Don't know if it's broken or not. I have a new '12 Mini S with manual climate control. It's been hot here lately and have tried to use the recirculate button, but I can't tell if its working. In all my other cars, when it is engaged, the temp drops and it sounds much louder. In my mini, I cannot tell any difference in temp or sound. Before I go to the dealer, can any of you tell me if you can notice any difference when it is engaged?

 

Yes, I notice a difference. It's as if the fan gets an extra speed; the sound gets louder and I get more air from the vents. The light on the recirc button also comes on.

 

That's what I figured. Mine must be broken.
Thanks for the verification

 

+1 same here, i will say that it does seem to take a deliberate press and hold to turn it on/off

scott

 

I swear mine doesn't do a dam thing either but my dealer says it is working even though I told him I can hear and feel the diff using the recirculate button on the clubman loaner I had.

 

Very interesting. I've probably owned a dozen cars over the years and this is the first car that had this stealth feature. It's either sophisticated German engineering implemented on select Minis, or the damn switch is broken.

 

I have a 2012 MCS, and it's the first car I've owned that had its own opinion of whether to recirc or not, regardless of whether I pushed the button or not.

With auto climate control on, I was leaving the recirc button "off" and driving with a window slightly open while I pipe smoked, to allow the smoke to escape out the window. Like every other vehicle I've owned (none were MINIs). That still left the interior smelling like an old ashtray, however, with this car.

Investigating, I discovered that my MINI will insist on recirc to assist the A/C no matter what. By turning off Auto, and turning off the a/c, I could get what I considered "normal" recirc button behavior: "on", you definitely hear a change as that interior air intake opens and the air flow changes. "Off", you hear change to a bit quieter air flow as the interior air door closes and it pulls outside air only. With the a/c engaged, even not in auto mode, it will choose recirc on its own, no question.

There may be a point where, with a/c running, it will decide that the car is cool enough and recirc is no longer needed, and revert to outside air. However, I haven't seen that, it's been 100+ here for many days!

 

Yes that is how it works on a car with "Auto Climate Control" but on the cars with "Manual Climate Control" which is what the OP states he has this is not the case.

 

just got back from mini dealer and they said the car is operating normally. I have a manual climate and they said when the A/C is on, the recirc will stay on no matter what you do with that button. However, with the A/C off (the compressor) the recirc switch will operate. I checked it myself and that's how it works. I guess Mini knows best and have removed that option in our best interests. I love my Mini, but they are the quirkiest damn car I've ever owned.

 

In my 2012 model, the recirc and A/C buttons operate completely separately. There is a definite change when I press recirc, and another definite change when I press A/C.

 

Here is a crazy idea, if the recirculation is on, INDICATE IT. It does not matter if the car turned it on or I did, if its on it should be lit up, then there will be no confusion.

 

+1

same on my 2012 cms all4

scott

 

slave..
at the risk of being a pest, would you clarify a point? With the A/C operating, you notice a change when you press and press again the recirc. Or are you saying if you run the fan without A/C and then engage the A/C you notice a change. The dealer says with the AC engaged there is nothing you can do to change the recirc. You seem to say that aint so. i hope you're right.

 

The dealer may have confused "Auto" with "A/C" with regard to recirc. "Auto" takes over everything except temp.

 

Ok well today I went in my coupe and cranked the vent without ac and then hit the recirculate button and I def heard a difference in the fan speed. Then I cranked the ac and when I hit recirculate I got zero change in fan speed or sound. So in my case I would have to agree with old guy but like gblaze said the indicator should light to avoid this confusion.

 

Sure, let me go through it A-B-C.

Manual air conditioning.
Turn on the fan, nothing else. I can hear the fan run.
Push the recirc button. I can hear a change in the fan, and the light in the button comes on.
Push the recirc button again. I hear a change and the light goes off.
Push the A/C button. I hear a change (and feel it if the car is driving), the light in the AC button goes on, the air coming out of the vents gets quite cold.
Push the recirc button. I hear a change, and the light in the recirc button comes on.
Push the recirc button again, the light goes off and I can hear a change.

I am not sure what happens to the recirc button if I turn the fan off, I'll have to try that tomorrow.

I hope this helps.

 

+1

exactly as mine works

i know if i turn the fan off, the a/c goes off, don't know about the recirc

scott

 

Slave to Felines and bmwr606 have systems that work the way they are supposed to.

Those that are not turning recirculation on and off are incorrect. And the Dealer is also incorrect.

the below is directly from the MINI TIS and explains how the system is to work. Now of course the BMW/MINI TIS could be wrong.

