Air Conditioner Malfunction

[fun2drv]

'10 135i with 73K miles. I have been unhappy with the performance of the air conditioner in the car for a while now. Yesterday on my way home from work I had the air conditioner on set at 68 and it was still pretty warm after a while. I put my hand in the center vent to feel the output and noticed that there was a noticeable difference in both air volume and temperature between the driver and passenger vents. I have it set to both, so the volume and temperature should be the same on both sides.

Any ideas?

[RoundelM3]

So have you taken it in to an Indy shop or a Dealership to get the A/C system checked? You may be low on refrigerant, or have too much (pressure too low or high), or it could be any one of the components in the system needing replacement (compressor, dryer, condenser, etc.). They can detect whether there's a leak somewhere.

There are some flaps in the ventilation system that may not be operating properly which would account for differing volume and air temp between sides. A/C systems mix cold air from the A/C system with warm air from the heating system to regulate the temperature, so if one of those flaps is stuck or not operating, that'd do it.

Your best bet is to find a good Independent shop that has BMW-qualified techs to check it out for you, or a shop that specializes in air conditioning - they can at least perform the system check for correct amount of refrigerant and leak test.

[PA135i]

Mine is going through a leak test now. But the indy mechanic told me the most common issue is a condenser leak.. which means taking off the dash. about a $1500 job.

But, I don't know that for sure yet. I need to drive a few days to see where the leak is.
The shop told me 2006 - 2009 BMW models had issues with the condenser until they had them replaced. No recall....

[fun2drv]

The A/C is acting up again, but I have not taken the car for a diagnosis/repair. I love this little car, but it has been the most unreliable BMW that I've own.

[m_thompson]

I added a little Freon to mine and it works OK now. It was a lot less expensive than getting the evaporator core replaced.

[Lucky1]

I have a similar problem and symptoms as the OP, temperature difference is noticeable between driver and passenger vents. On Friday it was 33C (91F or so) in Toronto and the car sat outside all day. Drove home from work, took 30 minutes and the A/C still had not started to blow very cold air from the driver side (passenger side I'd describe as "OK", not frigid but cool air). I know these cars are not known for great a/c and I remember reading posts where people living in warmer climates basically said it took forever to cool the cabin down. I just can't remember if its ever been this bad before. Today is almost as warm and I have it out half of the day and I had the same problem except I set the air mode to recirculate and it did start to start blowing cool air after 20 minutes or so. Probably after a few more minutes the cabin temperature might be acceptable but I didn't drive that long. Is this normal or should I be taking the car in have the a/c checked? This kind of cooling performance is poor in my mind.

[Converted1]

Ive been feeling that the AC has been inadequate for the last year on my 09 Cabrio. I was fiddling around with the climate control and came to the realization that there are 2 auto modes, Low and High. The only way to tell the difference on my car is looking at the iDrive display. It shows 2 bars, if you press auto 2x it goes to the second bar. I drove around the nyc area today feeling very comfortable. It was about 90F and full sunshine.

Im feeling kinda foolish for not RTFM sooner.

[fast1eddy]

Had the same issue. Got the system recharged. Problem solved. Sometimes we over think problems with these cars.

[fun2drv]

UPDATE: Back in the fall of '15 they found that it was pretty low on refrigerant. They suspected a leak, but could not find it. Well, about two months ago when the temperatures started to get warm, there was no cooling at all. I took the car back and they found a leak in the evaporator. That was replaced ($$$) and now the A/C is working better than it ever did!!!

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Mine is going through a leak test now. But the indy mechanic told me the most common issue is a condenser leak.. which means taking off the dash. about a $1500 job.

But, I don't know that for sure yet. I need to drive a few days to see where the leak is.
The shop told me 2006 - 2009 BMW models had issues with the condenser until they had them replaced. No recall....

I think you mean the evaporator(that's inside under the dash area). The condenser is up - in front of the car's radiator. IF your condenser is bad(leaking) then I would always replace the reciever drier too - when working on the AC system.


What I wanted to say is IF you(or the shop) can not find a leak... have them recharge the AC system with one of the new refrigerants that have sealers in them. Often times this can seal small pin hole leaks. Yes many early 1er's have had bad evaporator - under the dashboard. Also blend doors can go bad.




I also saw this video recently and it looks very promising...

Dackel

[mr.fabulous]

Hot as hell where I live, a/c blows cold cold cold (no leaks, apparently). My departed E36 had a small leak someplace and I had to charge her up every spring (one small can). For those who want to get that right, https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-8205.../dp/B000JFHNG0

[PA135i]

Thanks for the info Dackelone. Been 3 months since the recharge and I'm still getting cold air from my vents.

I have not gone back to the indy shop yet for a leak check. But, if I need to do a recharge again soon or next spring, then I will have the shop or myself use one of the new refrigerants will sealer, as you suggested.

[JS135]

Mines been quite warm for the last 2 years as well.

There's a company that makes a ProSeal or a ProLeak. One focuses on leaks around the seals and the other is on pinhole leaks. I just used the one for seals on Monday and then refilled it with R12a.

It's pretty damn cold now. Just have to hope the leak has sealed...

R12a is the stuff available to the public. R134a is only available to mechanics in Canada.

[Lucky1]

Mechanic says my refrigerant was about 50% depleted and if there is a leak its a very slow one. Recharged and the car is a rolling icebox. Car has never been this cold as far as I can remember. Thank goodness for simple solutions.