BMW X7 AC Failure + Warning Lights: Help Needed

Hey there! I have some experience with cars and actually dealt with something very similar on my 2021 BMW X5. At first, I thought it was just low refrigerant too, but it turned out to be a faulty AC control unit. Had to take it to my regular workshop, and they diagnosed it pretty quickly. The control unit was completely dead, wouldn't respond to any inputs. The symptoms were exactly like yours: no AC function at all and warning lights on the dash. They replaced the control unit, and it fixed everything. The whole thing cost me about 980 Euro, but at least it's working perfectly now. Before you jump to conclusions about the compressor, I'd suggest getting the control unit checked first since the symptoms are so similar. I've also got a BMW X3 in the family, and these cars are pretty reliable overall, but electronics can sometimes act up. Could you share some more details about the error codes you're getting? That would help narrow down if it's the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X7 is still pretty fresh with just 9551 KM and had its latest service recently, so this AC issue caught me off guard. Your insight about the control unit is really helpful, I was so focused on the compressor being the culprit that I hadn't considered that possibility. I'll try to get those error codes scanned properly and share them. The warning light is just a general amber one, but I haven't had it properly diagnosed yet. Just hoping it won't be as expensive as your repair, though with these luxury cars, you never know! Did your BMW also make any unusual sounds before the AC completely stopped working? Mine didn't give any warning signs, it just stopped working suddenly.

Hey again! Good to hear back from you. Yeah, I remember when my X5 had this issue, and actually, it was pretty much the same scenario as yours. My car also had low mileage when it happened (around 12,000 KM), and like yours, it just died without any warning signs or weird noises. It was working fine one day, and the next, nothing. You know what's interesting? After I got it fixed, I talked with a few other BMW owners in my car club, and apparently, these sudden AC failures aren't super rare in our models. The control unit issue seems to be more common than the compressor problem I initially suspected. One thing I didn't mention in my first reply, before taking it to the workshop, I tried resetting the system by disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes (something I read online), but that didn't help at all. So don't waste your time with that! Since your car is so new, definitely check your warranty coverage. Mine was still under warranty when it happened, which saved me from that 980 euro bill I mentioned. Would've been a real pain otherwise! Keep us posted about those error codes when you get them. I'm really curious to see if it's the same issue I had with my control unit.

Thanks for all that additional info! After hearing about your similar experience and how common this issue seems to be with BMWs, I'm feeling a bit more confident about getting this sorted out. I actually checked my warranty paperwork last night, thankfully, I'm still well within coverage since the car's only about 8 months old. I went ahead and scheduled an appointment with my dealer for next week. Didn't even bother trying that battery reset trick you mentioned, really appreciate you saving me from that waste of time! It's actually a relief to know this might just be a control unit issue rather than something major with the compressor. I'll definitely keep you posted once they diagnose it properly. Really hoping it'll be a straightforward fix like yours was. Even though it's covered under warranty, it's still frustrating to deal with these issues on such a new car. At least I know I'm not alone in experiencing these problems! Thanks again for all your help. It's great to get advice from someone who's been through the same thing. I'll update the thread once I know more about what's causing the problem.