A/C compressor question

[AceEngineer]

It appears that the AC compressor is dying in my 2005 E53 4.4i. The symptoms point to something in the clutch causing intermittent operation. I have looked for a replacement clutch but it appears that the clutch is not available separately from the compressor. A BMW brand compressor is $1300 to $1500 but there is a plethora of aftermarket brands available in the $200 to $500 range. Does anybody out there have any experience with aftermarket compressors? I usually buy only BMW brand parts, but in this case the potential savings is high and my X5 has 140K miles on the clock. Looking for advice.....

AceEngineer

[Effduration]

I am reading that Denso was the OEM compressor manufacturer - or at least one of them.

The FCPEuro site shows a Nissens compressor with an IDENTICAL picture as the Genuine BMW compressor..However, the Nissens is made in China.

Several online outfits (although not FCPEuro) sell a Denso Compressor for the E53 for approx $300. I would do the following:

- Try to confirm that Denso is OEM
- Try to find out where a new Denso compressor is made
- If not China, I would buy a Denso compressor for E53

[Henrym3]

At the end of the day the vast majority of stuff is made in China, I have had dealer parts especially VW labelled as made in China in a VW Jiffy bag. It bugs me that car manufacturers want us to buy their genuine parts for extortionate prices that they get made in China for a pittance. Let’s face it we get our aftermarket audio stuff from there. Big companies want us to avoid China whilst they flock there like fly’s round shit. Rant over.


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[Effduration]

Maybe that's why I don't own a VW.....

Fair enough, I haven't seen a genuine BMW part made in China yet (has anybody?), but I am sure it's coming.

Chinese manufacturing has come a long way up the quality curve, But if its an electrical component, valve, seal, made of any metal or rubber, AND I HAVE A CHOICE, I am not buying a Chinese made part..

Looking at heater control valves now, and almost bought the Febi part, except it's made in China. Went with used OEM instead...I may rebuild it myself.

[Henrym3]

There are 378 Chinese parts manufacturers which make over 50% of of parts fitted to BMWs. Google is your friend


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[Effduration]

Originally Posted by Henrym3

There are 378 Chinese parts manufacturers which make over 50% of of parts fitted to BMWs. Google is your friend


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I am not trying to pick a fight, but I believe you have taken something you read on the Web WAY out of context.

The figures you site can be found in the link below. It was an article written by a Chinese newspaper. It was referring to BMW Brilliance which is BMW's Chinese JV set up to manufacture BMW vehicles in China.. The 50% of parts figure actually reads "nearly half of all parts and components" and is clearly referring to BMW Brilliance production not BMW global production.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-09-1...03e/index.html

I am sure there are Chinese-made parts supplied to BMW global. I would wager that it is far short of 50% of global production. One more reason (of several) I probably won't buy a BMW newer than '06.

[Nolimite39]

Id have to agree, not just for BMW but in general. I will spend the time to track down where the replacement parts are made and will not buy Chinese if I can help it, unless its a plastic beauty cover for a bolt head or something along those lines. Further in my extensive search fro all sorts of parts for the E39, E53, and E90 chassis I have found a very small percentage of high end branded (mahle, lemforder, meyle, febi/bilstein, etc.) parts to be manufactured in China and come to think of it I don't believe I have actually ran across a single OEM part that has. URO and the rest of the ebay crowd however, most of that garbage is Chinese and half the time is not manufactured within spec.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by AceEngineer

It appears that the AC compressor is dying in my 2005 E53 4.4i. The symptoms point to something in the clutch causing intermittent operation. I have looked for a replacement clutch but it appears that the clutch is not available separately from the compressor. A BMW brand compressor is $1300 to $1500 but there is a plethora of aftermarket brands available in the $200 to $500 range. Does anybody out there have any experience with aftermarket compressors? I usually buy only BMW brand parts, but in this case the potential savings is high and my X5 has 140K miles on the clock. Looking for advice.....

AceEngineer

I would suspect that the air gap between the clutch and the pulley has gotten so great that it now exceeds the maximum allowable. There are usually shims installed to set this air gap. You can remove the shims to see if that helps.

Here's a video of what I am talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNx0X4INfiw

I did this fix for my daughter's Honda Fit. Been enjoying AC for the past two years since I gave her the car for her 16th birthday.

[Caryalon]

So back to the original question: the AC compressors in these cars, at least the newer ones, use a variable compression technology.

If you identify the compressor, you can buy a replacement control valve for $25 - $35, rather than replacing the entire compressor.

[AceEngineer]

It's not the control valve, it's the clutch. I can see that the clutch does not even try to engage even with power to the clutch. There are no shims in the system, it is a magnetic clutch and I can tell that the coil is not powered because it won't attract a screwdriver even with power at the connector. There is an intermittent open in the clutch circuit inside the clutch housing!! Please, I'm looking for someone with experience with aftermarket compressors not wild guesses about what may be wrong, I know what the problem is and the quickest path to working air is to replace the whole compressor..

AceEngineer

P.S. Thanks to Effduration for the pertinent information, I'm going to look into it at my local BMW indy wrench.