Cold Weather & Your Experience
Since the recent record breaking cold-snap in much of Northern America (and even some parts of Europe) we’ve heard all sorts of MINI owners experiences with their cars. While the vast majority of them have been quite positive we wanted to reach out to those who have had some issues with the extreme cold. At temperatures as low as -30F we expect some issues, so lets hear about them. What have you experienced with this kind of cold? And if you haven’t had issues let us know that as well.
When starting my 03 MC at below -25 the DSC is always off run for 2 – 3 minutes and shut off and back on working fine.
Other than that just takes a lot longer to heat up, yay for heated seats.
Only thing I noticed in my 07 is the digital displays respond very slowly until the interior warms up.
Oh, and of course the cold weather increases the likelihood of the start up “growl” as I’ve come to call it.
Any chance of seeing this on Bimmerfile??? So far here at the dealership no issues. These cars thankfully warm up really fast.
My 2006 MCS cabrio has seen as low as -5F recently. No major problems. The boot lid did ice up a little the other day and was frozen shut; I really had to pull to break it free. And it gets kinda creaky and rattling around the window edges until the car warms up (even with lots of Gummi-fledge treatments). The nav screen is extremely dim until it warms up, but that’s pretty typical of all navs.
But no engine or transmission troubles. It starts up and goes just fine.
Probably the worst thing for the winter cabrio drivers is that your rear window is almost constantly covered in grime – I really wish MINI had some kind of power jet to wash the rear window, like it has for the headlights.
One thing I’ll add — I also wish these cars would warm up faster. The heaters (and A/C) on the first generation MINI could have been designed a little better.
>Any chance of seeing this on Bimmerfile??? So far here at the dealership no issues. These cars thankfully warm up really fast.
Good timing – it was just <a href="http://www.bimmerfile.com/2009/01/22/cold-weather-your-experience/" rel="nofollow">being posted</a> as you asked.
Mine sleeps in the garage till April although I just woke her up for her weekly 5 minute stretch. Dang it’s cold (global warming anyone?).
I get the growl in my ’08 Clubman…
I also get some thick ice on the inside front windshield that’s a bummer. Took it to the dealer and they checked the door seals, but I still get it. Short drives are probably the cause.
And it never occurred to me that the Mini doesn’t have a temp gauge until I started to look for it when it got cold. I assumed it was hidden in my settings somewhere. I know I can get one after market, but it seems like an odd thing to skip. I’d rather not crank the heat ’til the engine gets warm.
I still love my Clubman despite it all…
My 08 Clubman S has seen temps as low as -30 C here in Toronto (or around -20 F for you folks in the states). Generally no major issues. The start up noise from the engine is more evident and the auto climate control does take longer to warm up the car. Then again at these temps, most climate controls in any car would take a while. I find as well that the defroster, especially on the clubman’s longer rear driver side windows, are not that effective.
In terms of driving however, it is solid even on stock run-flats. The DSC/EBD/CBC works well and you feel planted on the road.
Two weeks ago: -20°C, well, the cooling liquid was frozen, that means, no heating in the car, after 30′ driving, i still had -5°C inside my mini… great.. 😉
The only issue I noticed on my 2007 MCS was a “stiffening” of the manual transmission. When shifting into first from neutral the feel was a bit tighter and took just a little more effort. Not a bother though by any stretch.
Jeff – I had that issue with my 05 MCS in really cold weather (minnesota). Turned out to be an issue with the shift linkage – water was getting in and freezing on the cables, making it hard to shift initially. Dealership replaced it under warranty. Don’t know if it’s the same thing for you.
I live in Vermont with an ’02 Cooper, where we’ve had some stretches of -30 degree weather, and I’ve only had a couple problems, just when starting. I found that stepping on the gas while starting, as recommended by the owner’s manual, works pretty well, although it took a couple tries. Everything was really stiff for a little while.
It also takes a couple minutes to warm up everything.
This is something I noticed on my ’07 when temps dropped below 0F last week – once temperatures were negative there was a one degree difference between the readout on the tach, and the temperature readout on the OBC screen on the stereo. The OBC would read colder than the tach.
