Greetings All!,
summary: $2,504 seems really high to replace an expansion valve? - in 2017 this costed $480 (albiet for the Air conditioning system - but the battery and the cabin AC share the same system)
Got a drivetrain error a few times and phantom CELs - thinking the fuel pressure sensor (on the REX) is going out again (that BMW has acknowledged and extended the warranty on that part to 150,000 miles)...
Brought it to the dealer to check - they came back and told me the Expansion Valve needs to be replaced a reprogramming second for $2,504 (See attached).... found mention of this before for $480 (reference: https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1519&start=120 ) - granted this was for the cabin AC system, but the battery cooling system and cabin ac share the same system - would this valve for the battery be in a similar location and be a similar type for the battery cooling system?
Is this part really buried in the car?
Image of estimate here.
///update
Looking into Expansion Valves for the i3 - it looks like there is only one for the car - About $300...and it is in the front of the car, and looks to be on or near the top - so access shouldn't be too hard?...
-- Reference Part #16 -- https://parts.bmwmonterey.com/a/BMW__/50945601__6215587/Refrigerant-lines--front/64_1982.html
This should be treated like an AC repair? - remove refrigerant, replace part, put back in refrigerant, test? - If so labor shouldn't be more than $200? --- Combined with parts & consumables, of lets say $500 - this should be under $800 for repair?
//update 2
So there is a valve near the battery pack - that will take 4-6 hours of labor to swap out and test....hopefully they don't find metal shards or indications of a failing compressor....ugh....
summary: $2,504 seems really high to replace an expansion valve? - in 2017 this costed $480 (albiet for the Air conditioning system - but the battery and the cabin AC share the same system)
Got a drivetrain error a few times and phantom CELs - thinking the fuel pressure sensor (on the REX) is going out again (that BMW has acknowledged and extended the warranty on that part to 150,000 miles)...
Brought it to the dealer to check - they came back and told me the Expansion Valve needs to be replaced a reprogramming second for $2,504 (See attached).... found mention of this before for $480 (reference: https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1519&start=120 ) - granted this was for the cabin AC system, but the battery cooling system and cabin ac share the same system - would this valve for the battery be in a similar location and be a similar type for the battery cooling system?
Is this part really buried in the car?
Image of estimate here.
///update
Looking into Expansion Valves for the i3 - it looks like there is only one for the car - About $300...and it is in the front of the car, and looks to be on or near the top - so access shouldn't be too hard?...
-- Reference Part #16 -- https://parts.bmwmonterey.com/a/BMW__/50945601__6215587/Refrigerant-lines--front/64_1982.html
This should be treated like an AC repair? - remove refrigerant, replace part, put back in refrigerant, test? - If so labor shouldn't be more than $200? --- Combined with parts & consumables, of lets say $500 - this should be under $800 for repair?
//update 2
So there is a valve near the battery pack - that will take 4-6 hours of labor to swap out and test....hopefully they don't find metal shards or indications of a failing compressor....ugh....
