AC Problems

[TMR013]

Got in the car this morning and started up with the AC on (it is July in AZ after all) and got that lovely coolant smell coming out of the vents.
Same thing happened last September and eventually it drained the coolant and the AC stopped working, evaporator was leaking. Going to be a little ticked if it's the same problem less than a year later. Could not find anything on the forums on reccuring problems with the AC system.
Anybody had to have something replaced on the AC system more than once already?

[Dackelone]

Hopefully your car is still under warranty or IF it is the very same part that failed... the failed part should be covered under a parts warranty. G.L.

[TMR013]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Hopefully your car is still under warranty or IF it is the very same part that failed... the failed part should be covered under a parts warranty. G.L.

Still under warranty. Just wonder if this is going to be a reccurring issue.

[Dackelone]

Do you run your AC when its cool out too? I do. It helps to keep the AC freon circulated and all the seals lubed. A lot of people don't and the seals dry out and freon leaks out.

The other thing could be stones getting kicked up into the condenser ( the ac radiator in frpnt of the coolant radiator). Stones can get hurled up into your grill(s) and cause an impact/freon/leak. Your insurnace should cover that under the comp claim.

[GotM]

Mine has been worked on twice already. I had mine fixed, I think right after yours last year.

I noticed my AC was not working correctly the first hot day we had in April. This time they had to tear the dash apart and I think they replaced the evaporator.

I am happy to report the AC is colder than ever. And, I have no dash squeaks what so ever.

[SSSP8SSSP8]

Im in AZ too and my 135i has the same problem. No smell but has stopped blowing cold. It is at chapman chandler now, they say the evaporator had a leak so they have to change it out and refill the freon. Service rep says it is a new part number for the evaporator that they are putting in, so I guess this was reoccurring issue. Should have the car back later this afternoon. Hope this is a permanent fix.

[GotM]

Can you let me know what PN they install?

64 11 6 934 781 Evaporator - part installed in mine on 3/4/11 at Chapman.

[SSSP8SSSP8]

Looks like they installed a different, possibly updated evaporator on mine?

The part number is 64 11 9 256 346

Picked the car up earlier and ac is ice cold again.

However within a few miles of picking up my car I noticed an increase in boost/ blowoff noise when accelerating hard "whooooooshhhhhhh". It was very odd and noticeably louder than when I dropped it off. No joke it sounded like I had an aftermarket blow off valve or something. Not bad just louder. I turned around and took it back to chapman and took one of their service guys for a quick ride. He immediately knew what it was. Turns out they forgot to reinstall some rubber boot under the dash or somewhere between the firewall and cabin. Took them about 5 mins to put back in and now everything is back to normal.

[RimasRS]

Well I have different problem with AC one day it stoped working, then I noticed that there is no AC clutch on the compressor it jumped off. Have to find out how can I fix that and where to buy the clutch.

P.S.
warranty is out...

[daMau]

I am also having AC issues. A leak was fixed earlier this summer, but only a couple months later the AC stopped blowing cold air again. Had it looked at and now they are going to replace the entire compressor because apparently that is where the leak is. Part is on order from Germany at moment.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by RimasRS

Well I have different problem with AC one day it stoped working, then I noticed that there is no AC clutch on the compressor it jumped off. Have to find out how can I fix that and where to buy the clutch.

P.S.
warranty is out...

Most AC compressors are made in Japan now. Denso, Saden, Hatchi, ect... You can find some deals on ebay or maybe from Dan at United.


You will also need a new receiver-drier since your a/c system is empty of freon.

They make these re-charge it yourself a/c kits in the USA for 134a. Normally like $25 for a can of freon. A can of freon that you can recharged your AC system - as long as its just low. What I like about those "kits" is they have a "sealer" mixed in with the refrigerant that should seal small pin hole leaks. Running your AC in the winter is also a good idea - bc the system is not 100% sealed. Normally freon leaks from the shaft seal on the compressor.

[TMR013]

Follow up on the original post. Chapman originally said that the freon was low, but not significantly so to say there was a leak, nor could they detect one. They recharged the system and added dye so that if it was leaking they would be able to see it. That lasted about a month before I started noticing the coolant smell again and I could tell the system was just not working well. So took it in this week, due for an oil change anyway, they determined that it was leaking, from the eveporator again.
My SA told me that they had somewhat of a row with BMW becuase BMW said they were replacing too many evaporators. He said that the evaporator part they are using now was a weight savings target so it has extremely thin wall tolerances, and they just can't stand up to the pressure of the AC pretty much running all the time like you have to here to cope with 110 degree days and 100 degree nights. Appearantly BMW told them they were going to stop paying the dealers for the replacement if they kept warranteeing so many, but all of the southwest dealers said screw that, and are standing united and continuing to submit them in hopes BMW gets the clue that there is a problem.
In any case, on evaporator #2. See if this one lasts more than 9 months.

[Dackelone]

^^sometimes when a dealer replaces way too many parts... BMW can call them on it. They will call for those parts to be sent back to BMW NA for testing. BMW NA then tests the part to make sure it has failed. IF the said part is indeed defective - BMW will pay that warranty repair. But what happens sometimes is when they test these "defective parts" and they turn out to be not defective... BMW NA will deny that warranty claim.

IF this happens enough to a certain dealer... they can be put on probation... meaning they will have to call BMW NA each time they want to make a warranty claim. This can be a big PIA for the service dept of that dealer. Sounds like your dealer has had its hands slaped a few times by BMW NA. Normally an evaperator doesn't go bad. Either it was man handled durring the install or the AC system was overcharged causing a higher than normal "line" pressure.

