This is not related to an X5, but is related to a bimmer. My daughter's e46.

We repaired her car after it was involved in a front end accident. Basically replaced everything up front in the engine bay. After our indy mechanic put it all back together, he charged the A/C and it worked as it should for a time. Then nothing. This thread got me thinking about the system being open for a long time. Over a year. This related directly to the discussion about replacing the drier/condenser.

This is my question: If the system was open for that long, do the driers actually go bad? And could it have worked for a short time?

We took it to a local A/C shop that does great work and they diagnosed it as the condenser leaking by way of interference of the aux. fan. This is highly unlikely as we replaced EVERYTHING up front. Including the core support and all mounting brackets. My daughter and I did all of the work ourselves and we are not new to bimmers or DIY. We were there when the mechanic first fired it up and there was no sound of interference with anything?

Basically I am asking if we should be looking at the drier? Cheap part to throw at it and would be the last of the system we didn't replace.

Thanks, all!

What are pressure readings? Even good shops don't replace valve core stems. Why not? Because the hoses connected. I've been burned on a few systems where valve cores leaked after disconnecting hoses. Even if they didn't show signs of leaks. It's the weakest point on a A/C stem. Remove the caps. Check for oil slight pressure swish when the cap is removed. It it worked, I would suspect a leak somewhere.

Should we start there? The valve cores? Again, cheap parts to throw at it.

Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask for the readings and it was not included on the report. The system is discharged as of now. Can the readings still be gotten? We have a Foxwell scanner. :dunno:

If it's discharged, go ahead and replace the valve cores. You can get the tool for $2 at Orielly's. Put a vacuum on it. Go 45 minutes minimum. Close the vacuum valves and leave vac hose connected. If it holds 26 Hg for more than 30 min, the leak was probably the valve cores. If it does not get below 24 Hg, a leak is somewhere. It's worth a try. I've save several systems by replacing the cores.

Where are those valve cores located?

You can find a picture on this post.
The low side is across the exhaust manifold. The high port is up high by the radiator.

Right inside of the charge ports

Outstanding advice. I'll take it to my brother in law who has the tools and report back. I would be extremely surprised if it is the condenser.

And does anyone have any insight on leaving the system open for well over a year and what the ramifications of that may be? Drier goes bad? :dunno:

If the system was open for a year, I would replace the drier. By open you do mean an open connection? No valve core port caps? I've done a few that had non working A/C systems for weeks and months. If vacuum held, I charged them up. If they leaked again, then I would replace parts.
I'm not sure how hard it is on an X5. I don't have to worry about A/C work for a while. Do the vacuum test first. If it holds 24 Hg or more, swap the drier and fill it.