I am a potential R56 MCS owner (I don’t own one yet, but hopefully I will by the end of the year), and I’m curious to know if any of you are running block heaters in your cars (that is, if you guys even think a block heater is required or if it’s even available)? I live in central Alberta, and it can get brutally cold in the winter – this year I’ve seen -40C in the morning, and an average temperature of -28C or so. So, any input you guys can provide is greatly appreciated in helping me make up my mind!
I’m in Calgary, AB and am taking the same plunge. The 2nd generation MINI doesn’t have an available block heater. Take a look at <a href="http://www.minicalgary.com" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.minicalgary.com</a> to see the experiences of other Alberta MINI owners and the cold.
Wow, that is one good-lookin’ MINI! 😉
I was waiting to see if you noticed.
I had no issues with my MINI in the winter other than the front air dam playing snow plow on side streets where snow plows don’t run and mostly higher suspensioned cars ventured out. I wished skid plates was part of a winter driving package for the car.
Thanks for the link, ABJCW. I’ll be keeping my eye on that forum as well!
Has anyone else experienced any major throttle body freezing? I know I’ve seen a few mentions of it in other sections of MF, but I’d like to hear more about this, and if it’s been fixed with the new intake manifold.
It was 83 F here a couple of days ago, what do I know about cold?
This is my first winter with my JCW, and it’s held up quite well so far. Saw as low as -15F one morning, but no problems other than the engine rattle and dirty salt residue everywhere. Bought a set of used 17″ R97 wheels and put Nokian WRG2 “all season” tires, but they’re great in the snow and on dry pavement.
I took delivery on a brand-new custom-ordered 09 S on Dec. 26, 2008. I have less than 500 miles on it. Ever since I got it, it’s been a pain! There is a lag in acceleration, and the car has felt like it needs a “tune-up” ever since day 1. The car had to be TOWED OUT of my garage on Monday morning because of “condensation building up in the supercharger” – apparently due to the cold weather. It is still at the MINI dealer, here in Milwaukee for service. As of now, I’ve heard that BMW is working on a new part that is supposed to fix this problem. However, there are no parts available right now. So I am stuck driving a rental minivan with no end in sight (yup, it really sucks).
Apparently, on Monday morning the dealer had 20 09 model S Coopers come in for service, all for the same reason.
They have been working with MINI Engineering to secure these new parts, but because of the problem on this model, the parts are in high-demand.
Sucks. I actually flipped the MINI off on Monday morning as I left the dealership because this car is such a drag!
Anyone else with a brand-new S having this issue also?
PS – It wasn’t even that cold here…only about -15 F.
Our 03 gives us trouble with freezing door handles. We’ve been locked out & in. The driver’s door is especially fussy. They handle/latches move, but will not operate. NAM threads reveal similar issues–but I haven’t pulled the door card yet. Then we notice the driver’s door lock-pin no longer operates with power locks & must be manually done. ???
More worrisome is start-up when any moisture abounds. She bucks! Violently. Sometimes she’ll warm-up & be fine. Other times she wants to throw a code & be really wretched. Then it happened after a brief warm-up while I brushed-off fairly dry snow. Think it’s moisture/ice getting into the coil & wires?
All help welcomed!
Matt,
The dealer told you the supercharger in your 09 has condensation in it? I’d go visit them again and ask them to point it out the supercharger, as yours should be a Turbocharged model.
My 06 MCS always does a better job of heating if you recirculate the slowly-warming-up air rather than always venting from the constantly frigid outside air. Warms up the cabin more quickly and isn’t any slower than any other car I’ve been in. Fogs up the windows a bit (and A/C isn’t available) but not for long.
Can the TPMS system freeze up? Ever since putting my all-season tires on for winter, I’ve had a slow leak on one of them that has been correctly pointed out to me by the system whenever I’m in need of some air. Although, one really cold night, it told me I had a TPMS malfunction. Before I had a chance to go to the dealer, the error message disappeared and hasn’t returned since. My guess is that when things warmed up, everything got back to normal. Other than that, so far so good in Northern NJ. 2007 JCW MCS.
