If you turn your auto ac to 62 and then you turn it off, a cool air still comes out of vents, just very low. So my question is: Does this mean the AC is still working and thereby reducing optimum power even when i hit the off button?

It drives me nuts, off means off, and the dumb thing keeps blowing a steady light breeze. Sometimes i turn it back on quick and switch it to feet and then turn it off again just so i dont feel a constant breeze on my face. :evil:

 

You can turn the AC compressor off while still having the fan running, or you can turn the entire system off entirely. Perhaps you are just turing off the AC light but not the rest of the system?

Also, many cars do not have vents that shut 100% and the air flow while motion will allow some fresh air to enter the car.

 

I noticed a similar behavior with mine.

Apparently the ACC leaves the air control doors in the same position sometimes when turned off. The compressor no longer runs, but the residual pressures and the bulk of the cold evaporator continue to cool the now light breeze coming through the system. Before I turn mine off I sometimes select the floor position first then switch off.

My main complaint with the a/c is the left-side vent that cannot be positioned far enough to prevent a cold blast on my hand. After an hour or so of driving, it gets uncomfortable. I end up shutting off the airflow from the outlet. The problem then ends up being a warm pocket of air coupled with the sun blasting in through the left side window making it too warm on my left side.

 

I can't even get cold air to come out when it is working at full blast.

 

>>My main complaint with the a/c is the left-side vent that cannot be positioned far enough to prevent a cold blast on my hand. After an hour or so of driving, it gets uncomfortable. I end up shutting off the airflow from the outlet. The problem then ends up being a warm pocket of air coupled with the sun blasting in through the left side window making it too warm on my left side.>>>>


Since I almost always drive with the sunroof open, my complaint is that the A/C - even on high - does not reach ANY part of me! I wish I could make my hand freeze!


Just like MOST cars, if the fan is off but the vent is left open (which is the default on the MINI auto a/c), when driving air WILL come in through the vents. It happens with just about every car if fresh air is selected and not recirc. If you don't want fresh air, just put the MINI on recirc and then hit the off button. Viola!

 

its the same with the stock ac as well - just the way the vents are designed, nothing to do with it being auto a/c or not.

 

Not sure if this will answer you questions but just becuase you turn auto AC off doesnt mean you turned off the AC. I just means you turned off the AUTO AC which when on will try to keep the car at the temp selected. If you trun the AUTO AC off and want to turn off the AC besure to turn off the "snowflake" button. I believe the "snowflake" turns off the AC (compressor no longer runs).

Personally, I turn off the AUTO/AC and leave the "snowflake" on, so that all the cool air blows out the front vents only, instead of everywhere. I also use the recycle to try to keep the car cooler in this texas heat.

 

If you hit any button other than OFF, you have overridden the automatic selection of the air outlet and a/c function. It will still try to maintain the set temperature unless you have set the dial to LO or HI. If you set the temp to 72, and it's 64 outside and the system is running fully automatic, it will not engage the a/c. If it's hot outside and you set the temp cool, it runs the a/c as well as recirculates, once the temp is arrived and the system no longer needs to work hard, it takes in outside air as well.

One feature that took me a while to get used to is the one-touch defrost. It engages the rear defrost, the a/c compressor, fresh air and puts the fan on 'hurricane'. Works well, though I usually end up manually slowing the fan.

 

thanks for all your replies. And yes I turned it all the way off, including the snowflake.

 

>>If you hit any button other than OFF, you have overridden the automatic selection of the air outlet and a/c function. It will still try to maintain the set temperature unless you have set the dial to LO or HI. If you set the temp to 72, and it's 64 outside and the system is running fully automatic, it will not engage the a/c. If it's hot outside and you set the temp cool, it runs the a/c as well as recirculates, once the temp is arrived and the system no longer needs to work hard, it takes in outside air as well.
>>
>>One feature that took me a while to get used to is the one-touch defrost. It engages the rear defrost, the a/c compressor, fresh air and puts the fan on 'hurricane'. Works well, though I usually end up manually slowing the fan.


Hhhhmmmm, I thought the system worked in a slightly different manner, based on my own testing and impressions, but I am not sure and would appreciate your thoughts.

I agree, if you press the OFF button on the Auto A/C, then the last trap door settings remain and the A/C compressor goes off. This means you will still have airflow, and may still have initialy residual cooling, but also residual heat. The residual heat woudl continue, as opposed to the cooling. Cooling will slow because the compressor is off, but heating will continue because coolant flow through heater exchanger will continue, I think, is that correct?

Ok, when you press any button other than off, e.g. the fan speed button, I thought that auto mode is over-ridden and off including any attempt by the system to adjust to a specific temperature. Rather, you can manually adjust the vanes and amount of heat flow, as well as A/C compressor, but teh vane settings will not change automatically. For the heat exchanger, I thought this means that in LO there is no heat, in HI there is max heat, and the settings inbetween produce a heat flow in between. If you turn on the com pressor, in will produce a constant chilling effect that will not be adjusted to a specific temp. I think, am I wrong?

Markus

 

My observations with the system was that in Auto, and with a temperature other than HI or LO, the system with modulate the fan speed, the fresh/recirc door, the a/c function on/off, and the ait outlet positioning (face, feet, windscreen) to come to and maintain the selected temp. It seems that with a lot of sunlight heat load and a/c needed, you would get more in your face than anywhere else. If you select an outlet position, the system will direct everything there and still modulate the temp and a/c to hold the setting. If you de-select a/c (the snowflake) in a need-for-cooling situation, you have basically made the system unable to cool, and you have a vent-only setup. If it's colder outside than your temp setting, it will maintain the heat setting you selected.

I am still not sure if the car has a heater valve which shuts coolant flow through the heater core like most cars have. I will try and find this out this weekend. It would be kind of odd unless the air blend door was used to completely divert air from the heater core.

I do know this... if I set the system to LO or HI, and regardless of whether or not I have set the air outlet positioning, it will eventually become uncomfortably hot or cool in the car. If I select my own air position I have control over the temp with the dial, and it seems to be holding the temp more or less automatically.

Also, oftentimes I want to keep the air directed through the defrost ducts, but pressing Defrost brings on the torrent of air along with the rear defrost. Holding the button in until it stops flashing will return the fan speed and temp to auto but keep the airflow locked in defrost. This helps in those odd days where the humidity is high and the temperature is fairly low, and it's misty/raining. I dont end up 'baking' the dirt onto the rear glass because the rear defrost remains off.