I've had a couple cars in the past with automatic climate control...in each case, the HVAC system would not blow AT ALL until the car warmed up for a couple/few minutes, then the fan would start on low, and then gradually rise to high.

My Mini, when it is COLD outside and I start the engine, blows COLD air in my face (albeit on a low fan setting)...feels like it's coming from on top the dash...very uncomfortable, esp for my wife.

Then after the car is fully warm, the HVAC system does not put the fan on 100% high, but only about 60-70%...when it's cold outside, say, below 35F, it takes a long long time for the interior to warm up because the fan is not on 100% high.

So...

I wind up having to manually shut the system off when I start the car, then turn it on after a few minutes, and then after a few minutes more (when the coolant is fully warmed), turn the fan manually up to 100%.

Is this normal? Because if it is, it's a really poor implementation of automatic climate control.

The system worked OK-ish in the summer...no big complaints there...other than it seems like a week system in general...never seems to blow enough air when the temp is above 85 or so.

 

I'm with you on the operation of the system in the winter. Anxiously waiting to see if anyone has a solution to this irritating "problem".

As far as the last statement in your post, what I do in the summer on really hot days is to use the *recycle* air option for a while and it blows more air and colder air. Cools the cabin down faster and then I switch back to "fresh" air.

 

I really do not care for the automatic HVAC. But if you feel the air in the footwell area I think its warmer than the vent air. The auto thing is never going to work for all people in all conditions. I wish I had a fully manual dual control system.

 

Hmmm. I'm on the CA coast, so I don't see much COLD weather, but I don't recall cold air blowing in my face when I drove it home from VA, and it was definitely COLD through the midwest.
It may not solve the problem, but the seat heaters should help you get warm...

 

That's exactly how my '86 Saab worked, and it was irritating as hell. Especially after I took out the AC components. In the summer, it would have just blown hot air on me all day long. Every time I started it up, I had to switch it to manual.

And thus why I don't care for the car telling me what temperature I want to be at.

FWIW, I have the manual climate controls in my MINI and they're sorta weak all around as well. *shrug*

 

The Auto HVAC in the MINI does not work near as well as in my previous Acura. I just boil it down to a quirk of owning a MINI.

... but it is still light years better than the Mini.

 

yeah the auto climate control is one of my least favorite parts of the car. I think it looks better then the manual dials but that's about it. I usually just end up running it in manual mode any way.

As far as blowing cold air... I usually leave it on manual with the ac on on the highest heat setting with the lowest fan setting. Seems to warm up the hvac system the fastest. I will only put it on auto climate control once the car has fully warmed up.

 

There are better designs and there are worse designs...the Mini, just by shutting the fan OFF instead of blowing cold air in the winter, and by bringing the fan up to full HIGH when the coolant gets warm (depending of course on the difference between the interior temp and the temp set on the HVAC) would be worlds better.

 

Yes...if it weren't for my seat heaters, I'd be FREEZING.

Maybe I'm just getting older (46), but seat heaters have become more and more important to me, esp with leather, and esp with the less-than-great heating system in the Mini.

 

Yep...same here...though even with recycle, I still wish it would blow colder air and more air...I'm not crazy about that big center vent on top the dash...I want the cold air blowing ON me, at least during the "cool down" phase when the interior temp is still hot/warm.

 

Is there any way to avoid having the Air Conditioner on? If I turn it off I get warmish air even when set to low?

 

MINI's auto climate control seems pretty normal to me, at least as far as what I have come to expect from BMW. It acts pretty much like the automatic system in my past 3 BMWs. Nothing great but for the most part I don't think about it or notice it.

When in automatic mode, I've never had the MINI blow cold air in my face though. Are you sure you had it in automatic with the temperature set right?

Maybe this is a change in my very late 2006 (almost 2007) model MCSC. It usually waits until the air is hot before it starts blowing. In fact I've noticed that the automatic system almost never uses the front vents to blow hot air when it has to heat the cabin. It always uses the top vents. Only when it has to blow cold air to cool the cabin does it seem to use the front vents.

Complaints about the automatic A/C were common on the BMW boards too. So maybe it's just a BMW/German thing.