Matt – Do you park your car indoors or out? Picked up my 08 S back in July; have about 7000 miles on it. I’m in Chicago, so we pretty much have the same weather, and I haven’t encountered that problem.
Cold weather experience… 1) all season runflats have zero traction especially on hard packed snow/ice 2) LSD periodically makes “wind up” noises as it transfers power to other wheel; would have definitely been stuck without it.
My R53 S loves cold weather. I left home this morning in 45F degree weather and the car just works like the finest Rolex..
Hm…tried to post this before, it didn’t go through.
I have an ’08 MCS.
I’m in Milwaukee and have a similar problem to Matt. On the 13th and 14th it was between -15 and -20 here and my car started both times in ‘low power’ mode (half filled CEL). Thursday I just left it at home, friday I let it warm up and restarted it, at which point it ran okay but still had the CEL.
Tuesday it went into International Autos here and they cleaned the intake manifold and changed the oil. The service advisor mentioned having 25 cars with the same problem. I’m told that there is a replacement intake manifold out there but 1 of the four cars that they retrofitted came back.
My understanding of the problem is that condensation in the intake is running down and freezing at the throttle body. Warming up the car and restarting will get it running okay, though. I’m not sure why they changed the oil or what that has to do with the issue.
Matt, since I’m local, we should get together and I’ll let you drive my car to see how much differently it drives than yours.
John Ratcliffe-Lee;
The TPMS operates off of the ABS computer, and monitors the rotational speed of the wheel. Less air means less diameter and the wheel turns faster. That is what triggers the TPM light. What may have happened is the extreme cold may have caused the air in the tires to contract quickly, confusing the TPMS temporarily.
That’s how the TPMS works on R53s – it’s different on the R56 models…
I know if the TPMS runs with the sensors in the valve stems, then the extreme cold will definitely call up the TPM light. But, with driving the car, and warming the air in the tires through friction, it will usually clear itself when the car realizes it’s at the proper tire inflation.
I was really hoping that the R56 used the ABS sensors, and not the stupid valve stem sensors!
The idea behind the change is that the ABS style sensors can’t warn you if all your tires deflate to 20lbs (or lower) at the same speed.
I think the new style ones know exactly what the pressure is, not just that they’re spinning at different speeds.
R56 condensation in the throttle is a drag here in MPLs also and no fix ! it happened to me 5 times last week during the cold snap ! well MINI its cold here all the time get your shit together !
For sure the new style are handy because they tell you exactly what pressure is in each tire. GM has been using that system for a year or two now on their vehicles. However, to have an extra set of wheels and tires for winter requires another set of sensors, plus relearning those sensors to the vehicle. That is a definite pain!
Anyone else get the 1st to 2nd grind on cold start? 08′ MCS.
As far as my experience in the chicagoland area with my 07 cooper S,
1) my gas tank locking mechanism froze. my mini dealer offered to let the car thaw out in their service area since I don’t have a garage myself. afterwards they applied some graphite lubricant and I haven’t had any issues since.
2) on subzero nights, I did get the yellow “1/2” check engine light with some associated idle problems. pretty much let the car warm up for awhile, then restarted the car. no issues after that.
3) potholes really, really suck monkey butts!
Last week I noticed the digital display on the tach. was a bit slow to work. The engine did take a few cranks and then decided to started. The engine was a little noisy until it warmed up. The car has been brilliant overall. It warms up quickly and is still a joy to drive, even with snow on the road.
My 2008 R56 sounds like a diesel just about every day until it is warmed up, and then last week after some -30C weather (-20F) the engine ran on, surged then loped and just about every single warning light came on- engine half power, oil, cruise control, window, and the dreaded “if one more light goes on I am going to inplode light!”
