2002 MC here, 160,000 miles. I thought my ac compressor had died, so I bought a new one, but before I installed it I found out that the high speed on my fan was bad, keeping the compressor from running.
I am curious what the cabin temperature should be on a hot day.
My best so far is 45 degrees F out of one of the center ducts on a 95 degree F day. Is this acceptable with r134a, or should it be colder?

 

I just recharged my 2004 MCS JCW with Arctic Freeze. Im in Arizona. It was 112 degrees outside and after approx. 8-10 minutes of freeway driving the air was blowing out between 37-38 degrees. It is steadily around 40-43 degrees during city driving. These temps were taken with settings on low, high speed fan and recirculate. I have not tested it in Auto mode yet.

 

I am interested to see the replies. My air doesn't seem to get cold, quickly, but I wasn't sure if that was because it is really hot outside and my windows aren't tinted.

 

Cold enough to fog my sunglasses....
I have been accused of keeping my car as cold as a beer-cooler....
Sounds like the op's car is fine....never tested the temp....but seem plenty cold.
I also use a zippy shade in my sunroof to limit heat...

 

mines not coming out that cold I may need a recharge, yesterday I left work and on the commute home it was just like having a fan blow on me by the time o got home it started to get comfortable and that was 35min later. when I first got the car is was ice cold now not so much, ill let you know what happens after I try some refrigerant.

 

Droog, try recharging with something like Arctic Freeze or Sub Zero. It made my temps get cold much, much quicker. I'm talking it was taking 20-25 minutes to get cold air flowing and now it takes 2-3 minutes. It is easy to do the recharge, just follow the directions on the can. Something I did while recharging was disconnect the hose and gauge in between charges just to make sure I'm getting a good reading. If you do over charge the system you can use an Allan head wrench to depress the valve to release a small amount of r134a, use something to catch the gas (EPA rules). You will know if you over charged because the A/C will blow hotter.

 

One issue...
Most diy AC kits include extra lube/oil....
So if the system gets recharged a couple times....and only gas leaks out...the system gets overfilled with oil...
Symptoms are good initial cool down....especially in moderate temps...but lack of cool air after running in hot temps for a bit...the oil is getting circulated...taking up space that the r134a should be in....the sc system on a mini is er...mini...takes about ONE HALF pound r134a from empty....

 

as far as the a/c system, there is nothing unique about MINI

go to any decent auto service center and they should be able to check your system and top off your gas if necessary.

use something to catch the gas (EPA rules)

just what the BLEEP is one supposed to use to 'catch the gas' at home?

YES those ARE EPA rules which is why I say go to a service center which has the RIGHT EQUIPMENT to evacuate the system, 'catching the gas' . . .

 

I don't know about Minis, but it's probably a similar deal as other cars, it's using the same refrigerant after all. Usually, on the lower fan setting with exterior air, you should get around 4-7 degrees celcius (39-45F) for it to be ''normal'' (at least, it's normal here in Québec, don't know about places that are hotter all year long). You won't necessarily get air as cold using the highest fan setting as you're asking the system to deal with a higher flow of air.

 

Mine only cools to 62 degrees. We are taking it in tomorrow to have it fixed as the 90 degree weather has been brutal.

 

Where can I go for Arctic Freeze or Sub Zero regassing? I don't want to DIY it.

 

Any auto parts store. It's really easy to DIY; I've done it for a couple other cars. No tools needed. If you are really nervous about it, ask the staff to help you. Some stores will do that sort of thing for you.

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You can see I hope from my sig that I'm not nervous about DIY, but I want a pro shop to do it becaus ethe have a special machine that runs a pressure test as it flushes the fluid.