tires MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2005 Owner's Manual

3OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Driving:Ignition lock
51
Starting the engine
51
Switching off the engine
52
Parking brake
53
Manual transmission
53
Continuously Variable automatic
Transmission (CVT)
54
Parking lamps/Low beams
57
signal/Headlamp flasher
58
Instrument lighting
58
Fog lamps
58
Interior lamps
59
Washer/wiper system
59
Cruise control
61
Everything under control:Odometer
63
Clock
63
Fuel gauge
63
Coolant temperature gauge
64
Tachometer
65
Service interval display
65
Onboard computer
66
Technology for safety and driving
convenience:All Season traction Control (ASC)
68
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
69
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
70
Flat Tire Monitor
71
Airbags
72
Park Distance Control (PDC)
74
Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving:Air conditioning system
75
Automatic climate control
78
Interior conveniences:Glove compartment
81
Ashtray, drinks holders
81
Cigarette lighter, 12 V power supply
82
Integrated universal remote control
83
Loading and transporting cargo:Luggage compartment in the MINI
85
Luggage compartment in the MINI Convertible
86
Loading cargo
86
Roof-mounted luggage rack
89
OPERATION, CARE, MAINTENANCESpecial operating instructions:Break-in procedures
92
General driving notes
93
Refueling
94
Brake system
96
Wheels and tires:Tire inflation pressure
97
Tire coding
99
Tire condition
100
Run Flat tires
101
New wheels and tires
102
Snow chains
104

CONTENTS
4
In the engine compartment:Bonnet
105
Engine compartment:

MINI COOPER and
MINI
COOPER
CONVERTIBLE
106

MINI COOPER S and
MINI
COOPER
S CONVERTIBLE
107
Washer fluid
108
Engine oil
108
Coolant
110
Brake fluid
111
Maintenance and care:MINI Maintenance System
112
OBD socket
113
Caring for your vehicle
113
Vehicle storage
116
OWNER SERVICE PROCEDURESReplacement procedures:Onboard tool kit
120
Wiper blades
120
Lamps and bulbs
121
Repairing a flat tire
125
Space-saver spare tire
125
Changing tires
127
MINI Mobility System
129
Battery
132
Fuses
133
Giving and receiving assistance:Jump-starting
134
Towing and tow-starting
136
TECHNICAL DATAEngine data
140
Dimensions:

MINI
141

MINI Convertible
142
Weights:

MINI
143

MINI Convertible
144
Capacities
145

71
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
FLAT TIRE MONITOR The conceptAs you drive, the Flat Tire Monitor keeps
track of the tire inflation pressure in all four
tires. The system alerts you when there is a
substantial pressure loss in one of the tires
relative to another.The tire inflation pressures are monitored
based on the speeds of the four wheels in
relation to one another. A flat tire is
detected as the result of differences in cer
-
tain speed ratios, and a warning is gener
-
ated.System requirementsSo that the system can 'familiarize' itself
with the correct inflation pressure, please
do the following:1. Check the tire inflation pressure in all
tires2. Compare them with the inflation pres
-
sure table, refer to page
98, and adjust
the pressures if necessary
3. Initialize the system.
System limitations
The Flat Tire Monitor cannot alert you to severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors, nor does it
detect the gradual and minor loss of pres
-
sure in all four tires. could lead to a delayed detection of pres
-
sure loss or to the system not functioning:>Driving on snow-covered or slippery
roads>Performance-oriented driving: slip at the
drive wheels, high rates of lateral accel
-
eration>When driving with snow chains, false
warnings and undetected pressure loss
may occur>When driving with a space-saver spare
tire, the Flat Tire Monitor cannot func
-
tion.
Initializing the system
The system must be reinitialized immediately after changing a tire
and wheel, or after correcting the pressure
in any tire. This requires a bit of driving.<
1. Before a journey, start the engine, but do
not start driving2. Press the button long enough for the
indicator lamp in the display elements
to light up for a few seconds3. Drive off.It takes a few minutes before the Flat Tire
Monitor can detect a flat tire and issue an
alert.

