Can we do anything to improve our AC?

[Speed25]

I had mine converted to R134 and it's MUCH colder than when I had R12. Seriously, I live in central Florida (HOT!), and I can't run it on recirc and high fan setting or people get cold. I used to have another e30 and had the same results as well.

For the record, my AC guy said "those that say R12 is colder than R134 know nothing about air conditioning." He also said that most people WAY over charge the R134, and that makes it less efficient. I admit I know NOTHING about air conditioning, but I know my car blows really cold and it's R134. :)

[e9nine]

I had mine converted to R134 and it's MUCH colder than when I had R12. Seriously, I live in central Florida (HOT!), and I can't run it on recirc and high fan setting or people get cold. I used to have another e30 and had the same results as well.

For the record, my AC guy said "those that say R12 is colder than R134 know nothing about air conditioning." He also said that most people WAY over charge the R134, and that makes it less efficient. I admit I know NOTHING about air conditioning, but I know my car blows really cold and it's R134. :)

An old leaking r12 system is no match for a good r134 system.
A well put together r134 system cools just right.
Your mechanic makes $$ out of converting r12 to r134; its expected he'll say the fact that the chemical properties of r12 which make it cooler than r134 are bogus.

[mgold]

My AC went out about 2 years ago during the hottest part of the summer (and yes, it actually gets too hot to drive with the top down). Here in Sacramento it gets well over 100 deg F during the summer. I had the stealer convert me over to R-134 and it works fine. My suggestion is to take your car to a shop that specializes in AC work and have them diagnose the system. When it works properly, the AC system in the E30 should work fine even in the searing temps of Phoenix.

[Brew]

Here's an option:

http://www.bmwe30.net/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=articles&report=view&ID=00075&Section=03

Its an article on how to make an switch that automatically shuts off the a/c (and any other power-robbing accessories that you want to hook up to it) when you activate the WOT switch. Lucas, I realize that you have an M50, and I'm not sure if you have a WOT switch, but it seems like a pretty damn good idea for those of you who want to keep their a/c, but not lose power.

I'm a windows-and-sunroof-down-in-the-summer kinda guy myself. 8)

[Speed25]

An old leaking r12 system is no match for a good r134 system.
A well put together r134 system cools just right.
Your mechanic makes $$ out of converting r12 to r134; its expected he'll say the fact that the chemical properties of r12 which make it cooler than r134 are bogus.[/quote]

Not quite. The guy that did mine is a friend that owed me a favor, so I spent nothing. He's been in the A/C business a LONG time, and said not to believe all the junk about having to change compressors or any of that. I had to replace exactly ONE part (can't remember what it was, though), and that was it. The conversion worked great in two E30s.

[KenC]

You replaced the dryer.