tow MINI COOPER 2003 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MINI, Model Year: 2003, Model line: COOPER, Model: MINI COOPER 2003Pages: 148, PDF Size: 3.17 MB
Page 6 of 148

 
CONTENTS
 
4 
In the engine compartment:  
Bonnet91
Engine compartment – MINI COOPER92
Engine compartment – MINI COOPER S93
Washer fluid94
Engine oil94
Coolant96
Brake fluid97  
Maintenance and care:  
MINI Maintenance System98
Caring for your vehicle99
Vehicle immobilization101  
Laws and regulations:  
OBD socket102
Technical modifications103
California Proposition 65 warning103
 
Owner service procedures 
Replacement procedures:  
On-board tool kit106
Windshield wiper blades106
Lamps and bulbs107
Repairing a flat tire112
Changing tires – 
MINI with space-saver spare tire112
Flat tire – 
Run Flat tires116
MINI Mobility System118
Battery122
Fuses123  
Giving and receiving assistance:  
Warning triangle124
First-aid kit124
Jump-starting124
Towing126 
Technical data 
Engine data130
Dimensions131
Weights132
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30
SLIDING/TILT SUNROOF
*
ROLLER SUN BLIND
*
Manual opening and closing
In the event of an electrical malfunction, 
you can also operate the sliding/tilt sun-
roof manually:
1. Push the clock towards the interior and 
remove
2. Use an Allen wrench to turn the sliding/
tilt sunroof in the desired direction. 
1Opening1. Press the button in the handle, see 
arrow 1.
The cap is unlocked
2. Guide the roller sun blind towards the 
back.2Closing1. Use the handle to pull the roller sun 
blind forwards
2. Engage the handle in the device, see 
arrow 2.
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31
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
ALARM SYSTEM
*
The concept
The alarm system reacts if:
>A door, the bonnet or the tailgate is 
opened
>There is any movement inside the vehicle 
– interior motion sensor
>There is a change in the tilt angle of the 
vehicle, e. g. during attempts to steal 
wheels or tow away the vehicle
>There is interruption of the battery volt-
age.
Depending on the country-specific version, 
the alarm system signals unauthorized 
entry or tampering in different ways:
>Acoustic alarm for 30 seconds
>Turning on the hazard warning flashers 
for approx. five minutes.
To arm and disarm the alarm systemWhen the vehicle is locked or unlocked via 
the driver's door lock or with the remote 
control, the alarm system is also simulta-
neously armed or disarmed.
The interior motion and tilt alarm sensors 
are also activated with the closing action.
The alarm system cannot be armed if 
the driver's door is not properly 
closed.
In some country-specific versions the alarm 
system can only be operated with the 
remote control. 
Unlocking these vehicles with the key trig-
gers the alarm. 
To stop the alarm: 
Press button 1 – unlock – 
or
turn the ignition key to position 1.<
Indicator lampAlarm system:
>Indicator lamp in the wiper system lever 
changes after 10 seconds from fast blink-
ing to constant flashing: 
The system is activated
>Indicator lamp does not react: 
Doors, bonnet or tailgate are not prop-
erly closed.
Even if these are not closed any more, 
the alarm system is activated and 
secures the remaining part of the vehi-
cle. If everything is closed, the indicator 
lamp changes after 10 seconds from fast 
blinking to constant flashing
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48
MANUAL TRANSMISSION The manual gearshift lever neutral plane 
lies in the gear plane of the 3rd / 4th gear.
When shifting from each gear into Neutral, 
the manual gearshift lever springs back 
automatically into the gearshift lever neu-
tral plane.6-speed transmission*
When changing gear in the 5th/6th 
gear plane, press the gearshift lever 
to the right to prevent inadvertently shift-
ing to a gear of the 3rd/4th gear plane.<
Reverse Before selecting reverse gear, ensure the 
vehicle is stationary; then, fully depress the 
clutch pedal and pause briefly before mov-
ing the gearshift lever into position.
5-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever to the right and to 
the back.
6-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever towards the left. 
Thereby overcome the slight resistance and 
press forward.
As you do this, the backup lamps will turn 
on automatically when the ignition key is 
in position 2.Do not hold the vehicle in place on 
