MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE 2008 Owners Manual

OWNER'S MANUAL MINI
MINI CONVERTIBLE

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW MINIThis Owner's Manual should be considered a permanent part of this vehicle. It should stay
with the vehicle when sold to provide the next owner with important operating, safety and
maintenance information.
We wish you an enjoyable driving experience.

CONTENTS
2
© 2007 Bayerische Motoren Werke
Aktiengesellschaft
Munich, Germany
Reprinting, including excerpts, only with the
written consent of BMW AG, Munich.
Order No. 01 41 0 014 845
US English VIII/07
Printed in Germany
Printed on environmentally friendly paper,
bleached without chlorine, suitable for recycling.NOTES About this Owner's Manual 6
Additional sources of information 6
Symbols used 6
Your individual vehicle 6
Editorial notice 7
For your own safety 7
Symbol on vehicle parts 8
Service and warranty 8
Reporting safety defects 9
OVERVIEWCockpit 12
Display elements 13
Display elements with navigation system
or Cockpit Chrono Pack14
Indicator and warning lamps 16
Multifunction steering wheel20
CONTROLSOpening and closing:
Keys 24
Central locking system 24
Opening and closing: from outside 25
Opening and closing: from inside 28
Tailgate 29
Electric power windows 31
Glass sunroof, electric33
Roller sun blind34
Convertible top with integrated sliding
sunroof 35
Wind deflector39
Adjustments:
Safe seating position 42
Seat adjustment 43
Head restraints 44
Entry to the rear 45
Safety belts 46
Seat heating47
Steering wheel 47
Mirrors 48
Vehicle Memory 49
Transporting children safely 50

3OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Driving:
Ignition lock 53
Starting the engine 53
Switching off the engine 54
Parking brake 54
Manual transmission 55
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic56
Parking lamps/Low beams 60
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher 61
Instrument lighting 62
Fog lamps 62
Interior lamps 62
Washer/wiper system 63
Washer fluid64
Cruise control65
Everything under control:
Odometer 67
Clock 67
Fuel gauge 67
Coolant temperature gauge 68
Tachometer 69
Service interval display 69
Onboard computer70Technology for safety and driving
convenience:
Driving stability control systems72
Flat Tire Monitor 74
Tire Pressure Monitor76
Airbags 79
Park Distance Control (PDC)81
Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving:
Air conditioning system82
Automatic climate control85
Interior conveniences:
Glove compartment 88
Center armrest89
Drinks holders, ashtray 89
Cigarette lighter, 12 V power supply 90
Integrated universal remote control91
Loading and transporting cargo:
Luggage compartment in the MINI 93
Luggage compartment in the MINI
Convertible 94
Loading cargo 95
Roof-mounted luggage rack98
OPERATION, CARE, MAINTENANCESpecial operating instructions:
Break-in procedures 102
General driving notes 102
Refueling105
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure 108
Tire coding 112
Tire condition 113
Run-Flat Tires115
New wheels and tires 116
Snow chains117

CONTENTS
4
In the engine compartment:
Bonnet 118
Engine compartment:
MINI COOPER and
MINI COOPER Convertible119
MINI COOPER S and
MINI COOPER S Convertible120
Engine oil 121
Coolant 122
Brake system 124
Maintenance and care:
MINI Maintenance System 125
Socket for Onboard Diagnostics
OBD 126
Caring for your vehicle 126
Vehicle storage 129
OWNER SERVICE PROCEDURESReplacement procedures:
Onboard tool kit 132
Wiper blades 132
Lamps and bulbs 133
Repairing a flat tire 137
Space-saver spare tire137
Changing tires 139
MINI Mobility System141
Vehicle battery144
Fuses 145
Giving and receiving assistance:
Jump-starting146
Towing and tow-starting 147
TECHNICAL DATAEngine data 152
Dimensions:
MINI153
MINI Convertible154
Weights:
MINI155
MINI Convertible156
Capacities 157

5OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
INDEXEverything from A to Z160

