MINI Countryman 2011 Service Manual
Manufacturer: MINI, Model Year: 2011, Model line: Countryman, Model: MINI Countryman 2011Pages: 196, PDF Size: 3.06 MB
Page 41 of 196

Transporting children safelyControls
 39
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the 
belt.
2. Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3. Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut 
against the child  restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1. Open the belt buckle
2. Remove the child restraint system.
3. Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the 
way.
LATCH child restraint 
fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchors an d Tethers for Children.
To install and use the LATCH child restraint 
system, follow the op erating and safety 
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the 
system; otherwise, the protective function of the 
seat may be compromised. <
Anchor points for LATCH anchors
Before installing the child seat, pull the belt out 
of the area for the child restraint fixing system.
The mounts for the lower LATCH anchors are 
located at the points indicated by the arrows.
Make  sure t hat bo th  low er LATC H anch ors 
are properly engaged  and that the child 
restraint system rests fi rmly against the seat  backrest; otherwise, the protective function of 
the seat may be compromised.
<
Child restraint system with tether strap
Use the tether strap anchors to secure 
child restraint systems only; otherwise, the 
anchors could be damaged. <
There are two additional anchors for child 
restraint systems with  tether straps, arrows.
Placement of the tether strap
Make sure the upper retaining strap does 
not run over sharp edges and is not 
twisted as it passes to the top anchor. Other-
wise, the strap will not properly secure the child 
restraint system in the  event of an accident.<
1 Direction of travel
2 Head restraint
3 Rear cargo well
4 Tether strap hook
5 Anchor
6 Seat backrest
7 Tether strap of the  child restraint system 
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ControlsTransporting children safely
40
Attaching upper retaining strap to the 
attachment point
1.Slide the head restraint upward.
2. Guide the tether strap between the head 
restraint holders.
3. Attach the tether strap to the anchor using 
the hook.
4. Push the head restraint into its lowermost 
position.
5. Pull the retaining strap tight.
Securing doors and 
windows
Rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors.
The door can now be opened from the outside 
only.
Safety switch for power windows
The rear power windows are blocked and can-
not be operated from the rear. Press safety 
switch, refer to page 31. 
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DrivingControls
 41
Driving
Ignition lock
Inserting the key into the ignition lock
Insert the key all the way into the ignition lock.
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
Removing the key from the ignition lock
Press in the key briefly. It is ejected slightly.
At the same time:
> The ignition is switched off if it was on 
beforehand.
Automatic transmission
The key can only be removed if the selector lever 
is in position  P: interlock.
Start/Stop button
Press the Start/Stop button to switch radio readi-
ness or the ignition on and off. Do not depress 
the brake or clutch while doing so.
If the Start/Stop button is pressed while 
the clutch is depressed in the manual 
transmission or the brak e pedal is depressed in 
the automatic transmission, the engine starts. <
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. The 
time and external temperature are displayed in 
the tachometer.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the key is removed from the ignition 
lock
> When using Comfort Access
* by pushing the 
button on the door handle or the 
button on the remote  control, refer to 
Locking on page 28
> After a certain has elapsed
Ignition on
Most indicator and warning lamps in indicator 
area  1, page 13, light up for va rying lengths of 
time.
When the engine is off, switch off the igni-
tion and any unnecessary electrical con-
sumers in order to preserve the battery. < 
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ControlsDriving
42
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the displays 
go out.
The ignition switches off automatically if the 
driver's door is opened. Pressing the Start/Stop 
button again switches  the ignition back on.
The ignition is not switched  off in situations such 
as the following:
> The clutch or brake is depressed
> The low beams are switched on
Starting the engine
Do not allow the engine to run in enclosed 
areas; otherwise, inha lation of the noxious 
exhaust gases can lead to loss of consciousness 
and death. Exhaust gase s 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 inadequate ly burned and there is 
a danger of overheatin g 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 engi ne, do not depress the 
accelerator pedal.
Manual transmission
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with Com-
fort Access, refer to page 27.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Depress the clutch.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
Automatic transmission*
Key in ignition lock or inside vehicle with Com-
fort Access, refer to page 27.
1. Depress the brake.
2. Shift the selector lever into position P or N.
3. Press the Start/Stop button.
The starter operates auto matically for a certain 
time, and stops automati cally as soon as the 
engine has started.
Switching off the engine
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. 
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DrivingControls
 43
Automatic transmission*
1.With the car at a stop, 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 Comfort 
Access, in the ig nition lock.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Move the selector lever to position N.
4. Switch off the engine.
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 upward slightly, press the button, arrow, 
and guide the lever down.
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 ha s to be overcome.
Automatic transmission* 
with Steptronic
In addition to the fully automatic mode, you can 
shift gears manually using Steptronic, page 45.
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
To remove the key from the ignition lock, first 
move the selector lever into position P and then 
switch off the engine: interlock. Remove the key 
from the ignition lock, refer to page 41. 
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ControlsDriving
44
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.
Changing selector lever positions
> The selector lever can only be moved out of 
position P when the ignition is switched on 
or the engine is running.
> Before moving the le ver 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 vehi cle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
 Under normal operatin g conditions, the fuel 
consumption is lowest wh en driving in position 
D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point. 
