Hi everyone, I have a R59 Mini Roadster. The AC compressor stops about 30 minutes into the drive, however the interior blower fan continues to run. It smells like musty damp air coming from the vents and blows warm air into the cabin. This happens for about 5 minutes and the the compressor starts again, usually cycling every 30 minutes or so. This seems to happen on very warm days when you need the air conditioning the most. I have all settings set to MAX cold and full speed fan. Dealer says it's operating as designed but I've never had issues with other cars like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. ;-)

 

Yes, its kick off and on to match the interior temp set, even on max. Check your cabin filter as it might be dirty or get the carbon version, it helps with the smells. 64319127516


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-install.html

 

Huh, I've never noticed that on long trip. Then again we aren't huge user of AC so perhaps it does it and I've never noticed it.
I believe the smell can happen on any car. Most of the time it's a matter of circumstances, a mix of exterior humidity, fan use, etc... What have noticed over the years is that it's better to use the A/C fully or not at all. The intermediate scenario are the ones that cause more problem, like driving on a very humid day, but partially using the A/C. It gets all musty but there isn't enough air flowing to prevent mildew to start growing...

 

I have the auto controls and I don't notice this. I just set the temp and let it run.

 

Beyond the air filter, check the air intake area at the base of the windshield/windscreen. Can only see it with the hood/bonnet open. Pretty easy to accumulate organic matter from tree droppings and other stuff in there. If the filter is really clogged up, or the air intake is not clear, it could be causing ice to build up enough to shut off the compressor until it melts.

Denver (?) is not really a location known to be a place where high humidity is common, right? So I'm not all that convinced it's ice build up causing the compressor to cycle on and off. But I would check all that, just in case.

 

questions for OP

- auto a/c or 'regular'?

- recirc on? (in recirc most systems will regularly open outside vents to ensure sufficient fresh air in the system ... manual explains this)

- top up or down (dw runs a/c with top down most of the time)

- did dealer actually check the pressures in the system? If not sure I'd go to a 'regular' auto shop for a standard a/c check ....

- if not sure when inside filter was last changed ... pull it and check ..... no big deal. There's a black box under the glove box. On the front are a couple of clips. Open the box and pull the filter. What's it look like??????
see: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4315879