I have a 2012 CMS that I've had about a week now. The air conditioning seems to be cooling fine, but I'm pretty sure the recirculate button is not working, meaning that I think it stays in recirculate mode whether the button is on or off. The air seems stale, especially when you first start up. When the button is switched, I don't hear any change in fan speed or vents closing and opening like I could on other cars.

Every now and then I'll get a puff of fresh air (when the recirc button is pushed off). I believe this is part of the design when the recirc mode is engaged because of regulations. Somehow I think it's stuck in recirculate.

 

I'd take it to the dealer and have it checked. Otherwise do you feel a difference in the airflow while driving, when you engage or disengage the button?

 

I don't notice any difference in the airflow when the A/C is on. When I turn the A/C off and just run the vent fan, I do hear a change in the airflow if I push the recirculate button.

 

I tested this last night when I saw your post on FB.
I don't hear or feel any difference when I hit the 'recirculate' button on my Auto AC...in other words, I can't tell if any flaps or vents are closing/opening or not.
I know on some other cars the change is more obvious. Perhaps less so on our big MINIs?

 

I don't notice a difference in sound when recirculate is on either. In my old R53, it was very obvious when recirculate was on, because the air flow would increase. In my CM, I can only assume it's doing something. I don't have any reason to believe it's not.

 

Hmm. Wonder if the recirculate is just designed to be on when the AC is on, regardless of the position of the recirc button. I'll call the dealer tomorrow. I hope they know the answer. I almost never use recirculate. Love the fresh air.

 

The recirc. button only works when AC is on. You can tell it's working when you're behind a diesel truck/car, flip the switch on and it cuts off all outside air no more diesel stench.
The fan speed changes mini-maly. Note: when using your AC on high, it automatically goes into recirc. mode.

 

Just checked it on ours a few minutes ago (we happen to have manual A/C), and unlike most other cars I've owned (including our R53) the sound of the air flow does not change at all when recirc is turned on, nor is there any sound of the fresh air door closing or opening when I press the recirc button. I suspect ours is working as it should because (as with most cars) the A/C output will usually be colder in recirc mode, and I would guess yours is working normally too . Please let us know what the dealer says.

 

The dealer is 90 miles away so I can't show them what I'm talking about, but I called the service advisor who talked to the shop foreman.They said when the AC is on, it's automatically in recirc mode. He said this could be overridden by pressing the recirc button twice. Press once, green light on. Press again, green light off. He also said you would not hear a change in the airflow. IDK. I can't tell a difference. I still don't smell fresh air.

 

Assuming you have auto A/C and that it's like our R53, I think he means that the system automatically turns on recirc when it detects it's needed (based on the temperature setting, the temperature in the car, and input from the solar sensor).

 

As opposed to my R53, I've never had the CM turn on the recirc automatically.

 

Om my R56 the recirc has a one, off, and auto setting. There is a little A int he symbol for the automatic one. The LCI cars (2011+) changed a little bit IIRC when I had a loaner last.

 

I finally got it to the dealer today. They confirmed that the vent doors were not opening when the recirc button was off. The mechanism that opens the door is not working. They said they were getting no software error codes so it is something mechanical. Anyway, I have an appointment in another month (the loaner waiting list is that long) to bring it back and have them get into the dash and see what's going on exactly.

 

it actually works on temp. its all automatic now. start moving the temp from low to high at around 72 i believe you will hear the flap open. if you turn the temp down it will close again. nothing wrong with the system. just working as designed.

 

So if I have the ac off and recirculating off I should be able to feel fresh air coming into the cabin. I have to play with this more because I don't really feel alot of air movement like my previous cars.

 

OK. Read the manual and fiddled with the controls. Its my understanding that if you have the recirculating button on (green) it shuts off the vents to the outside. In my past cars, with recirculating on, the volume of air would increase and with the AC on, be more efficient.

Switching the button on and off, even waiting for a moment for the climate control to realize what is going on, I dont really feel a difference in volume.

With the button off, I would think I should be able to feel some sort of air flow out of the vents as the car is traveling. Being new to MINI I guess Im not up to speed on how they operate? Again my past two cars had fresh air out of the vents even with the AC off and the fan off.

I called my SA and explained as I just have and he told me to press the recirculate button. I told him i do not feel/hear a change in air volume nor do I feel/hear any fresh air coming into the cabin with the fan off.

Needless to say I have an appointment with the service dept on monday to try and remedy this.