ignition MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2002 User Guide

43
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
STARTING THE ENGINE SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE StartingWhen starting the engine, do not press the
accelerator pedal.
Do not actuate the starter for too
short a time. Do not turn it for more
than approx. 20 seconds. Release the igni-
tion key immediately when the engine
starts.
Extended starting attempts, characterized
by excessively frequent or long periods
with the starter engaged, can lead to
damage in the catalytic converter.<
If the engine does not start on the first
attempt (the engine is very hot or cold, for
instance):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter.
Cold starts at extremely low temperatures
(as of approx. +5 7(Ð15 6)):
>Press the accelerator pedal halfway
down while engaging the starter
>For the initial start attempt, allow the
starter to remain engaged somewhat
longer (approx. 10 seconds).
Manual transmission1. Engage the parking brake
2. Put the manual gearshift lever in neutral
3. Press the clutch pedal
4. Start the engine.Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)*1. Press the footbrake
2. Put the selector lever in position P or N
3. Starting the engine.
Move the selector lever to position N
and engage the parking brake before
leaving your vehicle with the engine
running.
Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running. An unattended vehicle with a
running engine represents a potential
safety hazard.<
You should never remove the ignition
key when the vehicle is in motion, as
the steering lock could engage.
When you leave the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key and engage the steering
lock.
When you park on downward slopes,
engage the parking brake.<
Manual transmissionTurn the ignition key to position 1 or 0.Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)*Engage selector lever position P, turn the
ignition key to position 1 or 0.

44
PARKING BRAKE The parking brake is designed primarily to
prevent the vehicle from rolling when it is
parked. It operates against the rear wheels.To engageLever automatically locks in position.
The warning lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on when the ignition key is in posi-
tion 2, see page 16.To release1. Pull up slightly
2. Press the button
3. Push the lever downwards.
If, in exceptional circumstances,
it should be necessary to engage the
parking brake while the vehicle is
in motion, do not pull the lever with
excessive pressure. Keep your thumb
pressed against the release button while
carefully pulling the lever up to apply
moderate pressure.
Excessive pressure can lead to overbraking
and loss of traction (fishtailing) at the rear
axle.
The brake lamps do not come on when the
parking brake is engaged.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Always engage the parking brake when
parking on hills and inclined surfaces, as
first gear or reverse may not provide
adequate resistance to rolling.
Vehicles with CVT:
Place the selector lever in P.<

45
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
MANUAL TRANSMISSION The manual gearshift lever neutral plane
lies in the gear plane of the 3rd/4th gear.
When shifting from each gear into
"Neutral", the manual gearshift lever
springs back automatically into the gear-
shift lever neutral plane.6-speed transmission*
When changing gear in the 5th/6th
gear plane, press the gearshift lever
to the right to prevent shifting to a gear of
the 3rd/4th gear plane.<
Reverse Before selecting reverse gear, ensure the
vehicle is stationary; then, fully press the
clutch pedal and pause briefly before
moving the gearshift lever into position.
As you do this, the backup lamps will turn
on automatically when the ignition key is
in position 2.
5-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever to the right and to
the back.
6-speed transmission:
Press the gearshift lever to the left to over-
come the slight resistance and press
forwards.
As you do this, the backup lamps will turn
on automatically when the ignition key is
in position 2.
Do not hold the vehicle in place on
slopes by slipping or "riding" the
clutch. Use the parking brake instead.
Riding the clutch causes the clutch
assembly to wear out sooner.<

49
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
PARKING LAMPS/LOW BEAMS SIGNAL/HEADLAMP FLASHER Switching on the parking lampsTurn to the first position.
The front, rear and side vehicle lighting is
switched on.
One-sided standing lamps, see next
column.Switching on the low beamsTurn to the second position.
With the low beams on and with the igni-
tion switched off, only the parking lamps
will remain on."Follow me home" lampsIf you switch off the engine with the low
beams on, and then switch off the low
beams, they remain lit for approx. one
minute.
You can also have this function acti-
vated.<
Switching on the standing lampsFor parking, you can activate lights on one
side of the vehicle (observe local laws).
In ignition key position 0:
Move the lever into the relevant turn signal
indicator position."Lights on" warningIf the lights have not been switched off and
the ignition key is in position 0, an acoustic
signal sounds for a few seconds when you
open the driver's door to remind you that
the lights have not been switched off.Daytime driving lamps*If you desire, the light switch can be left in
the second position:
When the ignition is switched off, the
external lighting is also switched off.
You can have this function set by
your MINI center.<
1 Turn signal indicator (green indicator
accompanied by periodic clicking sound
from the relay)
2 High beams/Headlamp flasher (blue
indicator lamp)To signal brieflyPress the lever up to but not beyond the
detent.
If the indicator lamp of the indicators
and the clicking from the relay are
both faster than normal: one of the turn
signal indicators has failed.<

51
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES WASHER/WIPER SYSTEM Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) installed
behind translucent lenses serve as the light
source for many of the controls and
displays in your vehicle. These light-emit-
ting diodes are related to conventional
lasers, and legislation defines them as
"light-emitting diodes, Class 1".
Do not remove the protective lens
and avoid staring directly at the unfil-
tered beam for several hours, as inflamma-
tion of the iris could result.<
0 Wipers parked
1 Intermittent operation or rain sensor
2 Normal wiper speed
3 Fast wiper speed
4 Brief wipe
5 Clean windshield and headlampsIntermittent operation(not on vehicles with rain sensor)
The interval varies depending on the speed
being driven.
You can have this function set by
your MINI center.<
Rain sensor*The rain sensor is located on the wind-
shield, directly in front of the interior rear-
view mirror. When the rain sensor is
activated, the windshield wipers are auto-
matically controlled depending on the
amount of water (or snow) landing on the
windshield.
To activate the rain sensor:
From ignition key position 1:
Lever in position 1.
The wipers move across the windshield
once.
To deactivate the rain sensor:
Put lever in position 0.
Switch the rain sensor off when
passing through an automatic car
wash. Failure to do so could result in
damage caused by undesired wiper activa-
tion. switch automatically to normal wiper
speed.
You can have this function activated/
deactivated by your MINI center.<