Took it into the dealer, and after a full day…they figured out that the intake was blocked with ice! They said other MINI/BMW are having this problem. Condensation builds up, then freezes. Repeat enough with short driving cycles and the thing gets blocked with ice. Funny thing is though my daily commute is 50k each way…so no short trips here and that should be plenty to evaporate any condensation in the intake. Anyway, dealer installed a new intake revised part under PUMA 14885823, and it seems to be fine now. They said if it did it again, they would replace the airbox with a revised part, but there was a shortage right now as so many others are having the problem…though I don’t see anyone here with the issue…
My 2005 S was the absolute worst car I’ve ever owned in cold weather. I am not talking sub-zero temps., I mean anything below about 35 degrees. I can relate to Matt’s story (mine was “supercharged”) with regard to lag in acceleration. I also had to turn off DSC in order to drive the car on a slick surface, otherwise it would just bog down. I do not miss this aspect of ownership. I certainly hope MINI can address these issues prior to releasing an AWD crossover that would be most suitable in inclement weather.
Apparently there are different set-ups for the TPMS. In Canada, it still runs off of the ABS/DSC sensor. From the manual (R56);
‘The Flat tire monitor detects pressure loss in a tire by comparing the rotating speeds of the individual while moving’ The tech that I asked did say that some states do have the sensor in the wheel, but didn’t know which ones, or even if it was all of the US MINI’s.
Same here when with “Lavardera” who said ” Only thing I noticed in my 07 is the digital displays respond very slowly until the interior warms up. Oh, and of course the cold weather increases the likelihood of the start up “growl†as I’ve come to call it.”
Boy am I glad it doesn’t get that cold in the S.F. Bay Area; but I was suprised on a +28 degree morning that the passenger side window on my 09 JCW Clubman wouldn’t operate until after the car warmed up for a while. Got me to thinking about ice build up in some of the temperatures being mentioned in this thread, and what would happen if I lived in a colder climate!
At 12 below, there’s a little more creakiness in my 2004 MC than at say, 40 above. But generally, no problems. Starts right up and goes pretty good through Ohio snow, too.
MINI in winter: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/boj2xw" rel="nofollow ugc">http://tinyurl.com/boj2xw</a>
<blockquote>I took delivery on a brand-new custom-ordered 09 S on Dec. 26, 2008. I have less than 500 miles on it. Ever since I got it, it’s been a pain! There is a lag in acceleration, and the car has felt like it needs a “tune-up†ever since day 1. The car had to be TOWED OUT of my garage on Monday morning because of “condensation building up in the supercharger†–</blockquote>
I’d suggest getting a second opinion. 2009 MCS do not have “superchargers”. After 2006 all MCS coupes have turbocharges.
So far this winter the coldest we have seen is only +8F and we have had no problems.
The only issue that we had was related to a particularly wet, heavy, snow storm that developed a build up of ice along the base of the windshield and on the wiper blades, that the defroster could not keep up with.
It might be nice to have an option, maybe as part of the “cold weather package”, of electrically heated windshield, across the base and under where the wiper blades park, and along the drivers side “A” pillar where the wipers deposit all the snow or ice.
2007 MCS in Chicago with temps around 0 to -10 or so. I’ve been getting the cold start clacking a lot lately, despite taking it to the dealer last month and being told that the fix was applied. I also got the half check engine light with rough idle twice.
Thanks MF for giving owners the opportunity to address these issues and maybe really give word to MINIUSA of the problems. Standing on the 07+ MCS side it seems we have two issues that are common:
1. Cold start chatter – discovered last year and a few attempts were made regarding adjusting the chain tensioner. I was told it’s due to the fluid in the hydraulics of the injectors? Sorry not that mechanically inclined. However, I still get it and so do many, many owners.
2. Frozen throttle body – results lose of power and rough idling with half check engine light warning. Some say they can just turn off and restart; however, I had to wait about 10 minutes before it was running okay. I would drive off in limp mode, but the car was very jerky and didn’t seem safe to drive. Seems a new intake manifold has been implemented, the word is still out on whether or not it has solved the issue.
2007 MCS
ISSUE 1 — Engine clatter sometimes occurs on “cold” startup, at any temperature. It usually happens when the car has been driven a very short distance, then shut off without reaching what I must guess is normal operating temperature. For example, when moving the car out of the garage for a wash. The next startup brings the clatter, which lasts up to 5 minutes, whenever the accelerator pedal is pressed.
