parking brake MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE 2015 Owners Manual

Ignition onAll electrical consumers can operate. Most indi‐
cator and warning lights light up for different
lengths of time.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
switch off the ignition and any unnecessary electronic systems/power consumers.
Radio ready state and ignition off All indicator and warning lights in the displays
go out.
The ignition switches off automatically when
the driver's door is opened. Pressing the Start/
Stop button again switches the ignition back
on.
For example, the ignition is not switched off in
the following situations:▷Depress the clutch or brake pedal.▷The low beams are switched on.
Starting the engine
General information Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas; otherwise, breathing of exhaust fumes
may lead to loss of consciousness and death.
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide,
an odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas. ◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the car unattended with the
engine running; otherwise, it presents a poten‐
tial source of danger.
Before leaving the car with the engine running,
shift to neutral or engage transmission posi‐
tion P and set the parking brake firmly; other‐ wise, the vehicle may begin to roll. ◀
Frequent starting in quick succession
Avoid repeated futile attempts at starting
the car and avoid starting the car frequently in
quick succession. Otherwise, the fuel is not
burned or is inadequately burned, and there is
the danger of overheating and damaging the
catalytic converter. ◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary; start driving
right away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Do not depress the accelerator when starting
the engine.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or with
Comfort Access inside the vehicle, refer to
page 29.
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Depress the clutch pedal.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a cer‐
tain time and is stopped as soon as the engine
starts.
Steptronic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to
page 29.
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Move the selector lever to position P or N.Seite 57DrivingCONTROLS57
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3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a cer‐
tain time and is stopped as soon as the engine
starts.
Engine stop
General information Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for exam‐
ple, cannot operate the windows and injure
themselves. ◀
Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle may roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, for example, by turning the steering
wheel in the direction of the curb. ◀
Before driving into a car wash To make it possible for the vehicle to roll in an
automatic car wash, follow the information on
Washing in automatic car washes, refer to
page 194.
Switching off the engine
Manual transmission
1.With the vehicle at a standstill, press the
Start/Stop button.2.Shift into first gear or reverse.3.Set the parking brake firmly.4.Remove the remote control from the igni‐
tion lock.Steptronic transmission1.Engage transmission position P with the ve‐
hicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.3.Set the parking brake firmly.4.Remove the remote control from the igni‐
tion lock.
Parking brake
The concept
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre‐
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it
brakes the rear wheels.
Also follow the instructions under Switching off
the engine, refer to page 58.
Setting The lever engages automatically.
Releasing
Pull up slightly, press the button, and lower the
lever.
Notes Using the parking brake while driving
If it should become necessary to use the
parking brake while driving, do not pull the
parking brake too forcefully. Keep the button
on the parking brake lever pressed at all times.
Seite 58CONTROLSDriving58
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Excessive application of the parking brake can
block the rear wheels and lead to fishtailing of
the vehicle. ◀
The brake lights do not light up when the park‐
ing brake is pulled.
Turn signal, high-beams,
headlight flasher1Turn signal2Switching on the high-beams3Switching off the high-beams/headlight
flasher
Turn signal
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To switch off manually, press the lever to the
resistance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator lamp
indicates that a turn signal bulb has failed.
Signaling a turn briefly Press the lever to the resistance point and hold
it there for as long as you want the turn signal
to flash.
Triple turn signal activation Press the lever to the resistance point.
The turn signal flashes three times.
This function can be activated or deactivated:1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page 57.2.Press the button on the turn indicator lever
repeatedly until "SET/INFO" is displayed.3.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.4.Press the button repeatedly until the sym‐
bol and "SET" are displayed.5.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.6.Press the button repeatedly until the sym‐
bol shown is displayed, arrow.7.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.8.Press the button to select:Seite 59DrivingCONTROLS59
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Reverse gearSelect only when the vehicle is stationary. When
the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a slight
resistance needs to be overcome.
Steptronic transmission In addition to the fully automatic mode, gears
can also be shifted manually using Steptronic,
refer to page 64.
Parking the vehicle Secure the vehicle
Before leaving the vehicle with the en‐
gine running, move the selector lever to posi‐
tion P and set the handbrake; otherwise, the
vehicle will begin moving. ◀
Disengaging the remote control
To remove the remote control from the ignition
lock, first move the selector lever to position P
and switch off the engine: interlock. Remove
the remote control from the ignition lock, refer
to page 56.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the tachometer
The selector lever position is displayed and the
engaged gear, such as M4, is displayed in
manual mode.
Changing selector lever positions▷With the ignition switched on or the engine
running, the selector lever can be moved
out of position P.▷When the vehicle is stationary, step on the
brake before shifting out of P or N; other‐
wise, the selector lever is locked: shiftlock.
Press on the brake pedal until you
start driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain pres‐
sure on the brake pedal until you are ready
to start. ◀
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
To override the lock, press the button on the
front of the selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
front wheels are blocked.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is NeutralFor example, engage this position in a car
wash. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive Position for normal vehicle operation. All for‐
ward gears are selected automatically.
