Trying to diagnose AC issue

[Alturiak]

After years of my AC not working that well (it worked it just never got really cold- vents temps around low 60s), I finally decided to start addressing it on my 2011 E92 335i (N55). I started with a simple system recharge- evacuated the freon out, changed both Schrader valves while it was empty since its cheap and they're a common source of leaks, then pulled vacuum to check for leaks and it held 29inHg just fine. Then I pumped it down for another hour and filled the system with ~620g of refrigerant, per the sticker under my hood. It was extremely hot even in the shaded area I was doing this in at about 100F, but the gauge pressures lined up pretty close with temp/pressure charts I've seen as well as other E9X owners reports when they have done recharging so I figured okay great. Btw the gauge picture was taken while the car was around 2200rpm.

My vent temperatures during this process briefly peaked at around 43F and it was promising but after the full system charge have settled at around 60F-63F at idle and sometimes high 50s while driving on the freeway. I also cleaned the condenser to help optimize system efficiency and help out but something else is up. One of the cans of freon I used has UV dye in it so I will check for leaks in a week or two and see if I can find anything.

Yesterday I loaded up ProTool to do a system scan to make sure no codes are present, and there were none. I then did a live reading to verify if the pressures and temperatures read by ProTool line up with what my instrumentation was telling me and got this:

And now I am really confused as to why the system thinks everything is below freezing temperatures?? The only readings I trust on the read out are the system voltage, refrigerant pressure, and outside temperature. The rest have me dumbfounded as to what's going on. Has anyone had this before or have any thoughts on what it could be?

 

[1and1]

Up front disclaimer- I am no good with AC stuff. there, i said it.

So, I live in FL, where from time to time it gets hot as fu..... um, hot as balls

My AC was having minor issues keeping up if, for example, I opened the sunroof vent ('09 135, far as I know AC had never been played with).

It had been July FL hot, so figured it was in need of a booster shot. Grabbed a can with a gauge from the local parts place and topped off that evening when I got home. Outside temp at that time, in the shade, about 94*f, feels like ~105*f. Gave it a minor topper and we're good.

Next day when the ambient temps were more humane, the system was massively over charged and compressor cycling endlessly. Carefully recovered a few pounds back out of the system for a lower pressure and all has been right since.

Difference of just, about, ish (yeah, crappy can gauge, sorry), 42-43lbs being fail-overcharge, and 37-38 working nice and chilly.

Probably no help, I suspect you're better at AC, but maybe?

 

[Sava666]

Up front disclaimer- I am no good with AC stuff. there, i said it.

So, I live in FL, where from time to time it gets hot as fu..... um, hot as balls

My AC was having minor issues keeping up if, for example, I opened the sunroof vent ('09 135, far as I know AC had never been played with).

It had been July FL hot, so figured it was in need of a booster shot. Grabbed a can with a gauge from the local parts place and topped off that evening when I got home. Outside temp at that time, in the shade, about 94*f, feels like ~105*f. Gave it a minor topper and we're good.

Next day when the ambient temps were more humane, the system was massively over charged and compressor cycling endlessly. Carefully recovered a few pounds back out of the system for a lower pressure and all has been right since.

Difference of just, about, ish (yeah, crappy can gauge, sorry), 42-43lbs being fail-overcharge, and 37-38 working nice and chilly.

Probably no help, I suspect you're better at AC, but maybe?

I did mine 32psi at 32+c. And the fans are stopped spinning like crazy right now ) also I've self-washed my condenser.

 

[Alturiak]

Up front disclaimer- I am no good with AC stuff. there, i said it.

So, I live in FL, where from time to time it gets hot as fu..... um, hot as balls

My AC was having minor issues keeping up if, for example, I opened the sunroof vent ('09 135, far as I know AC had never been played with).

It had been July FL hot, so figured it was in need of a booster shot. Grabbed a can with a gauge from the local parts place and topped off that evening when I got home. Outside temp at that time, in the shade, about 94*f, feels like ~105*f. Gave it a minor topper and we're good.

Next day when the ambient temps were more humane, the system was massively over charged and compressor cycling endlessly. Carefully recovered a few pounds back out of the system for a lower pressure and all has been right since.

Difference of just, about, ish (yeah, crappy can gauge, sorry), 42-43lbs being fail-overcharge, and 37-38 working nice and chilly.

Probably no help, I suspect you're better at AC, but maybe?

Thanks for the input! I may play around with the pressures if nothing else is working since it won't hurt much. I put in the weight that's supposed to be there so I suspect something else is going on... I mainly want to have an understanding as to why the ProTool system scan is showing those absurdly low temperatures when my actual vent temperature is way higher?? Like if my evaporator, vents, and footwell were those temps I should be seeing ice form all around or near them. So far I'm totally stumped where it's getting those readings from.

I hate to just throw parts at a problem but I may end up doing that if I can't figure it out methodically. I'll start relatively small first and swap in new expansion valve, condenser, pressure switch, and associated o-rings, after checking for any leaks with the UV dye. I hope it doesn't come to that but we'll see. The big job will be replacing the evaporator and heater core (I only want to do that job once so I'll replace everything that may go bad while it's apart lol) and after that will only leave the compressor.

 

[Alturiak]

Quick update: tried to diagnose separately using INPA (to validate the ProTool readings) and am stuck getting IHKA87_2 errors when I try to access the air conditioning section in the body section. Seems like the file IHKA87_2.ipo is missing and that's what the program is looking for, but it doesn't exist. I've seen many others with this same issue and never saw any of them actually resolved. Just to note- it's not my cable, its not an initialization error, it's looking for a particular file that isn't there and the error prompt pops up. Does anyone know of a solution to this one?

 

[Sava666]

Quick update: tried to diagnose separately using INPA (to validate the ProTool readings) and am stuck getting IHKA87_2 errors when I try to access the air conditioning section in the body section. Seems like the file IHKA87_2.ipo is missing and that's what the program is looking for, but it doesn't exist. I've seen many others with this same issue and never saw any of them actually resolved. Just to note- it's not my cable, its not an initialization error, it's looking for a particular file that isn't there and the error prompt pops up. Does anyone know of a solution to this one?

download another standart tools https://www.bimmergeeks.net/downloads

 

[digitalashley]

Have you had the dash out?

 

[Alturiak]

Have you had the dash out?

I haven't. Will do that when I eventually do the evaporator and heater core job. Not looking forward to it lol

 

[digitalashley]

I haven't. Will do that when I eventually do the evaporator and heater core job. Not looking forward to it lol

Okay. I was checking to see if you had as it's possible for the connector to the blower motor? To get pulled out or similar.