How is your hvac performing this summer?

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by andbham

I am in Birmingham, AL which should be very similar in climate. I have found that my a/c starts running warm at times. If I turn it off for a minute or so and then turn it back on, I get cold air. I am guessing that due to the almost ever-present high humidity, the coil is freezing up and needs a minute to thaw out.
Just a thought.

Do any of the 318ti family come with an auxiliary fan in front of the a/c coil? My repair manual says all models of the 318/320 have one, but my ti is often different from what is described.

You could be right about the coil freezing up but it is not due to high humidity but because the low side pressure is way below 32F on the R134A gauge temp scale. You need to add some refrigerant. Be careful not to add too much as pdxmotorhead wrote. The system does not work well even with just a couple of lbs off.
It is safer just to evacuate and charge by weight as per decal in the engine compartment.

[andbham]

Thanks for the advice. I have a good bit of experience with the mechanicals on 2002's and now the ti, but have never done much with the A/C system. It may be time to invest in a pressure gauge. (Oh goodie, something new to get in trouble with!)

[stubear334]

I'm from Alabama, too. The a/c in the Ti is adequate for our climate. The problem is those damn vinyl seats! They leave your backside covered it sweat.

Two years ago, the a/c clutch went bad on the original compressor. I purchased a rebuilt compressor off ebay for $199 & a new expansion valve, & receiver tdryer, along with new charging ports. Borrowed a vacuum pump from Autozone. This was my first a/c repair & it worked perfectly.

[andbham]

I "topped up" the R134a and the a/c is working fine. Bazar01, your advice was dead on. Many thanks.

[andbham]

I've got cloth. It's much more comfortable, but I'm about to turn over 200k miles and the seats do begin to wear after a while!

[FunElan]

I notice that if my car is parked in the sun for a bit, the A/C is never as cold as when it's parked in the shade. This is only after it's been parked and I start it up.

I can also feel the compressor engaging and disengaging. Is that normal? Having the A/C on definitely makes the car a lot slower....

[andbham]

I have never driven an automatic 318ti, but if it is like many other cars, the automatic trans uses up some of the power that is available in the 5 speed. can feel the a/ç kick in, but it is subtle and not generally a problem. Mine is a 1996 std. 5 speed with almost 200k on the clock.

[FunElan]

Mine is also a manual, 133k miles. It's not bad to be able to feel the compressor kick in? I don't feel it in other cars.

[zoner]

Originally Posted by FunElan

I can also feel the compressor engaging and disengaging. Is that normal?

No.

Sounds like you're low on refrigerant. These cars are kinda particular about that.

When everything is working correctly and the system is charged to spec., I can blast cold air in the cabin when it's 100* outside.

[stubear334]

FunElan, your a/c will always take longer to cool when parked in the sun. The dang ductwork & evaporator is over 100 degrees with the windows rolled up. The underdash temps are pretty high. It might take 10-20 minutes to get really ice cold air. In the summertime, I try to park my car in my warehouse. Makes a huge difference!

AndBham, BMW might still have your seat bottoms in stock. I just replaced the drivers seat cover in my '98. It cost $347, but it fit absolutely perfectly. The foam is NLA, but be careful not to tear the hog ring rails buried in the foam. The color & texture wasn't an exact match, but 95% is close enough.

Stu

[jca]

I am very satisfied with the way my 98 base model automatic cools. In the summer it helps a lot to put a sun screen up on the dash when the car is parked. John

[bazar01]

My ac is fine now even in stop and go traffic.
Actually my wife is complaining now that is very cold on long trips I had to turn the thermostat up a little.
I plan to clean the evaporator coils sometime during the fall season.
You will be surprised how much crud is on the evaporator coil surface after 18 years of driving.

[stubear334]

Don't you mean the condenser?? I may be wrong.

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by stubear334

Don't you mean the condenser?? I may be wrong.

No. I already cleaned the condenser coil in front of the radiator.

I will clean the evaporator coil next to remove the caked up crud from a combination of dust and moisture accumulating in front of the coil. The air coming out of the vents are a little weak even at full blast. An indication of blockage. Not sure how difficult it is going to be but I will find out. This is under the glove box in the passenger side.

[stubear334]

The evaporator shouldn't be too dirty on account that the cabin filters should have done their job. Even if they weren't changed but every five years. I changed the expansion valve pretty easily, and you might be able to slide the evaporator out once the lines are disconnected under the hood. Now, the heater core I believe is a dash-out job. Keep the coolant flushed & avoid blown head gaskets & it should be a lifetime part.

Instead of pulling the evaporator, go to CarQuest and buy the evaporator cleaning kit that has the aerosol cleaner & the special tube that snakes up the drain tube. The main problem is mold build-up releasing a smell.

My a/c problem is the internal seals on the temp flap are sticking. The foam disintegrated with age & the foam tape is still sticky making it difficult to go from cold to hot.