A/C doesn't cool down car on hot days
 

I live in San Fernando Valley LA CA. On hot days 95-105 my Mini cannot keep up. Recycle light never goes off (although it is functioning) and the fan has to be on full always. My '97 Volvo can crank out a lot more cooling power as well as my wife's Volvo S-60. I've spent $250 on tinting (sun roof has Limo dark on it), and that hasn't helped either. Dealer measured temp coming out at 43 degrees which meets factory specs. Is anybody else having this cooling problem on 90+ days? Any solutions out there??? It's really a bummer.

Get used to it...The cooling issue in Mini's will never get better. Some years are better than others though. Try coming to AZ in 123 degree weather. :nod: Then you will feel our pain. :sad:

Jimmy, what color is your mini?

YD

Yeah, try Vegas, too.
LiquidYellow/white top/all around limo tint--still a buggar to cool down.
If I drive consistently at 40+ its not too bad, though.

How old is your MINI? I recently had my friendly local independent mechanic service my air conditioning.

He replaced the refrigerant (even though it was measured to have enough) and evacuated the system to remove any condensation.

Then he used some foaming condenser coil cleaner to remove all of the built up grime and bugs from the condenser.

This made a world of difference. Before this, the AC felt like it was only operating at about 75%. The added efficiency was enough to make it work much much better.

Oh, and it was a cheap fix too!

Color BRG w/white top '03 10k Mi I do feel the pain for AZ & Vegas.:nod:
But when I get into my old Volvo and it cools down the car in no time I feel my pain more!

Thanks this is a great suggestion! '03 w/10k mi.

I have the same problem and I get the same respond from my dealer.
Its starting to really bother me. I just got my windows tinted as well, and it does not help!
One more thing in common is that I have a BRG too!!
Oh well, I'll get my mechanic friend to look at it for me.
Thanks for the tip!

During a recent run around Redding, CA this summer, temperatures were in
excess of 115. My MINI's A/C kept up with the heat just fine. My wife and I
were quite comfortable until we got out of the car to take pictures or eat
lunch. Sorry to hear that some of you are not faring as well. :sad:

if you take your car in for any a/c repair have the tech put 1.1lbs of r134 in the car. some cars i have meassured have 2-3 ounces less and it makes a big difference in the temp. output. good luck!

Some really good tips here. I think I need to have my AC serviced and replenished. I will probably wait until next summer since we're heading into the winter months. The hottest ones are already over here in N. Cal.

I was at my dealer a few weeks ago and had them take a look at my A/C. It didn't seem to be cooling things down when it was in mid 90's+. They said they found a leaky valve that was preventing the refrigerant from getting below 50 degrees. Even with that replaced, I still find it sub-par. It almost seems like the air is cooler when it's set at 62 or 64 than low. The MINI's A/C is definitely not one of the top performers.

I havn't seen any european air conditioners that work very well, my 1996 F250 will make ice cubes in short order. On the subject of Volvos, my wifes 1994 960 blows very cold air, as long as you arn't going up any sort of grade, at that point the designers decided to have the computer shut down the compressor in order to save gas. It cannot be disabled either, dumbest idea ever:lol: , esp. if you are going into Flagstaff from NM, the thing never comes back on. If she didn't love everything else about that car I would get rid of it, I just drive the truck in the hot summer although my 06 MCS did well this summer. Maybe I can talk her into trading for a traveler when they arrrive.:nod:

When I lived in Quebec, I used my A/C maybe 2-3 times in almost 3 years.

Since I moved to Miami, I use the A/C a lot more.

My 03 MCS' A/C works great and cools the interior quite fast and effectively.

You might want to get a refregirant flush.

I'm out here is NC and we had 96+ days with humidity to match.. I have a black roof and the mini had no problem keeping the cabin cool. I find the AC works quite well..
A few tihngs you can do to help...

When you get in a hot parked car... Put the AC on with the outside air selected. Open the window an inch or two. This will pressurize the heated cabin air and force it out of the car while keeping the hot outside air from coming in.

After a few minutes , roll up the windows and put it on re-circulate.. It's the fastest way to cool the cabin down by not trying to cool the super-heated air...

I was up in Redding on that run with Mr Econ and I concur with his remarks.Q:thumbsup:

A/C is much less efficent when its hot out.

Get used to it, its just physics.

Temp goes up, the speed of cooling goes way down. Once it gets cold, be sure to turn on recirc, that will speed up cooling once the car is cooled down inside.

Bad idea.

The system is designed to work with an exact ammont of refrigerant.

I doubt any reputable mechanic would agree to put less than the specified ammount into your car.

actually by putting 1.1lbs of r134 you will be putting 1 ounce more than what is required(17ounces total). that extra ounce will definitely make a difference of up to 12*f when meassured at the center vents on recirculate mode.

This advised was given to me by 2 regional BMW engineers that were at the dealership about 2 months ago and verified on the spot on a brand new Mini.

So when a customers comes in and has a problem with the a/c i'm more than willing to put that extra ounce to make the customer happy.

Yep, this is how I do it in Houston. My MINI is all Jet Black and without tint on windows or sunroof, and I have been comfortable all summer. This was a big worry for me as I took delivery last October.

Change the Cabin Filter
 

I changed the cabin filter and made a world of difference, course i live in southern Tennessee so does not get above 100 often.

changing the cabin filter, run the LO on the knob and it seems to help.