Which versions of the AC compressor have people had failures with?

[jlangham]

No AC in 110 degree heat is not good, but dont' want to pay more to "fix" my AC (and possibly have it happen again) than I paid for the entire car!

You might have significantly reduced power on very hot days because the A/C compressor also cools the battery pack. With no battery pack cooling, the battery management system will protect the hot battery pack by reducing its power output.

Yes, as I said in another thread, I was able to "hotrod" my car in Comfort mode in 113 degree weather. After about 4 jackrabbit starts off the line, the BMS stopped that and put me in granny mode until I got home.

 

[i3Alan]

I'm also in Phoenix, my AC never was really good when I bought it from the Dealer in Chandler, but now it was only blowing hot air. Took it to the dealer. Long story short, quote to fix air conditioner, brake service and two new tires was $23K. Compressor supposedly shredded apart causing metal shavings in the coolant lines (sound familiar Alan). Compressor work only is quoted at $3800, but still have the $542 air conditioner service added. They wanted/suggested replacing all lines, valves, compressor, etc. is why the quote so high. Ended up (after I got up from the floor after passing out at the quote) was told them to put it back together and I'd pick it up. So, ended up paying $542 for a car wash (and not even a good car wash).

Very sorry this happened again. That puts my reasonably well documented instances at 7 now.

I have two recommendations for you:

1) Appeal to BMW to fully cover the cost of all but the compressor itself. I have heard that they have done this after they already closed my case. That means you will have to pay $3800 to get your car fully repaired. I suspect this is the preferred path for BMW to handle this issue.

2) Grab Kelly Blue Book, Edmonds, etc., quotes for the fair market value of your car before the AC failed. Then get trade-in quotes for your vehicle as fair market salvage value. The difference is your actual loss. Document your numbers, add the $542 loss for the worthless service, and send that bill to BMW USA and Chapman BMW.

Give them the option of 1 or 2. 1 will cost BMW more, but they rejected me on 2. However, taking care of someone with 1 before does not mean they will give you the same benefit, nor does the rejection of my demand (2) mean they haven't reconsidered this option more fairly.

Feel free to let them know how much I publicize their refusal to honorably handle this BMW-specific problem to insure it becomes well know among potential BMW customers, and whether you might be considering continuing the same "protest" should they decide not to take care of you fairly. That is, it may actually be more profitable for them to take care of you, then missing many sales from people being too unwilling to take a chance on notoriously insane repair costs of BMW products well publicized by people like me. (If you end up going this route, make sure you stick strictly to the facts that you can document, and otherwise be reasonable and VERY CLEAR about any opinion being opinion.)

Since you too are in Arizona, I can tell you the legal system is strictly on the side of BMW/Chapman here due to the near impossibility of collecting legal fees even if you win, where such fees will almost certainly exceed the $23K quote. You could potentially collect $1500 (I believe that is our max) in small claims court. You might want to roll your dice with the arbitration spelled out in your original sales contract, but that tends to have poor odds unless you consider splitting the difference worth it (the usual arbitration result when the claim is not cut and dried). That is, arbitration might get you $4K-$8K is my best guess, and is likely to get you nothing. Finally, the TV and newspaper "On-Your-Side" teams may be interested, but I did not have success getting interest from any of them.

Good luck!

 

[jlangham]

I'm also in Phoenix, my AC never was really good when I bought it from the Dealer in Chandler, but now it was only blowing hot air. Took it to the dealer. Long story short, quote to fix air conditioner, brake service and two new tires was $23K. Compressor supposedly shredded apart causing metal shavings in the coolant lines (sound familiar Alan). Compressor work only is quoted at $3800, but still have the $542 air conditioner service added. They wanted/suggested replacing all lines, valves, compressor, etc. is why the quote so high. Ended up (after I got up from the floor after passing out at the quote) was told them to put it back together and I'd pick it up. So, ended up paying $542 for a car wash (and not even a good car wash).

Very sorry this happened again. That puts my reasonably well documented instances at 7 now.

