I asked my dealer about it this past weekend and they had no idea(!).
Anyone else have an idea?
button under e-brake.... link


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Motor On!!..... Mini Me!!

 

I believe that has to do with the run flat tires. You will note on the button pictogram that it is a cut-away view of a tire. I can't remember exactly what its purpose was though. I do know the system must be recalibrated any time replacements or changes are made to the tires. The run flat warning system works by sensing wheel speed. A punctured tire will have a very slightly reduced rotation speed caused by increased drag.

 

This button does work with the run flat tires. Basically, you set the air pressure to the level you want in your tires and then press this button. This calibrates the monitoring system to those pressure levels the tires are currently at, then if the system detects the pressure decreasing you get the warning of a flat tire. :smile:

 

Thanks for the fallow up you two. :smile:

Ok I've got one more..... dash.... link

The button just up and to the left of the speedo (in this case the nav.). Directly opposite the hazard button.
The button has a pick of the speedo or tack on it.
While on my test drive I asked about this one too with no luck.
The girl told me to push it and see what happens........ Nothing...
Anyone have an idea.

Sorry the pic isn't that great.
SW

 

The button you speak of is the dimmer for the dash lights.
Does the tire button only work w/ the run flat tires? Are they optional? We had a front tire run flat.

 

The tire pressure sensor is only for the run flat tires I believe. The reason they have this is the S model does not come with a spare tire so knowing in advance your getting a flat is a big help.

 

After looking on the miniusa site I've figured out the details on the runflat button issue.
This button is (from what they say on the site) standard on both the Cooper and S.
Both models have a tire pressure indicator built in with a warning light in the speedo.
The button under the e-brake is a deactivation switch. I would guess that you could do this if it becomes an annoyance.
SW

 

Tire warning is not exclusive to Runflat tires only. It is available on models with standard tires.

 

All MINIs have this feature. The warning indicator is triggered by the ABS brake system, which can sense a difference in the tire pressure from a preset value (by sensing differences in the wheel rotation). The button under the e-brake is the calibration button. Whenever the tires are changed out or the air pressure in any of the tires are adjusted, you press the button to reset the calibration.