steering MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2007 Owner's Manual

Cockpit
10
Cockpit
Around the steering wheel: Controls and displays

Reference
At a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
11
1Folding exterior mirrors in and out*31
6Ignition lock35
7Buttons
* on right of steering wheelButtons
* on left of steering wheel
8Horn: the entire surface
9Adjusting the steering wheel32
10Releasing the bonnet94 2
Parking lamps59
Low beams59
Automatic headlamp control
*59
Turn signals39
High beams, headlamp flasher61
Roadside parking lamps
*61
Computer
*45
3Tachometer12
Instrument lighting62
4
Wiper system40
5Switching the ignition on/off and
starting/stopping the engine35
Continuing cruise control
*42
Storing speed and accelerating or
decelerating
Activating/deactivating cruise
control
*42
Telephone*:
>Press: accepting and ending a
call, starting dialing
* of
selected phone number and
redialing if no phone number is
selected
>Press longer: redialing
Volume
Activating/deactivating voice com-
mand system
*
Changing radio station
Selecting music track
Scrolling through phone book and
lists with stored phone numbers

Adjustments
28
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital contri-
bution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head restraints
and the airbags, the seated position has a major
influence on your safety in the event of an acci-
dent. To ensure that the safety systems operate
with optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to
observe the instructions contained in the follow-
ing section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page33.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance
between yourself and the airbags. Always
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
minimize the risk of injury to the hands or arms
in the event of the airbag being triggered off.
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant.
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the
front passenger side as a storage area. 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 airbag suddenly deployed.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their
heads against the side airbags, otherwise seri-
ous injuries could result if the airbags suddenly
deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be
fully excluded, depending on the circumstances.
The ignition and inflation noise may provoke a
mild hearing loss in extremely sensitive individ-
uals. This effect is usually only temporary.
For airbag locations and additional information
on airbags, refer to page57.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page30.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the
safety belt as an additional safety device, but
they do not represent a substitute.
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.
Make sure that the belt in the lap area sits low
across the hips and does not press against the
abdomen. The safety belt must not rest against
the throat, run across sharp edges, pass over
hard or fragile objects or be pinched. Fasten the
safety belt so that it is pulled taut across the lap
and shoulder, fitting the body snugly without
any twists. Otherwise the belt could slide over
the hips in the event of a frontal collision and
injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing bulky cloth-
ing and regularly pull the belt in the upper-body
area taut, otherwise its restraining effect could
be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page30.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while
the vehicle is moving. The seat could
respond with unexpected movement, and the
ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
On the front passenger seat as well, do not

Adjustments
32
Interior rearview mirror
To reduce glare from vehicles behind you when
you are driving at night:
Turn the knob.
Interior mirror, automatic dimming*
The automatic dimming feature of the interior
rearview mirror
* is controlled by two photo cells
in the mirror. One photo cell is in the mirror
frame, arrow; the other is on the back of the mir-
ror.
In order to ensure that the system functions cor-
rectly, keep the photo cells clean, do not cover
the area between the interior rearview mirror
and windshield, and do not affix adhesive labels
or stickers of any kind to the windshield directly
in front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjustments
Do not adjust the steering wheel position
while the car is in motion, otherwise there
is a risk of accident due to an unexpected move-
ment.<1.Fold the lever down.
2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
distance and angle to suit your seated posi-
tion.
3.Swing the lever back up.
Do not use force to swing the lever
back up, otherwise the mechanism
will be damaged.<
Electric steering wheel lock
The steering wheel locks or unlocks automati-
cally when the key is removed or inserted.
When using convenient access
*, the steering
wheel locks or unlocks automatically when the
vehicle is locked and unlocked or when the
remote control is detected inside the vehicle.

ReferenceAt a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
35
Driving
Ignition lock
Insert the key all the way into the ignition lock.
>Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate.
>The electric steering wheel lock disengages
audibly.
Insert the key into the ignition lock before
you move the vehicle, otherwise the elec-
tric steering wheel lock will not disengage and
you will not be able to steer the car.<
Removing the key from the ignition lock
Press in the key briefly. It is ejected slightly.
At the same time:
>The ignition is switched off if it was on
beforehand.
>The electric steering wheel lock engages
audibly.
Automatic transmission
You cannot take out the key unless the selector
lever is in the P position: interlock.
Start/stop button
Briefly press the start/stop button to switch radio
readiness or the ignition on or off. Do not
depress the brake or clutch while doing so.
Briefly pressing the start/stop button while
the brake or clutch is depressed starts the
engine.<
Radio readiness
Individual electrical consumers can operate. The
time and outside temperature are displayed in
the tachometer.
Radio readiness is switched off automatically:
>When the key is removed from the ignition
lock
>When using convenient access
* by pushing
the button on the door handle or the
button on the remote control, refer to Lock-
ing on page24
Ignition on
Most indicator and warning lamps in indicator
area 1 of the displays, page13, light up for vary-
ing lengths of time.
When the engine is off, turn off the igni-
tion and any unnecessary electrical con-
sumers in order to preserve the battery.<
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the displays
go out.

