$250 to update software?

[user 8487]

So my 2017 i3 Rex started having convulsions when trying to start. Multiple modules throwing errors (service said there were hundreds of errors). They replaced the 12v battery and everything appears to be working well again.

However, service said I should consider a software update ($250). The tech didn't give any concrete reason apart from "there have been multiple updates since that improve things". If I enter my VIN on BMWs software page (https://www.bmw.com/en/footer/software-updates.html) it says my software is up to date.

I might be willing to pay $250 if things like bluetooth worked better (my iPhone often won't play audio from Google Maps or Apple Maps) and sometimes stops playing music from the phone and/or if it really does fix something important.

Is there a way to see what's will be fixed if I do pay for an update?

Thanks!

 

[alohart]

The downloadable software updates are for the media and phone systems only.

Your BMW service advisor was almost certainly suggesting a full system software update which can take a few hours to complete (hence, the $250 charge). These updates are released 3 times per year. Unfortunately, except in rare cases, BMW doesn't describe the changes in each update, and I doubt that service advisors know much more than the public about these updates. The system software version (a.k.a. i-step level) on our 2014 BEV was released in November, 2018, so there have been 9 system software updates since.

I am considering paying our BMW dealer to update the system software on our i3 in hopes that doing so might increase the usable battery pack capacity via an improved battery management system. The only reasons I have to believe that this could happen are reports of increased usable battery pack capacity reported by owners whose i3's have undergone a usable battery capacity test preceded by a system software update.

 

[Anonymous]

What Art said - definitely a complete car operating system(s) update, not an infotainment/navigation system update. I looked at getting it done (for the same reason as Art - possible range increase, as suddenly last winter and this summer, my range totally cratered), and checked with my local independent BMW shop, owned by two factory trained former BMW Dealer techs. $200 was the price quoted, and they said it would take at least a day. Explained that it's like updating all the apps on your phone, one at a time, and if one piece of the update glitches and fails, the whole process has to be started over, so hands-on and time-consuming.

 

[3pete]

checked with my local independent BMW shop, owned by two factory trained former BMW Dealer techs.

This is interesting... I would have assumed only the BMW dealer would be able to update the car's software. Do independent shops have the ability to update all the software that BMW dealers can update? Are there certain things that are restricted to BMW dealers? Do independent shops need to be approved by BMW or anything?

 

[Anonymous]

Are there certain things that are restricted to BMW dealers?

From what I understand, if the independent shop subscribes/ to the BMW diagnostic/repair software, which is linked to BMW, they can do what any BMW Dealer would be able to do with it.

 

[Arm]

How do you identify what version the vehicle's software is? And if it's up to date?

 

[alohart]

How do you identify what version the vehicle's software is? And if it's up to date?

Back up your driver profiles to a USB flash drive inserted in the USB port under the arm rest using an iDrive command. Insert the USB flash drive into a computer's USB port. Open one of the "mpd" profile files in a text editor. The value of the <i-step> tag is the system software version, a.k.a., integration level.

The integration level of our 2014 BEV is I001-18-11-520. "I001" is the i3's model number, I believe. "18-11" is the year and month that the software was released, November, 2018, in our case. The system software on our i3 has been updated 3 times at no cost to fix warranty problems or to deal with a recall. System software updates seem to be released 3 times each year, in March, July, and November. I don't know the meaning of "520". BEV and REx models seem to have different numbers. Maybe i3's in different markets would have different numbers. So this number might be a subversion number that distinguishes this software version from those released at the same time but for different i3 models in different markets.

The current system software version is probably I001-21-11-xxx. If your i3 was manufactured before November, 2021, its system software isn't current unless it was updated in November, 2021. Updates must be performed by a dealer or maybe an authorized BMW mechanic. Unfortunately, in most cases, BMW doesn't publicize the contents of each update, what bugs were fixed, and what, if any, enhancements were implemented. Unlike Tesla's software updates, I haven't read about any enhancements that were introduced in an i3 software update.