When I start my 3, there is a noticeable delay before the A/C and fan kick in. For the first 6 years this was under 10 seconds -- which is hardly worth notice, even in a Texas summer. But in recent months this delay grew to 2-5 minutes and I've even seen 7 minutes.

Once the A/C and fan *do* start they work at full blast, so I suppose the compressor, fan, and refrigerant are fine. But what could be the culprit? A flaky control board?

Could a low battery cause this? I haven't had any trouble starting the car, so that suggests the battery is fine. But it does seem like the longer the car has been sitting, the longer the delay on the A/C after I start it back up -- which would make sense if a low battery were somehow the cause.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? Or any idea what might be causing this weirdness?

I'm hoping to fix this before too many 100 degree days pass by...

thanks,
Astor