Go figure..just when I decided to fillet the car/dash like tobefree did, my wire dropped out of the floor vents and they started working. They cycle open/closed somewhat, so something must have popped back in place.
I really don't look forward to stripping the car down to fix his part, so if it fails again, I will just use the magic wire!
A tip o' the hat to all who responded to this question.

 

Same happened to me, it started working again. It failed about a week and a half later. Interestingly enough, I had opened the window to talk to another MINI owner in a parking lot and as the fan sped up (like less pressure in the interior) I heard it slip and slap closed. Out came the coat hanger again. Still hasn't fixed itself again yet.

 

Mine slammed shut again. I guess I will just keep the coat hanger wire under the driver's seat. dammit......

 

Can someone share the secret coat hanger design with me?

 

Can't. I'm waiting for the US Patent and Trademark Office to get back to my attorney.

Actually, I have a cold and I'm too lazy to go out and bring it in, take a couple pics, and upload them. If really, really, needed, I can.

Start with a 14" - 16" straight length of coat hanger. [edit: if you have 2 gauges of coat hanger, use the heavier weigh material, but not more than 1/16" in diameter, do not use hangers with stick on felt slips, loose felt slips, or vinyl coating. The kind from the professional cleaners that are free are best.] Loop a couple inches at one end as a handle. Bend the rest in a slight curve with a radius of maybe 18". Clean up the tip a little so it is free of burrs and sharp edges.

On the driver's side, just to the left of, and behind, the left down tube look for a one inch or so square hole in black plastic. It will have a just a little air leaking out if the heater is running in auto mode. Fish your new heater tool up there, curving first upward, then twist a little counterclockwise when you start to feel something in the way. If you hit the right spot, you'll feel the damper push upward and the warm, filtered, air blow across your hand. Be gentle. If you pull it out a little, the damper will thump back closed. Remove the tool if you need serious defroster, though both the footwell and defroster will work together just fine.

Ok, I went out in the cold dressed in my bathrobe and slippers to get these shots.

Heater Defeat Tool Location


Heater Defeat Tool (front of MINI view) Like from your gas pedal.


Heater Defeat Tool (bottom view) I think, My head started spinning.


The writer takes no responsibility for any part of your MINI you damage using these instructions, that your spouse smacks you upside the head for taking and cutting up her fav coat hanger, or that the heater fixes itself and later fails again (keep the coat hanger close at hand). Summer operation standards pending a real hot day to actually test sequences and new tools being developed in a MINI basement.

 

Thanks for posting the photos! You really did not need to go out in the cold in your bathrobe when you have a cold just to take these photos. You are too nice! Now go back to bed and get some rest! By the way...I am the "she" and my spouse is the "he" so I don't think he will really care about destroying a coat hanger! Wish me luck! Meli B

 

ToBFree - you're brilliant! My feet have been freezing and I've now taken the center console apart twice to try to fix this. Then (doh!) I look to this forum for help. I build a Heater Defeat Tool and installed it and it works great! I'm actually looking forward to driving to work in the cold tomorrow. And I saved probably $1200 in dealer labor. I love it!

Thank you again.

Carl

 

nice....

How much are they going for...patent pending....

 

I get good airflow with the floor vents.....Not like it is a HUGE volume like some domestics....but certainly plenty!!

 

I like that fix.....sure beats 1600$ and 13 hrs of labor!! I think folks here are starting to act like MINI owners should....and IMPROVISE!! BMW owners just fix it....MINI people make it work!!

 

Thanks all. The prototype works so well I forgot I did that until this thread lit back up. I've never repaired the linkage in the air box and probably never will. Works as well in the summer during cooling as it does in the winter for heating.

I've changed my focus to a 2nd MCS in the coming year. With two vehicles, I could take one apart at my leisure to fix the air box and not worry about getting to work the next day.

 

I had the same problem with the footwell vents not opening. Dealer seemed pretty excited for me to let them fix it but I thought I should check NAM first. One set of indeterminate error codes and one slightly bent piece of coat hanger wire later and I'm fixed (as far as I care anyhow). And just in time for this Cleveland winter.

Alas, I don't visit this board as much as I used to but I love knowing it's out here and filled with many other talented and enthusiastic Mini owners sharing their knowledge. Kudos all, well done.

Jim

 

Best of luck jdw5155. I've still never gotten around to even thinking about repairing the air box. Indeed as northern Ohio winter is coming heat on the feet is necessary. I did purchase a new 2010 MCS this past summer and with much reluctance parked it for the winter in a friend's garage and spent the day preparing the '02 MCS for a long winter. Coat hanger was still there.

