A friend just totaled his MCS. I know the guy who bought the remains and I was wondering if I could get the Automatic HVAC controls and retrofit them to MIB. MIB has manual HVAC controls....

Anyone?

 

Doubt it. The systems are highly computerized and networked and you probably need the right software too. The manuyal system may not have the temp sensors either.

 

It would be hard, but someone could do it. I LOVE the automatic AC. Ome of my other cars, (2000 for excursion) doesnt have it and it DRIVES ME CRAZY! I will never be able to own another car without it. But, thats not your problem. You friend already sold ya! Good luck!

P.S. Sorry about your friends mishap, hope he is ok! MINI, RIP.

William

 

I have just the opposite opinion as qwertmonkey...I hate the auto temp control option. I can't get fresh air in the cabin, makes the AC come on when I wish I had the power rather than cool temps, and is a pain to make the defroster work with the other vents. I curse it almost daily, and call it vile names (making sure to remind the rest of my MINI that these insults don't apply to the rest of the car!).

Since clearly this is a matter of personal preference, maybe you could trade cars with someone for a day to see what the auto climiate control is like?

 

I think it could be retrofitted, just need to make sure you grab all the sensors install everything and then take it to the dealer and ask them to do the programming, they may charge you a minimal labor rate (like $30-50) but they may also be nice and do it free if you have it done with other service. Just don't expect it to work until its reprogrammed. Check real OEM to make sure you get all the parts, most things are prewired on the MINI, but it diesn't hurt to check first.

 

Just for any newbies who are thinking of ordering, you can spec the sunroof and/or cruise control ala carte and you'll get the manual air. Personally I've gotten use to auto temp control.

I thought I was getting fresh air when I hit 'auto' and then turned off the snowflake. ???

 

That's just what I did .

I'm so happy to get manual climate control again. The thing I despise about auto climate is that the system must be on and fan turning to get fresh air. With manual climate, the outside vent gates stay open and you get forced fresh air through the system with the fan off.. [heated even, but not A/C cooled].

 

I took from stock and this was intially a consecsion for me but I've since grown quite pleased with the system. Also I've never had auto climate, but used many systems in others cars. I liked the MINI system over others, but still like my manual controls as well.

I can get heated and cooled air without the fan on, but if I want A/C (dryed cooled air) then I need to run the fan.

 

Well you basically can add just about anything, that you didn't specify on ordering, but the sunroof or automatic tranny at the dealer. I was just wondering.

 

FWIW, you get fresh air - just turn off the AC when you turn the system on. If you turn OFF the system, you'll still get air.
The manic defroster setup can be minimized by holding down the defroster button - that takes it off of the 'hurricane' setting.
I can't make you like the auto, but maybe hate it a little less...

 

You sure about that I've demo'd a manual climate back-to-back with auto climate, my sister has an auto climate MCS, and I've owned a number of German cars (VW, Audi, BMW) in both manual and auto climate flavors... they've all worked exactly the same way.... on the auto climate, if you turn the fan off (which turns the they system off) and you cannot feel any air move through the vents.... and it's not due to the recirculating button.

THIS GUY seems to agree

(Not that having to use the fan is such a big deal for most people, it's just that I've had more than one noisy/squeaky fans in the past that used to drive me crazy.. :impatient, so I will always opt for manual system, if I have a choice.)

 

As said in the post before yours, you have to turn the system on (press auto), turn off the a/c (press snowflake), then when you turn off the fan (press minus on fan until off), then you get fresh air.

Not the easiest way, but it works.

 

newbie diy'er here, so just to confirm, i could mount this '03 climate control in my '03 mcs, have the dealer do some programming and I'm good to go?

Is the temp sensor in the unit? or remotely installed?

 

After living with auto air in my wifes 1994 Volvpo 960 I swore I would never have it in any other future cars. They have this deal that turns off the compressor when you are going uphill to save gas, so if you have a long way to go uphill (like going west into Flagstaff) it never comes on. And the worst part is that you cannot disable the system. However having had my 06 MCS with auto air for a month I like it a lot, it isn't perfect but I would not be without it now.

 

I just got my new MC and it has the auto climate control. Cool looking controls anyway, even if I don't understand how everything works. I think the biggest short-coming of the feature is not the technology but rather the very poor write-up in the owner's manual. There isn't a word about how to turn the heat on, and the procedure for defrost is restated several times in such a confusing manner that I will simply have to wait until this winter to figure it out on my own.

One thing I have noticed, there sure is a noticable drag on the engine when the air conditioning is being used. On my 3.8 Liter Buick Regal there is no change at all to performance with or without the air conditioning going. Must be that big 3.000 pound stone fly-wheel in the transmission that does the trick!

 

I am not sure if it will totally work. The Auto Air has 8 fan speed settings, where the manual only has 4. So it may require you to replace the blower as well.

 

I believe there are temp setting sensors in several places in the center console. It's those little circular thingies w/ the plus or X sign in the center.

 

To get outside fresh air without the "auto function"...I just use the fan speed button (like on "1" and if the "snowflake or "auto" lights, I turn them off...outside air still comes in (I think snowflake the recirc button) My used Mini came with it but I would not have ordfered it had I bought new. I do like it in the summer though it does have it quirks (LIKE A MIND OF ITS OWN!)

BTW: I thought all newer vehicles had to have some fresh air coming into the cabin even with the system off...to prevent CO2 buildup as a sffety feature...could be wrong.

 

I think the auto AC system blows big time. Most of the time, I prefer to have the AC off and get outside air into the car. If you set the temp to 'LO', everytime the car is restarted it turns the AC on (always have to turn the AC off again). If one wants to defrost and hits the 'AUTO' button, the thing blows at hurricane force (on the '05 and '06, this CANNOT be turned down any). To defrost without the hurricane, one must hit the cryptically labeled button (shows a seat with an up arrow button instead of the defroster button shown in the pictures above). Keep the manual controls, DrDiff, at least it will do what you tell it to do.

 

I just want to bump this post and see if anyone actually has an instruction on how to do this.

 

I'm interested to see if this can be done as well.

 

Add me in there too. I hate the auto temp controls.

It has taken me months of trail and error, but I finally have been able to successfully re-gain manual control of the HVAC system.

The auto system must have been developed by HAL Laboratories in Urbana, Illinois.

 

That's how mine works. A/C off, fan all of the way off, recirculate off. While driving down the road fresh air is coming through vents. You can actually still hear the vents open and close when turning on and off the car.

Never had any issue. Wants the vents to not flow, leave everything alone and turn the recirculate on. Will make it nice and stuffy. The windows will also fog up after a little while. Hit recirculate to off and it resolves this.

Every auto a/c I have ever had in a European car has worked like this. The key is the recirculate button. The system has to provide fresh air without fan operation as a requirement of EU laws. Same reason as why the speedo is off by three to four miles per hour. Has to be perfect or read slow. This applies for any cars built there and shipped anywhere.

 

For me, I can get "vents" by turning every button off, except for the upper air registers (the green LED is 'on' for the button on the right, second from the bottom).

When moving I can get some air coming thru with the fan off. However, I can give the air some boost by turning the fan 'on' (usually one or two check marks are enough).

If the center air temp is on "LO", I get straight outside air. If I turn it up a bit, the air can be somewhat heated ( I go for 62 or 64 deg in the winter).


"Open the vent door please, HAL".

 

"I'm sorry Walt, I can't do that. And I will not allow access to my boot mounted power source."