Air conditioning???

[Reedler]

Went away for weekend in the X5, weather was fantastic not a cloud in the sky which is very unusual for Scotland. When the car has been sitting in full sun it really struggled to get cool when we got in after doing various things during the day by if we parked it in a shaded area the blowers were cool straight off. We have kept our settings on auto with the air con button on. Am I doing anything wrong, as the warm air in the car is a bit annoying.
We were only in and out of the car as we were busy during the weekend 5 or 10 mins max each trip, but when we traveled home today we were quite cool for the 2 hour journey. The air never feels really cool as it does in other cars I have had? Could this be the air con is needing recharged? It's 6 years old now? Any ideas?. Thanks Reedler

[Sanj]

Stupid one for you...

Is the dial between the central vents on 3 blue dots? You know where I'm going with this I hope, don't mean to teach you to suck eggs!

If so, re-gas AFTER pressure test best option.

[Reedler]

Good shout Sanj, as at first I never noticed the dots! But then turned them to three blue and the air was still sluggish in coming through chilled. Do you get really cold air through your vents quickly after turning on air con? Cheers

[Sanj]

As long as I have the vents on blue and down to 16 with AC switched on, in less than 3 mins it's cold through the vents.

Is your AC only used in summer? Do you use it during winter? Again, angling at partial use leading to leaks, etc...

[X5Sport]

Halfords do an a/c recharge kit for about £50. If their pressure check shows as low thrn the refill takes about 5 mins. Had mine done last summer as a check is apparently a good idea after 5 years or so because there is always very slight system leakage. They simply connect to the low pressure port and check the reading. Mine is never turned off and the system is always on Auto with the snowflake symbol lit too, but after 5 years it was at the bottom of the 'acceptable' range and was filled. Worked much better after that.

[Pledge]

My car is an 06 and was struggling to get the temperature down really low as well as making some odd noises. I just had a recharge done by Kwik Fit at £49 and it transformed my air conditioning.

[AW8]

Maybe worth bearing in mind I have seen & heard mixed comments & reviews on some (non expert) air-con top up service providers & including comments on damage being caused. Conversely I have read of folk happy with cheap options right down to d.i.y. choices.

Maybe worth reading up other forums. 2nd post here indicates difference between a basic top up & a more thorough job.

Not an expert in this area so I would probably choose a decent pro for good work & reduced risk of damage.........Personally I would only use someone on recommendation, whether from someone on here, from reading testimonial(s) on other car forums, (not neccesarilly BMW related ones), or on explained & sound advice of a trusted garage/indy.

[Reedler]

Thanks for the sound advice again, sounds like it needs a recharge of some description. Cheers Reedler

[Denis O]

Look up your local BOSCH centre. I had mine done in Ashford recently for £50 and all is well. The machines they use are made by BOSCH so they ought to be experts. As for Kwik-Fit or similar would you really want them touching your car. Don't know about the Halfords kits but the BOSCH machine takes almost an hour so 5 minutes doesn't sound like long enough to do a proper job,

Air con systems do lose efficiency over the years; up to 20% per year and should be re-charged after 5 years regardless.

As`Sanj says, keep it switched on all year round to keep all the seals lubricated and that should lengthen your efficiency period.

[Reedler]

Booked in with BOSCH dealer next week, they carry out a pressure test before recharge. They spoke about adding some dye to check for leaks? Not sure if this is standard or not.£80 for recharge. Hopefully will have a chilled car again next week.