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While on the road, I slept off in my Mini with the motor turned off, the moon roof cracked up, and the front windows cracked open. I woke up almost four hours later, gasping for breath.
Is the Mini so sealed off that carbon dioxide may accumulate in it? Since the engine was turned off, I don't think it's CO. Alternatively, the petrol tank might be leaking.
You’re only seeing the surface.
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Is a Mini ever a good place to sleep?
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franchcars
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:38 pm
No German automaker takes air tightness (or near-waterproofing) lightly.
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xxxMikexxx
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:41 pm
It took me a moment to grasp the concept, haha! I'd never heard of a princess (the vehicle) before! It appears to be a more cosy sleeping option than an R55, but with that exhaust, who can say?
In order to see what would happen, I bought a CO2, TVOC, and HCHO monitor. Apparently CO2 is quite reliable, but TVOC detects anything—hazardous or not—including scent, so I have my doubts about their accuracy. I discovered that the weather played a significant effect when I attempted to reproduce the situation. As long as a light breeze could blow through the tiny holes in the windows, the levels remained quite low. All front levels began to climb after the wind died down.
I think I have identified the offender. It was off-gassing like bad, and I had a big box of trash bags in the back seat. Even after taking the bags out, the TVOC levels are still somewhat higher, thus I suspect that off-gassing is occurring from other areas of the car as well, such as the carpet in the back. I won't stay in there for too long without some sort of ventilation because I was surprised—not because I'm worried or anything—but because it was.
In order to see what would happen, I bought a CO2, TVOC, and HCHO monitor. Apparently CO2 is quite reliable, but TVOC detects anything—hazardous or not—including scent, so I have my doubts about their accuracy. I discovered that the weather played a significant effect when I attempted to reproduce the situation. As long as a light breeze could blow through the tiny holes in the windows, the levels remained quite low. All front levels began to climb after the wind died down.
I think I have identified the offender. It was off-gassing like bad, and I had a big box of trash bags in the back seat. Even after taking the bags out, the TVOC levels are still somewhat higher, thus I suspect that off-gassing is occurring from other areas of the car as well, such as the carpet in the back. I won't stay in there for too long without some sort of ventilation because I was surprised—not because I'm worried or anything—but because it was.