Air Vent/AC Problem in '84 325e - Suggestions for a n00b?

[jschinn]

I recently acquired a low-mileage '84 325e...it's in great shape and the key mechanical stuff works well. But I'm having a frustrating problem with the air vents/AC.

When I bought the car, I got the A/C charged and leak-tested, and it sort of worked OK. Never got super-cold, and idling in city traffic for more than 15-20 minutes brings on nothing but hot air. But I figured par for the course...

However, I recently had a new radio installed and how I have a vent problem. The new radio is slightly longer than the factory one, and since I put it in, I can't get very much air out of the center middle air vents. The slider for the center air vents also seems stuck or blocked...it won't go past the middle (which cuts the vents off entirely) but at the far right position there is a weak stream of air from the drivers' side but virtually nothing in the center or passenger side. Top vents and bottom vents blow fine, sliders work as you'd expect.

Is the new radio blocking a vent? Did moving the wiring cause some A/C wiring to get pinched, or is something blocking the slider itself?

Also, I know there are "fresh air" vents that are meant to be manually shut off when you're in A/C mode but I don't know which those are...the TOP vents below the windshield, or the CENTER vents along the dash? And shut off means the slider itself should be all the way to the left, or the vents themselves closed, or both?

I'm new to this BMW thing, so forgive my ignorance. Thanks.

[Randyboyy]

Thank for you to share your ideas...
Also you have to consider about
Transport *and if he did he would be on the Google for that not here! * Hence your link now leads here! hahaha.

[OICU812]

Hi jschinn, I've got a 84 and the ac setting for mine is the three slider levers,top slide too left, middle slide too right, bottom slide too left. My blue compressor light goes off after about 3 min so I think I'm low on r12 but That should be right. Hope that helps.