BMW X5 AC System Dead, Owners Share Repair Solutions

Hey! Just saw your post. I have some experience with car repairs and went through something very similar with my 2007 BMW X3 last summer. The AC completely died, same symptoms as yours, no response, no cold air. Took it to my regular workshop and they diagnosed faulty valves in the AC system. Had to replace them, and the total bill came to around 1000 Euro, parts and labor included. Not cheap, but it fixed the problem completely. Before you head to a shop, could you share if you're hearing any unusual sounds when trying to turn on the AC? Also, does the fan still work? These details would help compare if it's the same issue I had with my X3. Would be happy to share more specific details about the repair process if you think it's similar to your situation!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X5 just had its latest service last month, and with only 17570 KM on it, I wasn't expecting AC issues so soon. No weird sounds actually, it's just completely dead silent when I try to turn it on. The fan isn't working either, which makes me think it might be different from your issue. Would you happen to know if electrical problems can cause complete AC failure like this? Getting a bit worried it might end up being more expensive than your repair. Might need to get it checked ASAP since the weather's getting warmer. Thanks again for the input, especially about the repair costs, helps me get an idea of what I might be looking at.

Oh that definitely sounds different from what I experienced with my X3! Since you mentioned the fan isn't working at all and there's complete silence, I'm starting to think it might be an electrical issue rather than the valve problem I had. In my case, the fan was still running, just no cold air. But what you're describing, complete silence and no fan, reminds me of when my -in-law's X5 had a blown fuse or faulty relay. Turned out to be a much cheaper fix than my valve replacement. Since your car has such low mileage and was recently serviced, I'd definitely check the fuses first, it's the easiest and cheapest thing to look at. Check your owner's manual for the AC fuse location. If that's not it, could be the relay or even the AC control module. Hope it's something simple like that rather than a major component failure. Would love to hear what you find out. And yeah, get it checked soon, driving without AC is no fun at all. Been there, done that!

Thanks so much for that detailed follow-up! You've actually made me feel a bit better about the whole situation. I just checked the manual and found the fuse box location, definitely going to look into that first before panicking about bigger issues. You're right, it does sound more like an electrical problem than what you went through with your valve replacement. The fact that your -in-law had a similar issue that turned out to be just a fuse or relay is really encouraging. I'll start with checking those basics before taking it to the shop. If it ends up being something that simple, you'll have saved me a bunch of money and stress! I'll definitely update you once I figure out what's wrong. Thanks again for taking the time to share all this info, it's super helpful having someone who knows these cars well to bounce ideas off of!