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The AC system is completely sealed on the refrigerant side. 100% sealed. Dust has zero chance of getting in. The forced air side blows through the heat exchanger, and dust might effect that airflow path, but it can never get inside the refrigerant path. The only reason to recharge an AC unit...

Where do you live, what was your repair estimate, and how did that i3 journey end up?

I got 75-90 miles of range year round in Phoenix for the 5 years I owned my i3. It was always in the garage when not in use, and seldom parked outside for more than a few hours.

MKH, any chance your VIN ends in 4404? I sold my '14 BEV as salvage (as in totaled) when my AC failed in '19 with a $23K repair quote from Chapman BMW. If you have my i3, the fraud has seriously escalated.

My AC repair quote for my 5 year old 2014 BEV was nearly $23K, while the book value was $16K. What was your repair quote?

The lesson I learned is that BMW will not stand behind their mistakes, and being a first year production is no excuse whatsoever. Note that BMW had been producing hybrid vehicles with all-electric variable-speed AC systems for years, and it was the AC system that failed, not the carbon fiber...

Sorry to hear you have been forced in to my club. Please keep us posted if you get any satisfaction on this from the dealer or BMW or elsewhere.

My i3 battery was in fine shape when the AC went out. Had I continued using the vehicle without cooling, I likely would have damaged the battery, but I question whether there would be any valid battery claim. Even if there was a valid battery warranty claim, it still does not address the $23K...

(Answering eXodus, too.) My then 5 year old 2014 i3 BEV had the AC go out and it did fill the entire system, including the lines through the battery with metal shards. They opened and photograph for me a few AC lines in different locations, and all had visible metal filings inside. It was a...

Most EVs and hybrids use variable speed all electric compressors, because they already have the high voltage battery. With a high voltage power source, this is the most efficient way to provide AC to a vehicle. It allows for the right sized compressor always able to turn at the most efficient...

How many $23,000 repair bills at 5 years old (e.g., my i3) does it take to bring the average up to this level?

Funny that I heard from another i3 owner in CA that had the AC failure on his '14 i3 just this morning! His was repaired under warranty, but he was sure to get rid of the car before the warranty ran out. Mine was a year out of warranty and all I got was a $1000 "Goodwill" check from BMW. The...

I'm not an expert, but from the many experts I have talked to, the i3 AC issue is the compressor self destructing, taking out everything downstream. This Airsept product is designed to go in front of the compressor to protect the compressor from other components failing. The people I have...

Forgot to mention, if you wait 30 days, Chapman BMW will send you a coupon for 10% off the service quote should you decide to go ahead with the repair! :mrgreen:

Very sorry this happened again. That puts my reasonably well documented instances at 7 now. I have two recommendations for you: 1) Appeal to BMW to fully cover the cost of all but the compressor itself. I have heard that they have done this after they already closed my case. That means you...

Please post back with the initial quote amount, and the final negotiated cost for repair of the compressor. My quote did not separate the labor for the compressor, so I have little idea what the compressor job alone costs.

Good suggestion, but the local lawyers (plural) I talked to advised me the legal system in AZ on such a case strongly favors the dealer, and pursuing the case in court would be a fools errand. An expected win would be a loss economically. Also note that there is no good evidence that the first...

My BMW sales dealer's service department did the original topping off of the refrigerant and claimed there was no problem found other than low refrigerant. I also explained that one or more of the following could have contributed to the $22,292,65 in damages: 1) The dealer failed to properly...

First, BMW designed this vehicle without the industry standard AC trap that could have prevented the catastrophic failure. Most auto AC systems have a particulate trap in the dryer to prevent exactly this kind of catastrophic failure should the compressor start flinging parts. Having an...

Could be that I am the only one to have joined this board and had the $22,000 AC catastrophic failure. Could also be that others with the issue immediately washed their hands of all things BMW and have no interest in talking about it here (probably not too likely). Could also be that BMW did...