tow MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2005 User Guide

87
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
LOADING CARGO
Avoid overloading the vehicle so that the permitted load on the tires is not
exceeded. Overloading can lead to over
-
heating and damage inside the tires.
Depending on the circumstances, this can
result in sudden air loss.<
Determining cargo limit1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard:
The combined weight of occu
-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX
kg or YYY
lbs, as this could
otherwise result in damage to the vehi
-
cle and unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle3. Substract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo
-
grams or YYY
pounds
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity.

For example, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be four 150
lbs.
passengers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 800
lbs.:

1,400
lbs. minus 600
lbs. = 800
lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of lug
-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step
4
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for
transporting a trailer to determine how
this may reduce the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.

88
LOADING CARGOStowing cargo >Place heavy cargo as far forward as possi
-
ble, directly behind the backrests, and as
low as possible>Cover sharp edges and corners>Do not pile objects higher than the top
edges of the backrests.
For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is unoccupied, fasten each safety belt in the
opposite buckle. This provides additional
stabilization for the rear backrests.
Securing the load The illustration shows by way of example
the luggage compartment of the MINI.>Secure smaller and lighter items using
the luggage compartment net
* or elastic
straps
>Secure larger and heavier items with
load-securing devices
*. Lashing eyelets
are provided at the inner corners of the
luggage compartment for attaching
these load-securing devices.

Comply with the information enclosed
with the load-securing devices.

89
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
ROOF-MOUNTED LUGGAGE RACK
*
Always position and secure the load as described above. If you do not, it
can pose a danger to the passengers during
braking and evasive maneuvers, for exam
-
ple.

Do not exceed the permissible gross weight
and axle load, refer to page
143
ff; other
-
wise the vehicle's operating safety is no
longer assured and it will not be in compli
-
ance with the certification regulations.

Do not stow heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment without first
securing them. Otherwise they would be
thrown around during braking and evasive
maneuvers and endanger the occupants.<
When loading a roof-mounted lug
-
gage rack on the MINI, make sure
that there is sufficient space for the move
-
ment of the glass sunroof and that no
objects protrude into the swiveling area of
the tailgate, as otherwise damage can
occur. Do not secure the roof-mounted lug
-
gage rack to the MINI's trim strips or to the
MINI Convertible top. Otherwise, the lack
of a secure hold could lead to damage or
accidents.<
Special roof-mounted luggage racks for your MINI are available as acces
-
sories from your MINI Dealer.<

95
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
REFUELING
Do not use leaded gasoline, as other
-
wise the lambda probe and catalytic
converter will be permanently damaged.<
Use high-quality brandsField experience has indicated significant
differences in fuel quality: volatility, com
-
position, additives, etc., among gasolines
offered for sale in the United States and
Canada. Fuels containing up to and includ
-
ing 10
% ethanol or other oxygenates with
up to 2.8 % oxygen by weight, that is, 15
%
MTBE or 3% methanol plus an equivalent
amount of co-solvent, will not void the
applicable warranties with respect to
defects in materials or workmanship.
The use of poor-quality fuels may result in driveability, starting and
stalling problems especially under certain
environmental conditions such as high
ambient temperature and high altitude.

Should you encounter driveability prob
-
lems which you suspect could be related to
the fuel you are using, we recommend that
you respond by switching to a recognized
high-quality brand.

Failure to comply with these recommenda
-
tions may result in unscheduled mainte
-
nance.<
Manual release with the MINI In the event of an electrical malfunction,
the fuel filler door can be unlocked manu
-
ally.1. Remove the side trim panel on the left-
hand side of the luggage compartment2. Pull the white lever toward the rear.

The fuel filler door is released
3. Open the fuel filler door.
Manual release with the MINI Convertible In the event of an electrical malfunction,
the fuel filler door can be unlocked manu
-
ally.1. Remove the cover of the side trim panel
on the left-hand side, arrow
1
2. Pull the green strap toward the rear,
arrow
2.
The fuel filler door is released
3. Open the fuel filler door.

