Unofficialbmw.com

[jodebg]

Our a/c system on our 94 525i has lost pressure and the a/c unit is not working this spring.
The problem began last fall/ we had the unit recharged and dye was added.
This spring the unit is not working/pressure is low and no leaks were visable under the hood.
What should we now look for? We were advised to look for a leak under the dash at the expansion valve and connections to the evaporator.

Where are these located?

What do we need to do to access these components?

Wondering how long of a repair is it? Trying to estimate the labor expense and weigh the feasibility of the repair.

[edjack]

The expansion valve is mounted on the evaporator, which is inside the ducting under the dash. It is a major job to get at it.

The simple approach might be to get the system charged, and then use a refrigerant sniffer to verify that the evap or piping inside the duct is leaking.

Might want to get two worst-case estimates, and go from there.

So, the shop is not going to stand behind its work?
_________________


Ed BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319).
'97 540i 6 speed Aspensilber over Aubergine interior.

[jodebg]

Thanks for the reply.

My tech is a friend who does a lot of ac work, but not on BMW's.

He was hoping that the dye would show up under the hood, but forewarned me that the if it did not that it might be better to recharge once per season (if we are lucky to have a slow leak) than to go through the expense of accessing the other components.

What is a ref. sniffer?

[edjack]

It's a device that can detect the presence of refrigerant.
_________________


Ed BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319).
'97 540i 6 speed Aspensilber over Aubergine interior.

[walshja]

my 1994 has leaked since I got the car, and in the spring I add a can of refrigerant and I am good for the summer (really only use the AC when it is raining to keep the windows clear)
_________________
joe

1994 325iC, 195k miles
http://home.comcast.net/~walshja/index.html <--- check it out