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DrivingControls
 45
Sports programming and manual mode 
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. This position is recommended for a per-
formance-oriented driving style.
To deactivate the Sport program or manual 
mode M/S, move the selector lever to the right 
into position D.
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 leve r in the – direction.
Transmission shifts down.
The selected gear is displayed in the tachome-
ter, e.g. M1.
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 pl ausible 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 current 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.
If you do not shift gears with the shift paddles or 
accelerate for a certai
n amount of time, the 
transmission automatically returns to D, auto-
matic drive.
> Pull one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts up.
> Push one of th e shift paddles.
Transmission shifts down.
M1 through M6 are displayed in the tachometer.
Manually releasing the selector lever 
lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of 
position P even 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 overridden:
1. Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2. Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever 
until the sleeve is insi de out. Disconnect the 
cable connector if necessary.
3. Insert extractor hook 1 into the loop on the 
passenger's side. 
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ControlsDriving
46
4.Pull the loop up.
5. Move the selector lever into the desired 
position by pressing the button on the front 
of the selector lever.
Before manually unlo cking the selector 
lever lock, firmly set the parking brake to 
prevent the vehicle from rolling away. <
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1Turn signal
2 Headlamp flasher
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond  the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the resis-
tance point. Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator 
lamp indicates that an indicator bulb has 
failed. <
Indicating a turn briefly
Press the lever as far as the resistance point for 
as long as you wish to indicate a turn.
Triple turn signal activation
Press the lever as far as the resistance point.
You can set whether the turn signal flashes once 
or three times. 1.
Switch on the ignition, refer to page 41.
2. Press the button on the turn signal indicator 
as often as necessary until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
3. Press and hold the button until the display 
changes.
4. Press the button as often as necessary until 
the symbol and "SET" are displayed.
5. Press and hold the button until the display 
changes.
6. Briefly press the button repeatedly until the 
display shows the illu strated symbol, arrow.
7. Press and hold the button until the display 
changes. 
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DrivingControls
 47
8.Press the button to select:
>
Brief indication of a turn.
> Triple turn signal.
9. Press and hold the butt on until the display 
changes. The setting is stored.
Wiper system
1 Switching on wipers
2 Switching off wipers or brief wipe
3 Activating/deactivating intermittent wipe or 
rain sensor
*
4Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Switching on wipers
Press the lever upward, arrow 1.
The lever automatically returns to its initial posi-
tion when released.
Normal wiper speed
Press once.
The system switches to  intermittent operation 
when the vehicle  is stationary.
Fast wiper speed
Press twice or press beyo nd the resistance point.
The system switches to  normal speed when the 
vehicle is stationary.
Intermittent wipe or rain sensor*
If the car is not equipped with a rain sensor, the 
intermittent-wipe time is preset.
If the car is equipped with a rain sensor, the time 
between wipes is contro lled automatically and 
depends on the intensity of the rainfall. The rain 
sensor is mounted on the windshield, directly in 
front of the interior rearview mirror.
Activating intermittent wipe or rain 
sensor
Press button, arrow 3.
 This symbol is displayed in the tachom-
eter.
Deactivate the rain sensor before entering 
an automatic car wash. Failure to do so 
could result in damage caused by undesired 
wiper activation. <
Adjusting the sensitivity of the rain 
sensor
1.Switch on the ignition, refer to page 41.
2. Press the button on the turn signal indicator 
as often as necessary until "SET/INFO" is dis-
played.
3. Press and hold the butt on until the display 
changes. 
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ControlsDriving
48
4.Press the button as often as necessary until 
the symbol and "SET" are displayed.
5. Press and hold the button until the display 
changes.
6. Press the button to se lect the desired sensi-
tivity.
7. Wait, or press and hold the button until the 
display changes.
The settings are stored.
Deactivating intermittent wipe or rain 
sensor
Press the button again, arrow 3.
Brief wipe
Press the lever downward once, arrow 2.
Cleaning windshield and headlamps*
Pull the lever, arrow  4.
Washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield and 
the wipers are operated briefly.
When the vehicle lighting system is switched on, 
the headlamps are cleaned at regular and 
appropriate intervals. In cars equipped with an alarm system, the 
headlamps cannot be cleaned when the hood is 
open.
Do not use the washers when the washer 
fluid reservoir is emp ty; otherwise, you will 
damage the washer pump. 
Only use the washers if the hood has been com-
pletely closed; otherwise, the headlamp washer 
system
* may be damaged.  Do not use the 
washers if there is any danger that the fluid will 
freeze on the windshield. If you do, your vision 
could be obscured. For this reason, use anti-
freeze. <
Window washer nozzles
The window washer nozzles are heated auto-
matically
* while the engine is running or the 
ignition is switched on.
Rear window wiper
0 Rear wipers parked
1 To switch on intermittent wipe :
Turn the cap to level 1.
Operation is continuous in reverse gear.
The rear wiper does not move if the cap is in 
interval stage 1 before the ignition is switched 
on.
Cleaning the rear window
2 To clean the rear window during intermit-
tent wipe  :
Turn the cap further to level 2 and hold it 
there.
3 To clean the rear window when wipers are 
parked :
Turn the cap to level 3 and hold it there.