engine MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE 2009 User Guide

Driving
44
Starting the engine
Do not allow the engine to run in enclosed
spaces; otherwise inhalation of the nox-
ious exhaust gases can lead to unconsciousness
and death. Exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic
gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle with the
engine running, otherwise such a vehicle repre-
sents a potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the car while the engine is run-
ning, place the transmission in neutral or move
the selector lever to position P and forcefully
apply the parking brake to prevent the car from
moving.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated start attempts in which
the engine does not start. Otherwise, the fuel is
not burned or inadequately burned and there is
a danger of overheating and damaging the cat-
alytic converter.<
Do not let the engine warm up with the vehicle
at a standstill. Move off immediately at a moder-
ate engine speed.
When starting the engine, do not depress the
accelerator pedal.
Manual transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with conve-
nient access, refer to page26.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch.
3.Press the start/stop button.
Automatic transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with conve-
nient access, refer to page26.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Shift the selector lever into position P or N.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain
time, and stops automatically as soon as the
engine has started.
Engineswitching off
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle.
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully, otherwise the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the
start/stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the selector
lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Before driving into a car wash
By following these steps, the vehicle is able to
roll:
1.Place the remote control, even with conve-
nient access, in the ignition lock.
2.Depress the brake.
3.Move the selector lever to position N.
4.Switch off the engine.

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
45
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and lower
the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake
lever.
Otherwise, excessive force could lead to over-
braking and loss of traction, i.e. fishtailing, at the
rear axle.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.<
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a
slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission*
with Steptronic
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you can
shift gears manually using Steptronic, page46.
Parking the vehicle
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, always
select position P and apply the parking
brake before leaving the vehicle with the engine
running.<
Removing the key
1.Move the selector lever to position P.
2.Switch off the engine.
3.Remove the key.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the tachometer
P R N D DS M1 to M6
The selector lever position is displayed, or the
current gear in the manual mode.

Driving
46
Changing selector lever positions
>The selector lever can only be moved out of
position P if the ignition i s s w i t c h e d o n o r t h e
engine is running: interlock.
>Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start.<
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
Overriding the selector lever lock
Press the button on the front of the selector
lever, arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The transmission locks to prevent the drive
wheels from turning.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
Select this when you are in a car wash, for exam-
ple. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operation conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you drive in position D.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum
performance.
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The Sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played.
Shifting with the selector lever
Push the selector lever forward or pull it back to
activate manual operation. Steptronic shifts the
gear.
>Pull the selector lever in the + direction.
Transmission shifts up.
>Push the selector lever in the – direction.
Transmission shifts down.
The tachometer displays M1 to M6.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only when
they will result in a plausible combination of
engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, a
downshift that would cause the engine to over-
rev will not be executed by the system. The
selected gear is displayed briefly, followed by
the actual gear.
Shifting on the steering wheel
With the selector lever in position D, automatic
drive, you can shift gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel. The transmission auto-
matically switches to manual mode.

Driving
50
Window washer nozzles
The window washer nozzles are heated auto-
matically
* while the engine is running or the
ignition is switched on.
MINI: Rear window wiper
0Rear wipers parked
1To switch on intermittent wipe :
Turn the cap to level1.
Operation is continuous in reverse gear.
Cleaning the rear window
2To clean the rear window during intermit-
tent wipe :
Turn the cap further to level2 and hold it
there.
3To clean the rear window when wipers are
parked :
Turn the cap to level3 and hold it there.
Do not use the washers when the washer
fluid reservoir is empty, otherwise you will
damage the washer pump.<
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Therefore, keep it away from ignition
sources, store it only in the closed original con-
tainer and keep it out of reach of children, oth-
erwise there is a risk of personal injury. Comply
with the instructions on the container.<
Washer fluid reservoir
Only refill washer fluid that contains anti-
freeze when the engine is cool, to avoid
contact with hot engine parts. Otherwise, fluid
spills constitute a fire hazard and a risk to per-
sonal safety.<
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 2.6 US quarts/2.5 liters.
With headlamp washer system:
Approx. 4.8 US quarts/4.5 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
Cruise control is available at vehicle speeds of at
least approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then
stores and maintains the speed that you specify
using the button on the steering wheel.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g., snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise you could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
51
Activating
1Resuming cruise control
2Activating/deactivating cruise control
3Maintaining, storing and increasing speed
4Maintaining, storing and decreasing speed
Indicator lamp in the speedometer lights up. The
cruise control system is ready and can be acti-
vated.
Activating/deactivating cruise control
Press button 2.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>When the brakes are applied
>When the clutch is depressed
>When the automatic transmission is in selec-
tion lever position N
>When the driving stability control system is
active
Cruise control is not deactivated by depressing
the accelerator pedal. Once the accelerator
pedal is released, the stored speed is achieved
again and maintained.
The stored speed is cleared when the ignition is
switched off.
Maintaining current speed
Press button3.
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine braking effect
is not sufficient, the controlled speed may be
exceeded. On uphill grades vehicle speed may
drop if the engine output is insufficient.
Increasing speed
Press button3 repeatedly until the desired
speed is reached. Every time you press the but-
ton, the speed increases by approx. 1 mph or
approx. 2 km/h.
Accelerating using the button
Press and hold button3.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on the
accelerator pedal. After the button is released,
the driving speed is maintained and stored.
Decreasing speed
Press button4 repeatedly until the desired
speed is reached.
The functions here are the same as for increas-
ing the speed or accelerating, except that the
speed will be decreased.
Resuming a speed stored beforehand
Press button 1.
The last speed stored is achieved again and
maintained.
The stored speed is cleared when the ignition is
switched off.
Display in tachometer*
Selected speed is displayed briefly.
If --- mph or --- km/h is displayed briefly
in the tachometer, the conditions neces-
sary for operation may not be fulfilled.<
Malfunction
The warning lamp in the tachometer
lights up if the system fails.

