My new 2016 AC dash vent temperature at best are between 53-60 degrees when the ambient temps are below 70 degrees. I had to buy a thermometer to check this because the dealer says my 30 day old car is within specs. (I keep bringing it back to them to check) I know it’s cold this time of year for most of the country and you can’t check A/C temps, but for the Countryman owners in warmer clients, can you please check your Air conditioning vent temperatures on the fresh air setting (not recirculate) and report the degrees?

If you can’t check your vent temps, what has been your experience in 100+ degrees ambient days in a Countryman? I’d like to know what to expect this summer in the Arizona desert.
Thanks!

 

We have issues with the fresh air temp heating up out of the Face Vents with no A/C on. Worse in stop and go traffic. I think there's enough engine heat getting to the air before it's drawn into the blower to warm it up. Once the A/C is turned on,you're fine. I don't notice this nearly as bad in my Clubman in the same type traffic.
Having said that, how fast does the air temp change once the A/C is turned on in your car?....

 

i have a calibrated thermometer in my vent, the round one to the right of the steering wheel

the coldest air with A/C on is sensitive to rpm

below 3000 rpm the coldest i have seen on a 100F + 75%-85% humidity day is 56F-63F

at or above 4000 rpm, same day, same temp and humidity, i see 42F-45F

 

Thanks for your tests results.

With all the heat coming from the engine, the sun on the roof, asphalt heat radiating the floor, its necessary to get low 40s out of the vents to compensate all the heat sources. Its nice to see that vent temps in the low 40s is actually somehow possible on BMWR606's countryman but we don't normally drive at 4000 rpm.

I have now tested 3 new 2016 Countryman on the dealership lot. 2 of them do not reach below 53.5 deg out of the center vent on a 70 deg day with next to no humility in this desert. The third car reached 48 degrees after about 30 minutes. These test were in the shade, using the dealerships thermometer, Center vent, Fresh air, at idle most of the time, and revving it occasionally to see if it made any difference.

I was told by AC professionals that center vents should reach 38-40 on cooler days and on over 100 degree days to expect 1/2 the ambient temp out of the vents. There is a huge comfort difference when 10 degrees cooler out of a vent is possible. I WANT THAT EXTRA 10 degrees if at all possible! Every other car brand car I have tested (my cars) can easily reach low 40s within 3 minutes out of the vents but I can't get anywhere near that on my 2016 Countryman.

Does anyone know of a mod that increases AC cooling? The 110 deg temps in AZ will be coming soon and I feel like my Countryman's AC is barely sufficient in the 70 deg weather now. I heard of things from other car guys like blended Freon mixes, faster condenser fans, possibly an aftermarket expansion valve, filling or reducing the Freon quantity using evaporator temperature readings rather than pressure, installing a manual shut off valve on the heater core hose, but I cant find anything online referring to any AC upgrades on a Mini.

My reason for looking for a possible Modification is because the dealership says 55 degree vent temps are within specs even if its cold outside at the time. This warmer vent temp is not what I am use to with all my current and previous cars. If one of my other cars blows 55 degrees, I bring it in to get fixed. This 2016 is my first Mini. The only purpose of getting this car was for fun and pleasure driving. If its hot, then it wont get used.

 

My fresh air temp, with AC off, is 5 degrees warmer than the outside air temp. The dealer says the fresh air vents are near hot engine parts. Sometimes if it is too warm coming from the vent, then the "blend door" can be malfunctioning. I think a correct functioning AC, once you turn on the AC button, should take no more than 30 seconds to start cooling down. Check with a thermometer. I'd love to know the exact temps you are getting.

 

if you bought for fun, driving at 4000-5000 rpm is exactly where you should be

at idle on a 100F high humidity day, the lowest i have seen is about 70F ... same day at 4000 rpm, 44F

SO DRIVE AT 4000 RPM OR ABOVE AND QUIT BITCHING LIKE A LITTLE GURL

 

bmwr606, I have an Automatic Transmission. I guess I could switch to manual mode, rev it up at stoplights and drive in a lower gear all summer. Ill try the 4000 RPM test and report if my vent temps improves.

 

Today I drove for about 20 minutes at 4000 rpms (3rd gear 55MPH) to see if AC cooling improves. No improvement, stayed 55 degrees out of the center vent with outside temps at 78. If other countryman owners are getting vent temps in the 40s then there is hope I can "tune" my AC to get these temps also. If the Mini dealer can't improve cooling then maybe there is a mod. Does anyone know of an AC mod?

 

my friend just reminded me of another possible issue

if you have the auto climate control, you will not get 40ishF air at the vents unless you dial the auto temp setting to the absolute minimum it will go to ... i have the manual system and forgot about this point on the auto system

still need the higher rpms

 

Before I check my car out tonight to compare to yours, which freon is in your 2016 model. that's new enough that MINI may have switched over to the newest version, R1234yf, from the previous and better understood R134a systems from years past. Europe has adopted the R1234yf since it has far less Climate affecting possibilities compared to a leaking R134a system in a car as it ages.
Sadly, the A/C machines required to work with R1234yf equipped vehicles are expensive and take FAR longer to perform even the more basic checks due to Software and Freon Verifying procedures built into the process for handling R1234yf by protocol from the Manufs.
So, lift up your hood on your Countryman and see what Freon sticker you have on the vehicle.
The real reason this will matter is that I and any other older Countryman with an R134a system won't be able to be used as an absolute comparsion to the performance of the latest R1234yf equipped cars since it's not an Apples to Apples type thing anymore, more like Apples to Oranges.

 

Pure Red,
Thanks for your offer to help! I am glad to report they are still using R134a in the 2016 models.

bmwr6060,
Good thought. I do have auto climate control but it is set to LOW, its got temp numbers but the lowest setting does not have a number, it just says LOW instead.

 

dial to the lowest number, not the low setting

 

With the automatic thermostat "LO" is the lowest number you dial down past 60 and it's the next setting

 

Mark - I'm in the same spot (living in the Desert) - when May comes around the next 6 months are tough. My 2013 CM (ALL4 Manual) struggles when the temp is above 100 deg F, but I think that's true for any car in that kind of heat. I did have the dealer "recharge" my A/C once during covered maintenance and it did improve cold air. I don't know of any mods to improve A/C, but would be interested in it too if someone has a suggestion!