Air Conditioner NOT COOLING as quickly

[jaramill]

I'm posting this question for a co-worker who has a 2001 (E39) 540i and has noticed that when she turns on the A/C it takes a little longer for it to cool the car. It was noticeable for her last week as the temperatures got really hot here in Southern California. In her older 325i, the AC would cool quickly. She thinks maybe the newer BMWs aren't allowed to use freon anymore due to environmental regulations. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Gio

[JamesB]

It could be, but the refrigerant used in new cars today works just as good.
then again she has a bigger car now and it takes longer to cool off the inside of a 540 than it does a 325,

[jsp98m3]

BMWs don't have the best air conditioning. It's really undersized for the job it has to do here. I've told the German reps about it. Their excuse was that it doesn't get that hot in Bavaria. So I asked them why their sunroofs and windshields leaked. Doesn't it rain in Bavaria either? He didn't like that follow up. I wonder if his English was good enough to understand "Dumb Fuck".

My wife wants a E39 530i. She'll have to go pay for it herself. I'm not writing the check for her.

But I guess I just have a bad attitude about it. I get a little ticked when the number one market is HERE and they purportedly build them for THERE.

But now that I'm done whining....

Have her get the dealer to check the system refrigerant pressure. Besides their other problems, the Shrader valves they use sometimes leak. I've seen it a few times. The brazing for the fittings can also be porous and won't get caught right away, slowly leaking refrigerant. Then there are the fan resistors, the hi/lo pressure switches..... Like I said, BMW doesn't make a great air conditioner. At least compared to the so-called crappy American cars.