thanks Sean, its the first I have posted looking for help, I grew up in Ireland and I was thought as a young mechanic that real men don't use manuals, but then again real men don't drive bmw's in Ireland haha they drive tractors and beat up old issue troopers with calves and donkeys in the back




This fucker will be blowing cold air by weeks end or ill strap my cold-hearted EX in the back seat holding a big block of dry ice (rumor has it, it will extend the Dry Ice indefinitely)

 

I started adding Freon. 28.5 ounces is the required refill. Im about 18ounces in six fan ian kicking in but it’s not really taking anymore Freon and no cold air.

The gagues are pretty much equal.



After leaving engine running for 10 mins

 

I read someplace that faulty low ambient temp sensor can stop the compressor from working. Temps are reading correctly with scan tool live data

I’m running quick trouble code scan right now.

So are we all agreed that is the compressor at this stage ? Or is there anything else that needs to be checked ?

 

I thought about something last night you said the coolant ran out the engine. Did you bleed the system after filling it back up

 

I did bleed it Sean. Accelerator for 10 seconds and all that jazz.

 

I'm running a few test tests to see if I can get signals at compressor and sensors.

I have a blue 528i that needs tranny work. So I’m just going to start swapping compressor and other parts if need today then have my 530i compressor reconditioned.

 

Yet, if one continues to drill down the parts catalogue, the part is referred to as AC compressor, magnetic clutch. The magnetic clutch, although part of the compressor is not used or wired up, which explains Sean and your differences. BTW, I bet you could activate/deactivate the clutch so that the compressor would work as the "old" one did.
Would have to place the variable displacement selenoid in max position, though.

 

If the compressor is fucked internally could that account for the lost in pressure when pulling a vacuum ?

 

It depends on what might be "fucked". The variable swash buckle mechanism can be worn and defective, but that won't cause a leak. If there is a seal leak in the compressor (at the pistons) and the variable feature still works then the leak would be internal and the compressor would lose efficiency, but would still work. If you have filled the system and tried it without detecting a leak using a dye and you still don't get cold, then I guess your compressor is defective. BTW, although messier and not exactly environmentally good practice, a pressure leak test is more likely to show a leak than a vacuum test. The pressures are higher when charging freon than a vacuum can pull. You meters show that. 110psi on pressure side versus a max of 30psi on vacuum side.

 

So I put the gauges on the blue 528i and they are reading 100 psi low and high when car is not running. Is that normal ?

I'm pretty sure the a/c was working on this car before I ripped tranny.

I have the valve body out of the transmission. This might be a ridiculous question. But can I start the car briefly with the valve body removed and the oil sump cover on the tranny to test the a/c or will it do damage ?

These are for asking a question I'm fairly sure I know the answer too. But I always have that voice in the back of my head says fuck it sure what's the worst could happen !! Haha