Everything under control
52
Everything under control
Odometer, outside
temperature display,
clock
1Outside temperature display and clock or
current speed
2Odometer and trip odometer
3Resetting the trip odometer
Units of measure
Select the respective units of measure, miles or
km for the odometer as well as 7 or 6 for the
outside temperature, page56.
Outside temperature display, time
Setting the time, refer to page59.
Outside temperature warning
When the displayed temperature sinks to
approx. +377/+36, a signal sounds and a
warning lamp lights up. There is an increased
risk of black ice.
Black ice can also form at temperatures
above +377/+36. You should therefore
drive carefully on bridges and shaded roads, for
example, otherwise there is an increased risk of
an accident.<
Current vehicle speed
To have the current speed shown in the upper
display otherwise serving for the outside tem-
perature display and clock.1.Press the button in the turn indicator lever
repeatedly until the current speed appears
in the lower display.
2.Wait for the speed display to automatically
move to the upper display.
The outside temperature then appears in the
lower display.
Odometer and trip odometer
Resetting the trip odometer
With the ignition switched on, press knob 3 in
the tachometer.
When the vehicle is parked
To display the time, outside temperature and
odometer briefly after the key is removed from
the ignition lock:
Press knob 3 in the tachometer.
Tachometer
Never operate the engine with the needle in the
red overspeed zone of the gauge. In this range,
the fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine.
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and
therefore the engine, becomes too hot.
Check coolant level, refer to page115.

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
53
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity
You can find information on refueling on
page101.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S
Approx. 13.2 US gallons/50 liters.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve zone
of approx. 2.1 gallons/8 liters, the remaining
indicator lamps change from orange to red,
arrow. The tachometer
displays the remaining
cruising range. An indicator lamp comes on
when the remaining range is less than approx.
30 miles/50 km.
If the range displayed is less than
30 miles/50 km, be sure to refuel; other-
wise engine functions are not guaranteed and
damage could occur.<
Computer*
Displays in tachometer
Press the button in the turn indicator lever
repeatedly to call up various items of informa-
tion.
The following items of information are displayed
in the order listed:
>Cruising range
>Average fuel consumption
>Current fuel consumption
>Average speed
>Current vehicle speed
>MINI Convertible: Always Open Timer
To set the corresponding units of measure, refer
to Formats and units of measure on page56.
Cruising range
Displays the estimated cruising range available
with the remaining fuel. The range is calculated
on the basis of the way the car has been driven
over the last 18 miles/30 km and the amount of
fuel currently in the tank.
If the range displayed is less than
30 miles/50 km, be sure to refuel; other-
wise engine functions are not guaranteed and
damage could occur.<
Average fuel consumption
Calculated for the time the engine has been run-
ning.
To reset average fuel consumption: press the
button in the turn indicator lever for approx.
2seconds.

Everything under control
54
Current fuel consumption
Displays the current fuel consumption to allow
you to see whether your current driving style is
conducive to fuel economy with minimum
exhaust emissions.
Average speed
Periods with the vehicle parked and the engine
switched off are not included in the calculations
of average speed.
To reset average speed: press the button in the
turn indicator lever for approx. 2 seconds.
Current vehicle speed
To have the current speed shown in the upper
display otherwise serving for the outside tem-
perature display and clock.
1.Press the button in the turn indicator lever
repeatedly until the current speed appears
in the lower display.
2.Wait for the speed display to automatically
move to the upper display.
The outside temperature then appears in the
lower display of the computer.
Always Open Timer*
If driving the MINI Convertible with its soft top
down, the driving times are displayed digitally
on the tachometer.
The following driving times are displayed:
>"Trip": actual driving time
>Total driving time
Reset "Trip" display: push button on turn signal
lever or "Resetting the trip odometer" for
approx. 2 seconds, refer to page12.
Similar to Always Open Timer
The Always Open Timer measures the time while
driving with the soft top down.
1LED hour display
2Minute dispaly

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
57
8.Press the button briefly to change the for-
mat or unit of measure.
9.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
The settings are stored.
Resetting to factory settings
The settings for formats and units of measure
can be reset to the factory settings. The settings
are stored for the remote control currently in
use, refer also to Personal Profile on page18.
1.Briefly press the button in the turn indicator
lever repeatedly until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
2.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
3.Briefly press the button repeatedly until the
symbol and "SET" are displayed.
4.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.5.Briefly press the button repeatedly until
"RESET" is displayed.
6.Press and hold the button until the display
changes to the first setting.
The settings are reset.
Service requirements
The remaining driving distance and the date of
the next scheduled service are briefly displayed
immediately after you start the engine or switch
on the ignition.
The extent of service work required can be
read out from the remote control by your
MINI Dealer.<
Displaying vehicle check
For certain maintenance operations, you can
view the respective distance remaining or due
date individually in the tachometer.

Everything under control
58
1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page43.
2.Briefly press the button in the turn indicator
lever repeatedly until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
3.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.4.Briefly press the button repeatedly until the
corresponding symbol and "SERVICE-INFO"
are displayed.
5.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
6.Briefly press the button to display the indi-
vidual service items, refer to the following
information.
Possible displays
1Button for selecting information
2Engine oil
3Front brakes
4Rear brakes
5Vehicle check
6Roadworthiness test
7Brake fluid8Exit display56
9Next setting or item of information56