MINI COOPER 2003 Workshop Manual
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49
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
You can drive with a continuously variable 
shifting CVT. In addition, you can also shift 
manually.
When you move the selector lever from the 
D position to the right into the M/S + – 
range, the performance-oriented shift pro-
grams of the CVT are engaged. Steptronic 
enters the manual selection mode and 
executes the desired shift whenever you 
tap the selector lever in the direction 
indicated by + or –.
Whenever you want to use automatic 
again, just move the selector lever toward 
the left to position D.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel 
consumption is lowest when driving in 
position D.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Range selectionInadvertent engaging of certain selector 
lever positions is prevented by a lock.
Press the button on the front side of the 
selector lever knob. The lock is released.
While the vehicle is stationary, and 
before shifting out of P or N, press the 
brake pedal in order to disengage the selec-
tor lever lock mechanism  – Shiftlock.
If the engine speed is too high when the 
vehicle is at a standstill, the selector lever is 
also blocked to protect the transmission. 
Hold the brake pedal down until starting 
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep" when 
a drive position is engaged.<
To prevent the vehicle from starting 
off on its own, always move the 
selector lever to position P and engage the 
parking brake before getting out of your 
vehicle with the engine running.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with 
the engine running. This is a safety haz-
ard.<
If the selector lever is not placed in 
position P when the vehicle is parked, 
the position display of the selector lever 
stays on. This can lead to battery dis-
charge.<
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CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
PPark
Select "P" only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. The transmission locks to 
prevent the rear wheels from turning.RReverseSelect "R" only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.NNeutralSelect "N" only if your journey is inter-
rupted for a long period.DDrive – CVT driving positionThis position is designed for driving under 
all normal operating conditions. KickdownIn "kickdown" mode, you achieve maxi-
mum acceleration and maximum speed in 
position D.
Press the accelerator pedal past the 
increased resistance point at the full-throt-
tle position.
M/S + – Manual mode and 
Sport programSwitch from D into M/S + –:
Activates the Sport program and displays 
SD in the gear indicator in the speedome-
ter. 
>Press briefly:
CVT shifts from the Sport program to the 
manual mode
>Press selector lever briefly towards +:
Transmission shifts upwards
>Press selector lever briefly towards – :
Transmission shifts back.
1 to 6 appear in the gear indicator.
The transmission will only execute upshifts 
and downshifts that will result in a plausi-
ble combination of vehicle speed and 
engine rpm. For instance, downshifts that 
would result in excessive engine speed are 
not executed.
Switching from M/S + – into the selector 
lever positions P, R and N and switching 
from manual mode back into the Sport pro-
gram is only possible via D.
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT)
*
Available displays 
P R N D SD 1 2 3 4 5 6 EP
Electronic transmission control moduleIf there is a malfunction in the transmission 
system, EP appears in the display.
All selector lever positions can still be 
selected. In positions for driving forward: 
the vehicle can now only be driven with a 
limited gear selection.
Avoid high engine loads. Proceed to 
the nearest MINI Dealer.<
Do not work in the engine compart-
ment when a drive gear – forward or 
reverse – is engaged. If you do this, the 
vehicle could move.<
Jump-starting and towing, refer to 
pages 124, 126.<
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PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS  SIGNAL/HEADLAMP FLASHER Switching on the parking lampsTurn to the first position. The front, rear 
and side vehicle lighting is switched on. 
Parking light on one side, see following 
column.Switching on the low beamsTurn to the second position. With the low 
beams on and with the ignition switched 
off, only the parking lamps will remain on."Follow me home" lampsIf you switch off the engine with the low 
beams on, and then switch off the low 
beams, they remain lit for a set length of 
time. 
You can have this function set by 
your MINI Dealer.<
Switching on the standing lampsFor parking, you can activate lights on one 
side of the vehicle. Observe local laws.
In ignition key position 0:
Move the lever into the relevant turn signal 
indicator position."Lights on" warningIf the lights have not been switched off and 
the ignition key is in position 0, an acoustic 
signal sounds for a few seconds when you 
open the driver's door to remind you that 
the lights have not been switched off.Daytime driving lamps*If you desire, the light switch can be left in 
the second position: 
When the ignition is switched off, the 
external lighting is also switched off.
You can have this function set by 
your MINI Dealer.<
1Turn signal indicator – green indicator 
lamps and periodic clicking sound from 
the relay
2High beams/Headlamp flasher – blue 
indicator lampTo signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond the 
point of resistance. 
If the blinking of the indicator lamp 
and the clicking from the relay are 
both faster than normal: one of the turn 
signal indicators has failed.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
INSTRUMENT LIGHTING  FOG LAMPS  INTERIOR LAMPS To control the instrument lighting, press 
the button.To increase the illumination intensityKeep the button pressed until the desired 
brightness is reached.To decrease the illumination intensityPress the button briefly.
With each brief pressing of the button, the 
illumination intensity is reduced in steps.
When the parking lamps/low beams are 
switched on:
Briefly press the switch upwards or down-
wards.
Briefly press once again to switch off.Fog lamps*
Fog lamps switched on:
Green light-emitting diode in the 
switch lights up. 
The fog lamps are deactivated whenever 
the high beams are switched on. 
The interior light is controlled automatically.Switching the interior lamps on and 
off manuallyPress button 1 briefly.
Permanently turn off interior light:
Press button 1 until the interior light comes 
on briefly.
To reverse this condition, repeat the proce-
dure.Footwell and cargo area lampsThese lamps are controlled in the same way 
as the interior light.Switching the reading lamps on and offPress button 2.
