belt MINI Countryman 2015 Owner's Manual (Mini Connected)

Addendum
ADDENDUM TO OWNER'S MANUAL
We wanted to provide you with some updates
and clarifications with respect to the printed
MINI Owner's Manual. These updates and clari-
fications will supersede the materials contained
in that document.
1. Where the terms “service center,” “the ser-
vice center,” “your service center,” “service
specialist,” or “service” are used in the Ow-
ner's Manual, we wanted to clarify that the
terms refer to a MINI dealer's service center
or another service center or repair shop that
employs trained personnel that can perform
maintenance and repair work on your ve-
hicle in accordance with MINI specifications.
2. Where the text of the Owner's Manual con-
tains an affirmative instruction to contact a
“service center” or “your service center,” we
wanted to clarify that MINI recommends
that, if you are faced with one of the situa-
tions addressed by that text, you contact or
seek the assistance of a MINI dealer's service
center or another service center or repair
shop that employs trained personnel that
can perform maintenance and repair work
on your vehicle in accordance with MINI
specifications.
While MINI, at no cost to you, will pay for re-
pairs required by the limited warranties pro-
vided with respect to your vehicle and for
maintenance under the Maintenance Pro-
gram during the applicable warranty and
maintenance coverage periods, you are free
to elect, both during those periods and the-
reafter, to have maintenance and repair
work provided by other service centers or
repair shops.
3. Where the Owner's Manual makes reference
to parts and accessories having been appro-
ved by MINI, those references are intended
to reflect that those parts and accessories
are recommended by MINI. You may elect
to use other parts and accessories, but, if
you do, we recommend that you make sure
that any such parts and/or accessories are
appropriate for use on your vehicle.
4. At page 6 and page 7, under the warranty
section's discussion of homologation, where
it states that you “cannot lodge warranty
claims for your vehicle there,” the text
should read that you “may not be able to
lodge warranty claims for your vehicle
there.”
5. At page 7, in the “Parts and accessories” sec-
tion, the sentence beginning “For your own
safety … ,” should be disregarded and the
following the text should be read in lieu the-
reof: “The manufacturer of your vehicle re-
commends using genuine MINI parts and
accessories.” In the fifth sentence of that pa-
ragraph, the word “cannot” should read
“does not.”
6. At page 48, in the “Checking and replacing
safety belts” section, the text beginning,
“Have the work performed only by your ser-
vice center …” should be disregarded and
the following text should be read in lieu the-
reof: “MINI recommends having this work
performed by a service center as it is impor-
tant that this safety feature functions pro-
perly.”
7. At page 122 under the heading: “Objects in
the area around the pedals” and at page
253 under the heading: “Carpets/floor
mats,” the paragraph that begins: “Only use
floor mats …” should be disregarded and
the following language should be read in
lieu thereof: “The manufacturer of your ve-
hicle recommends that you use floor mats
that have been identified by it as appropri-
ate for use in your vehicle and that can be
properly fixed in place.”
8. At page 129, under the heading: “Have
maintenance carried out,” the sentence be-
ginning, “Have the maintenance carried
out …” should be disregarded and the fol-
lowing text should be read in lieu thereof:  
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Event Data Recorder EDR
This vehicle is equipped with an event data re‐
corder EDR. The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa‐
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting
a road obstacle, data that will assist in under‐
standing how a vehicle's systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:▷How various systems in your vehicle were
operating.▷Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were fastened.▷How far, if at all, the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal.▷How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under‐
standing of the circumstances in which crashes
and injuries occur.
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
nontrivial crash situation occurs; no data are re‐
corded by the EDR under normal driving condi‐
tions and no personal data, e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location, are recorded.
However, other parties, such as law enforce‐
ment, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely ac‐
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehi‐
cle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the ve‐
hicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law
enforcement, that have the special equipment,
can read the information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR.
Reporting safety defects
For US customers
The following only applies to vehicles owned
and operated in the US.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA, in addition to notifying BMW of North
America, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, New
Jersey 07675-1227, Telephone
1-800-831-1117.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or BMW of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://www.safe‐
rcar.gov; or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from http://www.safe‐
rcar.gov
For Canadian customers
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety- related defect to Transport Canada, De‐
fect Investigations and Recalls, may telephone
the toll-free hotline 1-800-333-0510. You can
also obtain other information about motor ve‐
hicle safety from http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsaf‐
ety.Seite 9Notes9
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AdjustingVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series. Therefore, it also
describes equipment that may not be found in
your vehicle, for instance due to the selected
special equipment or the country version. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
Sitting safely
The ideal seating position can make a vital con‐
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:▷Safety belts, refer to page 46▷Head restraints, refer to page 48.▷Airbags, refer to page 81.
