Air conditioner problem

hellblezer · 04-30-2010, 06:41 PM

Hey guyz,

Few days ago my air conditioner was working fine and cooling fine..
Now what am noticing is that it is not cooling well, sometimes not even cooling!!!

But the strange part is that, the 2 air vents which are for the passenger are cooling perfect, and the ones for the driver they are not cooling!!!

This means 2 vents are with cold air and 2 are with hot air.

Did anyone faced this problem and do anyone have an idea what could be the problem, as summer is near and the temperature here reaches 50 degrees!!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Barbera335 · 04-30-2010, 06:44 PM

Low R134a charge, as the pressure drops one side of the car will begin cooling less. Not exactly sure why but it happens. As the charge drops off more the entire system will not cool properly. There is a leak somewhere in your system. Most likely culprits are the scraeder (probalby not spelled right, haha) valves or the evaporator. Very common leak points, if it is the evaporator usually you can smell the refrigerant through the vents. It has a unique smell.

hellblezer · 04-30-2010, 07:03 PM

thanks for you quick reply

i was having a big fear that it could be the evaporator, but thanks god am not smelling any strange smell when i turn the AC on

but am wondring why would the leak happen, i mean no one did ever touch anything in the car

any ways thanks again

Dan in PA · 05-01-2010, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbera335

Most likely culprits are the scraeder (probalby not spelled right, haha) valves or the evaporator.

Not being a dick, it's schrader lol

ENINTY · 05-01-2010, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellblezer

thanks for you quick reply

i was having a big fear that it could be the evaporator, but thanks god am not smelling any strange smell when i turn the AC on

but am wondring why would the leak happen, i mean no one did ever touch anything in the car

any ways thanks again

Considering you live in the UAE I'm sure your AC gets quite a workout. Leaks happen because of wear and vibration. The system uses metal components. Metal expands and contracts as it is heated and cooled. In an AC system this happens over and over. Eventually, where the various pieces of metal attach to each other, the seals wear out and start to leak. Manufacturers put a UV dye in the cooling system refrigerant so as to detect leaks. The repair facility will use a UV light to see where the leaks are and repair them.

The reason the passenger side seems to be cooling is the AC evaporator (the radiator that is cooled by the AC system and air is flowed though it to be cooled) is located on that side of the car behind the glove box, so the vents closest to it get the cool air first. The air warms as it flows through the hot vent piping in the dash over to the driver's side and ths picks up heat and isn't as cool as the air on the passenger side.

Are you sure the driver's side temperature control is not set to a warmer temp than the passenger side?

hellblezer · 05-03-2010, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Considering you live in the UAE I'm sure your AC gets quite a workout. Leaks happen because of wear and vibration. The system uses metal components. Metal expands and contracts as it is heated and cooled. In an AC system this happens over and over. Eventually, where the various pieces of metal attach to each other, the seals wear out and start to leak. Manufacturers put a UV dye in the cooling system refrigerant so as to detect leaks. The repair facility will use a UV light to see where the leaks are and repair them.

The reason the passenger side seems to be cooling is the AC evaporator (the radiator that is cooled by the AC system and air is flowed though it to be cooled) is located on that side of the car behind the glove box, so the vents closest to it get the cool air first. The air warms as it flows through the hot vent piping in the dash over to the driver's side and ths picks up heat and isn't as cool as the air on the passenger side.

Are you sure the driver's side temperature control is not set to a warmer temp than the passenger side?

it good you know how we sufer in summer here

replying your question, am sure that the temprature control on both sides are low and same 18 degree.

but are you trying to say that the leake might be in the AC evaporator??
coz this will be realy a big probem, coz i belive that the dashboard should be totaly removed and fixed again

i didnt take it to a mechanic yet, but one of my friends who is driving a 530i, says that the temprature control for the driver side might be damaged, coz he expirianced the same problem...

i dont know if that make sense..

hellblezer · 05-20-2010, 03:25 AM

hi guyz,

Just to keep u guyz updated, i have taken the car to a good BMW specialist mechanic

And thanx GOD the leak was not in the evaporator

i left the car there for 3 days, he applied air pressure to know where the leakage is.
and after 3 days he found that the leakage was in something called (O ring) no idea what’s that but from what I understood it is a rubber kind of ring, he replaced it. and filled it with R134a.
and the AC is cooling now

rjm · 05-20-2010, 12:32 PM

I love a story with a happy ending. Very glad that it is fixed.

gunslinger83 · 10-25-2015, 05:24 PM

I have also just been informed that I have a leak in my air con system. I do a lot of work on my car myself, however this one I am struggling with. When I went for a refill, the garage told me the leak was in one of the pipes. However I have looked to replace the part and there is no official BMW part number for the pipe where the leak is.

In the attachment I have circled in red the pipe where the leak is. It is the pipe. Has anyone had a leak here before and managed to fix it? There is a sensor in line so I was looking at cutting the pipe and reinserting a new piece with some flexi-joints.

aidanahunter · 08-18-2016, 07:01 PM

I want to bring this thread back to life. I am having the exact same issues stated here where the passenger side of the vehicle will blow cold air and the driver side won't. Adding refrigerant to the car fixes the problem but it just keeps leaking out. I have not taken the time to locate the leak just yet but I will start in the place noted by gunslinger83. Anybody else have this issue?

