parking sensors MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE 2007 Owners Manual

60
PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS1Parking lamps
2Low beams
3 Automatic headlamp control
*
Parking lamps
Turn the light switch to position 1.
The front, rear and side vehicle
lighting is switched on.
For the additional option of activating the
lights on one side of the vehicle for parking,
refer to Switching on the standing lamps,
page60.
The parking lamps discharge the bat-
tery.
Avoid using them for longer periods of
time; otherwise, you may not be able to
start the engine.<


Low beams
Turn the light switch to position 2.
With the low beams on and with
the ignition switched off, only the
parking lamps will remain on.
Automatic headlamp control*
In switch position 3, the system
automatically activates and can-
cels the low beams in response to
changes in ambient light, for example in
tunnels, at dusk, and when there is precipi-
tation.
When driving into a tunnel with bright
overhead lights, there may be a delay
before the low beams come on.
The low beams may also come on when the
sun is sitting low on a blue sky.
When you switch on the fog lamps,
the low-beam headlamps remain on
regardless of the ambient light. When the
daytime running lamps are activated, refer
to page61, the low beams come on and
remain lit when the switch is in position 1
and the ignition is switched on.<
Automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for the driver's
judgement in determining when the vehi-
cle lights should be switched on. For exam-
ple, the sensors are not able to detect fog or
hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you
should respond to these kinds of low-visi-
bility situations by switching the head-
lamps on manually.<
You can have the sensitivity of your
vehicle's automatic headlamp con-
trol adjusted. having switched off the engine and the
lights, the low beams will stay lit for a pre-
set period of time.
You can have this function pro-
grammed. side of the vehicle. Observe local laws.
In ignition key position 0:
Move the lever to the adequate turn signal
indicator position.
The standing lamps discharge the
battery. Avoid using them for longer

78
PARK DISTANCE CONTROL (PDC)
*
The concept
The 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.
PDC is a parking aid that can identify
objects if they are approached slowly,
as is generally the case when parking.
Avoid driving towards objects rapidly; due
to underlying physical principles, the sys-
tem may otherwise alert you too late for
you to take evasive steps. tem starts to operate automatically about
one second after you select reverse gear or
place the selector lever in position R.
Wait for this one second before you
drive backwards.<
The system is deactivated when you shift
away from Reverse.
You can have a signal tone set as a
confirmation that PDC has been acti-
vated.<
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 12 in/30 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.MalfunctionA continuous high-pitched tone will sound
during initial activation. The system is mal-
functioning. Have the system checked.Volume controlThe volume of the Park Distance Control
signal can be adjusted from level 1, soft, to
level 6, loud.
You can have this function set.<
System limitations
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
detected. 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. It is also possible that low
objects already detected, such as a curb
edge, can disappear in the blind spot of the
sensors before a continuous tone is
sounded, or that protruding objects higher
above the ground, such as ledges, are not
detected.
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.<