How to repair air conditioning in a BMW
Content
BMW owners, especially E39 and E53 models, can often hear complaints that the engine starts to overheat when the air conditioner is running, especially at high air temperatures and getting stuck in traffic. The reasons for the breakdown, leading to the further repair of the air conditioner in the BMW, may be different.
Causes of breakdowns of the BMW air conditioner
The most common malfunction is the failure of the air conditioning fan. This is a fairly serious malfunction in the event that the air conditioner cannot work normally. Of course, there is the possibility of driving with a non-working device, but no one will guarantee that you will not have to repair the air conditioner, or even the entire engine system.
Self-repair of such a breakdown is not the best option, especially on restyled cars. But among lovers of German cars there are craftsmen who have experience in repairing such a device in garage conditions.
Firstly, when operating in Russia, car air conditioners fail due to sudden temperature changes. The device simply does not withstand increased loads at sub-zero temperatures down to -40 degrees, and the same temperature with a plus sign in summer.
In most cases, it takes 3-4 years for obsolete models to completely wear out the fan motor. If such a malfunction occurred on a new car, then this is a marriage.
What kind of damage can happen?
Before proceeding with the repair, you need to decide what exactly the malfunction may be. May be:
- fan output stage;
- fan relay;
- fan motor;
- source of power;
- control voltage output.
Strength tests
First of all, you need to check the operation of the engine itself. To do this, it is supplied with a voltage of 12V, with the connection of blue and brown wires connecting the board and the motor. The third wire will be needed to control the minus of the relay.
If everything works, then the driver is lucky - he just needs to find and replace other parts. If the motor does not turn, you will have to buy a new one, which requires much more money.
See also: How to repair the steering rack on a BMW
If you have the necessary car accessories, the repair will take about 2 hours. Experienced experts advise you to first consult an experienced auto electrician, due to the deterioration in the quality of parts manufactured under license from BMW.
BMW Compressor Repair
The air conditioning system in BMW vehicles is responsible for the level of comfort for the driver and passengers. Only thanks to their presence, they can feel good in the car in hot weather. One of the main devices of this system is the compressor, whose task is to ensure the circulation of the refrigerant in the system. We can safely say that without the presence of a compressor, the operation of the system will simply be impossible.
The operation of this system is very simple. With the help of a BMW compressor, freon is injected into the radiator, where the gas is cooled and turned into a liquid by the action of a fan. If there is not enough gas or there is an excess, this creates additional loads on the BMW compressor, with accelerated wear of its elements.
In light of this, regular maintenance is of great importance, in which attention should also be paid to the air conditioning of BMW cars.
The main symptoms of a compressor malfunction
The most common air conditioning system problems are:
- Insufficient amount of cold air in the cabin and the appearance of liquid streaks, which is a sign of system depressurization;
- The appearance of extraneous sounds, indicating wear of the valves and pistons of the compressor.
If we are talking about the repair of a BMW compressor, first of all, this is an analysis of its working elements from a technical point of view. First, the freon level is checked by device diagnostics.
In the future, the compressor is disassembled and disassembled, the quality and performance of each of its elements are evaluated. The most common repair of a BMW car compressor is the need to replace a bearing, solenoid valve, pressure plate or piston group.
On the other hand, it should be noted that repairing a BMW compressor will cost much less than buying a new one. The compressor repair process itself is quite complicated: it requires certain experience, special tools and equipment.
We must not forget about the harmfulness of the chemical composition of freon gas, which you will definitely have to face during the repair process. This gas can be harmful to the skin and cause burns. That is why it is strongly not recommended to carry out repair work on the BMW compressor.
See also: How to change the oil in a BMW gearbox
BMW A/C Belt Replacement
The design of individual engine modifications provides for one of two tensioner options: mechanical or hydraulic.
The compressor is driven by a self-tensioning V-ribbed belt.
Before removing the strap, you should fix the direction of rotation with an arrow drawn with a marker if you plan to reuse it. The positioning of the belt must be carried out exclusively in accordance with the attached marking.
If the belt is contaminated with coolant, hydraulic fluid or oil, it must be replaced. For V-belt transmission, this is done under the following circumstances:
- Contamination with refrigerant or oil;
- The appearance of belt sliding noise due to its lubrication or stretching;
- Cracking and brittleness;
- Breakage of the frame or individual strands;
- Looseness and wear of the side surface.
The compressor drive belt with hydraulic tensioner is replaced in this order. First, the protective casing of the hydraulic device is removed. The tension of the compressor drive is loosened by installing a hex wrench on the idler roller bolt.
The wrench should be slowly turned clockwise to ensure that the hydraulic tensioner disengages from the belt and the compressor drive belt can be removed.
To install the belt, you must completely move the tensioner to the right side and install a new belt, according to its layout. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that the belt fits snugly into the grooves or influxes of the pulleys.
If the device is made with a mechanical tensioner, it will be necessary to unload the tension roller by turning the socket wrench on the internal hexagon and remove the drive belt. When installing a new belt, the roller will automatically set the tension. The tension force of the roller is not adjustable. You also need to make sure that the belt tension on the pulleys is correct.