101
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE CONDITION
RUN FLAT TIRES
*
Wear indicators in the tread-groove base, arrow, are spread around the circumfer
-
ence of the tire and are marked on the side
wall of the tire with TWI, Tread Wear Indi
-
cator. The indicators in the tread indicate at 1/16 in / 1.6
mm tread depth that the
legally permitted wear limit has been
reached.
Wheel/tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note that wheels, tires and suspension
parts are more susceptible to road hazards
and consequential damage.

Unusual vibrations while driving can indi
-
cate tire damage or other damage to the
vehicle. This may be caused, for example,
by driving over a curb. This is also true for
abnormalities in the vehicle's handling
characteristics, such as a pronounced ten
-
dency to pull to the left or right.

In such situations, reduce your speed
immediately. Drive carefully to the nearest
MINI Dealer or tire dealer, or have the vehi
-
cle towed there, if necessary.

Tire damage, up to and including blowouts,
can endanger the lives of both the vehicle
occupants and other road users.<
You will recognize Run Flat tires by a circu
-
lar symbol containing the letters RSC on
the side of the tire.

Run Flat tires consist of self-contained tires
and special rims. The tire reinforcement
ensures that driving remains possible to a
restricted degree in the event of a pressure
drop or even a flat tire. Continuing driving with a damaged
tire Depending on the load, you can continue
driving with Run Flat tires at a maximum
speed of 50
mph
/ 80
km/h.

108
WASHER FLUID
ENGINE OIL
Headlamp* and window washer systems The capacity of the headlamp washer sys
-
tem is approx. 2.6
quarts
/ 2.5
liters, that of
the windshield and rear window washer
system approx. 2.1
quarts
/ 2.0
liters.
Fill with water and, if necessary, with anti
-
freeze, according to manufacturer's recom
-
mendations.
We recommend that you mix the washer fluid before filling either res
-
ervoir.<
Antifreeze agent for the washer sys
-
tems is flammable. Always keep it
well away from sparks and open flames,
and store it in tightly closed containers well
out of the reach of children. Always observe
the instructions on the containers.<
The illustration shows by way of example the dipstick of the MINI
COOPER and the
MINI
COOPER Convertible.
Measuring the oil level1. Park the vehicle on a level surface2. Switch the engine off after it has
reached normal operating temperature3. Pull the dipstick out after approx.
5
minutes and wipe it off with a lint-free
cloth, paper towel, or similar material
4. Carefully push the dipstick all the way
into the guide tube and pull it out again.
The oil level must be between the two
marks on the dipstick.
As with fuel economy, oil consumption is
directly influenced by your driving style and
vehicle operating conditions.
The oil volume between the two notches –
MIN, MAX – on the dipstick corresponds to
approx. 1.1
quarts
/ 1
liter. Do not fill
beyond the upper notch on the dipstick.
Excess oil will damage the engine.

120
ONBOARD TOOL KIT
WIPER BLADES
The picture shows as an example the tire change set with onboard tools for vehicles
with the space-saver spare tire.Depending on the equipment version, your
vehicle is equipped with a special onboard
tool kit stored at the locations described
below:
Tire change set with onboard tools for
space-saver spare tireIn the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.MINI Mobility System with tire change
set and onboard tools In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.Tire change set and onboard tools for
Run Flat tires >Tire change set:

In the luggage compartment in a sepa
-
rate pouch>Onboard tool kit:

On the left-hand side of the luggage
compartment behind the side trim
panel.
Windshield wiper1. Rotate the wiper arm completely out
from the windshield 2. Set the wiper blade at an angle3. Press the securing spring, arrow4. Unhook the wiper blade towards the
windshield5. Pull the wiper blade past the wiper arm
toward the top6. Insert the new wiper blade7. Press into position until you hear it
engage.