ISSUE 2 — Below 0 F the reduced-power amber check engine light and green reduced speed light come on. Engine idles up and down at 1-second intervals. Backfires have occurred. If driven, the car lurches dangerously at low speeds, cannot exceed 50 mph.
If I allow the engine to warm-up, and then shut off the engine for 5 minutes, and then restart, it runs normally.
After two winters of this, MINI Service has installed the redesigned intake manifold. The problem has not yet recurred at 0 F. However, it has recurred at -18 F, so the problem is not solved.
My winter drives are never less than 12 miles. I am a conservative driver, seldom exceeding 3000 RPM.
I had a 2007 Cooper S and I now have a 2008 Cooper S and the only issue I’ve had is the frozen intake throttle manifold. When it gets down to zero, rest assured it will be frozen shut. Moisture builds up in the intake causing the plate to freeze shut. MINI has developed a fix with a new manifold; HOWEVER, the fix froze up in one week after having it installed. So in the mean time, when I start it up and it’s frozen, we sit and we sit. I let it run a few minutes, shut it off, turn it back on. We may go through this several times. I’ve sat for up to 25 minutes waiting for the intake to open up. The dealer has pulled a chunk of ice from the intake.
The engine does make a cold chattering noice from time to time when it’s cold. It shouldn’t do that, but…. Other than the freezing issue, I’ve had no issues what so ever with the car. Between the 2 MINI’s I’ve put on 24,000 trouble free. If it weren’t for our cold winters, I would have had no problems at all.
There are no heater blocks for the 2007 and 2008 Coopers. That wouldn’t solve the issue anyway, for when the car sits at work for 8+ hours, and then you go out and start it, it’s frozen. Car starts just fine, the throttle plate is just frozen. The car is UNDRIVEABLE when the plate is frozen. Do not attempt to drive it while the amber half filled checked engine light is on and the car is running rough. The foot feet/gas peddle is unresponsive.
The MINI does need winter tires. I drove the 2007 with the all season run flats. They are like bald tires on ice. Totally worthless – worst ever. I put Blizzak winter tires on for this winter and the car is a dream in the snow. She went through 6 inches with no problem. Get any more than that… we’ll see but it’s sure a difference in every day driving, and the snow tires ride smoother and quieter than the all season. My blizzaks are runflats though the surface compound is much much softer.
I still love the shit out of my MINI. Wouldn’t have anything els.
2005 Cooper S in Chicago-
No issues at all!
In fact I don’t have the growl noise at startup, no lag when it is cold, no condensation buildup issues etc.
I would bet that most are like mine, but few people go on the boards to say how happy they are with a car.
One tip that I always follow in cold weather, keep the gas tank full to prevent condensation buildup in the fuel tank/lines. Maybe this is part of that engine growl at the beginning?
The manual transmission on my 2007 MCS failed last week forcing me to drive home in the only working gear. By the way, my car has less than 11,000 miles on it. It was night-time and cold (around zero degrees), and the tranny would not engage in any gear for about 2 minutes (this is while I’m in the middle of a busy street here in Chicago). Finally after some cursing and praying found a working gear (I have no idea which one since the shifter was as tight as a bowl of soup) and limped home.
Next day had the car towed to the Mini dealership and they fixed it within 24 hours (no major damage to the tranny—some type of broken brace issue). Got in the car and drove about 5 minutes before warning lights went off for my turn signals. Lucky for me I was still close to the Mini dealership. The service rep tells me that 3 light bulbs had burned out simultaneously while I was driving. Was in the dealership 1 ½ hours for the fix.
This is my second Mini, wish I still owned my first one right now (never left me stranded).
My ’08 MCS convertible has had no cold weather problems, except the shifter has trouble going into reverse in the morning – I wonder if roadsalt got into the mechanism? Limited slip differential is a joy, and I would not have another car without it.
This is all really turning me off of buying an MCS now! I live about 200 miles from the nearest MINI/BMW dealership, and the thought of being stranded with an iced-up throttle body every morning, CEL ablaze, before my 30 mile highway commute doesn’t sound too appealing!
I just hope that MINI comes out with a fix that actually works before I finally decide to purchase! If not, I won’t be making the switch….
