A/C vents blow warmer air on passenger

[StartX5]

Hi all - just past summer, my X5's air condition was not working good. AC vents blow warmer air on passenger. Driver side vents blow icy cold while 9F warmer on passenger. And when the AC was on and the car was parked, i saw alot of puddled liquid (condensation water) under the car.
I added freon and it was full, however the problem still the same.
I search in the forum and most of problem due to evaporator and heater valve. If it's heater valve, it's a big job since we have to remove the dash in order to replace the heater valve.
Does anyone experience this problem?
Thanks!

[FSETH]

I had the same issue, but when I had the system recharged everything worked fine.

Evaporator is a big job as well requiring removal of the dash. Expect to pay $2,000 or more if that is your issue.

[AZX54.4]

Hotter air blowing on the passenger side is a common sign that your ac system needs a recharge. As far as it still blowing hot after a recharge I dont know???

[StartX5]

FSETH & AZX
After i added freon the air blow colder and what i felt: the passenger side is colder than before adding freon however when i used thermostat the driver side vents still blow colder air than the passsenger vents. They are still not balance even thought passenger vents blow colder.
I should add more freon?
Now it's winter season, i wait to see what's going on next summer, if the passenger vents still blow warmer air, i am thinking DIY to remove the dash and replacing evaporator/heater control valve.

[mrbmwx5]

Here is the quick tip to help the A/C works... Buy a bag of ice at your local gas station the place it on passanger side vents....

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by StartX5

FSETH & AZX
After i added freon the air blow colder and what i felt: the passenger side is colder than before adding freon however when i used thermostat the driver side vents still blow colder air than the passsenger vents. They are still not balance even thought passenger vents blow colder.
I should add more freon?
Now it's winter season, i wait to see what's going on next summer, if the passenger vents still blow warmer air, i am thinking DIY to remove the dash and replacing evaporator/heater control valve.

A/C work is tricky. You may want to find a good shop that can recharge and check for leaks. It is important to be sure the r134 level is where it needs to be for the system to operate correctly. You may still be low or you may actually be at or above the correct level and have another issue. Some places lower their prices on this type of work in the off season, so it may be a good time to look for a deal.

You are far braver than me to DIY the evaporator/heater control valve if that is the case. I was told I had a leak in the evaporator, but seeing as summer was almost over and I didn't want to drop $2k on the repair, so I just had the system professionally charged. I am going to see how long it takes for the levels to drop and the vents to blow warm again before dropping the cash on it.

[tonycajjo]

was there any condensation on the vents? if so you may have a leak that implies you have a gasket which needs replacing. i went to a local guy in CT where i always see bimmers out front and he fount a bad gasket behind the dash, replaced it recharged and i've been good to go.

think it was something in this part of the system:
RealOEM.com * BMW E53 X5 4.4i Coolant lines

i dont remember and never really looked into it as i thought it was going to be a big $ expense but was thrilled that it was only on the order of 170 bucks or so. i said thank you, paid and was off.

[StartX5]

Tom you're always my good advisor so let's try to do so, but hey bag of ice cost $100 at dollars store now. lol. Actually what you just mentioned was right, i need to bring it to local dealer or local AC pro to take care this problme instead charging more freon by myself

FSETH, good point here bro! I think the freon still low since i charged it by myself in August. Like you and Tom said, i should bring my X to pro AC shop and let them train the old gas out and refill fresh gas into my AC system. I will do it one day before this coming up summer season.
About removing the dash, I think i am ok to remove it if it's necessary to replace either evaporator or heater control valve. My local friend pulled his X dash out to replace the heater valve and the AC still not cold, he called me for help and finally the problem was final stage resistor not aux. fan, evaporator nor heater control valve. When we replaced the FSR everything is working great and i learned how to remove the dash from there man.. it took us 4,5 hours to reassemble the entire system (including time to run back to BMW dealer for broken plastic clips)

Tonycajjo, no my ac vents are clean, no condensation nor smell. I will drain and recharge the AC gas. Thanks bro.

[e30cabrio]

I started having this issue in the afternoon when it is over 105. I found a shop offering 99.00 check & refill up to 3lbs of R134. Anyone know how many lbs the system takes?