I've heard the extra auto A/C filter (beyond what a standard MINI A/C has) doesn't filter odor any better than standard A/C. Is this true? I don't have allergy problems, so that is not the concern. I was just hoping that the auto A/C would keep the inside of my MINI a little cleaner, from things like cigarette smoke, etc. (This is NOT intended to be a don't smoke in your car thread!)

I was hoping to avoid the extra expense of the sunroof (for air circulation purposes) by going with auto A/C instead, but that now seems like it won't work out as well. (Yes, I know the sunroof is generally considered to be COOL, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Even though COOL is GOOD. :smile: )

After all, if I spend anymore on this MINI, I might as well get a... Oh, never mind, you know what I mean!

 

I don't have the auto/air but, I can tell you that while the A/C works OK for the most part, it will be hard pressed to maintain 75 degrees on a hot Nevada day.

For this reason, I question spending the extra $$$ for the auto/air. I'd just get the stardard A/C.

I didn't get the sunroof because of its extra cost, extra weight, noise & rattle problems.

 

I also have the manual A/C controls in both of my MINIs and the system works great. I don't have sunroofs either (A waste of money, IMO).

Both cars were serviced last week and I was shown the Pollen Filter element and its location underneath the dashboard on the passenger side.

That filter does get really dirty after 10K miles, fortunately MINI pays for its replacements as part of the standard 36K mile/36 Month paid service schedule.

I don't smoke on the cars but I can tell you the manual system works fantastic in our scorching South Florida heat. The interior keeps very clean and I notice almost no dust particles anywhere in the interior.

The Auto A/C in these cars (Appears to be improved for 2005) is generally tricky and have a mind of its own. The MINI is a small car and contrary to popular opinion you FIDDLE LESS with the manual A/C controls than with the Automatic ones. I have spent sometime with a MINI equipped with the auto climate controls and honestly didn't care for it. People buy it mostly because it looks "Cool" and the digital temp readout but I was not impressed with its functionality at all. In Auto mode is ANNOYING, upon starting up the car sets the fan at FULL BLAST, something that I have never have to experience with the manual setup. In the end, I had to take the system out of "Auto" mode and leave it manual, fully defeating its primary purpose.

Honestly, these cars don't need Sunroofs and automatic climate controls to work well. If you have an extra $1,300 to spend when configuring your car, your money will be better off spent on mods, other more useful options or leaving it aside for other expenses.


I can see the flames coming from the Sunroof/Auto A/C fan club, so I am putting my fire retardant suit as we speak!

 

Sunroof/Auto A/C fan club member here! Let's see flame thrower cocked and ready...

I love the Auto A/C! I set it at 66 or 68 and never touch it again! Only time I might touch it is if it's super hot and the car has been heat soaked, then I will set it to LO.

Love the Sunroof too! My son loves it as well! He usually sits in back.

What was the original question..? Oh, I thought the filter only filtered air coming from outside. Does recirculate send inside air back through the filter? Also doesn't the Auto A/C add carbon filter? But this won't help BillyB if it only filters air coming in from the outside.

 

I second that! I'm an Auto A/C, Sunroof fan! I love the dual pane sun roof. It looks cool, and so many bystanders are in awe of how big it is. Also peoples jaws drop when I stand outside, and show them I can open all the windows including the sun roof from my remote!

I normally have my A/C set to 68 as well. The interior Recirculation fan is normally on which gets the air going. If I bump it up to 70, the fan goes off, or I can push the Re Circulation button. The temp is still the same, just the amount of air coming is reduced. There are lots of strange things about the Auto A/C, but it works very well for me.

And yes, it looks cool too!

 

What he said ......


Yeah the AUto AC and Sunroof are one of my fav options on the car. I too set mine at 68 and leave it. It works great here in the 100+ degree temp in Oklahoma.

 

Yeah, my daughter liked the sunroof as well. (It'll be hers in...9 years, if she gets into College. )

I've still not heard any glowing reviews on the auto A/C's interior air cleaning abilities, so I think I will drop it, and possibly the Xenons as well, in favor of the sunroof, and save a few extra bucks in the process. (Another auto A/C thread mentioned that auto A/C still lets in skunk smell, as well as nasty chemical factory type odors, etc. )

Thank you for your assistance folks! :smile:

 

Yeah there is only so much the carbon can do. I assume it's a thin layer of carbon. Does any one have a pic comparing the two? If someone can tell me where the filter is I can take it out and snap a picture. At 15K miles I bet it's a mess. My A/C is on all the time. I like it cold! We need a frozen emoticon!

 

It's not a smell filter, but a dust and pollen filter. It's been a while since 6th grade science, but it's easy to create a filter that can catch the particles from pollen/dust, like a Hepa Filter. But smell particles must be smaller or something.

My Aunt's Porsche Cayenne apparently has a fresh air filter that supposedly filters smells as well. Early reports say that doesn't work too well either.

Oh yeah...I'm in the manual A/C and no Sunroof club. Gotta represent!

 

My freind is a chinimy with a daily driver show car. One day he pionted out that to me (I hate smoking with a passion) that his car dont stink. I said "Poop"(not the work I used) you do you do that. He does two things to keep the stink out and they seem to work very well(I am very sensitive to cig smoke)

1 Roll down that window during the smoking time.
2 TURN OFF the AC.

I said hugh? He told me that if you leave the AC on the smell gets into the system and dont come out.

Since his car dont stink I tend to beleive him. I am one of those very sensitive and very obnoxis non smokers. Not because I care if you kill your self with them or that I even beleive the second hand smoke stuff. For me it just STINKS....P.U. I consider it very rude to light something that is that stinky in public. Inside a bar or at the park. How would you like it I walked around stinking to high hell from something.

Well you got my smoking opinion but some good advice as well. If your going to stink yourself, for gods sake, dont make your mini stink as well. shut that AC and open that window.

 

Hey, great advice NinjaMini.

BillyB, I think that getting the sunroof and dropping the auto AC is the right call for the smoke issue. I have both and my wife likes the auto ac for convenience but not for the air filtering. Having the sunroof will let you keep the air flowing while smoking and will add a lot more cool factor to your car for the $. We don't smoke but I hear that the windows open method works pretty well.

Cheers,

 

I've got the sunroof and auto A/C. As far a the sunroof goes, if you don't use it, you'll never miss it. If you ever want to use it and don't have it, you'll miss it big time. It makes a small car feel much roomier. Re: the auto A/C: the controls work and look waaaaay cooler than the standard 3 dial, expecially lit up at night, and since it comes in a package I wanted, it was a no-brainer. I never use the auto function, but I'd still get it again, even if it was a separate option, due to the slick control interface. As far as how it operates, if you're willing to push and wait 3 seconds to activate the defrost (the time it takes to override), you avoid the hurricane force defrost activation and you can run it on full manual, very easy and intuitive.

 

another auto AC/SunRoof junkie here. Like them both. The Auto AC does not filter out smells. On high pollen days it works like a charm. In spring and summer on high pollen days I'll go for a drive just to clear up the head. I keep it set to 70, some times overriding the controls but not often.

The sun roof and the auto opening feature allow the car to dump a lot of heat after being parked outside.