MINI Coupe 2012 Owner's Manual
Manufacturer: MINI, Model Year: 2012, Model line: Coupe, Model: MINI Coupe 2012Pages: 218, PDF Size: 3.84 MB
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DRIVING TIPSThings to remember when driving
110
Split-folding rear seats
To be able to transport larger objects, the rear 
backrest can be folded down.
1.If necessary, use the integrated key to open 
the backrest lock 1.
2. Press button 2 and fold down backrest 
together with the belt strap.
3. Fold the backrest forward.
When folding the backrest back into its 
original position, alwa ys ensure that the 
catch engages securely.  A loose backrest might 
fail to prevent cargo from entering the passen-
ger compartment during sudden braking or 
evasive maneuvers, posing  a potential hazard to 
occupants.
The belt guide loop, refer to page 49, must be 
closed. <
Determining cargo limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX kg or YYY lbs. Otherwise, this could 
damage the vehicle and produce unstable 
vehicle operating conditions. <2.
Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX pounds or YYY 
kilograms.
4. The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. 
For example, if the XXX amount equals 
1,400 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs 
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of 
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 
650 lbs: 
1,400 lbs minus 750 lbs = 650 lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That 
weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load  capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
MINI Coupe, MINI Roadster:
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Things to remember when drivingDRIVING TIPS
 111
MINI Convertible:
The permissible load is the sum of the occu-
pants' weights and the weight of the cargo. The 
greater the weight of the occupants, the less 
cargo/luggage can be transported.
Stowing cargo
>Position heavy objects as low and as far 
forward as possible, id eally directly behind 
the rear seat backrests.
> Cover sharp edges and corners.
> For very heavy cargo when the rear seat is 
not occupied, secure each safety belt in the 
respective opposite buckle.
> Do not stack higher than the top edge of the 
backrests.
MINI Coupe, MINI Roadster MINI Convertible
Securing cargo
MINI Coupe, MINI Roadster:
MINI Convertible:
>
Secure smaller and lighter items using 
retaining or draw straps.
> Heavy-duty cargo straps  for securing larger 
and heavier objects ar e available at your 
MINI dealer. Four lashing eyes are provided 
for attaching the cargo straps. Two of them 
are located on the forward wall of the cargo 
area.
Comply with the information enclosed with 
the load-securing devices.
Always position and secure the cargo as 
described above, so that it cannot endan-
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DRIVING TIPSThings to remember when driving
112
ger the car's occupants, for example if sudden 
braking or swerves are necessary. 
Do not exceed the approved gross vehicle 
weight and axle loads, page 203; otherwise, the 
operating safety of the vehicle is no longer 
assured and the vehicle will not be in compli-
ance with the construction and use regulations. 
Heavy or hard objects should not be carried 
loose inside the car, since they could be thrown 
around, for example as a result of heavy braking, 
sudden swerves, etc., and endanger the occu-
pants. Do not secure cargo using the fastening 
points for the tether strap, page 52; they may 
become damaged. <
Rear luggage rack
A special rack system is available as an option for 
your MINI. Please note the information con-
tained in the assembly instructions.
Mounting points
The mounting points are under the protective 
caps in the bumper.
Push out the caps at the respective slots.
Loading rear luggage rack
When loading, make su re that the maximum 
allowed roof load, the gross vehicle weight and 
the axle loads are not exceeded.
You can find the applicable data under Weights 
on page 203.
Saving fuel
Your vehicle incorporates numerous technolo-
gies for reducing fuel consumption and emis-
sions.
Fuel consumption depends on a number of 
different factors. Fuel consumption and environ-
mental pollution are affect ed by various actions, 
the manner of driving  and regular maintenance.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts no longer in use
Remove luggage rack if no longer needed after 
use.
Attached parts on the ve hicle affect its aerody-
namics and increase fuel consumption.
Closing windows
Open windows increase air resistance and 
therefore fuel consumption.
Check tire inflation pressure regularly
Check and, if necessary, correct tire inflation 
pressure at least twice a month and before start-
ing on a long trip.
Low inflation pressure increases rolling resis-
tance and thus leads to greater fuel consump-
tion and tire wear.
Drive off immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the 
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right 
away, but at moderate engi ne speeds. This is the 
fastest way for the cold engine to reach its 
operating temperature.
Think ahead while driving
Avoid unnecessary accelera tion and braking. by 
maintaining a suitable di stance to the vehicle 
driving ahead.
Looking-ahead and smooth  driving reduces fuel 
consumption.
