It does. After it's too overheated to proceed even in snail mode it then applies the brakes and tells you, among other things, to "secure the against from rolling". If you wait a little while, it might naturally cool off enough to proceed a little further. (At this point, it's best if you know the flattest route to the shop, if any . . .)
Due to its mechanical design each and every compressor has a certain inner tear and wear. The manufacturer tries to limit this to a minimum, using the in his eyes best type and amount of oil.
I can't help thinking that the majority of them do not fail suddenly and catastrophically without showing other signs if people are tuned into them.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Is it possible to repair a compressor? Depending of age, it might be better to replace it, I guess.
I took our 2021 i3 to our BMW dealer for its annual state safety inspection (what a waste of time!). A 2016 i3 was in the service queue ahead of ours. While I was checking in, a mechanic started the 2016 i3 to drive it into the shop. A loud howling noise began emanating from the rear of the car, like a really bad bearing. I asked its owner in the waiting area whether her A/C compressor was failing. She told me that the compressor had been replaced 3 years ago but the replacement was now failing. Unfortunately, her 3-year-old compressor was no longer under warranty, so she was going to have to pay for a 2nd compressor. She told me that it was still producing cold air normally, so I doubt that it had imploded and that maybe only a bearing had failed, so the repair cost of just replacing the compressor wouldn't total her i3.
exactly, mine def started to make a noise during preconditioning - replaced it at BMW £ 1.2k 4 years old, 80k miles
we have to remember it is ONLY modern EV's that use the compressor 24/7 as part of the battery thermal management, on combustion engine we only use our compressor when we turn AC on in the hotter months, the wear & tear is completley different!
That is not true, the compressor in our i3's only work when needed. In colder to moderate climates, it may work only occasionally. Of course the use will be higher in warmer climates.
This isn't true - it doesn’t only work when the car needs it. It also works if you set your departure time in the myBMW app or in the car, and also everytime you plug into charge at a DC Charger. This equals much more compressor usage than a combustion only vehicle across a typical year.
..Automatically reduces battery pack output, if all systems are functioning as per normal. If not, a plausible risk exists, and that is all that NHTSA and equivalent bodies around the world care about when all is said and done with regards to potential recalls.
There must not have been enough i3 battery pack fires for these regulatory agencies to be concerned because no related recalls have been issued. In ~10 years of active participation in several online i3 forums and groups, I have never read about an i3 fire that started in the battery pack. The only i3 fires have been caused by REx engine gasoline or oil leaks. So the system that prevents dangerous i3 battery pack overheating must be working well despite what seems to be too many A/C compressor failures.
I think more than finding the compressor, people need help installing it because BMW dealerships are very expensive.
There's a sticker with the type and quantity of refrigerant and refrigerant oil on it underneath the front hood. Typically from arround 2015 onwards it's the (expensive) R1234yF refrigerant, together with the (very expensive) Sanden SP-A2 compressor oil. All use or mixing with the former PAG ISO-46 oil (which was used in combination with the R-134a refrigerant) is forbidden.
Only reason I continue to like these cars is the CARB warranty. Of course nothing is really taken for granted hearing all the cases where BMW puts up a fight. Luckily I've found a very good and knowledgeable repair shop if I ever need out of warranty work.