72
FLAT TIRE MONITOR
AIRBAGS
Do not initialize the system if you are driving with snow chains or a space-
saver spare tire.<
Flat tire
The warning lamp lights up in yel
-
low. An acoustic signal also sounds.
There is a flat tire or a siginificant
loss of pressure in a tire.
1. Reduce speed and stop the vehicle with
caution. Avoid hard brake applications
and steering maneuvers2. Determine which tire is damaged
If this cannot be determined, con
-
tact your MINI Dealer.<
3. Repair the flat tire, refer to page
125
.
With Run Flat tires:1. Reduce vehicle speed carefully to under
50
mph
/ 80 km/h. Avoid hard brake
applications and steering maneuvers. Do
not exceed a speed of 50
mph
/ 80
km/h
2. Check the tire inflation pressure in all
four tires at the earliest opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure is cor
-
rect in all four tires, it is possible
that the Flat Tire Monitor was not initial
-
ized. In this case, initialize the system.<
3. To continue driving, follow the instruc
-
tions on driving with damaged tires on
page
101
.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up in yel
-
low. There is a malfunction in the
Flat Tire Monitor or the system has
failed. Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
The following airbags are located under the marked covers.MINI 1 Side airbags in seat backrest on the
driver and front passenger side: front2 Head airbags on the driver and passen
-
ger sides for both rows of seats: front/
rear3 Front airbags on the driver and passen
-
ger sidesMINI Convertible1 Side/head airbags in the seat backrest on
the driver and front passenger sides:
front2 Front airbags on the driver and passen
-
ger sides

87
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
LOADING CARGO
Avoid overloading the vehicle so that the permitted load on the tires is not
exceeded. Overloading can lead to over
-
heating and damage inside the tires.
Depending on the circumstances, this can
result in sudden air loss.<
Determining cargo limit1. Locate the following statement on your
vehicle's placard:
The combined weight of occu
-
pants and cargo should never
exceed XXX
kg or YYY
lbs, as this could
otherwise result in damage to the vehi
-
cle and unstable driving conditions.<
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle3. Substract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo
-
grams or YYY
pounds
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 800
lbs.:

1,400
lbs. minus 600
lbs. = 800
lbs.
5. Determine the combined weight of lug
-
gage 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,
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.

92
BREAK-IN PROCEDURES To ensure that your vehicle provides maxi
-
mum economy throughout a long service
life, we request that you comply with the
following information: EngineUp to 1,250
miles
/ 2,000
km:
Drive at varying engine and road speeds,
but do not exceed the following engine or
road speeds:4,500
rpm or

95 mph
/ 150
km/h.
Comply with the local speed limits.Absolutely avoid putting the accelerator in
full-throttle or kickdown position.After having driven 1,250
miles
/ 2,000
km,
engine and road speeds can be gradually
increased.
TiresDue to technical factors associated with
their manufacture, tires do not achieve
their full traction potential until after an
initial break-in period. Therefore drive care
-
fully during the first 200
miles
/ 300
km.
Brake systemApprox. 300
miles
/ 500
km must be driven
before the brake pads and rotors achieve
the optimum pad-surface and wear pat
-
terns required for trouble-free operation
and an extended service life.ClutchRoughly 300
miles
/ 500
km must be driven
before the clutch starts to operate at opti
-
mum efficiency. Remember to engage the
clutch carefully during this initial period.After a part replacementYou should again comply with these break-
in procedures if parts mentioned above
have to be replaced later in the vehicle's
life.

93
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
GENERAL DRIVING NOTESParking the vehicle Condensation forms in the air conditioner
system during operation, and then exits
under the vehicle. Traces of condensed
water on the ground are therefore normal.Safe braking Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a stan
-
dard feature. The best way to brake the
vehicle in critical situations requiring brak
-
ing is to apply maximum pressure to the
brake pedal: panic stop. Since the vehicle
remains maneuverable, you can still go
around any obstacles with the smallest
possible steering movements. The pulsation of the brake pedal, together
with the sound of hydraulic regulation,
indicates to you that ABS is actively taking
effect. Hydroplaning
When driving on wet or slushy roads, reduce road speed. If you do not, a
wedge of water can form between tires
and road surface. This phenomenon is char
-
acterized by a partial or complete loss of
contact between the tires and the road sur
-
face. The ultimate results are loss of steer
-
ing and braking control.<
Mobile communications in the vehicle
The manufacturer of your MINI

recommends that you do not use
mobile devices, e.g. cellular phones, inside
the vehicle without directly connecting
them to an outside antenna. Otherwise,
interference between the vehicle electron
-
ics and the mobile device cannot be ruled
out. In addition, it is not ensured that the
radiation emitted during mobile transmis
-
sion will be directed outside of the vehi
-
cle. Do not drive through water on the road if it is deeper than 1
ft / 30 cm,
and then only at walking speed at the
most. Otherwise, the vehicle's engine, the
electrical systems and the transmission
may be damaged.<
Clothes hooks
When suspending clothing from the hooks, ensure that they will not
obstruct the driver's vision. Do not hang
heavy objects on the hooks. If you do, they
could injure the occupants during braking
or evasive maneuvers.<
Hot exhaust system
High temperatures occur in any vehi
-
cle equipped with a catalytic con
-
verter. Do not remove the heat protection
plates fitted in the area of the exhaust sys
-
tem and do not apply body-cavity pro
-
tectant to this area. When driving, standing
at idle, and parking the vehicle, take care to
avoid contact between the hot exhaust sys
-
tem and flammable materials, e.g. hay,
grass, leaves, etc. Such contact could lead
to a fire resulting in serious personal injury
and property damage.<