I'm driving a 2008 328i E91.

John 070 · 08-18-2016, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan in PA

Not being a dick, it's schrader lol

This is used on bikes right?

mweisdorfer · 08-20-2016, 05:35 AM

Take it to a local shop that specializes in AC, radiators etc., or even a European auto mechanic that you trust.

They can recharge the unit and put a dye in the refrigerant for under $75.00.

If it Leaks, you'll be able to see the leak point going forward.

Dark_Knight_335 · 08-20-2016, 01:30 PM

Pretty shitty situation, especially in Dubai!

I hope you get it resolved ASAP.

04-30-2010, 06:41 PM	#1
hellblezer New Member 3 Rep 22 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2007 coupe Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dubai- United Arab Emirates iTrader: (0)	Air conditioner problem Hey guyz, Few days ago my air conditioner was working fine and cooling fine.. Now what am noticing is that it is not cooling well, sometimes not even cooling!!! But the strange part is that, the 2 air vents which are for the passenger are cooling perfect, and the ones for the driver they are not cooling!!! This means 2 vents are with cold air and 2 are with hot air. Did anyone faced this problem and do anyone have an idea what could be the problem, as summer is near and the temperature here reaches 50 degrees!! Thanks in advance for your help.
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04-30-2010, 06:44 PM	#2
Barbera335 Captain 169 Rep 660 Posts Drives: F25 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: socal iTrader: (0)	Low R134a charge, as the pressure drops one side of the car will begin cooling less. Not exactly sure why but it happens. As the charge drops off more the entire system will not cool properly. There is a leak somewhere in your system. Most likely culprits are the scraeder (probalby not spelled right, haha) valves or the evaporator. Very common leak points, if it is the evaporator usually you can smell the refrigerant through the vents. It has a unique smell.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-30-2010, 07:03 PM	#3
hellblezer New Member 3 Rep 22 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2007 coupe Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dubai- United Arab Emirates iTrader: (0)	thanks for you quick reply i was having a big fear that it could be the evaporator, but thanks god am not smelling any strange smell when i turn the AC on but am wondring why would the leak happen, i mean no one did ever touch anything in the car any ways thanks again
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-20-2010, 03:25 AM	#7
hellblezer New Member 3 Rep 22 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2007 coupe Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dubai- United Arab Emirates iTrader: (0)	problem fixed (thanx GOD) hi guyz, Just to keep u guyz updated, i have taken the car to a good BMW specialist mechanic And thanx GOD the leak was not in the evaporator i left the car there for 3 days, he applied air pressure to know where the leakage is. and after 3 days he found that the leakage was in something called (O ring) no idea what’s that but from what I understood it is a rubber kind of ring, he replaced it. and filled it with R134a. and the AC is cooling now
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-20-2010, 12:32 PM	#8
rjm Private First Class 4 Rep 106 Posts Drives: 2008 528i/2007 328i Coupe Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: North Texas iTrader: (0)	I love a story with a happy ending. Very glad that it is fixed.
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10-25-2015, 05:24 PM	#9
gunslinger83 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: E92 2007 320d Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Uncommon Leak Location I have also just been informed that I have a leak in my air con system. I do a lot of work on my car myself, however this one I am struggling with. When I went for a refill, the garage told me the leak was in one of the pipes. However I have looked to replace the part and there is no official BMW part number for the pipe where the leak is. In the attachment I have circled in red the pipe where the leak is. It is the pipe. Has anyone had a leak here before and managed to fix it? There is a sensor in line so I was looking at cutting the pipe and reinserting a new piece with some flexi-joints. Attached Images
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-18-2016, 07:01 PM	#10
aidanahunter Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2008 328i E91 Barbera Red Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Columbia, MO iTrader: (0)	I want to bring this thread back to life. I am having the exact same issues stated here where the passenger side of the vehicle will blow cold air and the driver side won't. Adding refrigerant to the car fixes the problem but it just keeps leaking out. I have not taken the time to locate the leak just yet but I will start in the place noted by gunslinger83. Anybody else have this issue? I'm driving a 2008 328i E91.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-20-2016, 05:35 AM	#12
mweisdorfer Major General 1903 Rep 6,968 Posts Drives: 2007 Black/Black 335i e90 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Holly, MI iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW E90 335i [0.00] 2008 bmw x5 [0.00]	Take it to a local shop that specializes in AC, radiators etc., or even a European auto mechanic that you trust. They can recharge the unit and put a dye in the refrigerant for under $75.00. If it Leaks, you'll be able to see the leak point going forward.
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08-20-2016, 01:30 PM	#13
Dark_Knight_335 Came to the N55 Darkside 1112 Rep 12,740 Posts Drives: 2011 335 E93 M-Sport Join Date: May 2010 Location: NY/NJ iTrader: (28)	Pretty shitty situation, especially in Dubai! I hope you get it resolved ASAP.
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