My a/c isnot blowing out as strong or as cold as it use to. I took it the shop and they told me its because my blower fan is bad that sits all the way in the front of the car. its the first fan you see when you open the hood. they said i blows on the coils of the a/c unit which they transfers the cold air in to the vents. how true this is i dont know. could the car need a charge and not have to replace the fan at this time or should i buy a new fan and replace it as its the problem. the ac seems to work better and blow stronger when driving on the beltway at faster speeds then on your basic road with stop and go traffic.

First, change your recirculation (interior) filters. That might fix the problem altogether.

Second, find a new mechanic and never go to that shop again.

If changing the recirc filters doesn't help, then let us know.

+1 to what plik says
go to e38.org and/or do a search here to see what they look like and where they are located. key words: recirculation filter....

+1 to what plik says
go to e38.org and/or do a search here to see what they look like and where they are located. key words: recirculation filter....

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/348259

http://www.e38.org/gsussman/740i_recirc_filter_replacement.htm

http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e38/forum.php?postid=1864700

Okay i will try replacing those filters but my question on the blower fan thats locted just behind the front bumper still has not been answered. it does not work at all could that be a part of it. also should i recharge my ac since its a 96 e38 and has not been charged yet? i just ordered the filters so hopefully you guys can give me some type of feed back on the fan and the recharging. thank you.

hhmm Well ive had a similar problem with my car... Except mine wouldnt blow air at all unless I was in the fwy hitting 70 or something. Its weird also because none of my AC lights turn on... Nothing in the are turns on except the heated seats option.

Okay i will try replacing those filters but my question on the blower fan thats locted just behind the front bumper still has not been answered. it does not work at all could that be a part of it. also should i recharge my ac since its a 96 e38 and has not been charged yet? i just ordered the filters so hopefully you guys can give me some type of feed back on the fan and the recharging. thank you.

Here are some links that will help with your aux fan question:
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/400697
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/399548
http://www.laczik.org/BMW/repair/E38_aux_fan/E38_aux_fan.html
The resistor might need to be replaced, but even if then I'd still replace those recirc filters.

sounds like recirc. i gotta do mine too

so your saying i should try replacing the condesors first to aux fan before replacing the fan. i will change the the filters under the dash but i want to get he fan right aswell.

you guys have any links to a cheap place to buy the condensors.

so your saying i should try replacing the condesors first to aux fan before replacing the fan. i will change the the filters under the dash but i want to get he fan right aswell.

you guys have any links to a cheap place to buy the condensors.

Resistor ... not condenser.

First -- change the recirc filters.

Second -- take your car to a mechanic (a good mechanic).

Don't just replace parts that you think may be broken hoping to stumble upon the solution to your problem. Instead, take it to a mechanic and get a proper diagnosis.

Here is a link that lists BMW mechanics in your state, http://www.bimmershops.com/bmwshops/maryland/

Where are you in Maryland? There's a very good mechanic up in the Columbia area if you are interested....used to do all my work on my e30.

jake

Here's my take on what's been said so far:

1. If the aux fan that's in front of the radiator does NOT turn on when you press the AC (snowflake) button. Then YES, you need to look into replacing the RESISTOR for the aux fan...and your shop was correct...that fan facilitates cooling by moving more air across the fins of the radiator. That's why the cabin's air becomes cooler when you are driving down the free way...more air is moving across the radiator. See item #7 in the diagram below: http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=GJ83&mospid=47531&btnr=64_0647&hg=64&fg=55

http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/diagrams/d/r/152.png

2. If you've never changed the recirculation filters (the ones under the dash)...or have no record of them ever being changed...they too will lead to DECREASED air velocity from the HVAC system. (check the ones under the hood as well...they may need changing, too).

(dirty, dirty filters)
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/E38%20Micro%20_Recirc%20filters.jpg


3. Thank you for posting back your MODEL YEAR...that was important. Do seriously consider creating a permanent signature (or adding more to your car info)...there are some very important differences in E38s based on model year. For instance, the M62 V8 engine uses a resistor on the aux fan...the M62TU V8 engine does NOT...the aux fan in the 99-01 V8 receives data from the ECU to turn it on and off.

thanks for the i
nfo bud

I seriously need to change all my filters, the question is should I buy at the stealership or ebay?

I seriously need to change all my filters, the question is should I buy at the stealership or ebay?

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=0j5g30rsxnxq0w45jbob4255&makeid=800003@BMW&modelid=1303254@740I&year=1998&cid=24@AC%20%26%20Heat%20-%20Climate%20Control&gid=6832@Cabin%20Air/Pollen%20Filter

Thank you so much for that link

thanks for the i
nfo bud
Did you ever change your filters? I changed my filters and my a/c blows alot colder. I don't put it on high anymore. :buttrock

Ok, I'm in the same situation with my new to me 1995 e38 740i.

The Velocity and volume of airflow coming out of the vents is fine. Car gets reasonably cold when first started OR when traveling down the highway. Lukewarm air at idle after normal engine temp, or in traffic.

A/C Low side pressure is fine, High side pressure soars when the car is idling. Hasn't dumped the charge yet though...

The aux electric fan does not come on at all.

The car had a blown fuse (#38) the 40a one, that is designated for the aux fan. All fuses now have power on both sides. There is power at the aux fan harness.

I pulled the connector to the dual temp switch and jumped the pins, between pins 1 (low speed) and 2 you hear the motor on the fan click as if it's trying to spin. Nothing at all between pins 2 and 3 (high speed).

I tried spinning the fan with a screwdriver and it does NOT spin. It feels as if the motor is ceased up, so my question before I take the bumper off to check the resistors, is should this fan spin freely by hand if the car is not running?

I think I have a bad fan motor here, but just trying to make sure.

George

I seriously need to change all my filters, the question is should I buy at the stealership or ebay?
:lol @ stealership!!!

Man coming from a '91 Acura Legend (whose A/C failed to do squat even after being repaired twice...) to my '97 I thought the AC was amazing, but I think I'm going to look into replacing those filters. Thanks for the thread! :alright

Q how in the he#$ do you know so much about these cars??

He's obviously some sort of BMW god!

Okay i will try replacing those filters but my question on the blower fan thats locted just behind the front bumper still has not been answered. it does not work at all could that be a part of it. also should i recharge my ac since its a 96 e38 and has not been charged yet? i just ordered the filters so hopefully you guys can give me some type of feed back on the fan and the recharging. thank you.
First of all, I would never drive my car if the engine fan was not working. If it is hot enough for you to need the AC, it is hot enough to ruin your motor. If the fan is not working, yes, your AC will not work as well. All the other things the people here told you to fix might help, but since your fan does not work, it needs to be replaced or repaired first.

how strong is very different than how cold. if the blower does not blow the volume of air it could be the filters. if not it is likely the blower or resister. both are buried under the dashboard which is a 4 - 6 hour job just to get to them. if you end up going that far you should replace both given the age of them and the fact that the labor is more than the part(s).

I changed my blower and blower resistor, found the DIY on e38.org

I just need to check my filters now.

I'm impressed. how long did it take to pull the dash and change out the parts? where did you get the parts? how expensive were the parts?

I need to change mine out. the blower works fine most of the time but sometimes when its real hot the blower won't come on at all for a while.

I just changed all of my filters and I can't even describe how much better my A/C is now. It blows about 3 times harder than it did, and is much colder. Very easy job to change out the recirc ones also. My filters were even dirtier than the ones Q posted above.

i have a problem also.Problem is that the drivers side doesn't blow cold air.The passengers side blows perfectly,but the driver's blows veeeery weak.If i turn on hot air,both sides blow. What is the problem?

where are the filters located??