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      05-19-2017, 12:28 PM   #1
jnecr
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Air Conditioner compressor won't disengage

So I've got a weird issue that I've noticed twice now. Anytime I use "Max A/C" the A/C compressor will never disengage again even after I exit "Max A/C" mode and hit the "A/C" button for it to turn off. I've even turned off the entire system and it will start back up with the compressor engaged even though the A/C light is not on.

Hopefully I've described this well enough, I've tried everything to get the compressor to turn off the no avail. Even turning the car off and back on doesn't work, as long as the cabin fan is on the compressor is running.

Anybody else seen this before?
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      05-19-2017, 01:11 PM   #2
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did you try turning car off for over 20 mins then re-starting
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      05-19-2017, 03:11 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMW11 View Post
did you try turning car off for over 20 mins then re-starting
Yes, even overnight didn't change anything. The first time this happened I was able to get it to turn off, but either I can't remember how I did it or this time it's stuck. I guess it's time for a trip to the dealership...
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      05-19-2017, 03:18 PM   #4
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maybe the comfort access is remembering the last saved setting on your Key ini drive and it is "stuck" on max AC for some reason this happened to me but it reset after i had car off and then never happened again
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      05-19-2017, 03:47 PM   #5
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Except I would expect the system to note that its in Max A/C and also have the A/C indicator light on. The light is off but the compressor is still running.
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      05-19-2017, 04:56 PM   #6
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Yeah I just noticed mine will kick in when I start it up, usually first thing. It's not going back to the the last setting as I always turn the compressor off manually before shutting the car down at the end of the day so the evaporator will dry off and won't get that nasty smell. No AC light, and it stops after about 5 minutes. Very weird.
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      05-19-2017, 11:03 PM   #7
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Are you talking about it turning on when the car is turned off, then turned back on? That is normal
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      05-20-2017, 11:58 AM   #8
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No, this is during running it wouldn't turn off.

Also, AFAIK, just the fan turns on when you turn the car on if you didn't have A/C on when you shut it off. Or at least that's the way it's been for me.

As a side note, the compressor is now responding correctly again to the A/C button. It is very random when it decides to begin responding again.
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      05-21-2017, 12:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffro535 View Post
Yeah I just noticed mine will kick in when I start it up, usually first thing. It's not going back to the the last setting as I always turn the compressor off manually before shutting the car down at the end of the day so the evaporator will dry off and won't get that nasty smell. No AC light, and it stops after about 5 minutes. Very weird.
I have noticed the same--I always turn off the A/C button (light out) before I get home (same reason as you do) and leave it on Auto, but at next morning start A/C runs for about 5 minutes with very cool air, light still off, and then the air turns to ambient and will only cool if I engage the A/C button. Could it be the humidity sensor overrides on a startup for a period of time?
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      05-28-2017, 10:00 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim256 View Post
I have noticed the same--I always turn off the A/C button (light out) before I get home (same reason as you do) and leave it on Auto, but at next morning start A/C runs for about 5 minutes with very cool air, light still off, and then the air turns to ambient and will only cool if I engage the A/C button. Could it be the humidity sensor overrides on a startup for a period of time?
That's interesting, maybe that's what I was experiencing? I still think that the compressor continued to run for awhile after I turned off Max A/C (and hit the A/C button to turn the compressor/light off).