’07 MCS went into the dealer on Monday due to a yellow check engine light being on for a week. Wife complained that the car ran rough as well. Her commute is less than 10 miles. Anyway, dealer still has the car telling us they’re waiting for the new intake manifold to come in. Have told me every day that it should be here tomorrow…uh, yeah. Just another excuse for the wife to remind me that she’d rather be living on some tropical island with her Mini.
No problems starting. But it is sometimes super growly sounding for the first few minutes, and sometimes a lil sluggish, but that goes away fast. I have a R56MCS with Sports Suspension, 17in wheels, and All Season Contis. With DSC half off (press once, but dont hold) I can get the rear to slide out quite a bit on snow. Thats super fun. But after a point DSC pulls the tail in, which is really nice.
You can have a glue-on engine heater installed on any car
I have an ’08 Cooper with 9000 miles that is parked outside every night.
<strong>Problems:</strong>
– WINDOWS FREEZE SHUT. Takes a while to thaw out & makes it hard to get your morning coffee from the drive-thru without opening your door).
– DRAFTS! Cold air seeps in BETWEEN the radio control buttons, under & around the steering column, and near my feet. Almost like they missed installing some insulation somewhere in the firewall.
– SLOW TO HEAT HEATER. Takes FOREVER for the interior to warm up @ ambient temps below 15 deg F. Poor front windshield defrosters (the windows don’t fog, but they have a hell of a time melting errant patches of ice on the outside of the windshield).
– CREAKS & GROANS. The car rattles like an old jalopy when cold, but seems to calm down when things warm up. A small nit to pick.
– LACK OF ENGINE TEMP GAUGE. This car needs one. Period.
Other than these things, my car starts EVERY TIME & runs like a champ. No cold start rattles, no stuttering, no problems. It’s been as cold as 20-below F, and it has yet to let me down.
(BTW, The seat heaters BURN MY ASS on 3, lightly scorch it on 2, and safely toast it on 1 (vinyl seats)).
I live just outside Chicago.
My fourth winter in western Montana with my ’05 R53. No winter-related problems with the car. The original all-seasons (not runflats) wore out; the new-this-season Toyo all-seasons are working fine.
We had 10 inches of new snow not long ago; it was previously noted that the MINI plows snow. When snow becomes ice ridges the MINI scrapes bottom. I’ll have it on the rack in the spring to see what’s happened. I’m somewhat concerned about the power steering pump fan, and of course the CV boots.
As for driving: the MINI’s fun on ice.
Northern Lower Michigan. 2008 R55, non S.
It seems that most issues are S related. I had read about cold start problems and had chosen the non S, partly because of that. I’ve had no motor issues. I also try to start and drive immediately letting her warm up in gear as much as possible. My seat heaters take care of me, within a few blocks.
We have had over 100 inches of snow now, mid January, and the Mini is great with its full snow tires. I play with the DSC, off and on. It’s all good. Off for empty parking lots, and wide, snow covered country roads 🙂
BUT:
Club Door won’t open until I can get that button at the bottom popped out. It’s been mostly shut since after Thanksgiving.
Window dip is almost always a frozen attempt.
Barn doors froze shut when it hit -10ºF
I get icy smears on the windshield that are hard to wiper- off. I may need winter blades.
The back of the Clubman is always solid white with the constant snow. I do okay with the window defroster and wipers.
It’s a fun car year-round! I wish I could have an S with the same agenda.
I typically let my 2008 MCS run for ~10-min before I pull out the drive way. No driving issues in the cold (Boston, MA). However, I have one issue thus far; my drivers window will not automatically roll up any longer; it hits the top and rolls back down. I am scheduled to take it in for service on Wednesday. have read quite a bit that other mini owners have experienced this issue in cold climate.
Dave – thanks for the laugh… Yes, the seat warmers are more like burners than warmers.
My ’04 MCS runs really well in cold weather. Starts up without a hitch, and warms up relatively quickly. It’s an excellent winter runner with a good set of winter tires too.
