I'm not particularly impressed with the A/C in my P38. It gets cold... but it isn't fantasically cold shall we say.

The evaporator is getting down to 3-5c depending on blower speed, engine speed etc. With the blowers on full, it sits around 8 at idle. The condenser fans are currently running on slow all the time the A/C is on - single pressure switch bypassed as I initially thought it was warming up at idle due to a faulty switch. Seems they rarely come on even in hot climates, but at that point I hadn't noticed it was colder with higher engine/compressor speed.

Have forced the blend motors all the way to cold and even had them unplugged for a bit to see if they were misbehaving, but no difference. I don't believe I have a leak, it has been a bit meh since I replaced the condenser/drier and had it vacced down and filled etc I think 2 months back. The suction back to the compressor is nice and cold too.

I only have our BMWs to compare it to. My E39 on full speed/lowest temp is too cold to endure for long on a day like today - 22c outside. I prefer it chillier in the car, and I sort of expected more from a system as big as the one on the P38.

Thoughts?

Putting both sides on Lo, I can give myself frostbite! I stuck a digital thermometer probe in one of the vents and the air coming out was around 3 degrees.

Mine is OK. Not fantastic but it works. I do have a blower motor out on the driver's side.
BMW HEVAC is usually heroic. My E30 would roast you alive if you put it on full heat, the E46 would have you reaching for a jumper on a hot day in France in July (39 degrees C).

Mine was much the same, maintained the inside of the car at a comfortable 20 degrees even when it was 38 degrees outside. It's not often people complain that it's getting too hot when I open the window for a fag......

Hmm. Mine just seems to be a bit weak. Though when we had some actual summer-like weather last week or the week before, it did seem to cope relatively well.

I definitely wouldn't describe it as being able to make you uncomfortably cold though. I'd wondered if the blend flaps were letting air past the heater core, but it seems a bit unlikely having rubber strips rather than foam.

When we had the hot spell the other week, I turned mine on and got roasted. A visit to my local aircon man and tis all good now .................. bloody freezing.

Mine needed a new condenser, it was not on my priority list since 10 months of ownership until 2 months ago so I don't have any reference (with RR that is).

I had drained and replaced the oil of the compressor aswell just to be sure there is any, since two months I have AC! Not freezing cold but if I set the buttons on 20º Auto and enter the inside on a hot day it takes some 7-10 minutes before the blowers go down to slower speed so the temp is reached. Not that the blowers have much effect, for sure there are leaks in the ductrouting, dried out foam and one repaired with tape. What's that called again? Aha, ducttape! I'm satisfied the way it works now, we don't have that many hot days. More important is it keeps the windows clear of damp when raining or in winter with snow (which we don't get anymore).

I needed a new condenser on mine too, so did that and drier. I have noticed my distribution flaps are getting stuck so most of my air is going to my feet at the moment, with what remains going to the dash vents and some of that is then leaking out through the naff ductwork. The dash needs to come out to fit a loosened up heaterbox and Audi heater core, so maybe that will improve things.

I don't know - maybe I'm expecting too much. In my E39, I could actually make hell freeze over if I so wished. But like Morat says, bit of a BMW thing. Two E39s, an E90 and now an F30 and they're all / have been superb. I think what helps is (on the E39s certainly, not sure about the 90/F30) the heater core actually has PWM driven valves that cut off the coolant supply when there is no demand for heat. So no unnecessary source of heat within the car at all.

Mine used to be ice cold in Dubai where they really know how to do the gassing properly.

Had the condenser replaced by the Dealer here and it has not been the same since ..... hissing sound in the dash and only just cool enough.

Maybe they didn't evacuate and regas fully .... do you ever get tired of telling the experts what to do?

I find that closing the recirculation flaps makes a big difference and during the summer I close them and disconnect the motors so they stay shut.