52
WASHER/WIPER SYSTEMCleaning windshield and headlamps* The system sprays washer fluid against the
windshield. The wipers are automatically
activated for a brief period.
When the vehicle lighting is on, the head-
lamps are also cleaned at appropriate inter-
vals.
Do not use the washers if there is any
danger that the fluid will freeze on
the windshield. If you do so, your vision
could be obscured. For this reason, use an
antifreeze agent, see page 89.
Do not use the washers when the reservoir
is empty, since this could cause damage to
the washing pump. automatically when the ignition key is in
position 2.
Rear window wiper6 Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 6
The rear window wiper moves across the
window a number of times before
switching to intermittent operationCleaning the rear window7 Intermittent operation:
Turn the cap to position 7 and hold in
place
8 In lever position 0:
Turn the cap to position 8 and hold in
place

53
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
CRUISE CONTROL
*
Starting at about 25 mph (40 km/h), the
vehicle maintains and stores any vehicle
speed that you specify.
Do not use cruise control on twisting
roads, when high traffic density
prevents driving at a constant speed, when
the road surface is slick (snow, rain, ice), or
when the road surface is loose (rocks,
sand).<
To activate the system From ignition key position 1:
Press button 2.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Cruise control is active.To maintain and store speed or to
acceleratePress button 3.
The system maintains and stores the
current vehicle speed. Every time you tap
the button, the speed increases by approx.
1 mph (2 km/h).
Press and hold button 3.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. When you release
the button, the system maintains and
stores the current speed.
If, on a downhill gradient, the engine
braking effect is not sufficient, the
controlled speed may be exceeded. Speed
can drop on uphill grades if the engine
output is insufficient.<
To deceleratePress button 4.
If you are already driving with active cruise
control, the speed is decreased by approx.
1 mph (2 km/h) every time you briefly tap
the button.
Press and hold button 4.
With the cruise control active, the system
automatically reduces the throttle opening
to slow the vehicle. When you release the
button, the system maintains and stores
the current speed.

55
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
ODOMETER TACHOMETER FUEL GAUGE 1 Trip odometerTo set to zero:
With ignition key in position 1, press the
button until the trip odometer is at zero.2 Odometer You can activate the displays shown in the
illustration with the ignition key in posi-
tion 0 by pressing the button in the instru-
ment cluster.
Do not operate the engine with the needle
in the red overspeed zone of the gauge.
To protect the engine, the power is reduced
when you approach a certain engine speed
in this sector.
In the speedometerOnce indicator lamp 1 stays on continu-
ously, there are still approx. 2.1 gallons
(8 liters) of fuel in the fuel tank.
Tank capacity: approx. 13.2 gallons
(50 liters).
When you switch on the ignition, the indi-
cator lamp lights up briefly to confirm that
the system is operational.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies (when you
are driving in mountainous areas, for
example), the needle may fluctuate
slightly.
Please refuel early, since driving to
the last drop of fuel can result in
damage to the engine and/or catalytic
converter.<

56
FUEL GAUGE TEMPERATURE GAUGE In the navigation system
Please also comply with the instruc-
tions in the previous column.<
Once indicator lamp 1 switches from
orange to red, there are still approx.
2.1 gallons (8 liters) of fuel in the fuel tank.
Low temperatureThe needle is located at the bottom or on
the right.
The engine is still cold. Drive at moderate
engine and vehicle speeds.Center positionNormal operating temperature of the
engine.High temperatureAs soon as there is a deviation from the
center position upwards or to the left:
Drive moderately and at low engine speed,
if necessary, switch off the engine and
allow to cool down.
Checking coolant level, see page 91.
1 Red indicator lamp When you switch on the ignition, warning
lamp 1 comes on briefly to confirm that the
system is operational.
If the lamp comes on while operating the
vehicle, the engine has overheated. Switch
off the engine immediately and allow it to
cool down.Navigation system option
Coolant temperature warning
lamp in the tachometer.
If the lamp comes on while oper-
ating the vehicle, the engine has over-
heated. Switch off the engine immediately
and allow it to cool down.

57
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
SERVICE INTERVAL DISPLAY Remaining distance for serviceThe displays shown in the illustration
appear for a few seconds when the ignition
key is in position 1 or after the engine is
started.
The next service due appears in miles (kilo-
meters) with the message INSPECTION or/
and OILSERVICE, together with the distance
remaining before the next scheduled
service. The computer bases its calculations
of the remaining distance on your driving
style in the period immediately preceding
your data request.
A flashing message and a "Ð" in front of the
number mean that the service interval has
already been exceeded by the distance
shown on the display. Please contact your
MINI center for an appointment.
For more information on the Service
Interval Display, see page 93.
Brake fluid changeYou can obtain a display of the number of
days remaining until the next due brake
fluid change, see page 92.
While the next due service is displayed,
press the button in the display element.
As of the due date of the brake fluid
change, the clock symbol also lights up in
the remaining distance display for Service,
see left column. Please contact your MINI
center for an appointment.
Periods of immobilization in which
the battery is disconnected are not
taken into account by the display.
For this reason, ensure that the brake fluid,
independent of the display, is replaced
every two years at the latest, see page 92.<