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Manually unlocking the selector lever
lock
If the selector lever is locked in position P al‐
though the ignition is switched on, the brake is
depressed, and the button on the selector lever
is pressed, the selector lever lock can be over‐
ridden:1.Switch off the ignition.2.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.3.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out.
Pull off the plug-in cable connector if nec‐
essary.4.Insert the pulling hook 1 from the onboard
vehicle tool kit into the loop on the passen‐
ger side.5.Pull the loop upward.6.Move the selector lever into the desired po‐
sition, pressing the button on the front of
the selector lever.
Set the parking brake
Manually unlock the selector lever lock
for towing only. Before manually unlocking the
selector lever lock, pull the parking brake
firmly; otherwise, the vehicle may roll away and
cause personal injury or property damage. ◀
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In the interest of better forward momentum,
brake intervention is performed in the manner
of a differential lock when the drive wheels spin
unevenly even when DSC/DTC is deactivated.
Indicator/warning lamps The indicator lamp in the tachometer
flashes: DTC is controlling the drive
forces and brake forces.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC and DTC has
failed.
The indicator lamp in the speedometer
lights up and TRACTION appears in the
tachometer.
DTC is activated.
Hill drive-off assistant This system supports driving away on gradients.
The parking brake is not required.
1.Hold the vehicle in place with the foot
brake.2.Release the foot brake and drive away
without delay.
Driving off without delay
After releasing the foot brake, start driv‐
ing without delay, since the drive-off assistant
will not hold the vehicle in place for more than
approx. 2 seconds and the vehicle will begin
rolling back. ◀
Sport button
When this button is pressed, the vehicle re‐
sponds in an even sportier manner.▷The engine responds more spontaneously
to accelerator movements.▷The steering responds more directly.▷Cooper S, John Cooper Works: the engine
sounds sportier when coasting.▷For Steptronic transmissions: more rapid
gear changes in the Sport program.
Activating the system
Press the button; the LED in the button
lights up and SPORT is displayed briefly
in the tachometer.
Deactivating the system
▷Press the button again.▷Switch the engine off.
MINI Coupe, MINI Road‐
ster: automatic rear
spoiler
General information The automatic rear spoiler increases the driving
stability of the vehicle.
Seite 93Driving stability control systemsCONTROLS93
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Closing the tailgateDrive with the tailgate closed
Only drive with the tailgate closed; other‐
wise, passengers and other road users may be
endangered or the vehicle may be damaged if
an accident occurs or during braking or swerv‐
ing. In addition, exhaust fumes may enter the
passenger compartment. ◀
If, despite this, the vehicle must be driven with
the tailgate open:▷Drive moderately.▷Coupe: close all windows.▷Switch off recirculated air mode and greatly
increase the blower speed.
Hot exhaust system
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures are generated in the
exhaust system.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure
that flammable materials, e. g. hay, leaves,
grass, etc. do not come in contact with the hot
exhaust system during driving, while in idle po‐
sition mode, or when parked. Such contact
could lead to a fire, and with it the risk of seri‐
ous personal injury as well as property damage.
Do not touch hot exhaust pipes; otherwise,
there is the danger of getting burned. ◀
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
Mobile communication devices in the ve‐
hicle
It is not recommended to use mobile phones,
such as mobile phones without a direct con‐
nection to an external aerial in the vehicle's
passenger compartment. Otherwise, the vehi‐
cle electronics and mobile communication de‐
vices can interfere with each other. In addition,
there is no assurance that the radiation gener‐
ated during transmission will be discharged
from the vehicle interior. ◀
Hydroplaning On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, re‐
duce your speed to prevent hydroplaning. ◀
The risk of hydroplaning increases as the tire
tread depth decreases. Minimum tread depth,
refer to page 164.
Driving through water Drive though calm water only if it is not deeper
than 12 inches/30 cm and at this height, no
faster than walking speed, up to
6 mph/10 km/h.
Adhere to water depth and speed limita‐
tions
Do not exceed this water depth and walking
speed; otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission may be
damaged. ◀
Using the parking brake on inclines Using the parking brake
On inclines, do not hold the vehicle sta‐
tionary with a slipping clutch for extended pe‐
riod; use the parking brake instead. Otherwise,
the clutch will be subject to increased wear. ◀
Support from the hill drive-off assistant, refer to
page 93.Seite 115Things to remember when drivingDRIVING TIPS115
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Maximum speed of winter tires
If the maximum speed of the vehicle is higher
than the permissible speed for the winter tires,
then display a corresponding sign in the field of
vision. You can obtain this sign from the tire
specialist or from your service center.
