My 2002 mini cooper does not have AC...just blows hot air and its over a 100F here in Charlotte, NC! Took it to a mechanic and my refrig is topped off.

So I've done some research and have read some of the causes for it, like the power steering pump and radiator fan. Which leads me to a key question.

How can I test to see if either fan is the cause of the problem?

Radiator fan doesn't appear to be running at "low speed" from what I can tell. I let the car run for about 10 minutes and I never saw the radiator fan kick on. And I hear a slight squeal sound when I'm outside the car and my friend turns the steering wheel. Also the power steering fan is not running at all. Is it it supposed to run all the time?

Anything else that could be the cause? The AC hasn't worked since I got the car, so I can't tell if anything has changed, like the power steering. My steering has always been stiff, stiffer than my friends 08 mini, but I thought it was normal. Maybe not?

Thanks everyone

 

My ac in my 02 is doing the same thing I just bought some coolant to try and see if that was the problem? But also I think my radiator fan isn't running either? I need a Volt meter to find out.. There a section some where that told me about the volt meter option on here some where and I'm actually looking for it my self as we speak..

Now the thread said that the fan wire harness is rite there in front of you when you open up the bonnet just to the drivers side, the thread I read said the low speed resistor gets burned out pretty easiley apparently? And the high speed is actually on a relay that switches on and off threw one of the fuse boxes instead of a resitor on the fan itself..

If I find the link I'll try to post it here..

 

And here is the best thing I have found on this site ever! It has been the most usefull tool I have found,links to just about everything..

http://www.soopercooperinfo.com/

 

Took it to a mechanic and they determined the compressor was bad. After checking the refrigerant levels and leaks he ran a multimeter to the compressor and saw that the compressor was getting power and it just wasn't kicking on.

I bought a reman compressor, new drier, o-rings with a 90 day warranty in a single package on eBay for $280 with shipping from here:

Userid: bestaccompressor

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...#ht_1731wt_941

They shipped very quickly and I received it with in (CA to NC) 4 business days. They will also give you $30 for your old compressor.

Took it back to my mechanic and he did a full install and recharge for $290. He changed the drier on the condensor as well which forced him to remove the whole front end of the car, thus why the install was a little pricy.

My AC runs very cold now and seems to be working properly.

The total fix with troubleshooting, parts and install ran me $570 (-$30 for core reimbursement hopefully!) Way better than a mini dealer quote for $1500 as I've seen from some other people one here.

I hope this helps anyone out who's having the same issues. I think a lot 1st gen minis out there have experienced the same problem though, it sucks, but it is what it is.

 

Took it to a mechanic and they determined the compressor was bad. After checking the refrigerant levels and leaks he ran a multimeter to the compressor and saw that the compressor was getting power and it just wasn't kicking on.

I bought a reman compressor, new drier, o-rings with a 90 day warranty in a single package on eBay for $280 with shipping from here:

Userid: bestaccompressor

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...#ht_1731wt_941

They shipped very quickly and I received it with in (CA to NC) 4 business days. They will also give you $30 for your old compressor.

Took it back to my mechanic and he did a full install and recharge for $290. He changed the drier on the condensor as well which forced him to remove the whole front end of the car, thus why the install was a little pricy.

My AC runs very cold now and seems to be working properly.

The total fix with troubleshooting, parts and install ran me $570 (-$30 for core reimbursement hopefully!) Way better than a mini dealer quote for $1500 as I've seen from some other people one here.

I hope this helps anyone out who's having the same issues. I think a lot 1st gen minis out there have experienced the same problem though, it sucks, but it is what it is.