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LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES WASHER/WIPER SYSTEM Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) installed 
behind translucent lenses serve as the light 
source for many of the controls and dis-
plays in your vehicle. These light-emitting 
diodes are related to conventional lasers, 
and legislation defines them as light-emit-
ting diodes, Class 1.
Do not remove the protective lens 
and avoid staring directly at the unfil-
tered beam for several hours, as inflamma-
tion of the iris could result.<
0Wipers parked
1Intermittent operation or rain sensor
2Normal wiper speed
3Fast wiper speed
4Brief wipe
5Clean windshield and headlampsIntermittent operation – Not on vehicles with rain sensor – 
The interval time for the wipers is depen-
dent on the vehicle speed. 
Rain sensor*The rain sensor is located on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rear-
view mirror. 
When the rain sensor is activated, the 
windshield wipers are automatically con-
trolled depending on the amount of water 
or snow landing on the windshield. 
To activate the rain sensor:
From ignition key position 1:
Lever in position 1. 
The wipers move across the windshield 
once.
To deactivate the rain sensor:
Put lever in position 0.
Switch the rain sensor off when pass-
ing through an automatic car wash. 
Failure to do so could result in damage 
caused by undesired wiper activation.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
WASHER/WIPER SYSTEMNormal wiper speedThe wiper speed is automatically set to 
interval operation when the car is stopped. 
Not on vehicles with rain sensor.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated by your MINI Dealer.<Fast wiper speedWhen the vehicle is stationary, the wipers 
switch automatically to normal wiper 
speed. 
Not on vehicles with rain sensor.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated by your MINI Dealer.<
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*The system sprays washer fluid against the 
windshield. The wipers are automatically 
activated for a brief period.
When the vehicle lighting is on, the head-
lamps are also cleaned at appropriate inter-
vals. 
Do not use the washers if there is any 
danger that the fluid will freeze on 
the windshield. If you do so, your vision 
could be obscured. For this reason, use an 
antifreeze agent, see page 94.
Do not use the washers when the reservoir 
is empty, since this could cause damage to 
the washing pump.<Heated windshield washer jets*The windshield washer jets are heated 
automatically when the ignition key is in 
position 2.
Rear window wiper6Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 6.
The rear window wiper moves across the 
window a number of times before 
switching to intermittent operationCleaning the rear window7Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 7 and hold in 
place
8In lever position 0:
Turn the cap to position 8 and hold in 
place
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CRUISE CONTROL
* 
Do not use cruise control on twisting 
roads, when high traffic density pre-
vents driving at a constant speed, when the 
road surface is slick, e.g. from snow, rain or 
ice, nor when the road surface is loose, 
e.g. from rocks or sand.<
To activate the system From ignition key position 1:
Press button 2.
The indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up.
Cruise control is active.
To maintain and store speed or to 
accelerateThe vehicle maintains and stores any 
desired speed when driving above approx. 
20 mph / 30 km/h and, for manual trans-
missions, when the selector lever is in 3rd 
gear or higher.
Press button 3.
The system maintains and stores the cur-
rent vehicle speed. Every time you tap the 
button, the speed increases by approx. 
1 mph / 2 km/h.
Press and hold button 3.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on 
the accelerator pedal. When you release 
the button, the system maintains and 
stores the current speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the engine 
braking effect is not sufficient, the 
controlled speed may be exceeded. Speed 
can drop on uphill grades if the engine out-
put is insufficient.< 
To deceleratePress button 4.
If you are already driving with active cruise 
control, the speed is decreased by approx. 
1 mph / 2 km/h every time you briefly tap 
the button.
Press and hold button 4.
With the cruise control active, the system 
automatically reduces the throttle opening 
to slow the vehicle. When you release the 
button, the system maintains and stores 
the current speed.
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CRUISE CONTROL
*
To cancel the cruise control 
When the system is activated, press 
button 2.
The indicator lamp stays lit. 
You can use the cruise control again as 
required.
In addition, cruise control is canceled auto-
matically
>when the brakes are applied 
>when you apply pressure to the clutch 
pedal, or when you move the CVT selec-
tor lever from D to P, N or R
>or if the cruise speed is either exceeded 
or not met for an extended length of 
time, for example if you press the accel-
erator pedal and exceed the stored 
speed.
To continue cruise controlPress button 1.
The vehicle accelerates to and maintains 
the last speed stored. If you turn the igni-
tion key to position 0, the stored speed is 
deleted and the system is deactivated.To deactivate the systemPress button 2 repeatedly until the indica-
tor lamp goes out. 
The stored speed is cleared.
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ODOMETER TACHOMETER FUEL GAUGE 1Trip odometerTo set to zero:
With ignition key in position 1, press the 
button until the trip odometer is at zero.2Odometer You can activate the displays shown in the 
illustration, with the ignition key in 
position 0, by pressing the button in the 
instrument cluster.
Do not operate the engine with the needle 
in the red overspeed zone of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the power is reduced 
when you approach a certain engine speed 
in this sector.
In the speedometerIf the indicator light 1 begins to be lit con-
tinuously, there are approx. 2.1 gallons / 
8 liters of fuel in the tank. 
Fuel tank capacity: 
approx. 13.2 gallons / 50 liters.
When you switch on the ignition, the indi-
cator lamp lights up briefly to confirm that 
the system is operational. 
If the angle of the vehicle varies, for exam-
ple when you are driving in mountainous 
areas, the needle may fluctuate slightly.
Refill the gas tank early. If you drive 
to the last drop of fuel, engine func-
tions are not guaranteed and damage can 
occur.<
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