suspension MINI Hardtop 2 Door 2010 Owner's Manual

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
5
For your safety
Maintenance and repair
Advanced technology, e.g. the use of
modern materials and powerful electron-
ics, requires specially adapted maintenance and
repair methods. Therefore, have the necessary
work on your MINI only carried out by a MINI
dealer or a workshop that has specially trained
personnel working in accordance with the spec-
ifications of the MINI manufacturer. If this work
is not carried out properly, there is a danger of
subsequent damage and related safety haz-
ards.<
Parts and accessories
For your own safety, use genuine parts
and accessories approved by the manu-
facturer of the MINI.
When you purchase accessories tested
and approved by the manufacturer of the MINI
and Original MINI Parts, you simultaneously
acquire the assurance that they have been thor-
oughly tested by the manufacturer of the MINI
to ensure optimum performance when installed
on your vehicle.
The manufacturer of the MINI warrants these
parts to be free from defects in material and
workmanship.
The manufacturer of the MINI will not accept any
liability for damage resulting from installation of
parts and accessories not approved by the man-
ufacturer of the MINI.
The manufacturer of the MINI cannot test every
product made by other manufacturers to verify
i f i t c a n b e u s e d o n a M I N I s a f e l y a n d w i t h o u t r i s k
to either the vehicle, its operation, or its occu-
pants.
Original MINI Parts, MINI Accessories and other
products approved by the manufacturer of the
MINI, together with professional advice on using
these items, are available from all MINI dealers.
Installation and operation of accessories that
have not been approved by the manufacturer of
your MINI, such as alarms, radios, amplifiers,
radar detectors, wheels, suspension compo-nents, brake dust shields, telephones, including
operation of any mobile phone from within the
vehicle without using an externally mounted
antenna, or transceiver equipment, for instance,
CBs, walkie-talkies, ham radios or similar acces-
sories, may cause extensive damage to the vehi-
cle, compromise its safety, interfere with the
vehicle's electrical system or affect the validity of
the MINI Limited Warranty. See your MINI dealer
for additional information.<
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and systems
may be performed by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using any certified
automotive part. California law requires us to issue the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of
automobile components and parts,
including components found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other repro-
ductive harm.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds. Wash your
hands after handling.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals. Always
protect your skin by washing thoroughly with
soap and water.<
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly.
Your MINI is covered by the following warran-
ties:
>New Vehicle Limited Warranty
>Rust Perforation Limited Warranty

REFERENCEAT A GLANCE CONTROLS DRIVING TIPS MOBILITY
113
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent lev-
els of performance on the laboratory test wheel
that exceed 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 sep-
arately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.<
RSC - run-flat tires*
You will recognize run-flat tires by a circular
symbol containing the letters RSC on the side of
the tire, page114.
M+S
Winter and all-season tires.
These have better winter properties than sum-
mer tires.
XL
Designation for specially reinforced tires.
Tire condition
Inspect your tires regularly for tread wear, signs
of damage and for foreign objects lodged in the
tread. Check the tread depth.
Tread depth
The tread depth should not drop below 1/8 in/
3 mm, although, for example, European legisla-
tion only specifies a minimum tread depth of
1/16 in/1.6 mm. At tread depths below 1/8 in/
3 mm there is an increased risk of high-speed
hydroplaning, even when only small amounts of
water are present on the road surface.
Winter tires
When winter tires wear down past a tread depth
of 1/6 in/4 mm, they become perceptibly less
suitable for winter conditions. In the interest of
safety, new tires should be installed.
Minimum tread depth
Wear indicators in the base of the tread groove
are distributed around the tire's circumference;
the letters TWI, for Tread Wear Indicator, on the
tire's sidewalls identify tires that incorporate
these wear indicators. When tire tread is worn
down to the level of the wear indicators, the
remaining tread depth is 1/16 in/1.6 mm.
Tire damage
Due to low-profile tires, please note that wheels,
tires and suspensions parts are more susceptible
to road hazards and consequential damages.
Unusual vibrations encountered during normal
vehicle operation can indicate tire failure or
some other vehicle defect. This can, for exam-
ple, be caused by driving over curbs. The same
applies to any other abnormal road behavior,
such as pulling severely to the right or left.
In these cases, reduce speed immediately
and have wheels and tires thoroughly
checked. To do so, drive carefully to the nearest
MINI dealer or tire shop that works according to
MINI repair procedures with correspondingly
trained personnel. If necessary, have the vehicle
towed there.
Otherwise, tire damage can be extremely dan-
gerous for vehicle occupants and other road
users.<
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in
the tire coding:
DOT ... 0810 means that the tire was manufac-
tured in week 8 of 2010.