Maximum speed for winter tires
Do not exceed the maximum speed for
the winter tires; otherwise, tire damage and ac‐
cidents can occur. ◀
Run-flat tires When mounting new tires or changing fromsummer to winter tires or vice versa, use run-
flat tires for your own safety. Also, a compact
wheel is not available in case of a flat tire. Your
service center will be glad to advise you.
Rotating wheels between axles
Different wear patterns occur on the front and
rear axles, depending on the individual condi‐
tions of use.
To ensure even wear on the tires, the wheels
can be rotated between the axles. Your service
center will be glad to advise you.
After changing the tires, check the tire inflation
pressure and correct it if necessary.
Storage Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible.
Always protect tires against all contact with oil,
grease and fuels.
Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation pres‐
sure indicated on the side wall of the tire.Run-flat tires
Label
The symbol identifying run-flat tires is a circle
with the letters RSC on the sidewall.
Run-flat tires are tires that support themselves
for a limited period of time, and they may also
come with special rims. The sidewall reinforce‐
ment ensures that the tire can continue to be
used to a limited extent if it has lost pressure
and even if it has become completely depres‐
surized.
For continued driving in the event of a flat tire,
refer to page 85.
Correcting a flat tire Safety measures in case of a breakdown
▷Park the vehicle as far as possible
from passing traffic and on solid
ground. Switch on the hazard warn‐
ing system.▷Let the steering wheel lock engage with the
wheels in the straight-ahead position, set
the parking brake, and engage first gear or
reverse, or engage selector lever position P.▷Have all vehicle occupants get out of the
vehicle and ensure that they remain out‐
side the immediate area in a safe place,
such as behind a guardrail.Seite 166MOBILITYWheels and tires166
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▷Remove additional attachments, for in‐
stance a spoiler or telephone antenna, if
there is a risk that these may be damaged.▷Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock.
Steptronic transmission
Before driving into the car wash, note the fol‐
lowing to ensure that the vehicle can roll:
1.Insert the remote control into the ignition
lock, even with Comfort Access.2.Move the selector lever to position N.3.Release the parking brake.4.Switch the engine off.5.Leave the remote control in the ignition
lock so that the vehicle can roll.
Hand car wash
If washing the vehicle by hand, use copious
quantities of water and car shampoo if neces‐
sary. Clean the vehicle with a sponge or a
washing brush by applying gentle pressure.
Before cleaning the windshield, deactivate the
rain sensor to avoid unintentional wiper activa‐
tion or switch off the ignition.
Adhere to the local regulations regarding
washing cars by hand.
Headlights Do not rub dry and do not use abrasive or caus‐
tic cleansers. Soak areas that have been soiled,
e.g., due to insects, with shampoo and rinse off
with copious quantities of water.
Thaw ice with a window deicer; do not use an
ice scraper.
Windows
Clean the outside and inside surfaces of the
windows and the mirror glasses with window
cleaner.
Do not clean mirror glass with cleaners contain‐
ing quartz.
Wiper blades
Clean with soapy water and replace regularly to
avoid streaking.
Wax and preservative residue and soiling on
the windows cause streaking during window
wiping and lead to premature wear on the
wiper blades and malfunctions of the rain sen‐
sor.
Vehicle care Car care products
Regular cleaning and care contributes signifi‐
cantly to vehicle value retention.
The manufacturer recommends using cleaning
and care products from MINI, since these have
been tested and approved.
Original MINI CareProducts have been tested
on materials, in the laboratory, and in the field,
and offer optimum care and protection for MINI
vehicles.
Do not use cleansers that contain alcohol
or solvents
Do not use cleansers that contain alcohol or
solvents, such as lacquer thinners, heavy-duty
grease removers, fuel, or such; this could lead
to surface damage. ◀
Car care and cleaning products
Follow the instructions on the container.
When cleaning the interior, open the doors or
windows.
Only use products intended for cleaning vehi‐
cles.
Cleansers can contain substances that are dan‐
gerous and harmful to your health. ◀Seite 195CareMOBILITY195
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12CauseHow to respondLights up briefly:
Approx. 2.1 US gal/8 liters of fuel remain in
the tank.
Remains on:
The remaining range is no more than
30 miles/50 km, refer to page 67.The engine refuses to start.Depress the brake or clutch to start
the engine, refer to page 57.The ignition is switched on and driver's
door is open.Switch off the ignition, refer to
page 56, or close the driver's door.The lights are still switched on.Switch off the lights, refer to
page 75.The roadside parking lamps are still on.Switch off the roadside parking
lights, refer to page 76.A door is open.The hood is open.The tailgate is open.Trunk cover in the MINI ConvertibleThe convertible top cannot be oper‐
ated. Move the trunk cover into the
required position, refer to page 108.Lights up in red:The convertible top is not locked.The convertible top is not locked.
Fully open or close the convertible
top before continuing to drive, refer
to page 42.Sliding sunroof/convertible top.Permissible speed for operation ex‐
ceeded; slow the vehicle and con‐
tinue operating.Seite 200MOBILITYIndicator/warning lamps200
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