 

Which servo controls the cold/hot air ratio into the cabin?

 

Item 3 in the top diagram is the temperature control actuator. Above and to the left of where you change the filter. It may be reachable if you remove the glove box assembly (comes out as a unit).

 

ToBFree thank you for the reply, excellent information. One more question for you...

My heat is warmest all the way to the left (drivers side to the left of the steering wheel) then gradually becomes cooler moving into the passenger side vents. Any ideas on that?

Thanks again.

 

I just ran that diagnostic through the climate control...all servos and arms are moving...but still no HEAT! ahhh

 

Not sure why the air would be cooler to one side than the other. Maybe something has gotten in the air ducts which would be odd. I'm the lone occupant 98% of the time, usually as the driver, so no one complains the air is cooler on their side.

No heat: While there could be one of a few things wrong, I'd start by checking the coolant level and then open the coolant line bleeder screws and make sure there isn't air in the lines. Another check would be to get the MINI to temperature and check the heater hoses to see if the hot water is at least getting to the heater coil. I've not gotten out the Bentley manual to see what else is involved, so that'd be the next move. No heat in a running vehicle can only be caused by a few issues all involving the flow of hot water.

 

I'll check that and see what happens. I have been to the dealership three times. Two different dealerships at that and they cannot find the problem...they did however say that everything's hot in the right places. I just can't put my finger on what the issue could be. The only thing that I have yet to look into is that flap being stuck that regulates hot/cold air into the cabin. I only saw the servo working correctly I didn't see the flap; I assume id have to get somewhere where you are with disassembling the center console. Another I thought was odd was during the diagnostic i saw the arm move every two degrees but, when not in the diag modes the arm would only move about every four or five clicks approx. ten degrees. Does this make sense?

Thanks!

 

I'm sort of lazy tonight, so I didn't look back too far in the thread - Is your MINI still under warranty? If so, it should remain a problem for a dealer to solve. If not, then it gets a bit harder deciding how much to press them to solve something and when too much $$ is too much without a solution.

I also don't know the year, if it's a MINI or a MCS, and if you have Auto-A/C or the Manual A/C? I think you have the Auto-A/C since you ran the diagnotics.

I gazed at my copy of the Bentley manual for the '02-'04 model years and don't see anything special outside of the servos. There is a temperature sensor on the heater core but that should show up in the diagnostic run as fault 03 I'd think.

You could always do what I do when it's time to punt. I'd buy the temperature control servo motor (blending) just to see if it works.

Maybe someone else on here or other sites could answer one question - If the servo (any of them) is working correctly but there's a break between that and the linkage/flaps of some nature, would the diagnostics necessarily catch it?

I do know I really have no burning desire to completely remove the entire dash of the MINI to rebuild the air box, flapper seals, linkage, etc. and I'd not wish that on anyone else. I hope you can solve your heating problem more easily.

 

Just a tip for the next time. If you pull down on the panel under the steering wheel it exposes the A/C actuator arms which you will see if one is not moving correctly. You can undo the actuator arm from the servo and rotate the flap and snap the arm back on and avoid all the hanger stuff.

 

Yet another thank you comment to ToBFree for the post SIX YEARS AGO regarding the coat hanger fix. I built it exactly like the post and pictures said to and in 20 seconds working to insert it, had it in place and warm air was blowing on the floor on both sides. Awesome and no more complaints from the wife about cold feet on her car. She loves the thing and says we could only get rid of it if I peeled it from her dead hands.

 

Thank you RTHarris ... now MY reply isn't to a 5 year old thread, but to a 9 month old thread.

Since it is still kind of summer here (70 degree temps; it's late September), I've got the opposite problem. My feet feel like they are getting nothing but hot engine air blown on them. I want them cooled. I can't get outside air down there, even when the outside temp is nice (65 or so). I have to turn on the car's AC and crank up the blower fan to 75% before my feet stop feeling like they are in an oven.

Does this just imply that the vent is closed, and I need the patented Clothes Hanger Implement? I'll try that this weekend.

In a month or two I imagine my feet will be freezing and my symptoms will match this thread more exactly. Right now all I'm noticing is that I can't get outside air (nice cool evening air!) down to my feet. Clothes Hanger Tool coming up.

Deb
(although, with a 2012 MINI, I think I still have *some* warrantee left, and I will complain to my dealer)

 

Very nice DIY coat hanger trick.