slopes by slipping or "riding" the 
clutch. Use the parking brake instead. 
Riding the clutch causes the clutch assem-
bly to wear out sooner.<
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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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50
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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66
PARK DISTANCE CONTROL (PDC)*The conceptThe PDC assists you when you back into a 
parking space. A signal tone tells you the 
current distance to an object behind your 
vehicle. To do this, four ultrasonic sensors 
in the rear bumper measure the distance to 
the nearest object. 
The sensors on each side have a range of 
approx. 2 ft / 60 cm, the middle sensors 
one of approx. 5 ft / 1.5 m.
The system starts to operate automatically 
about one second after you select reverse 
with the ignition key in position 2.
Wait for this one second before you 
drive backwards.<
PDC is deactivated when you shift away 
from Reverse. 
You can have a signal tone set by your 
MINI Dealer as a confirmation that 
PDC has been activated.<
Acoustical signalsThe distance to an object is indicated by a 
tone sounding at intervals. As the distance 
between vehicle and object decreases, the 
intervals between the tones become 
shorter. A continuous tone indicates the 
presence of an object less than 8 in / 20 cm 
away.
The warning signal is canceled after 
approx. three seconds if the distance to the 
object remains constant during this time, 
for instance if you are moving parallel to a 
wall.
System malfunctions will be indicated by a 
continuous high-pitched tone when the 
system is activated the first time. Please 
have your MINI Dealer resolve the problem.Volume controlThe volume of the Park Distance Control 
signal can be adjusted from level 1 – soft – 
to level 6 – loud.
The volume can be set by your MINI 
Dealer.<
Even with PDC, final responsibility for 
estimating the distance between the 
vehicle and any objects always remains 
with the driver. 
Even when sensors are involved, there is a 
blind spot in which objects cannot be de-
tected. Recognition of some objects can be 
beyond the limits of physical ultrasonic 
measurement, for example with towing 
bars or hitches or with thin or wedge-
shaped objects. Moreover, low objects that 
have already been detected – such as a curb 
edge – can disappear out of the range of 
the sensors before a continuous tone 
sounds.
Loud sources of sound outside and inside 
your vehicle can drown the PDC signal 
tone.<
Keep the sensors clean and free of ice 
or snow in order to ensure that they 
will continue to operate effectively. 
Do not apply high pressure spray to the 
sensors for a prolonged period of time. 
Always maintain a distance which is 
greater than 4 in / 10 cm.<
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74
CARGO AREA COVER FOLDABLE REAR BACKRESTWhen the tailgate is opened, the cargo area 
cover is also raised.
Never place any heavy or hard objects 
on the cargo area cover, otherwise 
occupants could be injured during braking 
maneuvers.<
RemovalTo load bulky luggage, the compartment 
cover can be removed. 
1. Remove the retaining straps on the tail-
gate.
2. Pull the cargo area cover out towards 
the rear.
To unlock and fold1. Pull lever
2. Fold the rear backrest forwards.
When folding the backrest back into 
its original position always ensure 
that the catch engages securely. A loose 
backrest might fail to prevent cargo from 
entering the passenger compartment dur-
ing sudden braking or evasive maneuvers, 
posing a potential hazard to occupants.<
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OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
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 
edge of the backrest
>For very heavy cargo when the rear seat 
is unoccupied, fasten each safety belt in 
the opposite buckle. This provides addi-
tional stabilization for the rear backrests.
Securing the load >Secure smaller and lighter items using 
the cargo area net
* or elastic straps 
>For large, heavy items, see your MINI 
Dealer for load-securing devices
*. Lash-
ing eyes are provided at the inner corners 
of the cargo area for attaching these 
load-securing devices
>Comply with the information enclosed 
with the load-securing devices.
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