I'd like to know what conditions the car will run the compressor on it's own.
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      05-28-2017, 10:24 AM   #11
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Another data point--we had a couple days of dry and cooler weather, A/C had not been used, and on those morning starts--no A/C. But today, after having a warmer and more humid day yesterday with A/C use, the A/C did run on start this morning but with no A/C light. It must be a condensation sensor--I found this in the manual, somewhat unclear on specifics (not unusual):
Depending on the weather, the windshield and
side windows may fog up briefly when the engine
is started.
The cooling function is switched on automatically
with the AUTO program.
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      05-28-2017, 11:47 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim256 View Post
Could it be the humidity sensor overrides on a startup for a period of time?
It does, because AC means Air Conditioning, which includes lowering the moisture content. That can be a necessity no matter what the temperature, mainly to get rid of condensation on the windows. Heat will do that as well, but it takes a while for the engine to warm up to get hot air, AC is virtually instantaneous. If all it did was to cool it might still be referred to as AC, as in Air Cooling, but that's not all that it does.
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      05-28-2017, 03:43 PM   #13
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Its some annoying software that allows to compressor to engage even if A/C is off if the car (who of course knows best and not the driver) senses fogging or if an analysis of the onboard humidity sensor and HVAC air output temp is determined to be conducive to fogging, the compressor with engage for a brief bit.

Often not it upon startup when there can be some moisture sitting in the evaporator. Its annoying. My car (2014 F31) does it and another 2013 F30 I've been in a lot does it too. There apparently is a way to code this function off.
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      05-29-2017, 08:20 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
If all it did was to cool it might still be referred to as AC, as in Air Cooling, but that's not all that it does.
We all know what A/C means...

The point is that it is over-riding the A/C button on the dash without lighting up the A/C light. I've had it run multiple times without any condensation on the window and no chance of condensation forming.

I realize I'm being a bit anal about it, but I rarely ever run the A/C unless I'm on the highway. As long as it's under 90F I'll have the windows open.
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      05-29-2017, 08:33 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnecr View Post
I rarely ever run the A/C unless I'm on the highway. As long as it's under 90F I'll have the windows open.
I set mine at 68F, 24/7/365 and let the car do its thing. I don't care how it goes about its job. I used to roll the driver side window down to pay the occasional toll, but with EZ Pass don't need to do that anymore.
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      05-29-2017, 01:05 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
I set mine at 68F, 24/7/365 and let the car do its thing. I don't care how it goes about its job. I used to roll the driver side window down to pay the occasional toll, but with EZ Pass don't need to do that anymore.
Which means it runs the A/C compressor 24/7/365 even when it's 10F outside. That would irk me to no end...
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      05-29-2017, 03:05 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnecr View Post
Which means it runs the A/C compressor 24/7/365 even when it's 10F outside.
I doubt that's the case. Just because the light on the dash is on doesn't mean the compressor is running, it just means that if it's needed the AC clutch will engage and then it will run.
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      05-29-2017, 04:14 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
I doubt that's the case. Just because the light on the dash is on doesn't mean the compressor is running, it just means that if it's needed the AC clutch will engage and then it will run.
My experience with any car before (and my F30) is that it will run the A/C compressor all the time. You can usually hear the engine idle change ever so slightly when you turn the compressor on. Do it in the winter time and see what happens.
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      05-29-2017, 06:56 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnecr View Post
Which means it runs the A/C compressor 24/7/365 even when it's 10F outside. That would irk me to no end...
It's doubtful the compressor will even kick in below 40F (otherwise it freezes up). It will cycle once in a while in cold temps to keep the seals lubed so they don't dry out and leak.

I'm not really sure why it matters if the A/C compressor is cycling though. Why would that irk you? If you pin the throttle, the compressor kicks off to eliminate the parasitic loss. Why not just set it, leave it and be comfortable? Makes no sense why so many people need to have it off, and just don't set it in auto and leave it....
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      05-29-2017, 07:12 PM   #20
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The AC compressor should remember the last setting like on any car but will be on if you use the ventilation function from the app. I usually turn off my AC before turning off the engine by pressing the fan button until it is off. I have dual zone climate control so this is the way I have been doing it. Not sure if sometimes it won't go off by pressing the AC button because of the temp you have it set at.
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      05-29-2017, 09:38 PM   #21
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pull the fuse?
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      05-30-2017, 08:07 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drexplode View Post
pull the fuse?
Is the compressor not run by the serpentine belt?
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