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Things to remember when drivingDRIVING TIPS
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Avoid high engine speeds
Use first gear only for driving off. In second and 
higher gears, accelerate  smoothly to a suitable 
engine and road speed. In doing so, avoid high 
engine speeds and shift up early.
When you reach your desired traveling speed, 
shift to the highest suitable gear and drive at 
constant speed.
As a rule: driving at lo w engine speeds lowers 
fuel consumption and reduces wear.
Coasting
When approaching a red traffic light, take your 
foot off the accelerator and let the car roll to a 
stop in the highest gear possible.
On a downhill gradient,  take your foot off the 
accelerator and let the vehi cle coast in a suitable 
gear.
Fuel supply is shut off automatically when the 
vehicle is coasting.
Switch off the engine during lengthy 
stops
Switch off the engine when stopping for lengthy 
periods, e.g. at traffic lights, railroad crossings or 
in traffic jams.
Switch off any features that are not 
currently required
Features such as air conditioning, seat heaters 
and the rear window defroster require a great 
deal of energy and result in greater fuel con-
sumption, especially in city driving and during 
Stop & Go operation. For  this reason, switch off 
these features if they are not really needed.
Have the vehicle serviced
Have your vehicle serviced regularly to achieve 
good economy and a long vehicle life. The 
manufacturer of your MINI recommends having 
the vehicle serviced by a MINI dealer. Also note 
the MINI Maintenance System, page 159.
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Rock Me.
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AT A GLANCE
CONTROLS
DRIVING TIPS
COMMUNICATIONS
MOBILITY
REFERENCE ENTERTAINMENT
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ENTERTAINMENTRadio MINI Boost CD
116
Radio MINI Boost CD
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and 
optional equipment that is offered in the model 
range is described. Equipment is also described 
that is not available because of, for example, 
selected options or coun try version. This also 
applies to safety relate d functions and systems.
Switching radio on/off
Press the left rotary knob. The radio 
selects the last  set audio source:
>Radio
> HD Radio
> Satellite radio
> CD
> External audio device
> USB audio interface.
Listening to the radi o when the ignition 
is switched off
After switching off the radio readiness, the radio 
functions are available for approx. 20 minutes.
To do so, switch the radio on again.
To spare the battery, ensure that the radio 
is switched off when leaving the vehicle. <
Adjusting volume
Turn left rotary knob. The setting is 
stored for the remote control in use.
As soon as you make a phone call using 
the hands-free device, the radio will auto-
matically be muted. <
Setting the volume for the PDC and gong
You can raise or lower the audio signals for the 
PDC or gong with respect to the volume of the 
audio sources.
The audio signals have a set minimum and 
maximum volume, below which they can not fall 
and above which they can not go.
Set the audio source to a high volume to 
be able to better set the volume of the 
audio signals. <
1. Press the  button.
2.  Press the button if necessary.
3.  Press the button.
or
 Press the button.
4. Select the desired vo lume and press the 
knob on the right.
Setting the speed-dependent volume
The speed-dependent volume controls auto-
matically increases the volume as the speed of 
the vehicle increases. You can set different levels 
for increasing the volume.
1. Press the  button.
2.  Press the button if necessary.
3.  Press the button.
4. Select the desired vo lume and press the 
knob on the right.
Setting the volume for external audio 
devices
Your radio has the option of connecting an 
external audio device, e.g., an MP3 player, and 
playing it over the loudspeakers in the vehicle. 
You can set the volume by using the radio.
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Radio MINI Boost CDENTERTAINMENT
 117
Connecting an external device, refer to 
page123.
To adjust the volume of  an external audio device 
to the radio:
1. Press the  MODEbutton.
2.  Press the button.
3.  Press the button.
4. Select the desired volume and press the 
knob on the right.
Setting tone controls
You can select between the following settings:
>Bass: bass adjustment.
> Treble: treble adjustment.
> Balance: volume distribution left/right.
> Fader: volume distri bution front/back.
The tone settings are set  for all audio sources at 
once.
Setting the bass, treble and balance
1. Press the  button.
2. Select the desired tone setting and press the 
knob on the right.
3. Select the desired volume and press the 
knob on the right.
Resetting tone settings
The tone settings are reset to the middle values.
1.Press the  button.
2.  Press the button.
Time
Setting the time, date and time format
You can set the time, date and time format, refer 
to page73.
Radio
Your radio is designed for the reception of FM 
and AM signals.
Listening to the radio
1.Switch on the radio, refer to page 116.