97
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE Information for your safetyIt is not merely the tire's service life, but
also driving safety and driving comfort that
depend on the condition of the tires and
the maintenance of the specified tire pres
-
sure.
Check tire inflation pressures regu
-
larly and correct them if necessary,
including the space-saver spare tire: at
least twice a month and before long jour
-
neys. Failure to observe this precaution can
result in incorrect tire pressures, which
cause unstable handling response as well
as tire damage, and can ultimately lead to
an accident.

Do not drive with deflated, i.e. flat, tires
except if Run Flat tires are fitted. A flat tire
greatly impairs steering and braking
response, and can lead to complete loss of
control over the vehicle. cold tires. This means after driving a maxi
-
mum of 1.25
miles / 2
km or when the
vehicle has been parked for at least 2
hours.
Warm tires have higher pressures.
After correcting the tire inflation pressure,
reinitialize the Flat Tire Monitor, refer to
page
71.
Tire inflation pressures for original tiresThe tire inflation pressures for your stan
-
dard tires are shown on the driver's-side
door post, visible when the door is open.Tire inflation pressures for other tire
sizesIn the following tire pressure table, all pres
-
sures are given for the specified tire sizes at
ambient temperature.
In order to determine the correct inflation pressures for your tires,
refer to the values for the tire size in ques
-
tion.<
Checking the inflation pressure on the space-saver spare tireBehind the bumper there is a valve exten
-
sion accessible from the outside for check
-
ing the inflation pressure.Tire sizeThe tire inflation pressures apply to the tire
sizes approved and the tire brands recom
-
mended by the manufacturer of your MINI
or MINI Convertible. Your MINI Dealer will
be glad to advise you.

98
TIRE INFLATION PRESSUREModel
Tire size
Pressures specified in psi / kPa
All pressure specifications in the table are
indicated
in psi / kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
MINI COOPER
175/65 R 15 84 H175/65 R 15 84 Q M+S
30 / 210
35 / 240
35 / 240
35 / 240
195/55 R 16 87 H195/55 R 16 87 H M+S205/45 R 17 84 V205/45 R 17 84 V M+S
30 / 210
30 / 210
35 / 240
35 / 240
175/65 R 15 84 Q M+S175/60 R 15 82 Q M+S195/55 R 16 87 Q M+S205/45 R 17 84 Q M+S205/40 R 18 82 W
33 / 230
33 / 230
38 / 260
38 / 260
Space-saver spare tire T 115/70 R 15 90 M
61 / 420
61 / 420
61 / 420
61 / 420
MINI COOPER S
195/55 R 16 87 V195/55 R 16 87 V M+S
30 / 210
30 / 210
35 / 240
35 / 240
205/45 R 17 84 V205/45 R 17 84 Q M+S205/45 R 17 84 V M+S195/55 R 16 87 Q M+S
33 / 230
33 / 230
38 / 260
38 / 260
175/60 R 16 82 Q M+S205/40 R 18 82 W
36 / 250
36 / 250
41 / 280
41 / 280
More information about permissible loads and weights can be found on pages
143
, 144
.

99
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE CODINGKnowing the tire code on the tire's sidewall
makes it easier for you to choose and iden
-
tify the correct tires.Tire sizee.g. 205/45
R 17 84 V
Nominal width in mm Cross-sectional

ratio in % Radial belt construction Rim diameter in inches Load index,

not on ZR tiresSpeed code letter,

in front of the R on ZR tiresSpeed code letters:Q = up to 100 mph / 160
km/h
T= up to 118
mph
/ 190
km/h
H= up to 131
mph
/ 210
km/h
V= up to 150
mph
/ 240
km/h
W= up to 167
mph
/ 270
km/h
Tire Identification NumberTires with DOT codes meet the guidelines
of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:e.g. DOT xxxx xxx 2704Manufacturer's code

for tire make Tire size and

tire version Tire age Tire ageThe date on which the tire was manufac
-
tured is indicated by the code on the side
-
wall:

DOT...2704 indicates that the tire was man
-
ufactured in Week 27 of the year 2004.The manufacturer of your vehicle recom
-
mends replacing all tires after 6
years at
the latest, even if a tire service life of
10
years is possible.
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applica
-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width.

For example:Treadwear 200 Traction AATemperature A
DOT quality gradesTread wear Traction AA A B C Temperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.<
Tread wearThe tread wear grade is a comparative rat
-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.

For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one-half, 1
γ, times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.