123
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
LAMPS AND BULBSSide turn signal indicators 5 watt bulb1. Slide the lamp toward the rear of the
vehicle and remove2. Remove and replace the bulb.
Tail lampsTurn signal indicator 1: 21
watts
Rear lamp 2: 21/5 watt bulbBackup lamp 3: 16 watts 1 Turn signal indicator yellow2 Rear lamp/Brake lamp red3 Backup lamp white
Replacing bulbs To access the bulb holder, remove the cover
on the side panel in the luggage compart
-
ment.1. Unplug the power supply, arrow
1
2. Squeeze the retaining clips together,
arrows
2, and remove the bulb holder
3. Apply gentle pressure to the bulb while
turning it to the left4. Remove and replace the bulb5. Press the bulb holder into position until
you hear it engage6. Plug in the power supply.

125
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
REPAIRING A FLAT TIRE
SPACE-SAVER SPARE TIRE
*
Safety measures in the event of a flat tire:

Stop the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Switch on the hazard warn
-
ing flashers.

Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead wheel position and engage the
steering lock. Engage the parking brake and
shift into 1st or reverse gear – selector lever
in P.

All passengers should be outside the vehi
-
cle and well away from your immediate
working area – behind a guardrail, for
instance.

If a portable hazard warning lamp is avail
-
able, set it up on the roadside at an appro
-
priate distance from the rear of the vehicle.
Comply with all safety guidelines and regu
-
lations.<In the event of a flat tire, different proce
-
dures should be followed depending on the
equipment included in your vehicle:>Vehicles with Run Flat tires, refer to
page
101
>Vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
refer to the following section>Vehicles with MINI Mobility System,
refer to page
129
.
To change a space-saver spare tire, proceed
as follows:>Remove space-saver spare tire, refer to
the section after the next one>Prepare for tire change, refer to page
127
>Jack up the vehicle, refer to page
128
>Mount the space-saver spare tire, refer
to page
128
>Tighten the lug bolts, refer to page
128
>Drive with space-saver spare tire, refer to
page
127
.
Tire change setOn vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
the tire change set with onboard tools is
stored in the luggage compartment under
the floor mat.1 Chock, folding2 Hubcap remover3 Wheel stud wrench4Jack5 Special wrench for removing the space-
saver spare tire6 Towing eyelet7 Lifting handleThe onboard tool kit includes a pouch with
a plastic bag in which you can place the
damaged wheel.

127
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
SPACE-SAVER SPARE TIRE
*
CHANGING TIRES
9.
Pull out the space-saver spare tire towards the rear underneath the vehi
-
cle
10. Position the space-saver spare tire with
the valve facing upwards11. Unscrew the valve extension from the
valve of the space-saver spare tire12. Unscrew the dust cap from the exten
-
sion and place it on the valve of the
space-saver spare tire.Due to its different dimensions, the damaged wheel cannot be placed in
the recess for the space-saver spare tire.<
Driving with the space-saver spare tireDrive cautiously. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph
/ 80
km/h.
You must expect changes in vehicle han
-
dling such as lower track stability during
braking, longer braking distances and
changes in self-steering properties when
close to the handling limit. These effects
are more pronounced when driving with
winter tires.
Only one space-saver spare tire may be mounted at one time. Reinstall a
wheel and tire of the original size as soon
as possible.<Check the tire inflation pressure at the earliest opportunity and correct it
if necessary. Replace the defective tire as
soon as possible and have the new wheel/
tire assembly balanced.<
Additional safety measures in the event of a tire change:

Change the tire only on a level, firm surface
which is not slippery.

The vehicle or the jack could slip sideways
on soft or slippery support surfaces, such as
snow, ice, flagstones, etc..

Do not use a wooden block or similar object
as a support base for the jack, as this would
prevent it from extending to its full support
height and reduce its load-carrying capac
-
ity.

Do not lie under the vehicle or start the
engine when the vehicle is supported by
the jack – risk of fatal injury.<Preparing for a tire change
Observe the safety precautions regarding flat tires on page
125
.<
1. For vehicles with a space-saver spare
tire:

Place the folding chock behind the front
wheel on the other side of the vehicle;
on downward inclines, place it in front of
this wheel. If the wheel is changed on a
surface with a more severe slope, take
additional precautions to secure the
vehicle from rolling
2. Loosen the lug bolts by a half turn.