Recharge BMW A/C Air Conditioner

What you will need

• AC Recharge Kit
• Glasses
• Gloves

Procedure

1. Start the engine and let it idle.

2. Ensure vehicle is in Park.

3. With the engine running, turn on the air conditioner system on your car. Set the temperature to MIN and blower fan speed to MAX. Make sure the A/C button is pressed or is switched ON.

4. Open Hood. Pull the hood release under the dashboard twice. Secure the hood in the up position. Ensure the hood does not fall down on you while you are charging your BMW with refrigerant.

5. Locate the low-pressure air conditioner charging port. Remove the cap from the A/C charging port.

6. Connect the a/c recharge kit to the low-pressure line. With the engine running, take a reading and ensure the refrigerant pressure is low zone.

7. Connect the A/C recharge kit, start the car. With the A/C recharge kit connected, read the gauge. Continue to the next if the A/C pressure reading is low.

8. Once you reach the recommended pressure level, stop adding refrigerant to your BMW 5-Series AC.

Overcharging a BMW 5-Series A/C with refrigerant does not make the air blow colder air and can cause damage to the air conditioner system.

If your BMW blows hot air but no cold air, it may be an indication that the A/C system is low on refrigerant. Even though other problems can cause a BMW to stop blowing cold air, low refrigerant is often the problem.

If your A/C works for a few days then stops blowing cold air, it is usually an indication of a large refrigerant leak. 

Frequently Asked Questions

BMW AC blows cold on one side. 

• The most common problem is the vent actuator in vehicles with dual-zone A/C. They can get stuck in one position and do not switch when you change the temperature. In vehicles that use duo-valves, they can also get stuck, in which case, half of the car blows hot air, and the other blows cold air.

AC blows cold when driving, hot when idling. 

• The cooling fan for the condenser may not be working.

The air conditioner blows cold air but not very hard. 

• The blower fan may be defective.

AC blows cold at idle but hot when driving. 

• AC may be low on freon. Also, check the low-pressure switch. If defective, it can prevent the compressor from operating.