Info and Specs for E53 AC compressor and compressor oil fill volume

[David.X5]

I have been looking for this and have seen a number of posts where other people had asked about the correct oil for a E53 X5 AC compressor. I finally did some homework and this is what I found.

Denso is said to be the OEM manufacturer for the compressor. The one I removed from my X5 does say Denso on the clutch.

The DENSO part number for the compressor is 471-1380 (which you can buy from various sources for $200-$300 online).

DENSO Tech Support says the correct oil is DENSO ND-8 which they also say is hard to find. They said PAG-46 may be substituted.

They said the correct fill amount is 110 cc (3.72 fluid ounces).

Good luck. Use at your own risk...

[g300d]

The Calsonic Kansei CSV 717 was also OE for certain E53's. I know it was used on facelift E53 3.0's (like mine), but for the other engines and years I have no idea. Just added info for those who might need it.

[David.X5]

Since I started this, I spent some more time on the Denso part selector. The 471-1380 compressor is shown to fit 4.4 and 4.6 (where appropriate) for 2000-2003 E53. They don't show a choice available for 2004 or later X5's.

The 3.0 liter variant shows a different model compressor (471-1381) for model years 2001-2002 and is not listed for other years of the X5 I tried.

The selector is here: Find My Part | DENSO Auto Parts

[mikeywilz]

Did you find the right compressor and oil? I believe that Behr makes the original compressor for the E53 3.0. Not sure about the oil amount. I read somewhere it was 120-130 ml of the pag-43 I have the bentley manual coming in the mail as my ac went out 2 days ago and it's been 100+ everyday here in Las Vegas

[mikeywilz]

Sorry I meant Pag-46. The part number for the 3.0i ac compressor is 64-52-6-918-000-M6. That's form pelican parts. Pretty decent prices on most stuff. Always better to find a friend with a a World PAC acct. Makes parts way easier to get right and cheap!!

[David.X5]

The original compressor in my 01 4.4i is a Denso. Their name (and the oil quantity) appears on the clutch end that you can probably see with a mirror (or use your camera phone like an inspection camera like I do).

For that compressor (part numbers listed above), the nominal oil fill is 110 CC of ND-8 oil. Denso tech support suggested that oil, but also said PAG-46 can be substituted as ND-8 can be hard to find.

[David.X5]

P.S. The bentley manual says nothing about the oil fill quantity. Don't know why it was omitted.

[mikeywilz]

Thanks. That helps. I'll take a look and hope it's written on both the new and old compressor so I can get it right.