need some R12 for my AC...where do I find it?

If one's a/c system is functional and not leaking, it's probably not a bad idea to run the a/c 15 minutes/month - sometimes that's hard to remember to do over the winter!

Don't you remember that my 325i is a mutant--its back windows are not pop-outs!

E30s did not come with pop-out rear windows on two doors at the beginning and end of production for some reason. Early 84s (my 318i) and 91s are the ones with fixed rear windows. Look on the bright side it is one less place for rust to start.

My '86 325e had pop-outs but my '90 325is did not.

His is a '90...

Okay, you both got me, apparently they stopped doing the pop outs during MY 90.

Ok to confirm a couple things as I am also starting to put the a/c system back in the car.

1) what exactly needs to be changed in the a/c compressor for it to work with r134a if it's an r12 compressor? Is it just the o-rings outside where the lines connect or something INSIDE as well?

2) the above posted link lists the following part numbers for a/c compressors not compatible with r134a

377 940 1 377 941 1 377 943
1 377 944 1 377 946 1 377 947
1 385 416 1 385 930 1 386 411

Compressor I have is 6452 8 350 060... numbers seem to be completely off / in the different format? It's out of a 91 735i car.

Reposting the link again to help

The page is pretty thorough.

http://bmwe32.masscom.net/johan/aircon_R134a/aircon_R134a.html

I tried to search realoem.com with that part number and nothing comes up. I show two part numbers for an ac compressor for a '91 735i:

No. Description Supplement Qty From Up To Part Number Price Notes
ONLY APPLIES TO COOLANT R134A
01 Air-conditioner compressor R134A 1 03/1992 64528390468 ENDED
ONLY APPLIES TO COOLANT R12
01 Air-conditioner compressor R134A 1 09/1987 03/1992 64528390468 ENDED
only in conjunction with
-- RETROFIT KIT R12 -> R134A 1 09/1987 03/1992 82319067396 $194.95 See EBA 9788367

I'll look for another part number, the one I listed is on a green sticker, this is deff. an oem bmw compressor.

It's likely (not always) going to start with a 6 and will be 11 digits

Good luck!

Yep, that's what I posted I just looked again today on two compressors, one that came with my engine and one from another 91 e32 735i and they have the same numbers.

first


second

I found the information on that compressor.

Please see the following link for more information

http://www.e65.org/forums/posts/680439

The article says this compressor is compatible for use in a 735 and SHOULD work with a R-134a retrofit, since it's not listed in the conversion article as incompatible. The thread does recommending changing out the receiver dryer for an R-134a compliant one though

Thank you!

Well, I am going to source all the R12 parts. I spent about half an hour today at a local BMW dealer and they could not find this compressor in their system at all. I was trying to confirm if it's for sure compatible with R134a, and they could only find other SS part numbers. They even went by the VIN of the car/engine and no records of this A/C compressor were found.... strange.

The information on Johan's page is pretty reliable by reputation.

He's not perfect, but information he gets wrong, he posts and credits the sources for the information. He's pretty knowledgeable.

That page has been up for a while with no recent changes, indicating that no one's AC system has gone bad as a result of following that information.

One suggestion I can make is that if you do want to go with an R12 compressor that's for certain compatible with an R134a conversion, why not hunt up an R12 compressor with the same serial number as the one Johan used? Or just use your original compressor.