[MiniMadman]

Hi guys
3 weeks of ownership now of Cooper with dual zone climate control.
Dealer said always leave air con button on even in winter. Is that not waste of fuel etc? Manual doesn't say either way. Any thoughts please ? Thanks in advance !:nerd:

 

[Cessa]

Personally, I'm not an aircon fan and hardly use it. Having said that, with anything, you always need to periodically use it otherwise it might not work when you want it to.
Air-con in winter especially on wet days will assist in drying out the air in the cabin to help visibility but also maintain cabin temperature to what you set it at, more comfort.
It will use extra fuel because your now running a compressor which will create a slightly larger load on the engine but we are not talking about much.

In Green mode, the car reduces the power to the aircon which will save a little bit more fuel.

To answer your question - no you don't need to have it running all the time, it wont benefit the car if your comfortable without it. dont forget to turn it on every now and then just to keep the seals from drying out.

 

[AarnMunro]

The reason is the "famous" stink...isn'it?
Always on just to avoid it...
I have a F54...I have used air con in rainy days and during hot sunny days...10% only. And I don't have any stinks.
But my F54 is 6 month old only.

 

[Jonathan]

I generally have my aircon on and the fan at the lowest setting at all times. It keeps the moisture out of the cabin and is likely to prevent the yucky smell some people have reported. I don't believe it uses all that much more fuel than with it off.

 

[Treganin]

I always have my aircon on - fit and forget principle. Set the temperature that you like and leave the car to manage it. I seems to recall that having your aircon on uses less fuel than opening the windows to cool the car??

 

[Davyboy]

Most dealers I've spoken to always say leave it on.

it does cost in fuel to leave on but how much exactly I've no idea, not much I suspect.

As said it is good to run it from time to time.

Me, I don't use it much at all, if it's hot I like the windows open, if on a motorway and hot then I will use it as to noisy with windows open, yes if the car is steaming up on wet days it will help dry the windows but that's about it

At the end of the day it's your car and you do what's right for you, on or off will always cause a debate

 

[jeremybingham]

Only on when it's hot for me, plus a twice monthly run in the winter to keep the seals lubricated. No smell issues at nearly two years old and 13000 miles.

 

[02fanatic]

Wasn't the smell issue due to a faulty filter in the a/c system? A proper a/c system shouldn't matter whether on or not....should never stink! I think it's dumb to leave it on with the windows down. The temp control is on upon startup by default anyway, The a/c does seem to work nicely when desired though.

 

[High Desert]

You may want to ask your service manager. Here in the US, most cars engage the a/c system when the defrost/defog is turned on. This prevents the seals and system from "drying out" during the cold winter months and causing failure. In hotter climates, the defog is used anyway during the colder/humid season. After 50 years of car ownership(s) it is a good feature and I have not had one a/c failure after this was added to cars.

 

[Jonathan]

Wasn't the smell issue due to a faulty filter in the a/c system? A proper a/c system shouldn't matter whether on or not....should never stink! I think it's dumb to leave it on with the windows down. The temp control is on upon startup by default anyway, The a/c does seem to work nicely when desired though.

The issue with the smell was that the filter was apparently seated too low and was absorbing too much moisture and never drying out properly. I think someone posted on here that the bulletin fix instructions were to re-seat the filter in a slightly higher position.

 

[jeremybingham]

I would nt bother asking a salesperson ; they just do/say what is easiest; experienced mechanic, yes! Salesperson-no! SORRY -in my experience-lots of people seem to get fobbed off. Talk to someone experienced in these matters. BUT most importantly regular use keeps the system in good nick=no need ofr a service of it then.!

 

[Davyboy]

I would nt bother asking a salesperson ; they just do/say what is easiest; experienced mechanic, yes! Salesperson-no! SORRY -in my experience-lots of people seem to get fobbed off. Talk to someone experienced in these matters. BUT most importantly regular use keeps the system in good nick=no need ofr a service of it then.!

Totally agree

 

[siriuszero]

I leave mine running all the time (Auto climate control). No real impact to MPG or performance as the AC unit uses electric assists instead of relying solely on engine belts like older cars. It's useful in warmer temps to cool down the air (obv) and in the winter or rainy season, it keeps moisture out of the air so your windows don't fog up as easily.

 

[LormaD]

Avoid the smell.... how to... easy peasy

The smell can be completely avoided if you remember the following...

If your using your Aircon (AC), just remember to cycle the AC off while leaving the fan on, about 3 -5 minutes before arriving to your destination.

Simple enough to remember if you have a turbo charged vehicle, as you should let the vehicle idle a bit before turning engine off (hence, leave fan on and ac off).

This helps to dry off (brings the temperature of the internal evaporator / cooling box down from frigid to ambient temperature) the vehicle internal cooling hardware and helps to not promote the growing of the mould and mildew (what gives off that disgusting stink when turning on the fan for the first minute or so).

I try to remember this, when using the AC for an extended period of time (for short trips this isn't an issue so much), and have had much success on a wide array of vehicles (this for some reason, was more prone on my bmw M5)

Cheers

 

[brandonbardsley]

I only use it when its majorly hot, other than that my windows are open... I've had to use it recently with these insane downpours of torrential rain cause my windows just steam up like a sauna but everything seems to work perfectly, no smells! In-fact the auto gearbox seems to be much smoother to change gears with the AC on which I find bizarre but hey ho!

 

[rtowell]

I live in Florida ... I leave it on always. No problem with newer cars ... on my older Miata (1999), it is definitely a drag. The current Mini and BMW lines performance does not suffer at all. As for MPG, it is better with the car buttoned up.

 

[siriuszero]

I've never had the smell and I certainly do not have some process in place to avoid it. I leave it running all the time and the only time I turn it off is when I turn the whole climate system off when I roll my windows down when the outside weather is juuuuuust right

Simple enough to remember if you have a turbo charged vehicle, as you should let the vehicle idle a bit before turning engine off (hence, leave fan on and ac off)

Just an FYI, this is not necessary on newer MINIs as there is an electric pump that cools down the turbo (if necessary) after the car is switched off for this very reason.

You used to really hear it on the R60 and I remember calling my service advisor about it when I first got my MINI, wondering why my car was still making noises after I turned it off. The 3rd gen MINIs are much quieter (and I believe are designed to run warmer anyway).

 

[LormaD]

Just an FYI, this is not necessary on newer MINIs as there is an electric pump that cools down the turbo (if necessary) after the car is switched off for this very reason.

Huh, I did not know that... so a turbo timer would be a waste of $$$

Thanks

 

[AarnMunro]

...
Just an FYI, this is not necessary on newer MINIs as there is an electric pump that cools down the turbo (if necessary) after the car is switched off for this very reason. ...

This is very interesting...I knew this for the previous 1600cc generetion.
But for actual 2000 and 1500 I think that the problem is solved with lubricant quantity...only. No electric pump anymore.
I want to be wrong and I hope you're right!
Should be interesting investigate this point because for standard riding I arrive very swlowly to destination and so I don't need any time to cooldown the turbo...but when I "have goodtime" one minute or two, depending on my opinion, are necessary.
How can we discover the truth?:|

 

[jeremybingham]

I worry bout this. In ourr56 youcould hear the pump long after you switched off. Not yet heardmy f56. Therefore i give it timr to cool as i slow down for a stop.