Driving
38
>Before moving the lever away from P or N
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the
brake; otherwise the selector lever will
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping
after you select a driving position,
depress the brake until you are ready to
start.<
A lock prevents accidental shifting into selector
lever positions R and P.
Overriding the selector lever lock
Press the button on the front of the selector
lever, arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
The transmission locks to prevent the drive
wheels from turning.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral, idle
Select this when you are in a car wash, for exam-
ple. The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operation conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you drive in position D.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum
performance. Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point.
Sport program and manual operation
M/S
Move the selector lever from position D to the
left into the M/S shifting slot:
The Sport program is activated and DS is dis-
played.
Shifting with the selector lever
Push the selector lever forward or pull it back to
activate manual operation. Steptronic shifts the
gear.
>Pull the selector lever in the + direction.
Transmission shifts up.
>Push the selector lever in the – direction.
Transmission shifts down.
M1 to M6 is displayed in the gear indicator.
To use the automatic mode again, move the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only when
they will result in a plausible combination of
engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example, a
downshift that would cause the engine to over-
rev will not be executed by the system. The
selected gear is displayed briefly, followed by
the actual gear.
Shifting on the steering wheel
With the selector lever in position D, automatic
drive, you can shift gears using the shift paddles
on the steering wheel. The transmission auto-
matically switches to manual mode.
If you do not shift gears with the shift paddles or
accelerate for a certain amount of time, the

ReferenceAt a glance Controls Driving tips Mobility
39
transmission automatically returns to D, auto-
matic drive.
>Pull one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts up.
>Push one of the shift paddles.
Transmission shifts down.
M1 to M6 is displayed in the gear indicator.
Overriding the selector lever lock
Should the selector lever refuse to move out of
position P although the button on the selector
lever is pressed, the selector lever lock can be
overridden:
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever
until the sleeve is inside out. Disconnect the
cable connector if necessary.
3.Depress the brake.
4.Pull up the loop on t he passeng er side w hile
at the same time moving the selector lever
into the desired position.
Sport button*
Pressing the button causes your MINI to respond
even more sportily.>Engine responds more spontaneously to
movements of the accelerator.
>Steering response is more direct.
With automatic transmission:
>More rapid gear shifting in Sport program
Activating the system
Press the SPORT button.
Deactivating the system
>Press the SPORT button again or
>switch off the engine.
Turn signals/
headlamp flasher
1Turn signal indicators
2Headlamp flasher
Using turn signals
Press the lever beyond the resistance point.
To turn off manually, press the lever to the resis-
tance point.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a bulb has failed.<

