As the title suggests this is a stupid question. I bought the super fancy auto Havc feature and now i can't figure out how to just turn the vents on. The ac doesn't suck that much power when its on and when the windows are rolled down 130mph isn't so loud. In my old car i would just pop the sun roof, turn the vents on, and keep my car cool by just the sheer volume of air traviling past the car. Is there a way? I would love to enjoy more than 24.9 mpg with out having to sweat like a pig in Houston's heat.

 

Nope--no way, according to my SA. Stupid design, IMO.

Welcome to NAM! Hope to see you at the HMMS meetings, or if you're north, at the MINI Club of The Woodlands (MCOW)!

Oh, and there's a fun run this Saturday that I'm putting on...

 

That's astonishing. Seriously, you cannot turn off the A/C and just have outside air?

Edit:
I downloaded the manual. On page 68, in the section on 'Automatic Climate Control', next to the pic of the 'snowflake' button it says:So, it would seem pressing the 'snowflake' button would turn off the cooling. To force outside air (from page 67):

 

Correct, just turn off the snowflake button...turns off the compressor.

 

Okay, I'll try it. It's counterintuitive to have to turn on the a/c first and then shut it down.

 

The snowflake turns the actual A/C on or off. If you've got the fan on, but the flake off then you're just pushing outside air through w/ the fan.

I believe (and I'm just guessing here, based on my experience w/ a previous BMW auto AC system) that it should remember the state of the snowflake so you won't have to turn it back off the next time you're in the car.

 

Cool i think i will try that. Thank you for the quick responses. Ps i wave EVERY time.

 

On the R53s, if the auto AC is set to LOW, everytime you restart the car, the AC will be on. If the AC is set to anything other than LOW, it will honor the previous setting of AC on or off.

 

I tried tonight--there is NO outside air without having the fan at least partially on.

 

With fan "on" and snowflake "off" only outside air circulates in car.

 

Not sure how that could be considered a problem, unless you're concerned about the itty-bitty bit of juice needed to run the fan. I understood the OP to be asking how to get outside air without running the AC compressor, which really does impact MPG.

 

Not worried about the MPG--just the longevity of the fan. I'm sure it's as expensive as all the other MINI things are to replace. I tend to keep cars a long time...

 

I believe this is a 'feature' with the auto A/C. The manual A/C is, forwhateverreasonandihavenoideawhythey'dmakethemdi fferent, unsealed and vents a bit of outside air even with it off.

 

S t, I got the "automatic." which isn't worth the tin/plastic it's made of.

 

Let me get this straight. You paid $$$ for this option, but don't actually want to use it in it's intended 'automatic' mode. And it allows you to do just that, except it requires you to leave the fan on at least low for outside air to get in. And you're upset because you're worried about wearing out the fan?

 

That's likely an artifact of the cabin filter. The air doesn't just flow into the cabin, it flows into a quite robust (aka thick) filter. I run in the same mode, though I seem to get a little bit of airflow.
If it REALLY bothers you and you don't mind not having filtered air, you could try removing the filter (it's in a box under the glovebox) and see if you get satisfactory flow.
FWIW, IMO there are many parts of the car that are likely to wear out before the interior fan.

 

I've got automatic temp control in my BMW. It works. The one in the MINI works like c***. that's why.

 

This may have been said but I get confused sometimes. With my '03 Auto Climate I can get air from my vents without anything on though weakly but then I have never tried it at 130 mph. Couldn't if I wanted to.

Turn your Auto on and set your vents as you wish (side vent, floor, defrost, whatever. Snowflake can be on or off...doesn't matter but do have the recirc button turned off). This opens and closes the corresponding flaps directing the air. Then shut the Auto off and the vent flaps stay as you had them set and air will move through them speed dependant. Maybe the new new MINI works that way also.

 

Fine, you've apparently got other issues with the auto-AC (I'm not a mind-reader). Given that you think this fan thing is an issue, I'm not surprised.

 

Wel it does really -
If you start the car and the A?C is on and working,
- hit the * to turn off the A/C
- turn the temp selector to Low ( as cold as you want it )
- Turn the system OFF.
I'll feel cool ( outside temp ) Air flowing through the vents.
- Crank the Temp selector to HI ( or near HI )
- turn the system off
- you *should* feel warmer air from the vents.
That is unless the 2007 cabin is sealed MUCH better than my 2002

 

Would that it were so. Apparently the R56's system is different. My SA said it's not designed to send outside air through the vents without a motor, a/c or not. Don't know why they fixed a problem that didn't exist.

 

+1

I have the full automatic system. But most of the time I run with the temp set to "lo", the A/C off, and a little bit of fan. My E36 bimmer has the same issue. It's got 160k miles, and the fan's going strong. The A/C is a different story.