FYI... most autoparts stores sell these freon presure testers that look like a tire pressure pen/gauge. You might want to check your freon pressure.

[RimasRS]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Most AC compressors are made in Japan now. Denso, Saden, Hatchi, ect... You can find some deals on ebay or maybe from Dan at United.


You will also need a new receiver-drier since your a/c system is empty of freon.

They make these re-charge it yourself a/c kits in the USA for 134a. Normally like $25 for a can of freon. A can of freon that you can recharged your AC system - as long as its just low. What I like about those "kits" is they have a "sealer" mixed in with the refrigerant that should seal small pin hole leaks. Running your AC in the winter is also a good idea - bc the system is not 100% sealed. Normally freon leaks from the shaft seal on the compressor.

Thanks Dack your good as always just one thing that mys system is till full of freon it's just that there is no reaction when I'm turning on AC because the clutch of compressor doesn't pull the pulley. Do you think still I need to change receiver?

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by RimasRS

Thanks Dack your good as always just one thing that mys system is till full of freon it's just that there is no reaction when I'm turning on AC because the clutch of compressor doesn't pull the pulley. Do you think still I need to change receiver?

As long as your ac system is holding freon... no you won't need a new reciever/drier. You just need a new ac compressor! lol

Acording to RealOEM.com the compressor is about $1,100 USd! Ouch!

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...56&hg=64&fg=50


You might check with some ac specialists in your area... a lot of times you can just replace the magnetic clutch on the front of the ac compressor. But you have to look at the compressor pump to determine *IF* the compressor's input shaft is sheared off or just that the bolts that hold the ac compressor clutch fell off. Normallt these bolts don't just "fall off". I'd say your looking at a new compressor. Maybe check on ebay.de or .com

There should be a manufacture build plate on the comprssor. Use a a small mirror to find the maker and model number. Then I bet you could find a cheaper compressor from an indi parts source.

Btw... I had the same problem on a VW TDi I owned... the shaft was sheared off. The ac compressor clutch just fell off. I needed a complete new compressor. I ended up selling the car bc VW wanted like 600 euros for a new one(just the part!).

You might try these guys in the USA. They are ac specialists for Porsche's and other German cars. They always have good deals for ac parts, ie: compressors, evaps, rec/driers, lines, ect.

www.griffiths.com



or these guys too...

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/

or...

http://www.bavauto.com/



Good Luck,
Dackel

[RimasRS]

Thanks once again, will try first local shop what they will say. If they will say new AC compressor. Thats really ouch

[dick w]

Left my '09 135i in the garage (hot in summer) for 12 days. Got in it Monday morning and started off to work and noticed an odor vaguely reminiscent of burnt electronics. Since it had been in the garage baking for two weeks, I assumed it was nothing. Went to lunch at noontime and, wow, the AC is sure seeming like it's taking a LONG time to cool down. Same thing Monday night. Same thing Tuesday night. It'd get cool and blow cool(er) evenentually, but kinda like the air in an '82 Honda: better than nothing. Not by much.

Left it with the dealer today. They tell me it is leaking refrigerant from the evaporator and they are off to gut the dash out to get at it and replace it. Worst case scenario for an interior repair from my PoV.

They also said words to the effect that they'd seen this before with this (year/model/basic part/???). Pretty non-specific but it sounded to me like what us software guys call a "known issue". (There are NO DEFECTS. EVER.)

Thinking back, this has probably been deteriorating all summer. I've noticed the inside of the windshield getting a film of "oily" guck pretty fast all summer. I've seen this before from plastics and so on in the car outgassing in summer sun and heat so didn't think too much of it given brutal summer here. Looking back, this was for sure compressor oil now bled out (or partially bled out) all over the interior.

What's all the oily film on the interior going to lead to? Is any attempt to do anything about it only going to make things worse? What damage has been done to the compressor since it's been running progressively lower on oil for the last several months? How many new rattles and squeaks and broken trim clips and missing fasteners and so forth am I going to get back? How many things will the car have forgotten when I get it back? (When they did my HPFP and tensioner recall and all the associated work a month ago it came back with random settings, trip odo reset, trip computer reset, no AM/FM radio stations, and phonebook lost. Curiously, XM stations were still programmed.)

Sometimes I dream: wouldn't it be great if BMW and Honda merged and BMW did the styling/design and all of the design engineering and Honda took that and figured out how to actually produce it? Win-Win for both of them.

[Spartyshaun]

One last Summer, then one this year. Warranty will be expired next Summer, so hope they get it right.

[golf_234]

mine was also replaced with 64 11 9 256 346 today (3/9/12).. ice cold

[James G]

I have had to have the evaporator replaced twice in mine so far it has been fine since they did it the second time

[Greenkirby21]

Mine got replaced too. They tried everything they could to avoid replacing the evaporator but in the end they had to do it

[GotM]

I just had new evaporator installed yesterday. This time a different PN than all of the ones listed above.
64 11 9 290 888

I noticed the split in temp between the sides of the cabin that others have noticed a few days ago. The driver side was blowing warmer air than the passenger side. Scehdule an appt for about a week later, so I drove a different car for the week (it is too darn hot here in AZ to not have good AC).

I noticed the odd smell from the refrigerant just after starting it up to drive it to the dealership.

I sure hope this does the trick. I would not look forward to paying for a AC repair each year.