Now if I ever had a car with an A/C system where I could not change the recirculation mode and it was on all the time when the A/C is on it would get returned to the manufacturer and they would be told that if they did not give me a FULL refund of my purchase price I would sue them for making a car that car kill people. The reason for this is that the oxygen levels in the car are reduced more and more the longer the recirculation is on. Oxygen is required for us to live and as such is a hazard and danger to my life. Even the BMW/MINI TIS mentions this in their function description, and have an override for the recirculation system built in

 

Hmm, interesting. I just checked my 2012 (build date 4/12) and my manual A/C seems to be behaving like OldGuy and cruzer's. Pushing the recirc button on/off while the A/C is on doesn't seem to do anything. When A/C is off recirc is definitely working.

 

schatzy62 posted the straight skinny from the BMW/MINI TIS info, a great resource.

I'd be interested in what it had so say about recirc function when combined with the a/c being "on".

I do have Auto climate control in mine, but here's what I observed with it switched off, and presumably not a factor:

With A/C "off", my 02/2012 build MCS recirc control functions about like I'd expect: Pressed / recirc light on, the inside-air flap opens, audibly distinct, recirculates inside air. Pressed again / recirc light off, the inside-air flap closes, outside air is supplied. From the TIS note, apparently it's programmed to allow a 30-second "come up for fresh air" session / opens the outside air vent if I've had it on recirc for 30 consecutive minutes. So I won't die from oxygen deprivation, methane from passengers, etc.

With A/C "on", my MINI chooses recirc for me, but doesn't indicate that it has done so via the recirc indicator light. I'd imagine that it likely does the "30-minute break for 30 seconds of outside air" that the TIS describes, that would seem logical, seeing that MINI programmed the recirc mode to behave that way. I've never listened closely at a 30-minute mark to be sure, however.

What I was lamenting (and I believe the OP was also) was that *I* cannot demand only outside air if the A/C is running, as I have been able to in other cars I've owned. For example, my CX-7 would automatically select recirc when A/C was chosen, but: it would light the recirc light, *and* I could turn off recirc if I wanted. I can't do that in my MINI with the A/C on. It chooses recirc with the A/C; I can choose it 'again', and light the indicator light; I can hit the button yet again, and turn off the light, but it's still recirculating.

I get the *why* it would be programmed like this: it's easier to keep cooling already-cooled air than ambient 100+ fresh air, of course. It was just surprising to me that I didn't have control of this function when the A/C was on, like in other autos I've owned.

 

Without it specificaly stating the state of the A/C function I take it to mean that it works that way with the A/C on or off and that is really the way it should be.

The TIS notes posted above in my post are "not" for the Automatic Climate Control. They are only for the Manual Control with or without A/C. Yes there are cars that can still be gotten without A/C.

My car is a 2008 with Automatic Climate Control so there may be a difference on the 2011/12 but I know for a fact that mine does NOT turn on recirculate when the A/C is on. But I also have three options for Recirculate as well. 1. No Recirculate, 2 Recurculate only (30 min, 30 second, 30 min applies) and 3. Auto where the car itself tests the air and if the Hydroncarbons, Corbonmonixide, or Nitrogen Oxide levels are to high is automatically set it to recirculate only (30 on/off still applies)


Where I see a problem is with there being two (2) different answers to this where some work (able to control recirculate with A/C on) as I an others feel they should and some that do not.

 

has anyone (beside me) read the owners manual description of how the recirc button works?

i know that mine works just like the OM says it should with the manual a/c

scott

hint page 73/74 in my manual

 

Mine works the same way. Only it doesn't turn off when the A/C or Cooling is on. I.e. the OM does not specifically address the issue being discussed here (it doesn't mention specifically that Recirc can only be turned on/off in non A/C mode).

BTW, it seems that it has been discussed on and off here in NAM. I had to Google the topic (the NAM search function isn't all that great).

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-working.html

Ultimately the OP brings his CM to the dealer and they diagnose a mechanical fault in the fresh air vent not opening when the Recirc button is pushed/turned off. However, the OP and other posters also note the same functionality in their A/C as Oldguy, cruzer and myself (post #7, #8?), and the dealer also says earlier that the Recirc does works, but you won't hear anything (post #9)

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...c-feature.html

OP notices the same functionality, again like Oldguy, Cruzer and myself. Dealer tells OP this is normal (last post), however OP also seems to indicate that they tested different models on the lot, some do and some don't.

The saga continues

 

I can't use fresh air mode when the A/C is on. :( This seems crappy to me. You can def. hear the difference when it's just on vent and pressing the recirc button.

 

This is what page 79 says in my manual regarding the manual HVAC. Pay particular attention to the section with *** towards the bottom. This does not happen in my car.

Cooling function*
When the cooling function is on,
the air is cooled, dried, then
reheated according to the temperature
setting. This function is only available
while the engine is running.
The cooling function helps prevent condensation
on the windows or removes it quickly.
Depending on the weather, the windshield may
fog over briefly when the engine is started.

***To cool the air more quickly and intensely
when the outside temperature is high, you
can switch on the recirculated-air mode.<