I have two recommendations for you:

1) Appeal to BMW to fully cover the cost of all but the compressor itself. I have heard that they have done this after they already closed my case. That means you will have to pay $3800 to get your car fully repaired. I suspect this is the preferred path for BMW to handle this issue.

2) Grab Kelly Blue Book, Edmonds, etc., quotes for the fair market value of your car before the AC failed. Then get trade-in quotes for your vehicle as fair market salvage value. The difference is your actual loss. Document your numbers, add the $542 loss for the worthless service, and send that bill to BMW USA and Chapman BMW.

Give them the option of 1 or 2. 1 will cost BMW more, but they rejected me on 2. However, taking care of someone with 1 before does not mean they will give you the same benefit, nor does the rejection of my demand (2) mean they haven't reconsidered this option more fairly.

Feel free to let them know how much I publicize their refusal to honorably handle this BMW-specific problem to insure it becomes well know among potential BMW customers, and whether you might be considering continuing the same "protest" should they decide not to take care of you fairly. That is, it may actually be more profitable for them to take care of you, then missing many sales from people being too unwilling to take a chance on notoriously insane repair costs of BMW products well publicized by people like me. (If you end up going this route, make sure you stick strictly to the facts that you can document, and otherwise be reasonable and VERY CLEAR about any opinion being opinion.)

Since you too are in Arizona, I can tell you the legal system is strictly on the side of BMW/Chapman here due to the near impossibility of collecting legal fees even if you win, where such fees will almost certainly exceed the $23K quote. You could potentially collect $1500 (I believe that is our max) in small claims court. You might want to roll your dice with the arbitration spelled out in your original sales contract, but that tends to have poor odds unless you consider splitting the difference worth it (the usual arbitration result when the claim is not cut and dried). That is, arbitration might get you $4K-$8K is my best guess, and is likely to get you nothing. Finally, the TV and newspaper "On-Your-Side" teams may be interested, but I did not have success getting interest from any of them.

Good luck!

Alan,

Thanks for the detailed response. Really, I'm torn. I like my car and want to keep it. Sometimes I feel too old/tired of fighting these type of battles. As you said, Chapman BMW will have a legal team on their side and won't go down without a good fight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pissed about it. Especially since I got this car from them, CPO - of which, I paid extra for. A part of me says to fight this and make this right.

There is another BMW repair place in the valley that gets good reviews. I spoke to them after this ordeal, and he said they only have one tech that was trained on the i3 - but told him it's an air conditioner problem, not an i3 problem. He said they would look at it and let me know if it is something they could do, but the compressor would have to be purchased from BMW (which is $1800 from their site). And I'll have to make sure they use the correct refrigerant oil. I just might go this route. For about 2k, I could have a working car and air conditioner, and less of a headache trying to make an obviously questionable dealership try to "make good" on a repair I wouldn't trust even to my ex-wife!

I'll post on here which direction I'll go. Thanks again for your experience and sorry you've had to deal with this too.

 

[Star63]

How difficult would it be to install a screen after the compressor to protect the rest of the system?

 

[Anonymous]

he said they only have one tech that was trained on the i3 - but told him it's an air conditioner problem, not an i3 problem.

Just an FYI, when I had my AC compressor replaced (under warranty luckily), i had to wait three days for the i3 tech to return from vacation - because of the i3 HV systems electrocution danger when working on the car, the service manager would let ONLY the i3 trained tech do the work.

Note: The vehicle's air conditioning system contains the refrigerant R1234yf. Quantity: 750 g. with the fill connections on the right-hand side in the frunk.

 

[Anonymous]

How difficult would it be to install a screen after the compressor to protect the rest of the system?

https://airsept.com/Products/Details/32

 

[i3Alan]

How difficult would it be to install a screen after the compressor to protect the rest of the system?

https://airsept.com/Products/Details/32

I'm not an expert, but from the many experts I have talked to, the i3 AC issue is the compressor self destructing, taking out everything downstream. This Airsept product is designed to go in front of the compressor to protect the compressor from other components failing. The people I have talked to tell me that BMW should have put a trap in the dryer downstream from the compressor, as most other AC systems are designed.

