[Markar41]

Hi

Of the many problems we have with our June 2007 Mini Cooper S is an issue with the ventilation system in the car. We have the climate option and are finding that cold air is being blown on to the drivers knee from around the steering column, specifically from the area where the height adjuster is located. This results in you getting a very cold knee when driving the car which is really anoying!

Our dealer has had the car back and has removed the dash to check the ducting behind together with the whole heating system but they found nothing and returned the car to us still with the problem.

Does anyone else have the same problem?

[KIM FURNESS]

Yes, I have a Mini One, the new model, bought in April 2007. I have the very same problem. Cold air blows on to my knees and at this time of year it is freezing.

I never thought to take it back to the dealer. I am just putting up with the problem.

Best regards,
Kim

[CooperDee]

Mine does that too, 2 week old Cooper D. I think it's just cold air sinking to the footwell and probably a 'feature' of the model. Doubt there's much can be done but I do find it less noticeable if you set the air distrbution wheel to far right which pushes air out the footwell, demister and face vents.

[Paul c]

Mine has done this from day one......dealer said they cant fault it.......
But, like you say in this weather its awful!!
The cold air also comes from around the glove box area beside the centre console/heater control area too............if you hold your palm of your hand across the heater controls the cold air can be felt comming through the gaps between switches and console too...............but hey!!!!!!!!!
the dealer knows best...............................NOT............ ..............

[Paul c]

Funny thing is our other Cooper S a december 2006 car doesnt do it!!

[Markar41]

Interesting that other people have the same issue, I still can't believe that this issue can't be fixed by the dealer.

Playing with our heating controls and taking the system out of Auto seems to suggest thta the problem is at its worst if the air is directed at the floor vents. So at the moment we are running our system with air directed at the screen and facia vents. Kind of wonder why we wasted our money on the climate option.

My wife finds the cold air on the knee so bad that she really doesnt want to drive the car!

[Paul c]

What a shame for her...........its bad enough when ya got jeans on eh and you can feel it!
The dealers/MINI really need to sort themselves out!

[Red D]

I've got the auto-air con option on my Cooper D. Haven't come across this problem.....

[grodenglaive]

no problem at all, but I don't have the automatic climate control.

[CooperDee]

Unless someone changes the law of physics no dealer is going to fix this strange little quirk.

Let me explain simply - hot air rises, cold falls. You are feeling the cold air falling into the footwell that's replacing the hot air that's being pushed out by the heater.

It may be worse on RHD cars than LHD due to a different layout of footwell and dash.

[Paul c]

Point taken cooper dee and i agree.........but.......when stationary it aint too bad.......however as soon as you drive away you can feel the cold air blowing through the gaps in dash and heater controls and tonight even through the radio controls on the speedo!!

[Markar41]

I do believe there is something wrong, if this was 'normal' then the thread would be full of responses saying every mini does this!

A friend of ours has a cooper s with the same options as ours and just 4 weeks older and his is OK!

[ONED]

OK ! had been meaning to do this for ages - but never got round to it!.....my wife drives the car on a daily basis so its not something that I tend to remember about.

Anyway Our car is a May 07 Cooper D, I noticed this "FAULT" very soon after delivery, my wife didn't find it initially and thought it was just me!
Our car has the manual heater controls with the Aircon option - so it's not just an Auto problem. This fault happens on very cold days when the air inside the car is very cold! - I would wait until the heater is producing warm air, and then turn the controls to the floor and turn the fan onto high to get my feet and legs warmed quickly. This then sends a blast of freezing cold Air out through the gaps around the steering column. I have mentioned this to the dealer before, the guy admitted he could find the cold, but they checked it out and could not find the source of the problem.
On this occasion we got a loaner, and I could also find the problem on it too!
I used to be of the opinion that it was indeed the warm air directed at the floor causing the cold air to rise up and through the gaps, - now I'm not so sure! - I am now of the opinion that there is some sort of serious leakage from the cold side of the heater system.
The car is due in next week for its first service, and I have made it clear to the dealer that this is unacceptable and something has to be done about it. I have explained that my wife now has to drive the car with a coat over her knees as it is that bad!!

[KenL]

Quote: Originally Posted by ONED (original)

The car is due in next week for its first service,

Sorry to go off-topic, bu, how many miles has the car done?

[ONED]

11K Ken

[Paul c]

Let us all know what they say please 'oned'
BTW my car has just done 8k and has done this from day one too.

[mikeythemini]

I have noticed some R56 have thick sticky back foam stuck to the inside of the under dash panel - now wondering if this is a fix for this problem - plugging the gaps????

[GarryThomas]

I haven't got 2nd generation cooper can't you change the air direction to the screen
as a demister function.

[ONED]

You can - but its not much use if your feet are freezing!

I'm totaly ******ed off with this!...you forget about it during the Summer, but come Winter ......just NOT ACCEPTABLE!!! $h!te build quality!

[ONED]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikeythemini (original)

I have noticed some R56 have thick sticky back foam stuck to the inside of the under dash panel - now wondering if this is a fix for this problem - plugging the gaps????

I've had that off Mikey....but I think it's just to stiffen the panel up to eliminate any rattle or vibration!

....it doesnt create a seal around the column!

THERE MUST BE MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE NOTICED THIS!!!!