2020 i3 60k miles, First service visit cost estimate around $3,000, need advice please

[J LEE]

Re: charging port. The description sounds to me like an issue with a locking solenoid to either allow the flap to be opened or to secure the connector when attached. There have been posts on similar issues where re-calibration or minor adjustments fixed the issue. Perhaps check out Wisely Automotive’s excellent you tube videos? They are the go to i3 specialists based in the UK.

Thank you!

 

[Mondomensch]

As experts and representatives of the company that manufactured your car, is it too much to expect that they understand how it works? There is no alternator on an i3, and the 12V battery is not used for engine cranking (there is no starter motor on an i3 REX).

It sounds like they just used their standard ICE car automatic boilerplate “ explanations”. Certainly sloppy and disappointing for a premium brand.

 

[Mondomensch]

Thank you!

This YouTube video may be what I remembered:
at 5:14 into video (charge port door)

On second thought it may be the solenoid that locks the charging connector, or even a symptom of a failing 12V battery!
From Reddit i3:
“
Ditto, 12v battery first... when it begins to give up, it causes MANY different false fault codes.

But absolutely be sure to follow the directions if you do the replacement... especially the bit about the little "HV Battery Disable" connector located in the frunk. Pull it before disconnecting the 12v battery, and only reconnect it after the new/charged 12v battery is reconnected. Then allow it to sit overnight so the car will behave when you turn it on.”

 

[J LEE]

Replacing the 12V battery is definitely a good idea given age of car. However, even my expensive Bay Area dealer charges “only” $550 installed. There’s registering with the ECU needed, but as others have said if you have time to have an exact replacement shipped to you you can install it yourself for $200-300 if you do the registration yourself.

$400 in LA.

 

[J LEE]

It sounds like they just used their standard ICE car automatic boilerplate “ explanations”. Certainly sloppy and disappointing for a premium brand.

yes!!! Such a ripoff ! !!

 

[J LEE]

Regarding servicing of the AC - you need to go to a shop which has ISTA software, as the valves of the system should be opened before the procedure!!!

Will check! Thank you!

 

[RhodyDave]

Hello,
I'm quite disappointed that first visit after warranty expiration, they're throwing this much amount of at me to service.

First of all, they ran a full inspection and sent us the report. there are two items came on (the pic attached). I understand break fluid after 4 yrs, service might be needed, I'm located in Los Angeles, wont name the exact BMW service location. I'm not really sure and I'm quite doubtful that this is all needed or maybe maybe ridiculous.

1.
Recommended service
$766.07
*Battery Replacement: Fault code : 0x801C12 Send Power-Down command dueto prevented sleeping
performed test plan , Performed energy diagnosis s, recommended replace 12 v battery
The battery, in conjunction with the alternator, supplies power for engine cranking and electrical power needed for the lights, stereo, and all other electrical components.

Question: Is this even reasonable cost? even considering LA, $800 battery replacement? for real?

2.
Recommended service
$906.46
Diagnostic: fault stored : -0x805516 AC charging, unlocking charging p
lug (Type 1): Continuous operation
Performed test plan : recommended replace central locking
drive high-voltage charging socket
Diagnostics when referred to in an automotive sense is the various testing done on the automobile to ensure safety and proper engine functioning. These tests are done with different sensors, computers and machines to establish a “cause and effect” relationship between what is working and what is not working with the automobile. The forms of diagnostics can range from brakes, to air conditioning, to suspension and many more.

Question: for 4 yrs, we never had a problem charging at home. Not even sure what this is? $1,000 for a socket replacement?

3. BRAKE FLUID EXCHANGE SERVICE. $327.95, PERFORM VEHICLE CHECK DUE $185.42 This looks reasonable since 1 and 2 are so much more.

4. We feel a bit less strong air conditioning, not cold, not blowing strong air, etc so we mentioned it to service advisor to check. Estimated were $490.


Any reply would be appreciated here. Thank you!

Another comment - According to my local German car indy, BMW always recommends flushing / changing the brake fluid every 24K miles. I've always had it done on his recommendation. When I had it done in 12/22, it cost $17.95 for the brake fluid and $137.50 for labor. Hope that helps!

 

[spawnywhippet]

JFC, what a rip off. I keep reading these posts and remembering why I do 100% of my wrenching. I pay about 10% of these prices to maintain my vehicles myself, and no risk of some 18 year old trainee putting my oil drain plug back in with an air impact.

 

[eddiei3]

. . .

 

[alohart]

Yup! I'm debating bc the battery is hard to find and shipping cost is very high.

Remy Batteries usually sells the AUX18L, the OEM battery, for a good price. Not sure about their shipping charge. Unfortunately, they're temporarily out of stock.

