How to Add Refrigerant to a 2012 BMW 550i xDrive 4.4L V8 Turbo

When the air conditioner in your 2012 BMW 550i xDrive starts blowing hot air, you likely have a freon leak. Recharging the freon in your AC system is an inexpensive and easy first step to restoring the cooling capacity of your A/C system. Most refrigerants include a leak sealer that will seal small leaks in addition to filling the R134a freon. The A/C system in your 550i xDrive consists of a compressor that is belt-driven, an evaporator and freon. If there is a problem with your compressor or evaporator, adding freon will not restore cooling.

How do you recharge AC in a 2012 BMW 550i xDrive? The low side AC port location is the first thing to find when you are looking for how to put freon in a car. Once you find the 2012 550i xDrive AC low pressure port cap, hook up the can of refrigerant to the low pressure port. When your compressor kicks on, add freon to the correct pressure. In addition to cooling, freon lubricates the compressor when it runs. Typically the AC recharge kit you buy will have enough capacity to add enough freon to get the AC in your 550i xDrive to blow cold air.

What type of refrigerant does a 2012 BMW 550i xDrive use? Air conditioning systems can vary so it is critical that you check the sticker in the engine bay to determine your 550i xDrive refrigerant type. There is an AC sticker in the engine bay of your 2012 550i xDrive that indicates if it requires R134a refrigerant or the newer R1234YF type to do a recharge. You cannot add R1234YF refrigerant to a R134a system nor can you add R134a refrigerant to a R1234YF system. R134a and R1234YF have different low pressure port types, so you should never use a recharge adapter to add the wrong type of refrigerant. Recharging your 550i xDrive with the wrong type of freon can make the AC recharge cost much higher!