My problem – occasionally I’ll get locked out of my car (frozen door cables/handles), and even worse – sometimes I’ll get locked in my car. The inner and outer door handles will go limp, almost as though they aren’t connected to anything.
I heard about the door handle TSB, and tried to get my nearest dealer to do it. They claimed that MINI retracted that TSB because it did not fix the problem.
You’re welcome, Dusty!
I wish that they’d have put the same warmers in the cup holders. I could brew my own coffee from scratch and have it down before I pull into the parking lot @ work!
😛
As far as my experience in the montreal area with my 08 cooper S,
1) my gas tank locking mechanism froze. my mini dealer offered to let the car thaw out in their service area since I don’t have a garage myself. afterwards they applied some graphite lubricant and I haven’t had any issues since.
2) on subzero nights, I did get the yellow “1/2″ check engine light with some associated idle problems. pretty much let the car warm up for awhile, then restarted the car. (6 times since december 2008) issues after that.
04 MCS — Liquid Yellow/white top if you are wondering. 🙂
Issue 01:
Freezing door latches. The electronic switch freezes and will not engage. I’ve had doors frozen shut, frozen open (in which case i sprayed de-icer and ran it idling with all vents pointing to the door for ~20min to unfreeze it). Once driving to office in “wintry mix” I was frozen inside the car — not cool. For a car designed by Bavarians it sure has some weak points in cold weather!
Issue 02: tires — I don’t have an issue here because I swap them by season. Any summer tires (factory run flats definitely included) should not be operated at freezing temps anyway as the rubber is not designed for this and it will cause extra wear.
I have Firestone Winterforce and they rock! A little spongey in turns but they get me through the snow and across packed ice unlike the “all seasons” I had on after the first snow fall which left me stuck.
Issue 03: heating the cabin. Try not using auto-climate control for initial heating. The most efficient way is to turn up the temp but keep the fan low (some suggest recycling air but my mini gets too foggy this way). The slower the air moves through the ducting the faster the ducting can warm, which means the faster the air you feel will be warm as well! Auto climate control will blast the air increasing the amount of time to get it truly warm.
<p>At -9 degrees (f) my 05 MCS summer tires froze to the point that I could spin the wheels up to 3rd gear on dry pavement.</p>
<p>08 clubman S, car wouldn’t run 0 degrees out. Frozen water on throttle comes from intake manifold.</p>
<p>Replaced manifold but others 50+ cars have had same issues.</p>
<p>New manifold seems to be working but there are fixed cars that keep coming back.</p>
<p>whenever the temperature is below 35F the car bell sounds dings…don’t know why, but it does it every time.</p>
<p>I will point the heater vents towards the door tomorrow in hopes that it will all thaw out. Something has to work. I had to climb out of the car from the passenger’s side to go into the store tonight. I basically need to know it will thaw out if I can warm it up. These cold spells on the BC West Coast are rare for us. Normally around freezing in winter but got down to -15c as a fluke. Things are a bit dicey as I am expected to get out of my car to help in the event of an emergency. Better yet, I need to be able to get out of my door and put the window down (did I mention window) should I need to escape from that side. Will it thaw out on it’s own? I want to avoid another trip to Mini</p>
<p>BTW I have a 2003 Mini Cooper</p>
<p>LOVE, Love, love my (new) 2013 Mini S Hardtop. I’ve wanted one for over 12 years and finally was able to purchase.
My Mini has to suffer outside since we don’t have a garage and I can’t find a way to get it into the house.
1.) My (mostly passenger side) window keeps freezing so when I open the door the window doesn’t drop down, therefore when I close the door the window is on the outside of the molding until the car heats up enough that the window will work. I’m afraid that with hitting bumps the window might break.
1a.) I have also taken note after the doors have frozen shut a couple times that there seems to be an unusual amount of water that comes in (on the door frame/sill) from the road. I now make a point to wipe down the inside of the door frames when I exit the vehicle. So far this seems to have helped, but this isn’t always practical. Does anyone else have these freezing/water issues?
2.) With the colder temps here in MD this year I have noticed a cracking sound as I pull out of the driveway (sounds like its in the passenger side dash area). Anyone else notice this sort of creaking/cracking sound?</p>