The Houston MINI dealer is offering a new kind of tint (supposedly). I forgot the name, something German sounding (Ueber-somethingorother). He had a demo wher you place your hand under a heat lamp, and then alternately insert 'normal' 35% tint, and then the supertint between lamp anmd hand, and IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE! Seat of pants sensor (or I should say top of hands sensor ) would make me guess 35% tint does about a 10-15 % reduction of the 'heat feeling', whereas uebertint does about a 50-60% reduction. Very impressive. Unfortunately, the price for a whole MINI (4 sides, back and sunroof) would be about $700. I'm considering it for Houston, but it sounds like it might be worthwhile in PHX!

Sounds like the Houston dealer at $700 is trying to nail you, laugh. I'm sure it is just a metalized tint which are far superior to regular tint screens, it's similar to the tint you put on home windows, now they have developed them for cars, Lumor makes tons of tints for both home and autos...... I paid $190 for all the windows with their top performance metal tint that blocks out the most heat, the normal tint I think was around $125, but testing the cars in their parking lot with the different tints, you could certainly tell a huge difference between the top end performance tint and normal. I can really tell the difference driving north late in the day with the west sun beating against the driver window, really does block the heat dramatically as the visor is worthless there....never buy tint from a dealer regardless how good he says it is, you can always find it for less than half on the street....

 

>>never buy tint from a dealer regardless how good he says it is, you can always find it for less than half on the street....


I bought mine from the dealer... :sniff:

 

That's only when you have the recirculation turned off. What's blowing in from the big vent on the dash is outside air from the bonnet vents below the windshield being run through the A/C system. Turn on the recirculation and the air stops blowing out the big vent!
I realized this cruising through Texas at 85mph. I had recirc turned off and wondered why it felt so stuffy and what was that loud wind noise? Hit the button and poof! the noise away and it cooled down a lot quicker by recirculating the cabin air through the A/C. Those crazy brits.

 

I bought mine from the dealer... :sniff:

nothing wrong with that....they always send them out to the tint shop which is usually the best and most experienced around, do it when you buy it and just roll it into the monthly payment, less than a fin extra a month no doubt, laugh !

 

What's blowing in from the big vent on the dash is outside air from the bonnet vents below the windshield being run through the A/C system.

anyone notice how cheaply made the pollen filters as they call them in the mesh screens are made, laugh.

 

Yeah. Not much good for pollen. Maybe bits of sand, small stones,or bugs. That is good idea for an aftermarket part--Mini Heppa filters.

 

OK, straight from the service department's mouth at MINI North Scottsdale:

Going 70 MPH down the freeway with outside temperatures over 100F, the AC should blow 40F-45F at the duct vent.

In stop and go type of 55 MPH freeway, the AC should blow 50F-55F at the duct vent.

I doubt mine is even close to 60F...I'm going to get mine looked at.

_________________
Happy Motoring!

 

In stop and go type of 55 MPH freeway, the AC should blow 50F-55F at the duct vent.

I doubt mine is even close to 60F...I'm going to get mine looked at.

Hell, I'd take 70F at full blast...lol...what's the recourse if it's not...I'm taking my car in for service Monday morning....air bag light on, clutch feels loose, another rattle in the dash, oil change....I'll demand the 55F and see what the response is, laugh !

Thanks for the tip

 

>>>>I often wonder if black colored cars and high temperatures is true or just a myth. If it was true, then why is the sheet metal around air cooled cars like VW Beetles and Corvairs black and not a lighter color. Does black retain more heat or does it dissipitate heat faster than other colors. I've owned a Black Chevrolet Blazer and a Black Dodge Durango and never noticed any differance as compare to light colored vehicles I've owned at the same time.
>>

Different problem with air-cooled cars, radiators and other things designed to get heat out of hot things - Black encourages heat transfer which is what you want on something air-cooled - that's why the car radiator is black. You don't want heat tranfer from the hot outside into the cabin - so white is best - a mirror finish is even better.

On another point - check there is nothing in the trunk blocking the air exit holes at the back edge under the hatch. The Mini "boot box" does a great job of blocking these holes and results in terrible circulation. I put a piece of 1/2" thick wood between the boot box and the back of the trunk to give space for air to flow and that improved the A/C.

 

FOR FL KEITH (or anyone else): What's the "boot box?" Is that the cover which hides the view of whatever is in the trunk space? Peter

 

>>I'll demand the 55F and see what the response is, laugh !

Those numbers were straight from Sean Moen the MINI service advisor there. Hope that helps you when go see them!

 

>>FOR FL KEITH (or anyone else): What's the "boot box?" Is that the cover which hides the view of whatever is in the trunk space? Peter

The boot box is an aftermarket item sold by MINI. It basically is a box the shape and height of the recessed trunk area. It also has adjustable separator walls to keep stuff in the big box in one place.

 

Cool day here in PHX. Only 95F. Took the MINI out for a spin with a thermometer. After a few minutes on the freeway, the vents were blowing 46F. The car's interior sure did NOT cool down all that much or as quickly as I would have liked. I'm going to run the same test next weekend when it is forcasted to be back to normal 110's.