2016 MINI Countryman seats

AdjustingVehicle 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.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
Sitting safely
The ideal seating position can make a vital con‐ tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:▷Safety belts, refer to page 38▷Head restraints, refer to page 41.▷Airbags, refer to page 74.
Seats
Note before adjusting WARNING
Seat adjustments while driving can lead
to unexpected movements of the seat. Vehicle
control could be lost. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Only adjust the side on the driver's side
when the vehicle is stationary. ◀
WARNING
With a backrest inclined too far to the
rear, the protective effect of the safety belt
cannot be ensured anymore. There is a danger
of sliding under the safety belt in an accident.
There is risk of injuries or danger to life. Adjust
the seat prior to starting the trip. Adjust the
backrest in an as upright position as possible
and do not adjust again while driving. ◀
WARNING
There is risk of jamming when moving the
seats. There is risk of injuries or risk of property
damage. Make sure that the area of movement
of the seat is clear prior to any adjustment. ◀
Front seat adjustment
Forward/backward
Pull the lever, arrow 1, and slide the seat into
the desired position, arrows 2.
After releasing the lever, move the seat forward
or back slightly to make sure it engages prop‐
erly.
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MINI Paceman: entry in the rear1.Pull the lever on the back of the seat up‐
ward, arrow 1.
The backrest folds forward.2.Push against the backrest to move the seat
forward, arrow 2.
To make it easier to enter the car in the rear,
push back the safety belt on the lower belt
guide rail if necessary.
Restoring the original seat position The driver's seat has a mechanical memory
function for the forward/backward seat setting
and the backrest setting.
1.Push the seat back to the original position.
Do not fold back the backrest until the seat
is in its original position; otherwise, the seat
will engage in its current position. If this
happens, adjust the forward/backward po‐
sition manually, refer to page 36.2.Fold back the backrest to lock the seat.
WARNING
There is risk of jamming when moving the
seats. There is risk of injuries or risk of property
damage. Make sure that the area of movement
of the seat is clear prior to any adjustment. ◀
WARNING
Unexpected movements of the backrest
while driving may occur due to an unlocked
backrest. Vehicle control could be lost. There is
risk of injuries. Fold back and lock the backrests
before driving. ◀
Seat heating
Switching on
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. The maximum temperature is
reached when three LEDs are lit.
If the trip is continued within approx. 15 mi‐
nutes, the seat heating is activated automati‐
cally with the temperature set last.
The temperature is reduced, if need be, down
to no heat in order to reduce the load on the
battery. The LEDs remain lit.
Switch off
Press the button longer.
Safety beltsNumber of safety belts
Your vehicle has been fitted with four or five
safety belts for the safety of you and your pas‐
sengers.
However, they can only offer protection when
adjusted correctly.
InformationAlways make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving away.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
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The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted.
WARNING
If the safety belt is used by more than
one person, the protective effect of the safety
belt cannot be ensured anymore. There is risk
of injuries or danger to life. Do not allow more
than one person to wear a single safety belt. In‐
fants and children are not allowed in an occu‐
pant's lap, but must be transported and respec‐
tively secured in designated child restraint
systems. ◀
WARNING
The protective effect of the safety belts
can be limited or lost when safety belts are fas‐
tened incorrectly. An incorrectly fastened safety
belt can cause additional injuries, e.g. in the
event of an accident or during braking and eva‐
sive maneuvers. There is risk of injuries or dan‐
ger to life. Make sure that all occupants are
wearing safety belts correctly. ◀
WARNING
With a rear backrest that is not locked,
the protective function of the middle safety belt
is not guaranteed. There is risk of injuries or
danger to life. If you are using the middle safety
belt, lock the wider rear backrest. ◀
Correct use of safety belts▷Wear the belt twist-free and as tight to your
body as possible over your lap and should‐
ers.▷Wear the belt deep on your hips over your
lap. The belt may not press on your stom‐
ach.▷Do not wear the belt on your throat, rub it
on sharp edges, guide it or jam it in across
hard or fragile objects.▷Avoid thick clothing.▷Re-tighten the belt frequently upward
around your upper body.Buckling the belt
MINI Countryman:
MINI Paceman:
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted, refer to page 36.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
Securing the buckle tongues
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, slide
the buckle tongue up to the belt stop knob with
the clip.
When the outer rear seats are not occupied, the
buckle tongues of the rear seats can be slid up
to the cargo area trim with the clip.
This helps avoid annoying noises when driving.
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Move the buckle tongues to the belt holder on
the headliner, refer to page 40, and insert them
into the provided holders.
Safety belt reminder for driver's seat
and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Check whether the safety
belt has been fastened correctly.
Damage to safety belts
In the case of strain caused by accidents or
damage:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
WARNING
The protective effect of the safety belts
may not be fully functional or fail in the follow‐
ing situations:
▷Safety belts are damaged, soiled or
changed in any other way.▷Safety belt buckle is damaged or heavily
soiled.▷Belt tensioners or belt retractors were
modified.
Safety belts can be imperceptibly damaged in
the event of an accident. There is risk of injuries
or danger to life. Do not modify safety belts,
safety belt buckles, belt tensioners, belt retrac‐
tors or belt anchors and keep them clean. After
an accident, have the safety belts checked by a
dealer’s service center or another qualified
service center or repair shop. ◀
Head restraints
Information WARNING
A missing protective effect due to re‐
moved or not correctly adjusted head restraints
can cause injuries in the head and neck area.