 

[jlangham]

he said they only have one tech that was trained on the i3 - but told him it's an air conditioner problem, not an i3 problem.

Just an FYI, when I had my AC compressor replaced (under warranty luckily), i had to wait three days for the i3 tech to return from vacation - because of the i3 HV systems electrocution danger when working on the car, the service manager would let ONLY the i3 trained tech do the work.

Note: The vehicle's air conditioning system contains the refrigerant R1234yf. Quantity: 750 g. with the fill connections on the right-hand side in the frunk.

This repair shop does have an i3 factory trained tech, but he's in Scottsdale location. The guy in Mesa said that he will consult with him and if he believes it's too much for him, then he will have the guy from Scottsdale do the work.

At this point, I'm willing to let them give it a go since the dealer is wanting $20k to "fix" it. Reason I said "fix" it, is because, I believe the same thing can easily happen again. I'm not willing to pay $20k every 2 years for a car I paid $20k for in the first place!

Geez, I think I would have been better off buying a cheap leaf and replacing the battery every 3-4 years. I like my BMW WAY MORE than the Leaf, but BMW is exhausting me and my workmate had his Leaf battery replaced under warranty and got double the range battery on top of that (2017 Leaf).

 

[agdrago]

Has anyone identified what the maintenance schedule is for the compressor and its fluids?

 

[Bertone]

Sorry to hear that some of you have had problems with the AC system and that this issue is insultingly expensive to solve...

However, I do have some doubts.

Does someone know the improvements implemented in the newer versions of the compressor?

What made the compressor to blow up in the first place? Was it metal debris inside the system? Were from?

Is there a way to install the metal filter referenced in a previous post without losing the refrigerant gas?

What is the best place to install such a filter, for instance at the input port of the drier?

Cheers.

 

[jadnashuanh]

You can't open up the refrigerant lines without first recovering all of the refrigerant. Once you've made any changes, you then have to pull a vacuum, and refill the system. At least in the USA, it's illegal to vent the refrigerant into the atmosphere, and it's not a good idea anywhere.

Generally, an a/c system doesn't get any maintenance until you notice a decrease in cooling capacity, but you could check the state of the compressor and the charge. Generally, the system will hold without leaks for a long time.

 

[jpascale]

Was it ever determined if BMW updated the I3 to avoid this issue. This was one of the reasons we sold our 2014...being in Phoenix we wanted to avoid exposure to such a high repair bill. This issue and range drop to low 50 mile range was enough to sway us to sell it to Carvana last year. Really do miss it and debating picking up a 2017 or newer model if this AC issue has been resolved.

 

[Anonymous]

Was it ever determined if BMW updated the I3 to avoid this issue?

The only cars I've heard of having the AC compressor failures was the 2014 and 2015 year models - and then only a very small percentage seemed to have the defective units. Since then the AC compressor part number has been superseded several times. The current SKU for the AC Compressor is 64-52-9-496-107, available for 2014 - 2020 years, and is the sixth generation of the part, replacing SKU's 64-52-6-830-620, 64-52-9-320-855, 64-52-9-343-806, 64-52-9-347-662, and 64-52-9-364-868.

My guess is all the faulty ones in those two model years have failed or been replaced, and the newer generation AC Compressors don't have the fault. I haven't heard of any recent AC failures at all.

 

[i3Alan]

... debating picking up a 2017 or newer model if this AC issue has been resolved.