 

I've been very happy with the auto climate control in my '04 MCS. I live in Massachusetts and have never experienced a problem with cold air in my face, or any other problem, for that matter. I leave it on 66 or 68 all year round, turn off the a/c part of it when the humidity's low, and it's always comfortable.

 

I have the system set to AUTO, and it doesn't matter where the temp is set (as any set temp is far higher than the ambient temp when the ambient temp is cold).

The cold air that is blowing on my face seems to be coming from the defroster vents...the HVAC system sets the fan to it's lowest setting.

My point was that the fan should be OFF until the coolant temp rises a bit...I mean, what is it doing ON? All it can do is blow cold air.

 

Auto "not"...

My previous car, a 1988 MB, had the epitomy of an automatic HVAC. In the winter, it waited till the coolant and engine were warm enough then blew like crazy till it reached the desired temp. Then the fan would automatically calm down and keep it cozy. Likewise in Summer, except it would blow cold air at full until it reached your temp setting.

I love my MINI and have resorted to leaving the fan speed on automatic but switching the vent settings myself (floor, face, window and combinations thereof). Overall, it seems to be less button pushing for me.

In the summer, I just open the windows and sunroof and then everything is really great.

swizzle

 

Turn the vents off.

 

It's not the vents, it's the defroster.

 

I've got an "05" and haven't noticed a problem. Here in Wisconsin the fan needs to blow a little at startup to keep the windows from frosting up. It stays on low speed until the engine has warmed up a bit and then it speeds up the fan until the cabin is warm and then gradually slows again, which is how I think it should work. I never feel air in the face from the defroster vents.

Actually I love the auto stuff except I think it drys out the cabin air a bit much, but that would happen with auto or manual I would think.

 

I've noticed this in the MCS, but BMW in general doesn't have a great climate control system...

Our X5 is really touchy with it's climate control...The slightest change in temperature will make the climate control go to the max on one end of the spectrum. It also won't blow hot air out of the vents. Last week, it was 24 degrees outside and the car had been running for 45 minutes...Cold air was blowing out of the dash!

BMW has a lot of catching up to do...

 

I don't really mind mine as much as others do. It blows some air when cold, but never in my face, and it's not bothersome. I am a bit confused as to why the AC comes on when it's 20F outside though.

 

Have you had that checked out at the dealership? My dad's 3 series had a similar problem with the AC, and it turned out to be some bad chip related to the temp sensor.

 

I have the automatic controls in my 2003 and that is why we went with the standard sensible ***** and buttons for my wife's 2006. . . .

 

I haven't had any problems with the Auto AC... I currently have a loaner since mine is at the dealer's, and it has manual which I really dislike... Not only does it look bad, I find it awkward to try and find the 'right' temperature. At least with the Auto, you know exactly what temperature it is and you can either run it in Auto or manual mode. I tend to run it in manual mode during the Winter and just set the temp at about 68-72 degrees (depending on the temp outside) with the fan set low and the air directed outwards. Of course, it's pushing close to 80 degrees right now in Houston, so not really needed right now, haha. I've never had a problem with air blowing in my face, but can see how it might happen if you keep it on Auto all the time since it tries to reach your set temp as quickly as possible.

You might want to keep it in manual mode, then when the air has warmed up enough just press the auto button. Easy, and one button operation.

I don't know why everyone seems to have so much trouble with the Auto climate control. I didn't even read the manual and figured out both modes, it's not exactly rocket science. I guess you just need some patience initially, and a lot of people aren't willing to 'learn' how to operate something... To each his own.

 

I think the light is engaged, but the compressor does not come on until needed...but I'm not sure...so I turn the A/C button back off, to make sure I'm not wasting gas running the compressor when I don't need it.

I know most/all owner's manuals I've read have said something like:

"compressor will not engage below 32F even with the switch in the A/C position".

Might have something to do with the system frosting over somewhere.

 

That's exactly what I do...but if the system was designed better, like many other manufacturers, it would be smart enough to do it ALL automatically.

Out Volvo's and Infiniti's automatic systems both worked perfectly.