Driving
42
Washer fluid
Washer fluid antifreeze is flammable.
Always keep it well away from sparks and
open flames, and store it in the tightly closed
original container, well out of the reach of chil-
dren. Comply with the instructions on the con-
tainer.<
Washer fluid reservoir
Fill with water and, if required, with a washer
antifreeze, according to manufacturer's recom-
mendations.
Mix the water and antifreeze before filling
the washer fluid reservoir to make sure
the correct concentration is maintained.<
Capacity
Approx. 2.6 US quarts/2.5 liters.
With headlamp washer system:
Approx. 4.8 US quarts/4.5 liters.
Cruise control*
The concept
Cruise control is available for use at speeds
above approx. 20 mph or 30 km/h. The car then
stores and maintains the speed that you specify
using the button on the steering wheel.
Do not use cruise control when driving at
constant speed is prevented by adverse
conditions, e.g. winding roads, dense traffic or
poor road conditions due to, e.g., snow, rain, ice
or loose surfaces. Otherwise you could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result.<
Activating
1Resuming cruise control
2Activating/deactivating cruise control
3Maintaining, storing and increasing speed
4Maintaining, storing and decreasing speed
The indicator lamp in the speedometer comes
on. Cruise control is ready and can be activated.
Activating/deactivating cruise control
Press button 2.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
>When the brakes are applied
>When the clutch is depressed
>When the automatic transmission is in selec-
tion lever position N
>When the driving stability control system is
active
Cruise control is not deactivated by depressing
the accelerator pedal. Once the accelerator
pedal is released, the stored speed is achieved
again and maintained.
The stored speed is cleared when the ignition is
switched off.
Maintaining current speed
Press button3.
The system maintains and stores the current
vehicle speed.
If, on a downhill grade, the engine braking effect
is not sufficient, the controlled speed may be
exceeded. On uphill grades vehicle speed may
drop if the engine output is insufficient.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
54
ABS Antilock Brake System
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during brak-
ing. Safe steering response is maintained even
during full braking. Active safety is thus
increased.
Braking safely, refer to page77.
ABS includes the following functions:
>CBC Cornering Brake Control
>Electronic brake-force distribution
Cornering Brake Control
Driving stability and steering characteristics are
further enhanced while braking in turns or dur-
ing a lane change.
Electronic brake-force distribution
The system controls the brake pressure in the
rear wheels to ensure stable braking behavior.
Brake Assist
Rapid braking causes the system to automati-
cally develop maximum braking force. The sys-
tem helps keep the braking distance to a mini-
mum.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the
duration of the full braking application.
ASC All-Season Traction Control*
ASC prevents slip at the drive wheels while start-
ing off and accelerating the vehicle.
This system optimizes driving stability and trac-
tion, especially when driving off, accelerating
and cornering, by reducing engine output and, if
necessary, braking the front wheels.
ASC encompasses the following functions:
>ABS Antilock Brake System
>Brake Assist
>Hill Start Assist
DSC Dynamic Stability Control*
DSC prevents the driving wheels from losing
traction when you pull away from rest or accel-
erate. DSC also recognizes unstable driving con-
ditions, for example if the rear of the car is about
to swerve or if momentum is acting at an angle past the front wheels. In these cases, DSC helps
the vehicle maintain a safe course within physi-
cal limits by reducing engine output and
through braking actions at the individual
wheels.
DSC also encompasses the following functions:
>ASC All-Season Traction Control
>ABS Antilock Brake System
>Brake Assist
>Hill Start Assist
Deactivating ASC or DSC
Press the button repeatedly until the indicator
lamp for the ASC or DSC comes on. ASC or DSC
are deactivated. Stabilizing and drive-output
promoting actions are no longer executed.
When driving with snow chains or to 'rock free'
in snow, it can be helpful to switch off ASC/DSC
for a brief period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate ASC/DSC
again as soon as possible.
Activating ASC or DSC
Press the button again. The indicator lamps go
out.
For better control
If the indicator lamp flashes:
ASC or DSC controls the driving and
braking forces.
If the indicator lamps are on:
ASC or DSC is fully deactivated.

Technology for driving comfort and safety
56
4.Briefly press the button repeatedly until the
corresponding symbol and "RESET" are dis-
played.
5.Press and hold the button until the display
changes.
6.Start driving.
Initialization is completed while the car is on
the move, without any feedback.
Indication of a flat tire
The warning lamps come on in yellow
and red. An acoustic signal also sounds.
There is a flat tire or substantial loss of
tire pressure.
1.Reduce speed and stop the vehicle with cau-
tion. Avoid sudden braking and steering
maneuvers.
2.Check whether your vehicle is equipped
with normal tires or Run-Flat Tires.
The symbol identifying Run-Flat Tires
is a circle with the letters RSC on the
sidewall, refer to Run-Flat Tires, page92.<
Normal tires
1.Determine which tire is damaged.
If this cannot be determined, contact
your MINI Dealer.<
2.Repair the flat tire, refer to page106, or
change the damaged tire, refer to page108.
Run-Flat Tires*
1.Cautiously reduce speed to below 50 mph
or 80 km/h. Avoid sudden braking and steering maneuvers. Do not exceed a speed
of 50 mph or 80 km/h.
Do not continue driving if the vehicle is
not equipped with Run-Flat Tires,
page92, otherwise a serious accident could
result.<
2.At the next opportunity, check the air pres-
sure in all four tires.
If all four tires are inflated to the cor-
rect pressures, the Flat Tire Monitor
might not have been initialized. The system
must then be initialized.<
3.In the event of complete tire pressure loss,
0 psi/0 kPa, you can estimate the possible
distance for continued driving on the basis
of the following guidelines:
>With a light load:
1 to 2 persons without luggage:
approx. 155 miles/250 km
>With a medium load:
2 persons, cargo area full, or 4 persons
without luggage:
approx. 90 miles/150 km
>With a full load:
4 persons, cargo area full:
approx. 30 miles/50 km
Drive cautiously and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph or 80 km/h. In the event
of pressure loss, vehicle handling changes. This
includes reduced tracking stability in braking,
extended braking distance and altered natural
steering characteristics.
If unusual vibration or loud noises occur during
the journey, this may be an indication that the
damaged tire has finally failed. Reduce the vehi-
cle speed and stop as soon as possible. Other-
wise, sections of the tire may come loose and
cause accidents. Do not continue driving and
contact your MINI Dealer.<
Malfunction
The warning lamps light up in yellow.
There is a malfunction in the Flat Tire
Monitor or the system has failed. Have
the system checked as soon as possible.