178Vehicle care
Pull the safety catch, located slightly
left of centre, and open the bonnet.
Pull up the support rod from its holder,
then secure it in the right side hook on the underside of the bonnet.
If the bonnet is opened during an Autostop, the engine will be restarted
automatically for safety reasons.
Stop-start system 3 137.Caution
Ensure the windscreen wiper is
switched off before opening the
bonnet 3 86.
Closing
Before closing the bonnet, press the
support into the holder.
Lower the bonnet and allow it to drop into the catch from a low height
(20-25 cm). Check that the bonnet is
engaged.
Caution
Do not press the bonnet into the
latch, to avoid dents.
9 Warning
In the event of even a minor head-
on collision, have the bonnet
safety catch checked by a
workshop.
Engine oil
Check the engine oil level manually on a regular basis to prevent damage
to the engine.
Ensure that the correct specification
of oil is used. Recommended fluids
and lubricants 3 223.
The maximum engine oil
consumption is 0.6 litres per
1000 km.
Check with the vehicle on a level
surface. The engine must be at
operating temperature and switched
off for at least ten minutes.
180Vehicle careCoolant levelCaution
Too low a coolant level can causeengine damage.
If the cooling system is cold, the
coolant level should be just above the
MINI mark. Top up if the level is low.
9Warning
Allow the engine to cool before
opening the cap. Carefully open
the cap, relieving the pressure
slowly.
Top up with antifreeze. If no
antifreeze is available, use clean tap
water or distilled water. Install the cap
tightly. Have the antifreeze
concentration checked and have the
cause of the coolant loss remedied by a workshop.
If a substantial amount of coolant is
required, it will be necessary to bleed
any trapped air from the cooling
system. Seek the assistance of a
workshop.
Power steering fluidCaution
Extremely small amounts of
contamination can cause steering
system damage and cause it to not work properly. Do not allow
contaminates to contact the fluid
side of the reservoir cap or from
entering the reservoir.
The fluid level normally does not need
to be checked. If an unusual noise is
heard during steering or if the power
steering reacts conspicuously, seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Depending on vehicle, the power
steering fluid reservoir may be
located in the engine compartment
(Type A) or below the front wheel
arch, behind a trim panel (Type B).
Type A
If the fluid level in the reservoir falls
below the MINI mark, consult a
workshop.
184Vehicle caremanually disconnected before
disconnecting the main vehicle
battery or before jump starting the vehicle.
The terminals are designed for
additional electrical consumers up to a maximum of 50 A.
Jump starting 3 213.
Diesel fuel filter
Drain diesel fuel filter of residual
water at every engine oil change.
Place a container underneath the
filter housing. Loosen the knurled
screws on the filter cover and on the
lower part of the filter by approx. one
turn, to drain off the water.
The filter is drained as soon as diesel fuel emerges from the knurled screw
at the bottom. Retighten the two
screws.
Check diesel fuel filter at shorter
intervals if the vehicle is subjected to
extreme operating conditions.
Diesel fuel system bleedingIf the fuel tank has been run dry, it will be necessary to air vent or bleed the
diesel fuel system.
Fill the tank with fuel and proceed as
follows:
1. Place a suitable container underneath the fuel filter vent
screw to collect fuel.
2. Loosen the vent screw (arrowed) by one turn.
3. Manually operate the in-line supply pump slowly and steadily
until fuel discharging from the
loosened vent screw is free of air
bubbles.
4. Retighten the vent screw.
In vehicles without an in-line supply
pump, fill the tank with fuel and
proceed as follows:Caution
Do not turn ignition key to position
3 before beginning the bleeding
procedure.
Ignition switch positions 3 135.
Vehicle care1851.Turn ignition key to position 2 and
hold for five seconds.
2. Turn key back to position 1 and
wait for three seconds.
3. Repeat Step 1 and 2 multiple times.
4. Turn key to position 3, then return
to 0.
If the engine cannot be started after
several attempts to bleed the diesel
fuel system, seek the assistance of a
workshop.
Wiper blade replacement Wiper blades on the windscreen
If required, use the step located below
the headlights to reach the
windscreen wiper.
Lift wiper arm, press retaining clip
towards wiper arm and detach wiper
blade.
Attach the wiper blade slightly angled
to the wiper arm and push until it engages.
Lower wiper arm carefully.
Bulb replacement
Ensure the ignition is switched off
completely (the vehicle must not be in
an Autostop 3 137) and turn off the
relevant switch or close the doors.
Only hold a new bulb at the base. Do not touch the bulb glass with bare
hands.
Use only the same bulb type for
replacement.
Bulb check After a bulb replacement, switch on
the ignition, operate and check the
lights.
Performing work 3 177.
Vehicle care201Choose a tyre appropriate for the
maximum speed of your vehicle.
The maximum speed is achievable at
kerb weight with driver (75 kg) plus
125 kg payload. Optional equipment
could reduce the maximum speed of
the vehicle.
Directional tyres Fit directional tyres such that they rollin the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
Tyre pressure
Check the pressure of cold tyres at
least every 14 days and before any
long journey. Do not forget the spare
wheel. This also applies to vehicles
with tyre pressure monitoring system.
The tyre pressure information label
on the driver's door frame indicates
the original equipment tyres and the
correspondent tyre pressures.
Always inflate tyres to the pressures
shown on the label.
Tyre pressures 3 247.The tyre pressure data refers to cold
tyres. It applies to summer and winter tyres.
Always inflate the spare tyre to the
pressure specified for full load.
Incorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 228.
2. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all
possible tyre combinations 3 247.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of Conformity provided with your vehicle
or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
9 Warning
For specific tyres the
recommended tyre pressure as
shown in the tyre pressure table may exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Never exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Temperature dependency
Tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase.
Tyre pressure values provided on the
tyre information label and tyre
pressure chart are valid for cold tyres, which means at 20 °C. The pressure
increases by nearly 10 kPa (0.1 bar)
Vehicle care203approaching a low tyre pressure
condition. Check tyre pressure of all
four tyres.
If the tyre pressure must be reduced
or increased, switch off ignition.
Only mount wheels with pressure
sensors, otherwise w flashes for
several seconds then illuminates
continuously together with control
indicator A 3 98 and a
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
A spare wheel or temporary spare
wheel is not equipped with pressure
sensors. The tyre pressure
monitoring system is not operational
for these wheels. For the further three
wheels, the tyre pressure monitoring
system remains operational.
Control indicator w and the
corresponding message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tyres are
inflated to the correct tyre pressure.
Driver Information Centre 3 103.
Vehicle messages 3 104.Puncture
A puncture or severely under-inflated
tyre is indicated by illumination of
control indicator w together with C
3 99 and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre. Stop vehicle and switch off
engine.
Tyre pressure 3 247, Tyre repair kit
3 205, Spare wheel 3 210, Wheel
changing 3 208.
Relearn functionAfter a puncture has been repaired
and the driver has inflated the tyres to
the correct tyre pressure, the tyre
pressure monitoring system needs to recalculate.
Tyre pressure 3 247, Tyre repair kit
3 205.
During driving, select the tyre
pressure menu in the Driver
Information Centre by pressing button
on end of wiper lever. Press and hold button for approx. five seconds to
initialise recalculation. A
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Several minutes of driving at a speed above 40 km/h may be required to
complete the relearn process. The system can only provide limited
information during this time.
If problems occur during the relearn
process, control indicator w remains
illuminated and a warning message is displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Driver Information Centre 3 103.
Vehicle messages 3 104.