2. If necessary, press the  MODEbutton.
3.  Press the button.
4.  Press the corresponding button as 
often as necessary until the desired wave-
length band is selected.
> AM: AM and AMA
> FM: FM1/FM2 and FMA
Selecting a station
The setting is stored for the remote control in 
use.
Next station
Press the  …  button.
The next available st ation is selected.
Selecting stations by changing the 
frequency
1. Press the  button.
2. Press the button each time to enter a 
desired frequency.
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ENTERTAINMENTRadio MINI Boost CD
118
Or, by using the knob on the right:
1.Press the  button.
2. Turn the knob on the right until the desired 
frequency is reached.
Automatically updating strongest 
stations
 Press the correspon ding button until 
"Autostore" is displayed.
Several seconds may go by until the stations are 
stored and one of the stations can be heard.
If you do not wish to use the Autostore 
feature, you can store six stations of your 
choice in the FMA or AMA memory levels.<
Playing and selecting stations, scan
You can listen to all the receivable stations for 
approx. 10 seconds.
 Press the button.
Interrupting the scan an d selecting a station:
 Press the button.
When a traffic information station is selected, 
only traffic information broadcasts will be 
played.
Storing and recalling stations
Memory presets
Your radio can store 30 stations:
> FM1, FM2: six stations  each of your choice
> AM: six stations each of your choice
> FMA/AMA: the six stro ngest stations auto-
matically
Storing a station
1.
 Press the corresponding button as 
often as necessary until the desired fre-
quency range is selected.
2. Select station. 3.
 
…  Press and hold the 
desired button until th e station can again be 
heard after a short interruption.
The memory level and the selected button 
are shown on the display, e.g.:
Recalling stored stations
1.  Press the corresponding button as 
often as necessary until the desired wave-
length band is selected.
2.  
…  Press the desired 
button.
Using the knob on the right:
Turn the knob on the right as long as necessary 
until the desired stat ion has been reached.
RDS – Radio Data System
The Radio Data System transmits additional 
information in the FM frequency range. RDS 
stations have the following features:
>When there are good reception conditions, 
then the station names are displayed.
> Additional information can be shown on the 
display, e.g., text me ssages from the station.
> Over RDS, some stations transmit the type of 
the received program, PTY. At the option of 
the station, this can be  shown briefly on the 
display, e.g., message s, NEWS. Using PTY, 
warnings regarding ca tastrophies can also 
be displayed, e.g., "ALARM".
Switching RDS on/off
1.  Press the button.
2.  Press the button.
The name of the current station is displayed if 
this station broadcasts RDS information.
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Radio MINI Boost CDENTERTAINMENT
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Displaying the program type
1. Press the button.
2.  Press the button.
HD Radio™ reception
Many radio stations transmit analog and digital 
signals. If a digital radio network is available, 
these stations can be received digitally and thus 
with improved sound quality.
License conditions
HD Radio™ technology is manufactured under 
U.S. and Foreign Patents licensed from iBiquity 
Digital Corp. HD Radio™ and the HD and HD 
Radio logos are proprietary trademarks of 
iBiquity Digital Corp.
Activating/deactivating digital radio 
reception
1.Press the  MODEbutton.
2.  Press the button.
3.  Press the button.
4.  Press the button.
"HD": a station is received digitally.
"(HD)": a station is broadcasting digital signals; 
digital radio reception is , however, switched off.
For some stations, the digital signals are not 
broadcast simultaneously  with the analog sig-
nals. If you are in an area where the selected sta-
tion can not be continuously received digitally, 
then the playback switches between analog and 
digital reception. As a  result, the reception can 
be interrupted and then resume from time to 
time. In this type of situation, it is suggested that 
digital radio reception be turned off.
Selecting programs from a digital 
station
Some stations broadcast several programs. To 
select one of these programs:
1. Press the  …  button as often as neces-
sary until the desired digital station is dis-
played.
If a station broadcasts several programs, 
then, e.g., "HD1" is displayed.
2.  Press the button.
3. Select the desired program.
Up to eight programs per station can be 
selected, "HD1" to "HD8".
Displaying additional information
For digital stations, addi tional information about 
the current track is displayed, e.g., the name of 
the artist.
 Press the button.
The information is displayed.
Operation indicators
Acquiring
A search for digital stat ions is being conducted.
No Signal
No digital station has been found.
Satellite radio
You can receive more than 100 different 
channels with higher audio quality.
The channels are offere d in defined packages. 
To receive the channels of your choice, you have 
to activate the package.
You may experience signal drops and 
muting events related to this new 
technology. <
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