Question

Purchased new X3 July 1^st brought it home and could not get cool air. Returned to dlr. and thought I missed a switch somewhere. They tried, no luck and recharged coolant. That lasted about two days whereupon I returned and left the car for four days. During that time they put a die in the system and checked for leaks with soap. This resulted in a new condenser install. That lasted for another two or three days. Car is at dlr. now.

Gil I am under the impression this is a new cooling system BMW is using. Have you any insight in this matter. Thanks for your help.

Answer

Hello Mr. Reiner, first of all congratulation on the new purchasse. As far as your question goes you are correct. All new cars now have a new A/C system. The reason being the new refigerant type that is now being used. For many years the refrigerant used has been the R134A, a few years ago lesgislation was passed in both the U.S and Europe requiring the use of a more efficient and less enviromentally impactfull refrigerant type. The solution that was settled on was a new refrigentant type called R1234YF.

The main issue with the new refrigerant centers around the fact that it is slightly flammable, this required a longer-lasting, less prone to leakage A/C evaporator. It also required the addition of an extra cooling device in the system. The service valve shape is also different in order to prevent a set of R134A service valve to fit. You are able to interchange R1234Yf and R134A, however, you must have recycling equipment so that the refrigerant is not vented to the atmosphere. Aside from a few safety handling that, for the time being, will mostly affect shops the systems are similar.

Having said all of that about the refrigerant another area that will still be problematic when it comes to diagnosing will be the electronics. Climate control systems are more complex than regular a/c systems. The main difference being that the system is going for a specific target pressure instead of a general cold setting. While the systems can be complex, they should be able to repair the issue without further reoccurrences. I know it can be frustrating but give them some time and you should be happy with the results. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions. Thank you.

Gil Neves

JE Vizzusi says:
February 21, 2020 at 4:11 am
Every year here in Florida even if my air is running cold, I always do it yourself use a AC Cannister with Gauge and trigger to check and to re-fill if necessary. A buddy of mine was told by a dealership he needed a new compressor so I instructed him to dump a can of freeze in and that’s all he needed. Air runs ice cold… JV
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