Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

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Mixedlot
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Joined: Sep 07, 2021 2:27 PM
Location: Texas
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Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by Mixedlot »

Greetings,

I have a '88 535isA with less than cold A/C; it blows, but isn't cold. I have had 2 independent shops investigate the issue. The first shop recharged it; the refrigerant leaked out in about 2 weeks time. The second shop stated there were leaks in the hoses and ALL of them needed to be replaced. Also, they stated no hoses were available for purchase and they would beed to be custom made with a cost of ~1800.00 plus installation (~2500.00). To say, when I ask them to pinpoint the hoses to be replaced, I was not given the detail.

I have searched a bit for the parts with no success. Is it true A/C hoses are items required to be custom made?

Thanks,
Gregory
MyE24
Posts: 94
Joined: Apr 16, 2021 10:43 AM
Location: California

Re: Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by MyE24 »

$1800 to make 3 AC hoses? :shock:

Having those hoses made should cost $150-$200.
demetk
Posts: 8431
Joined: Aug 09, 2007 8:58 AM
Location: CT, USA

Re: Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by demetk »

Mixedlot wrote: Sep 07, 2021 3:11 PM I have searched a bit for the parts with no success. Is it true A/C hoses are items required to be custom made?

Thanks,
Gregory
It's an old car and a lot of oem parts are becoming not available anymore. But $1800 is a rip off. Easy to make your own hoses for about $25 each if you're handy or if you can measure them and order them online for about $50 each or have them rebuilt at a hydraulics shop.
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by Mike W. »

I'm not sure which ones are still available new, although you might want to acquaint yourself with this site, it's great for parts info. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=64_0526
However you can't buy parts thru them, it's only a reference. Generally if they show a price it's available, but no guaranty.

But A/C hoses are generally not expensive to have made. You can take your fittings in and have new hoses made at most hydraulic shops. On the other hand, just making hoses is throwing parts at it and in my experience the condenser, right up front there, is the most likely place to leak due to road damage over the years, but it is over 30 so anyplace could be at fault or even multiple places.

A word of caution, E28s didn't have A/C like new cars do now, although with R12 it would blow cold even in hot weather. R134a retrofits with a new and improved condenser can be made to work well, but if you just charge a stock system with 134a it won't work well, you're likely to be disappointed. R152a, yes, air duster, seems to be the preferred drop in substitute now if you don't stay with R12. Search a bit, there's tons of threads on A/C.
MannyE
Posts: 300
Joined: Aug 21, 2008 8:08 PM
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by MannyE »

MyE24 wrote:
$1800 to make 3 AC hoses? :shock:

Having those hoses made should cost $150-$200.
Cost me a little over $300.00 for new hoses. Removed and delivered my hoses (with fittings and pipes) to a hose shop. Shop reused everything but the rubber hoses. I'm pretty happy with the results.
gadget73
Posts: 1176
Joined: Nov 22, 2017 10:30 PM
Location: New Jersey

Re: Air Conditioning not cooling - hose replacement

Post by gadget73 »

300 sounds far more reasonable. I get hydraulic hoses made for work fairly often at a local place. They told me AC hoses are no problem, only the end fittings if they have a specific shape. If your metal connection pieces are intact, its just a matter of slicing the crimps off and replacing the rubber hose.

$1800 sounds like a "I don't want to deal with this" price.
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