1998 BMW 740 Air Conditioning Recharge

1998 BMW 740
106,000 MILES • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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DANSINTOO
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Hello,

I just bought a 98 BMW 740il. Everything on the car is great but the Air Conditioning isn't very cold. I was wondering if those A/C Recharge systems you can buy from the auto parts store really work. It seems very simple, a compressed can and refill nozzle that you hook up to the system. I just want to know if this works. Thanks for your help.
Jul 26, 2010 at 7:10 PM
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MHPAUTOS
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 31,937 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
Hi there,

I personally feel that these should not be sold to the general public, the A/c system is a somewhat complex item and just squirting in a can of refrigerant is far form a reliable solution to any problem, firstly the A/C system uses a measured weight of refrigerant and second guessing this is just not good enough, if the system is low, well you must have a leak so the leak must first be detected and repaired, when the system has been opened to the atmosphere the receiver dryer should always be replaced and the system vacuumed down to a neg pressure reading and it should hold vacuum, (prooving no leaks) then the fresh charge is added and the system pressures are checked with a suitable A/C manifold gauge, so i would advise to get it done correctly the first time as this will save you money.

mark (mhpautos)
Jul 26, 2010 at 7:19 PM
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