Funny that I heard from another i3 owner in CA that had the AC failure on his '14 i3 just this morning! His was repaired under warranty, but he was sure to get rid of the car before the warranty ran out. Mine was a year out of warranty and all I got was a $1000 "Goodwill" check from BMW. The fact that a 5 year old car could have such a catastrophically expensive repair through zero fault or possible prevention of the user with virtually zero support from BMW has made me a never-another-BMW owner. Their refusal to take ownership of the AC problem, a problem that was due to their own design negligence (no trap in the AC dryer line), is inexcusable. My i3 went from a $16K book value car to an $8K salvage vehicle. I think BMW should have offered to take my destroyed i3 and apply $16K towards the purchase of a new one, which I would have done. BMW thought a $1000 check with goodwill written on it, but no other signs of responsibility or apology, was adequate. I will keep reminding them (>this post, for example<) that it was not.

BTW, my Mach-E First Edition should be delivered to me next week. It was on the Mach-E forum where the i3 AC issue popped up this morning (and I did not instigate it!). The Mach-E has 300 mile range, sub 5 sec 0-60, AWD, very solid handling (well, not i3 fun, but still excellent and fun, and mine is not the high performance GT version due out in a few more months), loud multi-tone horn that is tappable, sliding sun visors, rain proof large frunk, rear seat with AC vents and room for 3 adults, phone-as-key, Apple & Android Bluetooth wireless Car Play, Qi charging pad, 15.5" center touchscreen and 10" driver display, 11KW L2 and 150KW L3 charging, over-the-air SW updates, B&O audio, etc. (and that etc. is a LONG list of features mostly missing from the i3). This new EV entry should have BMW realizing clearly Tesla is far from their only serious performance EV competition under $60K. Interestingly, the Mach-E has two scheduled maintenance items: brake fluid every 3 years, and gearbox oil every 120K miles. The Mach-E does not have a heat pump (or two), but you might be able to guess why I like a simplified AC loop! Besides, I live in Phoenix where electric heat is not a range concern, and the car does have heated seats and steering wheel.

 

[Anonymous]

Here are the specs of the BMW i3 AC systems. https://www.leschroniquesdegoliath.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mercedes-08_I01-Heating-AC-SystemsGB.pdf

 

[EVMan]

Each time you open and close the door, the AC is turned off.( even if you are in car )
My kids love this activity .....
This constant on/off without time buffers will kill any compressor .
I am not sure what is the need of this "feature ", apart to destroy the compressor.

 

[alohart]

Each time you open and close the door, the AC is turned off.( even if you are in car )
My kids love this activity .....
This constant on/off without time buffers will kill any compressor .

Are you certain that the compressor turns off and on or maybe just the climate control fan? I press the A/C button to turn off the compressor but not the fan when I'm within 10 minutes of home, yet cool air continues circulating with the compressor off. So there's no reason that the compressor would need to turn on immediately if it had recently been turned off.

 

[EVMan]

I notice , opening the door is ok , but closing the door shuts off the car and AC along with it.

When i shut the car door, it tuns off my car, irrespective of you are sitting in it or not.
Basically its a issue of presence senor. or its association , that no one is in the car.


For me , my habit of turning on AC , the first thing, or remotely turning it on, or doing checklist of any missing items , before i close the door , ensures this on on/ off cycle.

Yes , some times turning off AC quickly in first 5 mins , will not turn it off, I think that is the safety feature i am taking about , to save compressor life.
But turning the fan off , will ensure AC is off. U can hear the humm of the AC

 

[alohart]

I notice , opening the door is ok , but closing the door shuts off the car and AC along with it.

When i shut the car door, it tuns off my car, irrespective of you are sitting in it or not.

That's not the behavior that I and others have experienced. Our i3's exit drive ready state when the driver door is opened, not when the door is closed. Several i3 owners have complained that they can't open the driver door and reverse their i3's, for example.

Climate control shuts off when an i3 exits drive ready state upon which iDrive displays a screen that allows the driver to turn climate control on for ~20 minutes (handy in hot or cold weather when a driver leaves for a few minutes while a passenger remains in the car).

 

[CP361]

My compressor failed in 2019 and replaced under warranty months before the Warranty expired
It was a 2015 I3 BEV.. I just upgraded it with a 2018 I3S so fingers crossed they fixed the problem in this newer model.