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Noisy AC Compressor

12K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  mlukas161 
#1 ·
Our 04 with 46K miles is making enough compressor noise that you can hear it @ 70mph.
It's been getting louder for the past 5K or so.

Questions:

How mush longer will it last?
How mush to have it replaced?
Will BMW replace a noisy compressor under warranty?

Thanks
jb
 
#2 ·
Do you not have the 4 year / 50K warranty? Take it in and get it replaced or at least looked at. If it's that noisy there is probably something wrong with it and it should be covered.
 
#4 ·
ab say's it's the compressor, noise quits when I turn the ac off.
This is our first real problem, except for those :mad: door seals. We have less than 4K left on the warranty.
ab thinks it will make it till Aug when it's 100+ and no warranty.

Thanks
jb
 
#7 ·
ab thinks it will make it till Aug when it's 100+ and no warranty.

Thanks
jb
Do I have this right? You are going to wait until the warranty expires so you can have the option of a) no air conditioning or a complete belt failure and no engine or b) pay mega bucks for repairs, instead of c) getting it fixed for free.

What are we missing here?

Cheers
 
#5 · (Edited)
Judy, it "might" be the belt tensioner after all. When you turn on the A/C more load is put on the belt to turn the compressor and that could cause the bearings in the tensioner to howl a bit. I had a similar problem on a Tahoe and changing the tensioner fixed it. I also don't understand waiting until the warranty expires. Right now, under the original warranty, it should be fixed at no cost to you. Why wait?
 
#6 ·
At some point the AC will only blowing air. I have the same problem 6 months ago, dealer have to replace the Evaporator ( I do not know if this is correct spelling) and its working fine now. You have to bring it back to the dealer as soon as possible. BMW will pay for it if it less then 50K miles.

Cubi
 
#18 ·
I wanted to follow up with an update.

Unfortunately my AC just stopped working last week. No more cold air.
The whining noise is gone too. I'm not familiar with the AC system. I'm dropping it off to a mechanic in 3 days and will update again.

I hope it's not the Evaporator - 420.00 part!
 
#10 · (Edited)
I agree with X3Ski take it in ASAP and lodge your complaint. Make sure it is written up that an attempt to repair was made. Then if you get the same old song and dance abut not able to duplicate take the car back and drive it until the noise happens again. Return it to the service department and do the same thing again. At that point a "history" is established and when the failure occurs (and it will) you have documentation that shows the fault was known and reported prior to the warranty end. You also might try another dealer's service department too. I don't know how many BMW dealers are in your area but it might be worth a try if "your" dealer can't fix it, another one can. The original warranty is valid of course at any BMW dealer. Good luck!
 
#11 ·
That's 1 of the 2 things I'm worried about.
Judy and her service advisor seem to have a communication problem.
Example: Judy reports ---"doors squawking again"
Tech reports back -------" can't duplicate squawk coming from passenger seat"
this is not an exaggeration it really happened. jb is looking over my shoulder keeping me calm

# 2 would be Judy reports " noise when ac compressor on"
I"M GUESSING HERE but I expecting something like this from the tech
"Can't duplicate noise from ac VENTS have customer return when/if ac quites"

Hopefully I'm getting upset about nothing and the tech will report back " replaced ac compressor"

ab
 
#12 ·
One way to possibly improve communication is to write it out, take it with you and then make sure the SA copies the write up in the service order. My SA always lets me read the service order (I have to sign it before work starts) so you can at least eliminate that part of the problem.

Cheers
 
#13 ·
I was driving today in heavy rain and in order to keep the windows clear, I had the climate control on Automatic with the AC compressor on. Noticed a whirring/whistle sound that occurs, and it's definitely not normal. The noise varies directly with the engine rpm and occurs ONLY when the compressor is switched on. I was easily able to duplicate this also in Neutral which tells me it's related either to the AC system or the belts. No undue clattering or other noise, just a hollow whistle.

The AC system still cools fine but then again, it was colder outside the vehicle than inside. However, my impression is that cooling is sufficient. The dealer did suggest replacing the drive belt a few days ago, stating it was cracked. However, could the AC belt also be a culprit, since it only occurs with AC on?

This shouldn't be too hard. Ideas?
 
#15 ·
I also have this noise issue directly related to the AC being on. The instant I turn the AC off, the noise goes away. It's also directly related to engine rpms. The AC belt is less than a year old. Not sure if its the belt tensioner or the AC compressor. I haven't looked at it more closely yet.
 
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