There is risk of injuries. Install head restraints
on occupied seats prior to driving and make sure that the center of the head restraint sup‐
ports the back of the head at eye level. ◀
WARNING
Objects on the head restraint reduce the
protective effect in the head and neck area.
There is risk of injuries.▷Do not use seat or head restraint covers.▷Do not hang objects, e.g., clothes hangers,
directly on the head restraint.▷Only use accessories that have been deter‐
mined to be safe for attachment to a head
restraint.▷Do not use any accessories, e.g. pillows,
while driving. ◀
Correctly set head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Height Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approx. at ear level.
MINI Countryman: the center rear head re‐
straint is not height adjustable.
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securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀
Installing child re‐ straint fixing systems
Before mounting MINI Countryman: before mounting a child re‐
straint fixing system on the rear seats, move
the seats into the rearmost positions.
Adjust the inclination of the center backrest to
that of the respective outer backrest.
After mounting the child restraint fixing system
on the respective outer rear seat, adjust the
backrest forward, if necessary, to ensure that
the backrest is in contact with the child re‐
straint fixing system. Rear seat backrests, refer
to page 102.
Information Pay attention to the specifications of the child
restraint system manufacturer when selecting,
installing, and using child restraint systems.
WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child seat. There is risk of injuries or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fits
securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀On the front passenger seat
Deactivating the airbags After installing a child restraint fixing system on
the front passenger seat, ensure that the front,
side, and knee airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Seat position and height Before installing a child restraint fixing system,move the front passenger seat as far back aspossible and adjust its height to the highest po‐
sition to obtain the best possible position for
the belt and to offer optimal protection in the
event of an accident.
Do not change this seat position once it has
been set.
Child seat security
The graphic shows the MINI Countryman as an
example.
The rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked to prevent ex‐
tension in order to permit attachment of child
restraint fixing systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint fixing system with
the belt.2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and
pull it taut against the child restraint fixing
system.
The safety belt is locked.
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Child restraint fixing
systems with an upper re‐
taining strap
Mounting points CAUTION
The mounting points for the upper retain‐
ing straps of child restraint systems are only
provided for these retaining straps. When other
objects are mounted, the anchors can be dam‐
aged. There is risk of property damage. Only
mount child restraint systems to the upper re‐
taining straps. ◀
MINI Countryman
There are two additional mounting points for
child restraint fixing systems with an upper re‐
taining strap, arrows.
MINI Paceman
There are two additional mounting points for
child restraint fixing systems with an upper re‐
taining strap, arrows.
Guide of the upper LATCH retaining
strap
WARNING
If the upper retaining strap is incorrectly
used for the child restraint system, the protec‐
tive effect can be reduced. There is risk of inju‐
ries. Make sure that the upper retaining strap is
not guided across sharp edges and without
twisting to the upper retaining strap. ◀
Outer seats:1Direction of travel2Head restraint3Cargo area floor4Hook for upper retaining strap5Mounting point6Backrest7Upper retaining strap of child restraint fix‐
ing system
MINI Countryman, center seat
1Direction of travel2Head restraintSeite 48CONTROLSTransporting children safely48
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Knee airbagThe knee airbag supports the legs in a frontal
impact.
Protective action Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information for optimum effect of the
airbags
WARNING
If the seat position is incorrect or the de‐
ployment area of the airbags is impacted, the
airbag system cannot protect as intended or
cause additional injuries due to triggering.
There is risk of injuries or danger to life. Follow
the information on optimum protective effect
of the airbag system. ◀▷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 or cables such as for
navigation instruments 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 attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat un‐less they are specifically determined to be
safe for use on the front passenger seat.▷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.▷Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents or the wiring in the airbag system.
This also applies to steering wheel covers,
the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars
and the sides of the headliner.
Even when all instructions are followed closely,
injury from contact with the airbags cannot be
ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term and, in most cases, temporary hear‐
ing impairment in sensitive individuals.
Warning notices and information about the air‐
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
The system determines whether the front pas‐
senger seat is occupied by measuring the elec‐
trical resistance of the human body.
The front, side, and knee airbags on the front
passenger side are activated or deactivated ac‐
cordingly by the system.
The indicator lamp above the interior rearview
mirror, refer to page 76, shows the current
status of the front passenger airbags, deacti‐
vated or activated.
Before transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, read the safety and operating instruc‐
tions under Transporting children safely, refer
to page 45.
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WARNING
The ensure the front-seat passenger air‐
bag function, it must be detected, whether a
person occupies the front passenger seat. The
entire seat cushion area must be used for this
purpose. There is risk of injuries or danger to
life. Make sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the floor area. ◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front passenger airbags may be deactivated
in certain sitting positions. In this case, the indi‐
cator lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front passenger airbags are activated and
the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To make sure that occupation of the seat cush‐
ion can be detected correctly:▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat un‐
less they are specifically determined to be
safe for use on the front passenger seat.▷Do not place electronic devices on the pas‐
senger seat if a child restraint fixing system
is mounted on the seat.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.Indicator light for the front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air‐
bags indicates the operating state of the front
passenger airbags.
The light indicates whether the airbags are acti‐
vated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child who is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system intended for that
purpose is detected on the
seat or the seat is empty. The
airbags on the front passen‐
ger side are not activated.▷The indicator lamp does not light up when,
for example, a correctly seated person of
sufficient size is detected on the seat. The
airbags on the front passenger side are ac‐
tivated.
Most child seats are detected by the system.
Especially the child seats required by NHTSA at
the time that the vehicle was manufactured.
After installing a child seat, make sure that the
indicator lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up. This indicates that the child seat has
been detected and the front passenger airbags
are not activated.
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