Seats
Note before adjusting Do not adjust the seat while driving
Never attempt to adjust the driver's seat
while driving. The seat could respond with un‐
expected movement and the ensuing loss of
vehicle control could lead to an accident. ◀
Do not incline the backrest too far to the
rear
Do not incline the backrest on the front passen‐
ger side too far to the rear during driving. Oth‐
erwise, there is the danger of sliding under the
safety belt in an accident. This would eliminate
the protection normally provided by the belt. ◀
Front seat adjustment
Forward/backward
Pull the lever, arrow 1, and slide the seat into
the desired position, arrows 2.
After releasing the lever, move the seat forward
or back slightly to make sure it engages prop‐
erly.
Height
Pull the lever up or push it down repeatedly, ar‐
rows 1, until the desired height is reached, ar‐
rows .
Backrest MINI Countryman:
Seite 44CONTROLSAdjusting44
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Pull the lever, arrow 1, and apply your weight
to the backrest or lift it off, as necessary.
MINI Paceman:
Pull the lever, arrow 1, and apply your weight
to the backrest or lift it off, as necessary, ar‐
rows 2.
Lumbar support
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest
to obtain additional support in the lumbar re‐
gion.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup‐
plementary support to help you maintain a re‐
laxed, upright sitting position.
The graphic shows the MINI Countryman as an
example.
Turn the wheel to increase or decrease the cur‐
vature.
MINI Countryman: rear seat adjustment Observe the following when adjusting
Do not adjust the rear seats during a trip;
otherwise, there is a risk of passenger injury.
Make sure that the locking mechanisms of the
rear seats engage properly. Otherwise the re‐
straining effect of the safety belts during an ac‐
cident could be reduced. ◀
Forward/backward
Pull the lever and slide the seat into the desired
position.
Release the lever and move the seat slightly
forward or back so that it engages properly.
Backrest Adjust the backrest tilt, refer to page 111.
Seite 45AdjustingCONTROLS45
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Seat heating
Switching on
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. The maximum temperature is
reached when three LEDs are lit.
If the trip is continued within approx. 15 mi‐
nutes, the seat heating is activated automati‐
cally with the temperature set last.
The temperature is reduced, if need be, down
to no heat in order to reduce the load on the
battery. The LEDs remain lit.
Switching off
Press the button longer.
Safety beltsNumber of safety belts
Your vehicle has been fitted with four or five
safety belts for the safety of you and your pas‐
sengers.
However, they can only offer protection when
adjusted correctly.
NotesAlways make sure that safety belts are beingworn by all occupants before driving away.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted.
One person per safety belt
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow infants or
small children to ride on a passenger's lap. ◀
Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies
low around the hips in the lap area and does
not press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt
can slip over the hips in the lap area in a frontal
impact and injure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck, rub
on sharp edges, be routed over solid or breaka‐
ble objects, or be pinched. ◀
Reduction of restraining effect
Avoid wearing clothing that prevents the
belt from fitting properly, and pull the shoulder
belt periodically to readjust the tension across
your lap; otherwise, the retention effect of the
safety belt may be reduced. ◀
Buckling the belt
MINI Countryman:
MINI Paceman:
Seite 46CONTROLSAdjusting46
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Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted, refer to page 44.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
Securing the buckle tongues
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, slide
the buckle tongue up to the belt stop knob with
the clip.
When the outer rear seats are not occupied, the
buckle tongues of the rear seats can be slid up
to the cargo area trim with the clip.
This helps avoid annoying noises when driving.
MINI Countryman: center safety belt of
rear seat
The belt buckle embossed with the word CEN‐
TER is intended exclusively for use by passen‐
gers riding in the center position.
If the center safety belt in the rear is used, the
backrests must be locked, refer to page 112.
The safety belt will not have a restraining effect
if the backrest is not locked.
Belt holder in the headliner
The holder for the safety belt is located in the
headliner.
1Opening for the safety belt2Holder for the small buckle tongue
Take the small buckle tongue out of the holder.
Move both buckle tongues downward.
Closing
Insert the small buckle tongue 2 of the safety
belt into the small belt buckle 3.
Opening Press the red button on the small belt buckle 3
with buckle tongue 1.
When the center safety belt is locked:
Press the red button 3 with the buckle tongue
of the outer left safety belt.
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Putting on the belt1Large buckle tongue2Small buckle tongue3Small belt buckle4Large belt buckle
Buckle tongue 1 must be inserted in belt
buckle 4. Make sure you hear the buckle
tongue engage in the belt buckle.
Insert the buckle tongue into the belt buckle in
such a way that the belt lies smoothly against
the body of the buckled person and is not
twisted.
Stowing the center safety belt
If the center seat is not occupied, insert the belt
buckles 3 and 4 into the respective holders, ar‐
rows.
Move the buckle tongues to the belt holder on
the headliner, refer to page 47, and insert them
into the provided holders.
