I'm of the opinion that the vent location could be better too! I like the air blowing on me! Not just on my hands!

I'll admit in the winter i do like it on my hands. I'm a hipocrite!!

 

Since I am 300 miles from my MINI dealer and it is getting hot and humid here, I took my MINI to a reputable local auto A/C specialist. I had purchased a 20$ gauge at a local auto parts store that said the A/C was overcharged with refrigerant!

The local guy found that my MINI was way overcharged with refrigerant and that the auto A/C wasn't working, it would only work when on full on setting. He just guessed it might be the Bosch control chip-replaced it and surprise everything works perfectly! So two problems in my new MINI (2 months old). Well it looks like I'll make it through the summer.

P.S. The compressor was working so hard that I had noticeable lag when the A/C was on. Now there is just a slight difference from not having it on

 

Overcharging 1/4 is like undercharging 1/2 in terms of A/C performance. We overcharged the A/C in my friends MR2 and at idle, the A/C would kick in almost stalling the engine. The pressure was so high, it would just kick in and then out right away. Luckily his A/C leaked (which was the reason for charging it in the 1st place) so it slowly went back to normal.

 

It finnaly got hot enough here that I turned on my A/C. It worked great, and I can get the vent close to the speedo to blow on my face, and the off board one to hit my chest. They are blowing through the steering wheel, but works for me.

 

This is not as uncommon as you may think. My Neon had the same problem. It was overcharged from the factory and a dealership fixed it under warranty. I believe I've heard of MINIs experiencing this as well.

 

i had the opportunity to see an 04 s with the bonnet open this week and noted the total charge of 134 refrigerant is ONLY .91 of one pound!! thats 14.5 ounces if my brains internal calculator is on tonite-pretty easy to have an overcharge condition here! :smile:

 

We hit the mid 90s last week in NC and I was forced to use the AC. I felt mine was a bit weak as well, but my leather seats are working against it. My front side is getting cooled, but my back side is still hot due to the heat the leather seats had collected from sitting outside in 90+ degree heat all day. I don't think the AC would be an issue if MINI would put some seat coolers in. How useful would those be in the convertibles in warmer regions? Maybe they'll make it in future years.

 

I really hate bringing back this pretty old thread, but I'm also dissapointed with the performance of my auto/AC. My MINI is a 02 MCS/premium package.

It's in the high 80's here in the upper Ohio Valley and very humid. I have to set the temp control to LOW, & in recirculate mode in order to keep the cabin temp bearable.

If I'm on the interstate, it does a better job, but when city driving, it bearly keeps up.

I will try some of these suggestions. I'll also shut off the little vent in the glove box (don't need a climate controlled glove box). Might lower the cabin temp a quarter-of-a degree.

Bottom line...It's needs to be checked! I'm thinking its over/under charged.

 

I couldn't be happier with the A/C performance in my '05 MCS! It cools down the cabin under 5 minutes in our blistering 90F+ 100% humidity climate


I can hang fresh meat off the dash vents. Is that cold!

 

Maybe the microfilter is clogged.

 

Wow, after reading this thread, i am thinking that my A/C may be overcharged in the car. The A/C gets the car cold, but it sure takes a while. This is even with the car being parked in a garage all night and when it comes out to 90* temp, the temp gauge only reads 80-85. It'll take a good 5 minutes to cool it to 68* (where I usually set it). It also seems to have very odd varying fan speeds. It'll drop down to a slower setting when it gets the car cool enough, just to jump up to the next setting that is almost twice as powerful (and very loud). It would be great if there was a setting right in between so that it isn't so loud and that is isn't adjusting itself so much (obviously I am talking about the Auto A/C).

If I go to the dealer and ask them to check it out, do you feel they will just send me on my way saying it was fine without even checking it?

 

I have to agree with you. The air in my 2005 MCSC works great and I really haven't felt any lag on the engine while it is running either as I did with my 2003 MCS. I just came back from vacationing on the Gulf Coast last week,while the heat index was 102F - 104F and the highest I ever had the fan speed was at the 1 position and it was plently cool enough. (I have the manual air-conditioning system in my 2005, but my 2003 had the automatic system)

MsBrit

 

The A/C in my 2003 Cooper with auto climate control sucked. I had it looked at, and they said it was normal (39-40F at the vents).

The A/C in my brand new 2005 Cooper with manual dials also sucks, equally bad. If the outside temp is over 90, I almost never take it off of recirculate, because it just can't keep up, especially if I have the audacity to be carrying a passenger in such heat.

It's just one of those things MINI just doesn't do well (along with windshields, engine management software, leather...). Some people (C4, MsBrit) seem to have gotten lucky with great systems, but both of mine have sucked royally. I'm expecting to be given the same "normal" answer when I complain about my '05.

 

We're in Tucson AZ, our auto-AC works swell. Keeps us cool with no complaints.

2004 MC

 

I dunno, I have a 2005 MCS and think the A/C is pretty fab. It was getting up to 100 degrees at one point this summer, very humid and the automatic climate control worked great. I'd set it down to 70 degrees or so and be quite comfortable, not even using the recirculate unless I wanted to hurry up the initial cooling process.

I also have my A/C on almost 100% of the time, though. This is why I didn't get a convertible. I like my environmental comfort to be just so. So if the poster saying that using it a lot makes it work better is true, then that would explain it for me. Even if it's not hot out, I use the A/C just to take the humidity out of the air. I can still squeek the tires going into second if I really want to, so I don't feel like it's leeching my power. I only ever turn the A/C off if the weather is just perfect, then I'll open 'er up.

 

People's opinions can vary wildly. Prior experience shades comments of current.


Putting numbers to these experiences will calm all this nonsense down. Take a temp reading at the vents. 40 deg. is the normal range cars should aim for.

 

Why does my car blow hot air when the A/C is off?

 

What kind of air do you THINK it should blow, with the a/c off?

 

Well, this was a problem when the G35 came out. If you went back into your car while the engine was still warm, it would blow hot air even if it was 60* outside. The engine heat 'leaked' into the vent system and made it hot. If the car sat overnight and it was 60* out, the car will blow 60* air. It seemed ot be a problem with heatsoak or something to that effect. Maybe the Mini has a similar problem??

 

Unless you hit the recirc button, air from the outside and the engine compartment will flow into the cabin of the MINI. I keep mine on Recic most fo the time as unless it is really cool outside, the fresh air is never cool enough for me anyway.