Weak aircon

Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.

The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.

Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.

So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?

LaTerciaReal

I would take it to another shop and have them check it out.

On 26 May 2006 06:38:42 -0700, "LaTerciaReal" >
wrote:

>Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
>been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
>needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
>months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.
>
>The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
>as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.
>
>Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
>again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
>did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
>though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
>right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
>within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
>full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
>it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
>was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.
>
>So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?
>
>LaTerciaReal


--- AntiSpam/harvest ---
Remove X's to send email to me.

ive just had the same problem, they repalced high/low pressure sensor and re
gassed and it was fantastic the night i got it back blew my head gasket
costing me 600 quid, wish i had just opened the sun roof
"Josh Assing" > wrote in message
...
>
> I would take it to another shop and have them check it out.
>
> On 26 May 2006 06:38:42 -0700, "LaTerciaReal"
> >
> wrote:
>
>>Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
>>been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
>>needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
>>months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.
>>
>>The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
>>as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.
>>
>>Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
>>again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
>>did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
>>though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
>>right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
>>within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
>>full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
>>it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
>>was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.
>>
>>So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?
>>
>>LaTerciaReal
>
>
> --- AntiSpam/harvest ---
> Remove X's to send email to me.

In article .com>,
LaTerciaReal > wrote:
> So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?

Check the condenser isn't blocked with leaves etc and that the aux fan if
it has one is working.

--
*Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

There is a filter for the cabin air that can get clogged. When this happens,
the air flow through the system will be slow, and your inclination will be
to service the AC. I suggest they (or you) install a new microfilter to
improve the air flow, this ought to make the AC work stronger.





"LaTerciaReal" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
> been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
> needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
> months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.
>
> The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
> as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.
>
> Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
> again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
> did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
> though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
> right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
> within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
> full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
> it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
> was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.
>
> So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?
>
> LaTerciaReal
>

I seriously doubt there is a connection between the head gasket and the AC
servicing. This would be sort of like saying, "I just finished a load of
dishes, and the front door fell off my house."





"paul craig" > wrote in message
...
> ive just had the same problem, they repalced high/low pressure sensor and
> re gassed and it was fantastic the night i got it back blew my head gasket
> costing me 600 quid, wish i had just opened the sun roof
> "Josh Assing" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I would take it to another shop and have them check it out.
>>
>> On 26 May 2006 06:38:42 -0700, "LaTerciaReal"
>> >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
>>>been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
>>>needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
>>>months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.
>>>
>>>The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
>>>as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.
>>>
>>>Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
>>>again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
>>>did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
>>>though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
>>>right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
>>>within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
>>>full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
>>>it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
>>>was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.
>>>
>>>So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?
>>>
>>>LaTerciaReal
>>
>>
>> --- AntiSpam/harvest ---
>> Remove X's to send email to me.
>
>

Thanks for the replies...the microfilter has been changed recently, so
it's not that.

I'll see what it's like if and when we get some warm weather (come
on....!).

LaTerciaReal

Cool. The filter is overlooked, and people spend countless hours and dollars
trying to get cold air from a system that can't even move air.




"LaTerciaReal" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thanks for the replies...the microfilter has been changed recently, so
> it's not that.
>
> I'll see what it's like if and when we get some warm weather (come
> on....!).
>
> LaTerciaReal
>

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
> There is a filter for the cabin air that can get clogged. When this
> happens, the air flow through the system will be slow, and your
> inclination will be to service the AC. I suggest they (or you) install a
> new microfilter to improve the air flow, this ought to make the AC work
> stronger.
>
>
>
>

An A/C tech can easily determine if the compressor and condenser are working
properly simply by monitoring the freon line pressures. Poor air flow will
show up as a higher than normal return pressure .... or icing.

One other possibility ... Confirm that when you switch to A/C that ALL the
A/C vents are blowing cold air.
My wife's X5 was barely cooling the car and we thought the A/C unit was at
fault. It was fine. The air control damper that directs the cool air or
warm air was bad. Of four A/C vents, only one was blowing cold air. The
other three were blowing warm air.

Good luck.

RCE

Talking of aircons. I had mine re-gassed last summer (on my E34), and it
worked fine. Engine revs picked up a bit and it blew nice and cool. It was
working well at the start of this summer, and then oneday it didn't. The
engine revs don't pick up like they used to either, and there is absolutely
no cool air coming out.

My instinct tells me (perhaps wrongly) that if it needed re-gassing again
(I'd expect a small leak on a car this old), I wouldn't just suddenly lose
the aircon overnight? Unless there is something that causes it to cut out
when there isn't enough gas in the system?

Any ideas?

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
> There is a filter for the cabin air that can get clogged. When this
> happens, the air flow through the system will be slow, and your
> inclination will be to service the AC. I suggest they (or you) install a
> new microfilter to improve the air flow, this ought to make the AC work
> stronger.
>
>
>
>
>
> "LaTerciaReal" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Hi, would appreciate any help with this. The aircon in my 2000 E38 has
>> been weak (not cold enough) for over a year. My dealer once told me it
>> needed a new condenser, but when I tried to book the car in a couple of
>> months later they decided it just needed a re-gas, which they did.
>>
>> The re-gas helped but I don't think it was quite cold enough. Anyway,
>> as the summer was coming to an end (this is the UK!), I just left it.
>>
>> Now with the weather getting warmer, the aircon has been struggling
>> again, so it went in to the dealer again. They re-gassed it again and
>> did an 'aircon service' (at my expense). They didn't notice any leaks
>> though. When I got the car back, the aircon was better, but still not
>> right - on a hot day it will struggle. The dealer said it is performing
>> within spec, but I can have the aircon on 'maximum' (16 degrees and
>> full blowers) and keep it like that for an entire half hour journey and
>> it certainly isn't freezing. I seem to remember that using 'maximum'
>> was unbearable after 5 or 10 minutes.
>>
>> So, could it simply be the condenser not performing?
>>
>> LaTerciaReal
>>
>