Safety belt reminder for driver's seat
and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and a sig‐
nal sounds. In addition, a message ap‐
pears on the Control Display. Check
whether the safety belt has been fas‐
tened correctly.
Damage to safety belts
In the case of strain caused by accidents or
damage:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Checking and replacing safety belts
Have the work performed only by your
service center; otherwise, it cannot be ensured
that this safety feature will function properly. ◀
Head restraints Correctly set head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all
occupied seats; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident. ◀
Height Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approx. at ear level.
MINI Countryman: the center rear head re‐
straint is not height adjustable.Seite 48CONTROLSAdjusting48
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Transporting children safelyVehicle equipment
This chapter describes all series equipment as
well as country-specific and special equipment
offered for this model series. Therefore, it also
describes equipment that may not be found in
your vehicle, for instance due to the selected
special equipment or the country version. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
The right place for chil‐
dren
Notes Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors. ◀
Children should always be in the rear Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Transport children younger than 13 years
of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in the rear
only, using child restraint fixing systems suita‐
ble for the age, weight, and height of the child;
otherwise, there is an increased risk of injury in
an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
fixing system can no longer be used, due to
their age, weight and size. ◀Installing child seats
Only install child seats in the rear when
the rear seat backrest is folded all the way back
and engaged; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident. ◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Front passenger airbags Should it be necessary to use a child restraint
fixing system on the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front and side airbags on
the front passenger side are deactivated, refer
to page 82.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there
is an increased risk of injury to the child when
the airbags are triggered, even with a child re‐
straint fixing system. ◀
Installing child re‐
straint fixing systems
Before mounting MINI Countryman: before mounting a child re‐
straint fixing system on the rear seats, move
the seats into the rearmost positions.
Adjust the inclination of the center backrest to
that of the respective outer backrest.
After mounting the child restraint fixing system
on the respective outer rear seat, adjust the
backrest forward, if necessary, to ensure that
the backrest is in contact with the child re‐
straint fixing system. Rear seat backrests, refer
to page 111.Seite 52CONTROLSTransporting children safely52
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NotesManufacturer's information for child re‐
straint fixing systems
To select, mount and use child restraint fixing
systems, observe the information provided by
the system manufacturer; otherwise, the pro‐
tective effect can be impaired. ◀
On the front passenger seat
Deactivating the airbags After installing a child restraint fixing system on
the front passenger seat, ensure that the front,
side, and knee airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Deactivating the front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there
is an increased risk of injury to the child when
the airbags are triggered, even with a child re‐
straint fixing system. ◀
Seat position and height
Before installing a child restraint fixing system,
move the front passenger seat as far back as
possible and adjust its height to the highest po‐
sition to obtain the best possible position for
the belt and to offer optimal protection in the
event of an accident.
Do not change this seat position once it has
been set.Child seat security
The graphic shows the MINI Countryman as an
example.
The rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked to prevent ex‐
tension in order to permit attachment of child
restraint fixing systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint fixing system with
the belt.2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and
pull it taut against the child restraint fixing
system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.2.Remove the child restraint fixing system.3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in com‐
pletely.
Center safety belt: unlock belt buckle 3 in
addition, refer to page 48.
Guide the safety belt to the holder on the
headliner.
LATCH child restraint fix‐
ing system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.
Seite 53Transporting children safelyCONTROLS53
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NotesManufacturer's information for LATCH
child restraint fixing systems
To mount and use the LATCH child restraint fix‐
ing systems, observe the operating and safety
information from the system manufacturer;
otherwise, the level of protection may be re‐
duced. ◀
Mounts for the lower LATCH anchors
The lower anchors may be used to attach the
CRS to the vehicle seat up to a combined child
and CRS weight of 65 lb/30 kg when the child is
restrained by the internal harnesses.
Correctly engage the lower LATCH an‐
chors
Make sure that the lower LATCH anchors have properly engaged and that the child restraint
fixing system is resting snugly against the back‐
rest; otherwise, the degree of protection of‐
fered may be reduced. ◀
Before installing the child seat, pull the belt out
of the area for the child restraint fixing system.
MINI Countryman
The mounts for the lower LATCH anchors are
located at the points indicated by the arrows.
MINI Paceman
The mounts for the lower LATCH anchors are
located at the points indicated by the arrows.
The corresponding symbol shows the
mounts for the lower LATCH anchors.
Mounting LATCH child restraint fixing systems
1.Mount the child restraint fixing system; re‐
fer to the operating instructions of the sys‐
tem.2.Ensure that both LATCH anchors are prop‐
erly connected.
Child restraint fixing
systems with an upper re‐
taining strap
Mounting points LATCH mounting points
Only use the mounting points for the up‐
per LATCH retaining strap to secure child re‐
straint systems; otherwise, the mounting points
could be damaged. ◀
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