6About this Owner's Manual
In compiling this Owner's Manual we have
made every effort to furnish you with a
convenient reference source affording
quick access to all the essentials. The fast-
est way to find detailed information on any
specific subject is to turn to the compre-
hensive index at the back of the manual. If
you wish to gain an initial overview of your
vehicle, you will find this in the first chap-
ter.
Should you wish to sell your MINI at some
time in the future, please remember to
hand over this Owner's Manual to the new
owner; it is an important part of the vehi-
cle.Additional sources of informationYou can find more information about the
MINI, for example on its technology, on the
Internet at www.MINI.com.
If you have any additional questions, your
MINI Dealer will be glad to advise you.
Symbols used
Indicates precautions that must be
followed precisely in order to avoid
the possibility of personal injury and seri-
ous damage to the vehicle.
Indicates information that will assist
you in gaining the optimum benefit
from your vehicle and enable you to care
more effectively for your vehicle.
Refers to measures that can be taken
to help protect the environment.
< Marks the end of a specific item of infor-
mation.
* Indicates special equipment, country-
specific equipment and optional extras, as
well as equipment and functions not yet
available at the time of printing.
Vehicle Memory, refer to page49.
Identifies functions that can be spe-
cifically adapted for a particular vehicle.
These adjustments can be performed by
your MINI Dealer.
Your individual vehicle The manufacturer of your MINI is the Bay-
erische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft,
BMW AG.
On purchasing your MINI, you have decided
in favor of a model with individualized
equipment and features. This Owner's
Manual describes the entire array of
options and equipment that the manufac-
turer of your MINI makes available with a
specific model range.
We hope you will understand that equip-
ment and features are included that you
might not have chosen for your vehicle. To
assist you in identifying possible variations
between your own vehicle and the man-
ual's contents, the passages describing
optional accessories and special equipment
are marked with an asterisk
*.
If your MINI features equipment not
described in this Owner's Manual, please
observe the enclosed Supplementary
Owner's Manuals.
NOTES

7OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Editorial noticeThe manufacturer pursues a policy of con-
tinuous, ongoing development that is con-
ceived to ensure that MINI vehicles con-
tinue to embody the highest quality and
safety standards combined with advanced,
state-of-the-art technology. For this rea-
son, the features described in this Owner's
Manual could, in rare cases, differ from
those in your vehicle.For your own safetyFuels:
Use unleaded gasoline only. Fuels
containing up to and including 10 %
ethanol or other oxygenates with up to
2.8 % oxygen by weight, i.e. 15 % MTBE or
3 % methanol plus an equivalent amount of
co-solvent, will not void the applicable war-
ranties with respect to defects in materials
or workmanship. Field experience has indi-
cated significant differences in fuel quality,
i.e. volatility, composition, additives, etc.,
among gasolines offered for sale in the
United States and Canada. The use of
poor-quality fuels may result in driveabil-
ity, starting and stalling problems espe-
cially under certain environmental condi-
tions, 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.
Obey pertinent safety rules when you are
handling gasoline.<
Maintenance and repair:
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful elec-
tronics, requires specially adapted mainte-
nance and repair methods. Have the neces-
sary work on your MINI carried out by a
MINI Dealer or a workshop that has spe-
cially trained personnel working in accor-
dance with the specifications of the MINI
manufacturer. Work that is improperly car-
ried out could result in consequential dam-
age and pose safety hazards.<
California Proposition 65 warning:
California laws require us to state the fol-
lowing warning.
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior
furnishings in a vehicle, contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu-
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod-
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related acces-
sories contain lead and lead compounds.
Wash your hands after handling. Used
engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals.
Always protect your skin by washing thor-
oughly with soap and water.<
NOTES

8
NOTESParts and accessories:
For your own safety, use genuine
parts and accessories approved by
the manufacturer of the MINI.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by the manufacturer of the
MINI and Original MINI Parts, you simulta-
neously acquire the assurance that they
have been thoroughly tested by the manu-
facturer of the MINI to ensure optimum
performance when installed on your vehi-
cle.
The manufacturer of the MINI warrants
these parts to be free from defects in mate-
rial and workmanship.
The manufacturer of the MINI will not
accept any liability for damages resulting
from installation of parts and accessories
not approved by the manufacturer
of the MINI.
The manufacturer of the MINI cannot test
every product from other manufacturers to
verify if it can be used on a MINI safely and
without risk to either the vehicle, its opera-
tion, or its occupants.
Original MINI Parts, MINI Accessories and
other products approved by the manufac-
turer of the MINI, together with profes-
sional advice on using these items, are
available from all MINI Dealers.
Installation and operation of non-MINI
approved accessories such as alarms,
radios, amplifiers, radar detectors, wheels,
suspension components, brake dust
shields, telephones, including operation of
any portable cellular phone from within
the vehicle without using an externally
mounted antenna, or transceiver equip-
ment, e.g. CB, walkie-talkie, ham radio or
similar, may cause extensive damage to the
vehicle, compromise its safety, interfere
with the vehicle's electrical system or affect
the validity of the MINI Limited Warranty.
See your MINI Dealer for additional infor-
mation.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair
of the emission control devices and
systems must be performed by an autho-
rized MINI Dealership or individual using
certified MINI parts. Indicates that you should consult the
relevant section of this Owner's Man-
ual for information on a particular part or
assembly.
Service and warrantyThis manual is supplemented by a Service
and Warranty Information Booklet for US
models or a Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models.
We recommend that you read this publica-
tion thoroughly.
Your MINI is covered by the following war-
ranties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
>Federal Emissions System Defect War-
ranty
>Federal Emissions Performance War-
ranty
>California Emission Control System Lim-
ited Warranty.
Detailed information about these warran-
ties is listed in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet for US models or in the
Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models.