Cooper S in cold weather

[lebowski]

Hi, i was not sure where to post this, but since it's a 2006 MCS i'm looking at, i figured the MCS forum is where i should ask this. I test drove an ’06 ‘S’ last week and it was, of course, sensational (contemplating trading in my ’04 TSX 6-speed). A really neat feature I appreciated was how the windows would quickly lower and then raise automatically to form a better seal with the roof. I’m up in Montreal, Canada, and when it’s really cold and there’s ice around the window sills of my Acura (and most other cars), the car often needs to warm up before the power windows can be lowered. I was wondering if any of you who live in sub-freezing temperatures part of the year have ever had a problem with the mini’s self-sealing windows. Is it possible to be locked out of your car if it’s too cold outside for those self-sealing windows to go down? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Lebowski

[Beezerk]

Good question there Leb.
I've noticed that the chrome handles on my Cooper are hard to open when it's freezing. I'm talking like -4 here in the UK, god knows how cold it gets over your neck of the woods.

[Richard Crofts]

They do freeze up sometimes....but from what I have experienced and heard from those with more regular sub zero temps its not a massive issue. The lack of a frame makes it easier to clear them of ice to allow door opening. Once there deiced to allow entry you can use them straight away obviously.

[Paul]

Mine have frozen a few times, only once was it an issue because I didn't have a scraper to hand! Other than that it's not really a problem.

[lebowski]

Many thanks for your responses. I guess the thing to do will be to keep an ice scraper handy (but not *inside* the car, ;-p). I know this can’t be a huge issue, as Mini’s are very popular here, so people do seem to be getting by. Thanks again and I’ll look forward to getting more info on the MCS as purchase time approaches.

Enjoy your awesome rides!

Lebowski

[Berthil]

Quote: Originally Posted by Beezerk

Good question there Leb.
I've noticed that the chrome handles on my Cooper are hard to open when it's freezing. I'm talking like -4 here in the UK, god knows how cold it gets over your neck of the woods.

Sorry, bit OT, but are you aware that MINI has a fix for this. They exchange the black plastic with a better quality which prevents freezing up. It's not a callback action, just complain to your dealer and let him look into his computer system and it should come up. It should be warrenty.

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by lebowski

Many thanks for your responses. I guess the thing to do will be to keep an ice scraper handy (but not *inside* the car, ;-p). I know this can’t be a huge issue, as Mini’s are very popular here, so people do seem to be getting by. Thanks again and I’ll look forward to getting more info on the MCS as purchase time approaches.

Enjoy your awesome rides!

Lebowski

We're always happy to help push, sorry, encourage potential new MINI owners any way we can!

[lebowski]

haha, thanks Paul, although i barely need anyone to push me towards the MCS - just need to justify selling my acura after only 11 months of ownership!

L

[beken]

...and it hasn't been all that cold in Montreal this year....yet.

BTW...what possessed you to sell your TSX? I have a few friends that bought TSX's and they think they're great. Of course the driving experience isn't the same as the MINI's but build quality and practicality is there.

[frylock]

It gets cold here in Iowa, but I'm sure it gets colder in Canada. Anyway, I just keep my ice scraper in the trunk (the boot). That way you can access it even if the windows are frozen. I also sometimes use a bottle of vinegar or salt water that I keep in the garage (if you have the right concentration, it won't freeze). A little spraying and a little scraping will free the window up in even the coldest weather. The vinegar will eventually degrade rubber parts, so be careful with it.

[lebowski]

Thanks for the recipe, Frylock, and excellent name - big fan of the Aquateens.

Beken, you are right on about the TSX - terrific build quality, proven reliability (it's a honda built in Japan, after all), butter-smooth drivetrain, and probably the best-handling front driver outside of a mini - the car has been great. But i've realized that the acura is just not sporty enough for my present tastes. i'm a single guy who loves to drive, and i find that i'm not using the extra 4 seats in the car nearly as often as i'd think a typical TSX owner would. I feel like this is a car i should be driving ten years from now, when i have a small family but still want something fun and sporty. i'm figuring that the TSX's resale value is still strong, and having bought the car CPO last year i avoided the inital depreciation hit. The only question mark that remains is how much will i miss the extra cargo space - ski trips and golf trips will be limited to 1 other passenger, maybe 2 in a pinch, but this may be an issue perhaps 20 days a year, compared to the other 240 or so workdays where i'm commuting solo. whew, clearly i'm still thinking this one through...sorry i strayed from the topic but hey, it's my topic so i'm allowed, right?

[Chinook]

We have had a mild winter most of this year, but even during a -20 spell in December the seals were fine. Try the Regional Thread for Canada and you should get a lot of input quickly.

And before I get any cracks about -20 being warm, we hit +11 this January and nearly had the monthly mean temp above freezing. Bad for the ski hills, great for the driving.

[KPKalle]

We've been having a warm winter so far this year in Stockholm. But last year we hit the minus 20s. I'd left my car at the airport - we'd been away about a week - and returned to find it covered in a foot or more of ice. The windows dropped down fine when I opened up. It took a little while to brush, scrape and defrost before I could drive though

So no problems to report here with the windows and arctic temps

[ht@yyz]

Quote: Originally Posted by beken

...and it hasn't been all that cold in Montreal this year....yet.

BTW...what possessed you to sell your TSX? I have a few friends that bought TSX's and they think they're great. Of course the driving experience isn't the same as the MINI's but build quality and practicality is there.

I just did the same thing as lebowski. I traded in my 04' TSX and got ordered a 06' MCS. I agree with "proven reliability". However, I don't agree with "terrific build quality". The engineers at Honda also didnt' tune the throttle-by-wire system properly. Plus, the lack of low end torque can be a pain during my 45 km (one way) commute during rush hour.

lebowski, I think I'm in a similar situation. I spent most of my time on the road either by myself or with only 1 passenger. So, folding down the rear seats should yield sufficient cargo room. I haven't took delivery of my MCS yet (still have at least one month of waiting), but I did bring my golf clubs to the dealership and try to fit the set into a MCS. All I had to do was to fold down one rear seat. As for ski, I'm thinking of getting the ski roof rack. All right, enough for the not-so-on-topic discussion

[lebowski]

great to hear the doors work well in the cold - be it in calgary or stockholm. yeah, it's been a mild winter in montreal. ht@yyz, i know it's off topic but just to respond quickly - we do seem to be in a similar situation and congrats on getting the MCS. your gripes about throttle-by-wire and low-end torque are valid. But unless you need to be the quickest person off the line, i do find the power more than adequate, especially once you're moving (previous car was a 2.0 jetta, so it's all about perspective). And constantly finessing that drive-by-wire throttle has definitley made me a smoother driver!

L (eternal optimist)