Why Does Your BMW’s AC Unit Fail In Decatur?
If there’s one issue that you’ll notice fast in the summertime, it’s going to be when your BMW’s AC fails. If you’re wondering what can cause the AC to fail in the first place, then today is your lucky day. Today we’ll share with you the most common reasons why the AC in your BMW might fail and also why, as they say, ‘the best defense is a good offense’ when it comes to your BMW’s operational health.
What Can Go Wrong With Your BMW’s AC?
Fan failure
Fan failure is a one issue that may occur with your BMW AC unit and when it happens, you’ll have cool air, but it simply cannot circulate properly. While a lot of things can cause a fan failure, the most common reasons are that it isn’t getting electricity or the motor has actually burned out.
The good news in all of this is that fan replacement is one of the most inexpensive AC unit issues to fix, although you won’t always be so lucky!
Freon leakage
Freon leakage is definitely a less pleasant type of AC failure, as it’s a little bit harder to confirm without a mechanic’s assistance. Under normal conditions, you should ideally ‘recharge’ your freon in your BMW every 2 years to keep your AC at it’s coolest, but once a leak occurs then things can quickly go south.
Tracing down where the leakage is occurring will be the first step and after that, recharging the freon should fix the AC unit right up. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll notice a somewhat moldy smell that can tip you off that the refrigerant is leaking, but that’s not always the case.
That said, if you’re getting hot air or even little to no air out of the vents, then a leakage check is definitely a good idea.
Compressor issues
One thing that may occur with a freon leak is that your compressor may stop working. Refrigerant leakage isn’t always the cause, however, as this may also occur with an electrical issue or even if the clutch on the compressor becomes fixed or otherwise stuck in place.
You may hear rattling or hissing when this starts happening, as the compressor begins experiencing issues, and if you do then it’s time to get your BMW into the shop right away.
Lack Of Regular Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is the key to maximizing your mileage on your BMW/ While most of us tend to think of this as just being a matter of changing the oil and oil filter and topping off all of the fluids, BMW’s need a more comprehensive list of what should be checked and when.
With your BMW’s AC, it will depend on the model, but usually every 15,000 to 20,000 miles you will need your Cabin Air Filter replaced, along with a refrigerant level inspection to ensure that you don’t need more freon. Finally, the condenser can get a little gunky from time to time, and so this is generally going to be cleaned as well.
As far as topping up your freon, you could certainly have that done at any time, but the most you should do would be once a year (and usually every 2 years is perfectly fine, so this breaks down to the driver’s individual preference).
In most cases, your AC preventative maintenance will be part and parcel of your regular preventative maintenance schedule, especially if you are working with a service center that really knows their way around BMWs.
If you’re in Decatur, a popular suburb of Atlanta, GA, then you can get this kind of comprehensive preventative maintenance at Munich West– Where we’ve been serving BMWs and other European vehicles since 1976!
Munich West: Providing Full-Service Preventative Maintenance and Repairs for European Imports
At Munich West of Decatur, Atlanta, GA, 
we’ve been providing full-service preventative maintenance and repairs since 1976 and as a result, we know your BMW from top to bottom. We also service Audi, MINI, Volvo, Saab, Mercedes, and Volkswagen, and choosing us for your business definitely comes with perks!
Aside from the benefit of having our extensive at your disposal, we also offer towing and shuttle service, and we have our own ‘over the counter’ parts department located in-house. So, if you’re tired of ‘taking a number’ (and often feeling like one) at a dealership then please call us or just come in to see us.
