run flat MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2006 Owner's Manual

3
OVERVIEW REPAIRS OPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
Driving:
Ignition lock53
Starting the engine53
Switching off the engine54
Parking brake54
Manual transmission55
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic56
Parking lamps/Low beams59
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher60
Instrument lighting61
Fog lamps61
Interior lamps61
Washer/wiper system62
Washer fluid63
Cruise control64
Everything under control:
Odometer66
Clock66
Fuel gauge66
Coolant temperature gauge67
Tachometer68
Service interval display68
Onboard computer69Technology for safety and driving
convenience:
Driving stability control systems71
Flat Tire Monitor73
Airbags75
Park Distance Control (PDC)77
Controlling the climate for pleasant
driving:
Air conditioning system78
Automatic climate control81
Interior conveniences:
Glove compartment84
Center armrest84
Drinks holders, ashtray85
Cigarette lighter, 12 V power supply85
Integrated universal remote control86
Loading and transporting cargo:
Luggage compartment in the MINI88
Luggage compartment in the MINI
Convertible89
Loading cargo90
Roof-mounted luggage rack93OPERATION, CARE, MAINTENANCE
Special operating instructions:
Break-in procedures96
General driving notes96
Refueling99
Wheels and tires:
Tire inflation pressure101
Tire coding105
Tire condition106
Run Flat tires108
New wheels and tires109
Snow chains110

42
SAFE SEATING POSITION
The ideal seating position can make a vital
contribution to relaxed, relatively fatigue-
free driving. Together with the safety belts
and airbags, the seating position also plays
an important role in providing occupants
with maximum levels of passive safety in
an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we
strongly urge you to observe the instruc-
tions contained in the following section.
For additional information about trans-
porting children safely, refer to page50.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate dis-
tance between yourself and all of the
airbags. Always hold the steering wheel by
the rim with the hands at the 9 and
3 o'clock positions to keep any chance of
injury to hands or arms to an absolute min-
imum, should the airbag be deployed.
No one and nothing is to come between
the airbags and the seat occupant. Do not
use the front passenger airbag cover as a
storage surface for objects of any kind.
Ensure that the front passenger is correctly
seated, e.g. that no feet or legs are propped
against the dashboard. Otherwise, leg
injury could result if the front passenger
airbag suddenly deployed.
Make sure that passengers do not lean
their heads against the side or head airbag,
as injuries could result if the side airbags
were triggered.<
Even if all these instructions are followed, it
cannot entirely be ruled out that in some
circumstances injury may result from con-
tact with the airbags. In sensitive individu-
als, the ignition and inflation noise may
induce a mild hearing loss that is usually
temporary.
For airbag locations and additional infor-
mation on airbags, refer to page75.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces
the risk of injury to the cervical spine in the
event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a
way that it is centered roughly at ear
level. Otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury in the event of an accident.<
Safety belt
Fasten your safety belt before each drive.
Airbags are an additional safety device and
work in conjunction with the safety belts,
but do not replace them. Your vehicle is
equipped with four seats, each of which is
provided with a safety belt.
Expectant mothers should always
wear their safety belts, taking care to
position the belt in the pelvic area against
the lower hips, where it will not exert pres-
sure against the abdomen.
Never allow more than one person to wear
a single safety belt. Never allow infants or
small children to ride in a passenger's lap.
Do not route the belt across your neck, or
run it across sharp edges. Be sure that the
belt does not become caught or jammed.
Avoid twisting the belt while routing it
firmly across the hips and shoulder; wear it
as snugly against your body as possible and
do not allow it to rest against hard or frag-
ile objects. Otherwise, the belt in the pelvic
area could slide over the hips in the event
of a frontal impact, leading to abdominal
injury. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and
pull the belt in the upper-body area upward
periodically to retension it. Otherwise, the
restraining effect of the safety belt could
be diminished.<
For information on using the safety belts,
refer to page46.

74
FLAT TIRE MONITOR
Flat tire warning
The warning lamp lights up in yel-
low. An acoustic signal also sounds.
There is a flat tire or a significant
loss of pressure in a tire.
1. Reduce speed and stop the vehicle with
caution. Avoid hard brake applications
and steering maneuvers.
2. Determine which tire is damaged.
If this cannot be determined, con-
tact your MINI Dealer.<
3. Repair the flat tire, refer to page131.
Vehicles 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.
Do not continue driving if the vehi-
cle is not equipped with Run Flat
tires, refer to page108. If you continue
to drive with a flat tire, a serious acci-
dent could result.<
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. If there is a total loss of tire inflation
pressure, 0 psi/0 kPa, or obvious tire
damage, you can gauge the mileage for
continued driving on the basis of the fol-
lowing indications:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, full luggage compartment, or
4 persons without luggage:
approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 persons or more, full luggage compart-
ment:
approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Drive cautiously. Do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph / 80 km/h. In case of
tire pressure loss you must expect changes
in vehicle handling such as lower track sta-
bility during braking, longer braking dis-
tances and changes in self-steering proper-
ties when close to the handling limit.
For safety reasons, the manufacturer of
your MINI recommends not having dam-
aged Run Flat tires repaired, but to consult
a MINI Dealer in such cases. 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.