 

[mtkkk45]

On April 19, 2019, I wrote an extensive breakdown of the East Penn/Remy AUX18L i3 Battery. I’m in Southern California. If one pays attention to every detail from a few youtube videos and you contact the right battery wholesaler you can replace the 12 volt battery for under $200 if you have basic coordination and patience and don’t have to be a gear head. I’ve done it on my i3 and i3s. SEE:

https://remybattery.com/start-stop-aux18l-auxiliary-battery.html

Remy is putting its sticker on an Official East Penn battery of whom produces the AUX18L for BMW North America. The East Penn AUX18L battery for i3 has an important vent tube that other similar AUX batteries don’t have. You need the vent tube. Also, the battery must be re registered after being replaced.

I forgot to re register the recent battery I replaced - don’t make this mistake - you can do it yourself or pay an indy bmw certified mechanic $50 to re register. When I recently saw the dealer for a drivetrain error the mechanic saw an error message for the battery quoted me $750 to replace - laughable - even though I told the service rep I’d recently replaced it.

Gary at The Battery Connection
(562) 484-8774 - does weekly runs to East Penn’s SoCal headquarters in either Rialto or Ontario. My first battery cost $95 - in 2018. It’s about $150 now. Best price you will find for the i3 original part.

NOTE: I learned my lessons from the first i3 I owned and purchased a BMW extended warranty and additional tire and key fob warranty on my used 2018 i3s. Never EVER have I purchased extended warranties, HOWEVER, 6 free tires with installs later from the dealer (nearly $3k), two key FOBS ($700 X 2), a squeaky window, and that drivetrain re AND with two more years remaining on the extended Warranty and it was almost a laughable steal and a massive deal to get the warranty and it was on ON A USED certified pre owned cheap low mileage i3s from the dealer - piece of mind matters.

 

[Mondomensch]

On April 19, 2019, I wrote an extensive breakdown of the East Penn/Remmy AUX18L i3 Battery. I’m in Southern California. If one pays attention to every detail from a few youtube videos and you contact the right battery wholesaler you can replace the 12 volt battery for under $200 if you have basic coordination and patience and don’t have to be a gear head. I’ve done it on my i3 and i3s. SEE:

https://remybattery.com/start-stop-aux18l-auxiliary-battery.html

The AUX18L battery for i3 has an important vent tube that similar AUX batteries don’t have. Also, the battery must be re registered.

Remmy is putting its sticker on an Official East Penn battery of whom produces the AUX18L.

Gary at The Battery Connection
(562) 484-8774 - does weekly runs to East Penn’s SoCal headquarters in either Rialto or Ontario. My first battery cost $95 - in 2018. It’s about $150 now. Best price you will find for the i3 original part. I had a drivetrain error this week (I have a BMW extended warranty and additional tire and key fob warranty on a 2018 i3s) Never EVER have I purchased extended warranties, HOWEVER, 6 free tires and installs later the dealer (nearly $3k), two key FOBS ($700 X 2), a squeaky window, and the drivetrain re alignment with two more years remaining on the added Warranty and it was almost a laughable steal and a massive deal to get the warranty ON A USED i3s from the dealer - piece of mind matters.

Can you post more info on the extended warranty and tire/key fob issues you had? My used 2020 i3 has basic warranty expiring in January.

 

[tob1as]

Here’s a battery source I’ve used a couple of times. This is an OEM replacement. I have no affiliation other than having purchased this a couple of times:
https://remybattery.com/start-stop-aux18l-auxiliary-battery.html
There is some debate about the “registering” part, but I have used BimmerLink I believe (also a couple of times) with an OBDII Bluetooth or WiFi adapter (I also think they list compatible units in their app).

 

[odbcman]

I also get my 2019 I3S serviced at the BMW dealership in the LA area. Yearly service is very expensive. I think each year it runs me about $2000 - $2500. The last time they told me it needed the 12V battery, I declined it due to the cost. The battery tested fine, but BMW recommends replacing it every 5 years whether it needs it or not. You can purchase the battery from Amazon, $104.99 -

Energizer TX24HL AGM Motorcycle and ATV 12V Battery, 350 Cold Cranking Amps and 21 Ahr, Replaces: YTX24HL-BS and others, Black, 205mmx87mmx162mm​

Amazon states it doesn't fit, but it fits perfectly - if in doubt read all the comments from BMW people that have installed it. The Energizer is also a better battery as it's a GEL cell where the BMW battery is a wet cell. This eliminates having to deal with the battery drain line. The capacity of the BMW original battery is 20 Ahr while this is 21 Ahr, so it even has a higher capacity. The installation is simple and takes about 30 minutes. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can watch going through the installation.

