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      03-20-2021, 04:25 PM   #1
Kwj
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A/C not blowing cold air

The weather is just starting to turn and with this being my first year with my 650i, I turned on the A/C to get some cold air but.... no dice. Anyone have this problem? I've tried blazing the Max A/C to see if I had to jumpstart the cold air since I'm just coming out of winter but just good old, luke warm air.

I'm going to drop it off with the mechanic on Monday to see what's going on.
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      03-20-2021, 05:58 PM   #2
Wanwansuii
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If I had to take a wild guess, might be a failed condenser. Ricks usually hit it and overtime, a hole develops and it slowly leaks out. Very common on the 5 and 6 series.

Or it could be it needs a refill. But if it needs a refill, might point to a leak.
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      03-20-2021, 06:19 PM   #3
hugo_nz
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Could also be that the belt that drives the AC Compressor has come off.
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      03-20-2021, 06:57 PM   #4
AccordTR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wanwansuii View Post
If I had to take a wild guess, might be a failed condenser. Ricks usually hit it and overtime, a hole develops and it slowly leaks out. Very common on the 5 and 6 series.

Or it could be it needs a refill. But if it needs a refill, might point to a leak.
Nailed it. BMW has all kinds of ac leaks. My 650i twice and my wife's 2019 x3 once. Both had small holes and leaked out. Garbage for what they charge.
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      03-20-2021, 08:54 PM   #5
Alpine650
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Did you turn the dial between the vents on the center dash to blue?
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      03-21-2021, 10:47 AM   #6
Kwj
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Great. I'll find out on Monday and hopefully, isn't too expensive to fix.

Yes, I turned the dial between the vents in the center to blue. Speaking of, what's the point of that dial? Every time I try to blow cold air, I have to turn the dial to blue, and red for hot? (It seems like a bit of a mild annoyance/inconvenience)
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      03-21-2021, 12:02 PM   #7
Opie55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kwj View Post
Great. I'll find out on Monday and hopefully, isn't too expensive to fix.

Yes, I turned the dial between the vents in the center to blue. Speaking of, what's the point of that dial? Every time I try to blow cold air, I have to turn the dial to blue, and red for hot? (It seems like a bit of a mild annoyance/inconvenience)
I used to think that dial was a bit crude in such an expensive car, but I've grown to appreciate it. It blends the air coming from the dash vents. You don't have to go all red or all blue - you can put it anywhere in between. I mostly use it in the winter when I want the car warm, but don't want that stuffy feeling of warm air in my face, so I turn it a bit towards blue to get fresher air up top.
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      03-21-2021, 05:17 PM   #8
JBF650
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i hate to state the obvious.... you have pressed the AC * on button yes?
all our cars have automatic HVAC so this button should ALWAYS be on regardless of winter or summer. dial up the temp you want and the system will deliver it. The centre dial with blue and red allows you to manually blend the air to your facia.

hope all is solved hopefully its nothing too bad. However can I say by using your HVAC system correctly all year round, you may not have these 'its summer and the cooling isn't working' issues ....
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      03-21-2021, 10:48 PM   #9
Kwj
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Yep, I had the A/C button on the whole time I've had the car. Tried to turn it off and on when I noticed it wasn't blowing cold air but nothing different. Will update tomorrow!
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      03-22-2021, 11:17 AM   #10
Kwj
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Had it hooked up to a Cooltech machine to charge it and turns out there's a significant leak. Can't get it fixed today because of timing but will have it fully checked next week.
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      03-30-2021, 08:23 PM   #11
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Turns out the condenser had a pretty bad leak. Had it replaced and all is well! Until next time..
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      04-01-2021, 07:36 PM   #12
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Can someone explain to me why the ac should always be on? You guys know it saps performance and fuel economy especially around town driving? Not noticable on highway but it is there.

Just want to know why it should always be on? My ac on the e46, 18 years old, still going strong (never letting a mechanic touch it for a start) - and only using ac when its actually hot. (UK weather).
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      04-01-2021, 09:48 PM   #13
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I've always been led to believe that leaving it running permanently lubricates various bits of the system and keeps it in good condition longer......
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      04-09-2021, 12:07 AM   #14
JBF650
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ex46fanatic View Post
Can someone explain to me why the ac should always be on? You guys know it saps performance and fuel economy especially around town driving? Not noticable on highway but it is there.

Just want to know why it should always be on? My ac on the e46, 18 years old, still going strong (never letting a mechanic touch it for a start) - and only using ac when its actually hot. (UK weather).
For a number of reasons, mainly so the interior of the car is supplied with fresh de-humidified i.e.'conditioned' air. When its raining you will never get the windows fogging up with the AC compressor engaged. As for 'saps performance' if you can tell the difference in your 6 series or any car with a reasonable size engine then you are better than me. Re extra fuel usage again its so marginal that I'm not sure why you would even concern yourself.
Modern cars are designed these days to run with their AC systems on ALL the time. All you need do is dial up the temp you want and the system will do the rest.
Also as another member indicates , having the ac compressor on does indeed lubricate the system and the system is far less likely to be troublesome if its in operation all the time as opposed to only being used infrequently.
Of course being in Australia I use the AC all the time in all my cars in ALL seasons. I do understand in UK its much colder, however I have lived for years in London and I can tell you my cars over there I used their HVAC system ALL the time and didn't once have issues with them. While over there I was always amazed seeing modern cars with their windows all fogged up.... why?? when if the drivers had just engaged the AC compressor it would mitigate all that palaver.
I suppose each to their own but I just don't see any point in not using the systems the way they have been designed to be used.

Kind regards
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      04-18-2021, 09:08 PM   #15
jaef215
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I purchased a can of AC Pro refrigerant with lubricant and sealer for $32. 10 minutes of my time and I had ice cold air.
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      10-01-2022, 07:19 AM   #16
biostar
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Mine was blowing cold to cool to lukewarm to warm as the days went by, and the whistling was getting louder. Lol. Brought it in to an aircon specialist, issue was resolved not only by a drain and recharge of R134a gas, but also a replacement of the aircon suction pipe, T-joint connector and refilling of aircon compressor oil. Parts plus labor was USD130.
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      10-04-2022, 04:42 AM   #17
thebmw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biostar View Post
Mine was blowing cold to cool to lukewarm to warm as the days went by, and the whistling was getting louder. Lol. Brought it in to an aircon specialist, issue was resolved not only by a drain and recharge of R134a gas, but also a replacement of the aircon suction pipe, T-joint connector and refilling of aircon compressor oil. Parts plus labor was USD130.
Thank you for that information. Perhaps that pipe and connector may be a problem for many of our cars. The service people I have been to keep saying they can't find leaks despite filling it multiple times with dye.
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