101
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE
Information for your safety
It 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.
Checking tire inflation pressures
Check the tire inflation pressures only on
cold tires. This means after driving a maxi-
mum of 1.25 miles/2 km or when the vehi-
cle has been parked for at least 2 hours.
Warm tires have higher pressures.
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. Otherwise, incorrect tire pressures
can cause driving instability or tire damage,
ultimately resulting in accidents. 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.<
After correcting the tire inflation
pressure, reinitialize the Flat Tire
Monitor, refer to page73.<
Tire inflation pressures for original
tires
The 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
sizes
In 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 tire
Behind the bumper there is a valve exten-
sion accessible from the outside for check-
ing the inflation pressure.
Tire size
The tire inflation pressures apply to the tire
sizes approved and the tire brands recom-
mended by the manufacturer of your MINI.
Your MINI Dealer will be glad to advise you.

106
TIRE CODING TIRE CONDITION
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction per-
formance.
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.<
Temperature
The temperature grades are A, the highest,
B and C, representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified indoor lab-
oratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.<
RSC: Run Flat tires
You will recognize Run Flat tires by a circu-
lar symbol containing the letters RSC on
the side of the tire, refer to page108.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter performance
properties than summer tires.
Inspect your tires frequently for tread wear,
signs of damage and for foreign objects
lodged in the tread. Check the tread depth.
Tire tread
Tread depth should not be allowed to go
below 1/8 in/3 mm even though in Europe,
for example, the legally specified minimum
tread depth is only 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Below 1/8 in/3 mm tread depth, there is a
very high danger of hydroplaning at higher
speeds, even with only small amounts of
water on the road.
At tread depths below approx. 1/6 in/
4 mm, the ability of winter tires to cope
with winter driving conditions decreases
perceptibly. For safety reasons, new tires
should be mounted.

108
RUN FLAT TIRES*
You will recognize Run Flat tires by a circu-
lar symbol containing the letters RSC on
the side of the tire.
Run Flat tires consist of conditionally self-
supporting tires and special rims. The tire
reinforcement ensures that driving
remains possible to a restricted degree in
the event of a pressure drop or even a flat
tire.
For information on continuing to drive with
a flat tire, refer to Flat tire warning,
page74.
Tire change set
In case of a flat tire, the tire change
set is not needed, since your vehicle
has Run Flat tires.
When changing a tire, always observe the
safety measures and the procedure for
changing tires starting on page131.<
Your vehicle is additionally equipped with a
tire change set.
In the MINI COOPER and MINI COOPER Con-
vertible this is located in the luggage com-
partment under the floor mat.
In the MINI COOPER S and MINI COOPER S
Convertible, the tire change set is located in
a separate bag which is attached to the
lashing eyelets on the luggage compart-
ment floor by means of tie-down straps.
Have new wheels and tires mounted
only by your MINI Dealer or a special-
ized tire shop that has specially trained per-
sonnel working in accordance with the
specifications of the MINI manufacturer.
Work that is improperly carried out could
result in consequential damage and pose
safety hazards.<
Retreaded tires
The manufacturer of your MINI rec-
ommends that you avoid using
retreaded tires, as this could impair driving
safety. This is due to possible variations in
casing structures and, in some cases, to
their extreme age, factors which can lead
to limited durability.<

109
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATIONCONTROLS DATA INDEX
NEW WHEELS AND TIRES
The correct wheels and tires
The manufacturer of your MINI rec-
ommends mounting only wheels and
tires that it has specifically approved for
use on your particular model. Although
other wheels and tires may theoretically
have the same dimensions, variations in
factors such as manufacturing tolerances
can result in contact between tire and
bodywork, ultimately leading to serious
accidents. The manufacturer of your MINI
cannot evaluate non-approved wheels and
tires to determine if they are suited for use,
and therefore cannot ensure the operating
safety of the vehicle if they are mounted.<
Your MINI Dealer will be glad to inform you
about the correct wheel and tire combina-
tion for your vehicle.
The correct wheel and tire combination is
also important for various systems that
would otherwise be impaired, e.g. ABS or
DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single brand
and tread configuration. In the event of tire
damage, remount the previous wheel and
tire combination as soon as possible.
Run Flat tires
For your own safety, use Run Flat tires
when mounting new tires or replacing
summer tires with winter tires or vice
versa. Keep in mind that no spare wheel is
available in the event of a flat. Your MINI
Dealer will be glad to advise you.
For safety reasons, the manufacturer
of your MINI recommends having
Run Flat tires replaced, not repaired, if they
are damaged.<
Tire designation
For each tire size, the manufacturer of your
MINI recommends certain tire brands. You
can recognize these by the clearly visible
designation on the tire's sidewall.
When used properly these tires meet the
highest standards regarding safety and
handling characteristics.

