My mellow yellow '07 MCS has just over 24k miles on it.. I bought it used in October with 16k miles.. I live in MA and didn't much use for AC until a couple of weeks ago..

Background: I'm sitting in dead stop traffic on a beautiful, 100 degree, smoldering day.. And my A/C is blowing hot, hot air. Lovely. I call Mini, they can't see me for about two weeks.. So the next day I'm waiting around at Sears auto center to get my A/C recharged.. Two hours later, the tech tells me they can't get my A/C working because the compressor won't engage/ turn on/ whatever the terminology is..

Now, I don't know much about cars.. But I know that when a compressor isn't working right, the car can get shaky when the A/C is on.. One tech at sears said its definitely that my compressor is blown and another said he thinks the compressor it's self isn't the issue but whatever is talking to or connecting with the compressor most likely isn't working properly and that's the problem

I've made an appointment at mini to get it checked out but does anyone have any opinions or advice on what the problem could be?! A car with such low miles shouldn't be having compressor issues

Another issue my mini is having... :( For the first time day, my radio dash board pixels/ lights are fading (picture below).. Also a problem that a car with such low miles shouldn't be experiencing.. I

Is there anything I can check around the car for to see if I can fix either of these issues on my own? I replaced two fuses for my A/C. Hoped maybe that would help.. Nada :(

These are both really expensive issues and I could use some experiences Mini owner's advice!

Thanks y'all!

 

Have you ever replaced the battery? I have read that odd electrical issues (like your display dimming?) can occur when the battery starts getting old.

For the AC, it is often the age of the car, not the number of miles, that can make a system go bad.

Were the fuses blown for the AC system? That is a bad sign, if they were. I don't have any ideas for the AC, other than find a mechanic that you trust. If that is the MINI dealer, then so be it.

Have fun,
Mike

 

The fuses were not blown.. But I bought and opened the new ones.. So I replaced. Since I've had the car (about 8 months) I have not replaced the battery. I just went out and started my car to check the display lights.. And they are still dim but not as bad.. They're coming back to life.. Does the battery charge have anything to do with that? Showing bright at first then fading as your drive continues?
Thanks for your help!