range.
Loud noises from outside and inside the vehicle
may prevent you from hearing the PDC's signal
tone. ◀
Malfunction
The warning light lights up. PDC is mal‐functioning or has failed. Have the sys‐
tem checked.
To ensure full functionality of the sensors, keep
the sensors clean and free of ice. When using
high-pressure washers, do not spray the sen‐
sors for long periods and maintain a distance of
at least 12 in/30 cm.Seite 98CONTROLSDriving comfort98
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Air volumeVary the air volume. The higher
the rate, the more effective the
heating or cooling will be.
The air flow rate may be reduced
or the blower may be switched
off entirely to save on battery power.
Switching the system on/off
Turn the rotary switch for the air volume to 0.
The blower and air conditioner are completely
switched off and the air supply is cut off.
Set any air volume to switch on the air condi‐
tioning.
Cooling function The 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 airvolume if necessary. Make sure that air can
flow onto the windshield.
Recirculated air mode is automatically deacti‐
vated at low external temperatures.
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.Seite 100CONTROLSClimate100
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Maximum coolingAutomatic climate control
switches to the lowest tempera‐
ture, a high air volume, and re‐
circulated air mode.
For maximum cooling, open the
vents for the upper body area.
The air is cooled as quickly as possible:▷At an external temperature above
32 ℉/0 ℃.▷When the engine is running.
Manual air distribution
The 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 filter
The 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 103ClimateCONTROLS103
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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
total load of all sockets must not exceed
140 watts at 12 volt.
Avoid damaging the sockets by attempting to
insert plugs of unsuitable shape or size.
Do not connect the charger to the socket
Do not connect the battery charger to the
socket installed in the vehicle at the factory as this could damage the battery. ◀
Replace the cover after use
Replace the lighter or socket cover after
use; otherwise, objects that fall into the lighter
socket or power socket could cause a short cir‐
cuit. ◀
Socket in the center console
Remove the cover or lighter, refer to page 106,
from the socket.
Socket in the cargo area
MINI Coupe, MINI Roadster
Take out the cover.
MINI Convertible
Take out the cover.
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Things to remember when 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.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
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 differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 kmDrive at various engine and vehicle speeds, but
do not exceed:▷For a gasoline engine, 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kickdown mode for the initial
miles.
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 pads
and discs. Drive cautiously during this break-in
period.
Clutch
The clutch requires an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to function at an op‐
timal level.
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
Ground clearance Ensure adequate ground clearance
Ensure adequate ground clearance, e.g.,
when driving into underground garages, when
driving over curbs, or when driving in winter;
otherwise, damage may occur to the vehicle. ◀Seite 114DRIVING TIPSThings to remember when driving114
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