Automatic light MINI Countryman 2014 User Guide
Page 67 of 218
LampsVehicle 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.
At a glance0Lamps off / daytime running lights1Parking lamps and daytime running lights2Low-beam headlamps and welcome lamps3Automatic headlamp control, Adaptive
Light Control, daytime running lights, and
welcome lamps
Parking lamps/low
beams, headlamp con‐
trol
General information
When the driver's door is opened with the igni‐
tion switched off, the exterior lighting is auto‐
matically switched off when the light switch is
in position 0, 2, or 3.
Switch on the parking lamps if necessary,
switch position 1.
Parking lamps Switch position 1: the vehicle lamps light up on
all sides.
Do not use the parking lamps for extended pe‐
riods; otherwise, the battery may become dis‐
charged and it would then be impossible to
start the engine.
When parking, it is preferable to switch on the
one-sided roadside parking lamps, refer to
page 68.
Low beams Switch position 2: the low beams are lit when
the ignition is switched on.
Automatic headlamp control Switch position 3: the low beams are switched
on and off automatically depending on the am‐
bient light, e.g., in tunnels, in twilight, or if
there is precipitation. Adaptive Light Control is
active.
A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams remain switched on independ‐
ent of the ambient lighting conditions when
you switch on the front fog lamps.
Personal responsibility
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal judg‐
ment in determining when the lamps should be
switched on in response to ambient lighting
conditions.
For example, the sensors are unable to detect
fog or hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you
should always switch on the lamps manually
under these conditions. ◀Seite 67LampsControls67
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When the daytime running lights are activated,
the low beams are always switched on in
switch position 3 when the ignition is switched
on.
The exterior lighting goes out automatically af‐
ter the vehicle is switched off.
High beams/roadside parking lamps1Turn signal/roadside parking lamp2Switching on the high beams3Switching off the high beams/headlamp
flasher
To assist in parking, the vehicle can be illumi‐
nated on one side; note the country-specific
regulations.
The roadside parking lamps drain the battery.
Therefore, do not leave them on for unduly
long periods of time; otherwise, the battery
might not have enough power to start the en‐
gine.
Switching on the roadside parking lamp
To switch on the roadside parking lamp on the
left or right, press the turn indicator lever up or
down after switching off the vehicle, arrow 1.
Switching off the roadside parking lamp
Press the lever up or down to the resistance
point.
Daytime running lights
The daytime running lights light up in switch
position 0, 1, or 3 when the ignition is switched
on.
The exterior lighting goes out automatically af‐
ter the vehicle is switched off.
In switch position 1, the parking lamps light up
after the ignition is switched off.
Activating/deactivating1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page 49.2.Press the button on the turn indicator lever
repeatedly until "SET/INFO" is displayed.3.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.4.Press the button repeatedly until the sym‐
bol and "SET" are displayed.5.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.Seite 68ControlsLamps68
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Depending on the steering angle and other pa‐
rameters, the light from the headlamp follows
the course of the road.
Activating With the ignition switch on, turn the light switch
to position 3, refer to page 67.
To avoid blinding oncoming traffic, the Adap‐
tive Light Control does not swivel to the driver's
side when the vehicle is at a standstill.
When driving in reverse, Adaptive Light Control
is not active.
Malfunction The warning lamp lights up. Adaptive
Light Control is malfunctioning or has
failed. Have the system checked as
soon as possible.
More information, refer to page 190.
Fog lamps
At a glance
To switch on the front fog lamps: press the
switch.
To switch off, press the respective switch up‐
ward or downward again.
Fog lamps
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on. The green indicator lamp lights up
when the front fog lamps are switched on.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the front
fog lamps are switched off when the headlamp
flasher or the high beams are activated.
If the automatic headlamp control is activated,
refer to page 67, the low beams are switched
on automatically when the front fog lamps are
switched on.
Instrument lighting
The parking lamps or low beams must be
switched on to adjust the brightness. The
brightness is increased to a certain limit and is then reduced again.▷Press the button briefly: the brightness
changes in stages.▷Press and hold the button: the brightness
changes continuously.
Interior lamps
The interior lamps, the footwell lamps and the
cargo area lamp are controlled automatically.
To avoid draining the battery, all lamps inside
the vehicle are switched off some time after the
ignition is switched off.
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Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger keeps
his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise, the
front passenger airbags may not function prop‐
erly. ◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, read the safety and operating instruc‐
tions under Transporting children safely, refer
to page 44.◀
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 seat covers, seat cushion
padding, ball mats, or other items to the
front passenger seat unless they are specifi‐
cally recommended by the manufacturer of
your MINI.▷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 lamp for the front passenger
airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air‐
bags indicates the operating state of the front
passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ac‐
tivated 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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Final tire failure
Vibrations or loud noises while driving
can indicate the final failure of the tire. Reduce
speed and stop; otherwise, pieces of the tire
could come loose and cause an accident. Do
not continue driving, and contact your service
center. ◀
Malfunction The small warning lamp flashes in yel‐
low and then lights up continuously; the larger warning lamp comes on in yel‐
low.
No flat tire can be detected.
Display in the following situations:▷A wheel without TPM electronics is
mounted:
Have the system checked by the service
center if necessary.▷Malfunction:
Have the system checked.▷TPM could not be fully reset; reset the sys‐
tem again.
The small warning lamp flashes in yel‐
low and then lights up continuously; the
larger warning lamp comes on in yel‐
low.
No flat tire can be detected.
Display in the following situation:
▷Disturbance by other systems or devices
with the same radio frequency
After leaving the area of the disturbance,
the system automatically becomes active
again.
Declaration according to NHTSA/FMVSS
138 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Each tire, including the spare (if provided)
should be checked monthly when cold and in‐
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres‐
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres‐
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel ef‐
ficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low
tire pressure telltale. When the system detects
a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi‐
mately one minute and then remain continu‐
ously illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle startups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pressure as in‐
tended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a va‐
riety of reasons, including the installation of re‐
placement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re‐
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.Seite 80ControlsSafety80
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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.
Antilock Brake System
ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels duringbraking.
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 as
possible. 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. ◀
Deactivating DSC
Press the switch until the DSC OFF indicator
lamp lights up in the speedometer and DSC OFF
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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 handbrake 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.▷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 automatic transmissions: more rapid
gear changes in the Sport program.
Activating the system
Press the switch; the LED in the button lights up
and SPORT is displayed briefly in the tachome‐
ter.
Deactivating the system
▷Press the switch again.▷Switch the engine off.Seite 83Driving stability control systemsControls83
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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.
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 84ControlsDriving comfort84
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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 124.
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 lamp 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 86ControlsDriving comfort86
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Opening
Turn the switch in the direction of the arrow.ClosingMove the switch to the vertical position by
turning it in the opposite direction of the arrow.
Depending on the temperature setting of the
air conditioning or automatic climate control,
high temperatures may occur in the glove com‐
partment.
Center armrest
The center armrest between the front seats
contains a storage compartment or a cover for
the snap-in adapter, refer to page 143, de‐
pending on the equipment.
The center armrest between the rear seats con‐
tains a storage compartment.
Do not position tall accessory parts directly on
the center rail of the center armrest; otherwise, they may be damaged when the center arm‐
rest is opened or closed.
Center armrest front
Opening
Press the button, arrow, and pull up the lid.MINI Paceman: center armrest, rear
Removing
The rear center armrest can be removed to en‐
large the loading area.
1.Turn the handwheel counterclockwise all
the way to open it, arrow 1.2.Push the center armrest back slightly in the
base plate, arrow 2.3.Lift the center armrest at the front and
pivot it out.Seite 103Storage compartmentsControls103
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