Now that my warranty is over, I'll be saving some money by doing my own oil changes. I think BMW as getting $250 for the oil change. Save yourself $200 and do it yourself.

I also find the dealer is a rip off on replacing the cabin air filter. I think I got charged $170 to have them replace it. You can buy 2 filter on Amazon for $11.99. This takes about 15 minutes to install.

A-Premium 2-PC Cabin Air Filter with Activated Carbon Compatible with BMW X1 2016-2022, X2 2018-2022, i3 2014-2021, i3s 2018-2021 & Mini Cooper/Cooper Clubman 2016-2022, Cooper Countryman 2017-2022​

Save yourself some money and do what you can yourself. I plan on only using the dealer for things that are beyond my capabilities.

Also if your car is a Calif car and you registered it in Calif you have an extra long 15 yr warranty that many others don't have that is covered by CARB and BMW.

 

[Mondomensch]

Just to clarify, both the Energizer and Deka OEM i3 batteries are AGM types rather than gel or traditional wet cells. The AGMs should not vent at all under normal conditions, but do have emergency vent ports in case something bad happens. I believe the vent tubing in the i3 is just there for those cases, so it's very unlikely to ever be used. That's why many successfully use AGMs without any vent tube hookup.

 

[iCJ]

I just got my 12v battery replaced in May, and had the brake fluid flushed August. BMW dealer in Chicago charged $487 for the battery and install. Different BMW dealer in Chicago did the brake fluid $239. I know SoCal has higher prices but dang it just feels like they are too high.

Check out SimpleCarGuy on YouTube and Wisely Auto if you want to wrench so things yourself.

BTW if you are wondering about why they charge so much for a cabin filter replacement (they wanted $220), it's a pain the *@! to do. It took me over 90 minutes, I lost one clip, cut my finger, and used up all my profanity for the year.

 

[Fradie]

Hello,
I'm quite disappointed that first visit after warranty expiration, they're throwing this much amount of at me to service.

First of all, they ran a full inspection and sent us the report. there are two items came on (the pic attached). I understand break fluid after 4 yrs, service might be needed, I'm located in Los Angeles, wont name the exact BMW service location. I'm not really sure and I'm quite doubtful that this is all needed or maybe maybe ridiculous.

1.
Recommended service
$766.07
*Battery Replacement: Fault code : 0x801C12 Send Power-Down command dueto prevented sleeping
performed test plan , Performed energy diagnosis s, recommended replace 12 v battery
The battery, in conjunction with the alternator, supplies power for engine cranking and electrical power needed for the lights, stereo, and all other electrical components.

Question: Is this even reasonable cost? even considering LA, $800 battery replacement? for real?

2.
Recommended service
$906.46
Diagnostic: fault stored : -0x805516 AC charging, unlocking charging p
lug (Type 1): Continuous operation
Performed test plan : recommended replace central locking
drive high-voltage charging socket
Diagnostics when referred to in an automotive sense is the various testing done on the automobile to ensure safety and proper engine functioning. These tests are done with different sensors, computers and machines to establish a “cause and effect” relationship between what is working and what is not working with the automobile. The forms of diagnostics can range from brakes, to air conditioning, to suspension and many more.

Question: for 4 yrs, we never had a problem charging at home. Not even sure what this is? $1,000 for a socket replacement?

3. BRAKE FLUID EXCHANGE SERVICE. $327.95, PERFORM VEHICLE CHECK DUE $185.42 This looks reasonable since 1 and 2 are so much more.

4. We feel a bit less strong air conditioning, not cold, not blowing strong air, etc so we mentioned it to service advisor to check. Estimated were $490.


Any reply would be appreciated here. Thank you!

Sheesh… I’d at least be asking for a copy of the same test results from the last service. How were none of these picked up prior to warranty expiration. Oddly convenient isn’t it?!

I have the same year i3s, it has service inclusive until December 2026..

The 12V battery shouldn’t be $800… that’s just BMW insane premium. Find a local EV specialist in LA would be my advice. Good luck!

 

[crp]

Here’s a battery source I’ve used a couple of times. This is an OEM replacement. I have no affiliation other than having purchased this a couple of times:
https://remybattery.com/start-stop-aux18l-auxiliary-battery.html
There is some debate about the “registering” part, but I have used BimmerLink I believe (also a couple of times) with an OBDII Bluetooth or WiFi adapter (I also think they list compatible units in their app).

I replaced my stock battery with the Remy aux 18l myself on a 2015 i3 Rex. I DID NOT register it. I drove it for three years after the battery change and had zero issues with it. Just my two cents.