[alexa]

Had horrible mildew odor from the AC when car first starts. This is a NEW 2015 S! They replaced the whole AC unit. Smell went away..... but CAME BACK after one month!! Anyone have this issue????? Is this a LEMON?

 

[jabberwocky]

Yikes! Definitely something the dealership has to resolve. I was told that we even have a filtration system and sensors that detect when the outside air should be switched to recirculating. Sounds like something is not working in yours. The air quality in mine is the best I've had in a car to date.

 

[BikerBob]

Do you keep you air-con all the time? At the very least it needs running on the coldest setting for 10 mins or so once a week to keep the gases circulating and everything ticking over. Nasty niffs can develope otherwise!

Mind you a month isn't long even if you haven't been using it regularly.

Regards Bob

 

[swearingino]

It has to have multiple problems to be considered a lemon. It's not uncommon for a shop to replace a part, for that part to fail as well. You probably have another problem that they will have to address, that is causing the issue.

 

[alexa]

Yes I always have the AC on. I live in Florida. My service advisor will not call me back. There is no dripping underneath the car from condensate. Isn't this abnormal?

 

[Tiger]

Yes I always have the AC on. I live in Florida. My service advisor will not call me back. There is no dripping underneath the car from condensate. Isn't this abnormal?

According to the manual, leaving little condensation puddles wherever you go is normal. And, having lived in FL Central America, and AL for years, yeah, not leaving puddles is not normal. I suggest if the service advisor won't call you back, it's probably time for a surprise, in person visit. You're a lot harder to ignore standing there. That said, if you're not satisfied with the service you're getting, any Mini dealership will take you in.

 

[isleofbones]

There is a service bulletin on this issue. I had the same issue. The dealer replaced the evaporator. The new one is coated to prevent the growth of mildew. The dealer also replaced the charcoal filter. Anyway, 3 weeks after replacement, the car still smells really good. No bad, mildew odors. Good luck.

 

[isleofbones]

There is a service bulletin on this issue. It calls for the replacement of the evaporator with a new one with a special coating to prevent mildew growth. Three weeks after install, car is still free of mildew odors.

 

[OrangeCrush]

If you recirculate air 100% of the time then the filter will start smelling like a nasty old sock as moisture builds up in the filter and mildew starts to grow. I had this happen to two cars. Then I ran nothing but fresh air through my previous MINI. This keeps the filter dry and I had no problem with nasty smell after three years.

 

[jeremybingham]

Honest John recommends running the fan on hot for a few mins after air con goes off to dry things out although I've never had a problem in this area.

 

[siriuszero]

If anyone reading this thread has this issue and your MINI was produced from 11/2013 to 3/2015, let you service department know and they can fix under warranty. If they don't know what you're talking about, refer them to bulletin SI M64 02 14. It is a known issue with a solution in place.

I have a 2/2015 build, but I've never experienced this issue. I always have my AC on and I always have fresh air though.