All washer nozzles are supplied from one reser‐
voir.
The recommended minimum filling quantity is
0.2 US gal/1 liter.
Fill with a mixture of window washing concen‐
trate and water; if needed, add antifreeze ac‐
cording to the manufacturer instructions.
Mix the washer fluid before adding to maintain
the correct mixing ratio.
Do not fill in undiluted window washing con‐
centrate and do not fill in pure water; this could
damage the washer system.
Do not mix window washing concentrate from
different manufacturers; this could cause the
washer nozzles to clog.
Manual transmission
Pay attention to the shift plane
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, push
the gearshift lever to the right; otherwise inad‐
vertent shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could
lead to engine damage. ◀
Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. When
the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a slight
resistance needs to be overcome.
Steptronic transmission In addition to the fully automatic mode, gears
can also be shifted manually using Steptronic,
refer to page 56.
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 48.
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.
Seite 55DrivingCONTROLS55
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
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 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/SActivating 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.
Activating the M/S manual mode Move the selector lever from position D towardthe 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.Seite 56CONTROLSDriving56
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
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 lever
lock
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‐
essary.4.Insert the pulling hook 1 into the loop on
the passenger side.
The pulling hook is found in the vehicle
document portfolio or in the pouch of the
wheel change set, refer to page 178.5.Pull the loop upward.6.Move the selector lever into the desired po‐
sition, pressing the button on the front of
the selector lever.
Set the parking brake
Manually unlock the selector lever lock
for towing only. Before manually unlocking the
selector lever lock, pull the parking brake
firmly; otherwise, the vehicle may roll away and
cause personal injury or property damage. ◀
Seite 57DrivingCONTROLS57
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
SymbolFunctionRoadworthiness testFront brake padsRear brake padsBrake fluidExit the display, refer to
page 61Next setting or information, re‐
fer to page 61
Check Control
The concept
The Check Control monitors vehicle functions
and alerts you to any malfunctions in the sys‐
tems being monitored.
A Check Control message consists of indicator
and warning lamps in the instrument cluster
and, in some circumstances, an acoustic signal.
Indicator/warning lamps
The indicator and warning lamps can light up in
a variety of combinations and colors in display
area 1 or 2.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
The symbol indicates that Check Control
messages have been stored. The Check Control
messages can be displayed later.
What to do in case of a malfunction
The meaning of each lamp in the event of a
malfunction and tips on how to respond are
provided in the list, refer to page 191.
Seite 64CONTROLSDisplays64
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
Driving stability control systemsVehicle 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.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
Antilock Brake System
ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during braking.
Steerability is maintained even during full brak‐
ing. This increases active driving safety.
ABS is operational every time you start the en‐
gine.
Electronic brake-force distribution EBVThe system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
CBC Cornering Brake Control
When braking in curves or during a lane
change, driving stability and steering response
are improved further.
Brake assistant When the brakes are applied rapidly, this sys‐
tem automatically produces the maximum
braking force boost. In this way, the system
helps keep the braking distance as short aspossible. This system utilizes all of the benefits
provided by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of full braking.
Dynamic Stability Con‐ trol DSC
The concept
DSC prevents traction loss in the driving wheels
when driving away and accelerating.
DSC also recognizes unstable vehicle condi‐
tions, such as fishtailing or nose-diving. Subject
to physical limits, DSC helps to keep the vehicle
on a steady course by reducing engine speed
and by applying brakes to the individual
wheels.
DSC is operational every time you start the en‐
gine.
Adjust your driving style to the situation
An appropriate driving style is always the
responsibility of the driver.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed, even
with DSC.
Do not reduce the additional safety margin
with a risky driving style, as otherwise there is a
risk of an accident. ◀Seite 81Driving stability control systemsCONTROLS81
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
Deactivating DSC
Press the switch until the DSC OFF indicator
lamp lights up in the speedometer and DSC OFF
appears in the tachometer. DSC is deactivated.
Intervening measures to stabilize the vehicle
and give it forward momentum are no longer
executed.
When driving with snow chains or to rock the
vehicle free of snow, it may be useful to deacti‐
vate DSC temporarily.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC again
as soon as possible.
Activating DSC
Press the switch again; the DSC indicator lamps
in the display elements go out.
Indicator/warning lights The indicator lamp in the tachometer
flashes: DSC 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 DSC OFF appears in the
tachometer.
DSC and DTC deactivated.
Dynamic Traction Con‐
trol DTC
The concept
The DTC system is a version of the DSC in which
forward momentum is optimized.
The system ensures maximum forward mo‐
mentum on special road conditions, e.g., unp‐
lowed snowy roads, but driving stability is lim‐
ited.
It is therefore necessary to drive with appropri‐
ate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:
▷When driving in sand, on snowy inclines, in
slush, or on unplowed, snow-covered road
surfaces▷When rocking a vehicle free or starting off
in deep snow, sand, or on loose ground▷When driving with snow chains.Seite 82CONTROLSDriving stability control systems82
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
Activating DTC
Press the switch; the DSC OFF indicator lamp
lights up in the speedometer and TRACTION
appears in the tachometer. Dynamic Stability
Control DSC is deactivated, Dynamic Traction
Control DTC is activated.
Deactivating DTC Press the switch again; the DSC OFF indicator
lamp in the speedometer and TRACTION in the
tachometer go out.
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. ◀
ALL4 all-wheel system
ALL4 is the all-wheel system of your MINI. The
combined effects of ALL4 and DSC further opti‐
mize the traction and dynamic driving charac‐
teristics. The ALL4 all-wheel system variably
distributes the drive forces to the front and rear
axles depending on the driving situation and
prevailing road conditions.
Sport button When this button is pressed, the vehicle re‐
sponds in an even sportier manner.
Seite 83Driving stability control systemsCONTROLS83
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15
Driving comfortVehicle 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.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
Cruise control
The concept
The system is functional at speeds beginning at
approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
The vehicle stores and maintains the speed
specified using the controls on the steering
wheel.
Do not use cruise control
Do not use the system if unfavorable con‐
ditions make it impossible to drive at a constant
speed, for instance:▷On curvy roads.▷In heavy traffic.▷On slippery roads, in fog, snow or rain, or
on a loose road surface.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. ◀
Controls
At a glance1Maintaining, storing, and increasing the
speed2Activating/deactivating cruise control3Maintaining, storing, and reducing the
speed4Resuming cruise control
Switching on
Press button 2.
The indicator lamp lights up in thespeedometer. Cruise control is ready to
operate and can be activated.
Switching off Press button 2.
▷When activated: press twice.▷When interrupted: press once.
The displays go out. The stored target speed is
cleared.
Interrupting Press button 2.
The system is interrupted automatically if
▷The brakes are applied.▷The clutch pedal is depressed.Seite 85Driving comfortCONTROLS85
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 961 084 - II/15