AC problem

well the ac unit in BMW's arent great. dont forget that the Germans were very adiment to preach that there is no use for such luxuries such as A/C and cup holders etc etc etc. anyways they werent the best made and most reliable (up till aobut 5 years Ago) usually the problems that cause A/C failure are the auxilery fan seizing , you can check it by trying to spin it using a long screwdriver throught the kiddney grills. if it does spin you have a seized auxilery fan. You could simply be out of freeon. And finnally you could have a defective A/C compressor, this is the most expensive of all the above mention fixes.

i have no use for it

Originally posted by Fruityone@Jul 1 2003, 10:26 AM
i have no use for it

Click to expand...

Sell me your A/C compressor

I've had my A/C checked and it turned out to be a wire short in the engine compartment - the A/C switch wouldn't operate correctly. Also I've recharged the freon - prolly a small leak somewhere - added a dye, will check for it next time. Blows COLD now B)
By the way - how often do you need to change the receiver dryer, apart from every decompression of A/C?

i just bought an a/c refrigerant r134 kit and checked what i presume is the low pressure valve (only one the hose adapter fit) and the reading was very high. about 85 psi when it should have been around 35 according to the FAQ. i'll probably take it to a mechanic, but is this the a/c compressor problem? how much should i expect it to cost in parts and labor?

yes it is very possible it is the compressor. when the compressor is out, the total pressure will equalize over both lines, which is why you saw such a high reading.

(btw, which FAQ are you referring to? there is a chart available where you determine what your low psi should be, and it varies with amient temp and humidity.)

thanks for the reply, DesmoBob. i was referring to the A/C Recharge FAQ here: http://www.bmw-forums.com/forum/index.php?...p?showtopic=748 my RH is 55% and it was about 80 degrees out.

i don't have the time to give it a try myself (and don't want to find myself needing special tools or anything that might delay repairing it) any idea how much parts would run and how many man hours it would take to replace if i took it to a service shop?