126
ONBOARD TOOL KIT WIPER BLADES
The picture shows as an example the tire
change set with onboard tools for vehicles
with the space-saver spare tire.
Depending on the equipment version, your
vehicle is equipped with a special onboard
tool kit stored at the locations described
below:
Tire change set with onboard tools for
space-saver spare tire
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
MINI Mobility System with tire change
set and onboard tools
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
Tire change set and onboard tool kit
with Run Flat tires
MINI COOPER and MINI COOPER Convert-
ible:
>In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
MINI COOPER S and MINI COOPER S Con-
vertible:
>Tire change set:
In the luggage compartment in a sepa-
rate pouch
>Onboard tool kit:
In the luggage compartment under the
floor mat.
Windshield wiper
1. Rotate the wiper arm completely out
from the windshield
2. Set the wiper blade at an angle
3. Press the securing spring, see arrow
4. Unhook the wiper blade towards the
windshield
5. Pull the wiper blade past the wiper arm
toward the top
6. Insert the new wiper blade
7. Press into position until you hear it
engage.

131
OVERVIEW REPAIRSOPERATION CONTROLS DATA INDEX
REPAIRING A FLAT TIRE SPACE-SAVER SPARE TIRE*
Safety measures in the event of a flat
tire:
Stop the vehicle as far as possible from
passing traffic. Switch on the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead wheel position and engage the
steering lock. Engage the parking brake and
shift into 1st or reverse gear – selector lever
in P.
All passengers should be outside the vehi-
cle and well away from your immediate
working area – behind a guardrail, for
instance.
If a portable hazard warning lamp is avail-
able, set it up on the roadside at an appro-
priate distance from the rear of the vehicle.
Comply with all safety guidelines and regu-
lations.<
In the event of a flat tire, different proce-
dures should be followed depending on the
equipment included in your vehicle:
>Vehicles with Run Flat tires, refer to
page108
>Vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
refer to the following section
>Vehicles with MINI Mobility System,
refer to page135.To change a space-saver spare tire, proceed
as follows:
>Remove space-saver spare tire, refer to
the section after the next one
>Prepare for tire change, refer to page133
>Jack up the vehicle, refer to page134
>Mount the space-saver spare tire, refer
to page134
>Tighten the lug bolts, refer to page134
>Drive with space-saver spare tire, refer to
page133.
Tire change set
On vehicles with a space-saver spare tire,
the tire change set with onboard tools is
stored in the luggage compartment under
the floor mat.
1 Chock, folding
2 Hubcap remover
3 Wheel stud wrench
4Jack
5 Special wrench for removing the space-
saver spare tire
6 Towing eyelet
7 Lifting handle
The onboard tool kit includes a pouch with
a plastic bag in which you can place the
damaged wheel.

136
MINI MOBILITY SYSTEM*
Pumping in liquid sealant
1. Shake the filling canister
2. Screw the filling hose onto the filling
canister
3. Unscrew the dust protection cap from
the valve of the defective tire
4. Screw out the valve core with the valve
remover. The valve remover is located in
a package with the filling hose.
Place the valve core and valve
remover only on clean surfaces.<
5. Remove the cap from the filling hose
6. Push the filling hose onto the tire valve
7. Hold the filling canister with the cap
down and squeeze.
Squeeze the entire contents of the canis-
ter into the tire
8. Remove filling hose
9. Screw valve core into the tire valve with
the valve remover.
In the event of a lost or dirty valve
core you will find another valve core
in a package with the filling hose.
Please remember that the liquid canister
must be replaced every four years if the
equipment has not been used.<
Reinflating the tire
1. Screw hose 1 with manometer onto the
tire valve
2. Connect plug 3 to the cigarette lighter
socket in the vehicle interior, refer to
page85
3. Ignition key in position 1:
Turn on compressor 2
4. Inflate the tires to at least 26 psi/
180 kPa, but not to more than 36 psi/
250 kPa.
To check the current air pressure, shut
off the device for a short time.
Do not run the compressor for
longer than 6 minutes, otherwise
the device will overheat and possibly be
damaged.<