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BMW 528i Car Repair Questions and Answers

MORE: BMW 528 Repair Questions

Question: 1998 528i mileage: 92,000. I have just purchased this car and I had heard the A/C's on these cars are not the greatest! As a matter of fact, I do see an awful lot of these cars driving around with the windows open in the summer. I live in Florida and I can't imagine these other drivers 'just like fresh air'. I had the Freon 'topped off', it didn't require much (a mere 2+ ounces) and it does not seem to have helped. The best I can figure, from asking questions of local mechanics, is the evaporator is simply 'too small'. The A/C barely cools - Do I have to live with this or are there some suggestions you can make to improve the cooling capabilities? I'm sure you have been asked this before, but I did not see it in the archives.

Answer: There may be a slow leak in your air conditioning system and either the condenser or the compressor needs to be replaced. The system when fully charged and operational should keep the car cool.

Question: 1999 BMW 528i mileage: 54,000. How difficult is it to change a u-joint in this vehicle, and are there any got-ya's I need to look for?

Answer: If you have changed U-joints before on other cars, it is not very difficult. There are no Got-Ya's that we know of.

Question: 1993 BMW 528e Manual 5-speed mileage: 141,000. Overnight, my clutch pedal went to the floor. The car has a combined brake/clutch master and the clutch slave appears to be on the outside of the transmission housing down below. The fluid is within recommended levels. I had a clutch replacement about 18 months ago and had problems with it needing occasional bleeding, but these problems were infrequent and seemed minor. This time, I believe bleeding the line is again the place to start, but I was not the guy who originally did the work. My problem is I can't find a valve or release for the air anywhere near the slave. The slave has a little nub/nozzle at the bottom, but nothing is attached to it and my long-time trusted mechanic says this is not involved. I'm trying to avoid a tow. How do I bleed the line exactly?

Answer: The bleed valve should be on the slave cylinder. If you cannot locate it, try bleeding the system by loosening the feed line at the slave cylinder. Be sure the top is off the reservoir before starting work.