Bang, then shut down, drivetrain malfunction error.....

[WaffleHouse]

Two days ago, after driving 70 continuous miles on my REX purely on gas (didn't have a choice) I got a 'drivetrain malfunction' message on the screen. The message stated something like 'you can continue driving but please take car for service'. Too bad there's no more specific information given. Has anyone received this message after driving for an extended period on gas? Unfortunately I'm leaving on a long trip, so won't be able to service car for a few months.

 

[i3atl]

Two days ago, after driving 70 continuous miles on my REX purely on gas (didn't have a choice) I got a 'drivetrain malfunction' message on the screen. The message stated something like 'you can continue driving but please take car for service'. Too bad there's no more specific information given. Has anyone received this message after driving for an extended period on gas? Unfortunately I'm leaving on a long trip, so won't be able to service car for a few months.

Yes - known issue, not typically a concern. There's a procedure to correct it, but it's probably not worth a visit just for this since it's basically cosmetic. I would wait until you have other service due and ask them to take care of the REx condensation issue.

 

[Eikon]

Ever since they fixed the car, the

Charger unlock feature at 100% to allow hospitality charging (charger sharing)

is not working for me anymore.

That change has not hit the USA market yet. I thought that it had on mine for awhile, but it ended up being that the lock mechanism itself was broken and had to be replaced (IOW, it never locked!). At one point, mine would not reliably unlock regardless of what you did, and that's when it was actually replaced. The emergency unlock cable at one point got jammed as well, making it dicey. Locking and unlocking the car about 5x eventually got it to release the cable. Would have been a real hassle as the car won't run with it in, and to tow it, We would have had to remove the EVSE from the wall and cart it along, too! Been working fine since the replacement.

That's what the technician told me too. I thought it had made it into the March update.

 

[i3atl]

That change has not hit the USA market yet. I thought that it had on mine for awhile, but it ended up being that the lock mechanism itself was broken and had to be replaced (IOW, it never locked!). At one point, mine would not reliably unlock regardless of what you did, and that's when it was actually replaced. The emergency unlock cable at one point got jammed as well, making it dicey. Locking and unlocking the car about 5x eventually got it to release the cable. Would have been a real hassle as the car won't run with it in, and to tow it, We would have had to remove the EVSE from the wall and cart it along, too! Been working fine since the replacement.

That's what the technician told me too. I thought it had made it into the March update.

This is incorrect. It actually has hit the USA market - version I001-15-03-501 includes it - but it only works on cars produced from 3/2015 onward and is not backwards compatible with older builds, which is quite frustrating for some 2014 and early 2015 model year owners.

 

[stumbledotcom]

This is incorrect. It actually has hit the USA market - version I001-15-03-501 includes it - but it only works on cars produced from 3/2015 onward and is not backwards compatible with older builds, which is quite frustrating for some 2014 and early 2015 model year owners.

Mine is a 3/2014 build and the Charger Sharing feature was enabled with the March update. It unlocks at 100% when connected to an L2 charger. Does not unlock when connected to the OUC or L3, the latter being controlled by the EVSE itself. I haven't seen that BMW documented the different behavior with the different level EVSEs. Maybe that's part of the confusion.

 

[i3atl]

This is incorrect. It actually has hit the USA market - version I001-15-03-501 includes it - but it only works on cars produced from 3/2015 onward and is not backwards compatible with older builds, which is quite frustrating for some 2014 and early 2015 model year owners.

Mine is a 3/2014 build and the Charger Sharing feature was enabled with the March update. It unlocks at 100% when connected to an L2 charger. Does not unlock when connected to the OUC or L3, the latter being controlled by the EVSE itself. I haven't seen that BMW documented the different behavior with the different level EVSEs. Maybe that's part of the confusion.

For some reason it has worked for some cars, on some EVSEs, regardless of build date...but hasn't been consistent. Based on the bulletin from BMW, it should be consistent on 3/2015 builds and newer.

Here's the official wording: "On vehicles from 3/2015 production, hospitality charging (charger sharing) has been added. This feature will automatically unlock the charge port when the vehicle is fully charged and still plugged in. This feature is not backwards-compatible to vehicles produced prior to 3/2015."

What brand EVSE do you have, or is this unlock taking place on public L2 units? If so, are they Chargepoint or another network/type?

 

[stumbledotcom]

What brand EVSE do you have, or is this unlock taking place on public L2 units? If so, are they Chargepoint or another network/type?

I haven't been able to get an L2 EVSE installed in my underground condo garage; my experience is with public units. The unlock took place with Volta units (I realized the charger share was working after a Leaf driver unplugged me and left a note) and I believe a Chargepoint one if memory serves. The OUC that I'll use at home to top off after charging to 80%+ on L3 definitely doesn't unlock after the vehicle reaches 100%, which I'm happy about since I'm in a shared garage space that has developed a theft problem (bikes, etc.).

 

[i3atl]

What brand EVSE do you have, or is this unlock taking place on public L2 units? If so, are they Chargepoint or another network/type?

I haven't been able to get an L2 EVSE installed in my underground condo garage; my experience is with public units. The unlock took place with Volta units (I realized the charger share was working after a Leaf driver unplugged me and left a note) and I believe a Chargepoint one if memory serves. The OUC that I'll use at home to top off after charging to 80%+ on L3 definitely doesn't unlock after the vehicle reaches 100%, which I'm happy about since I'm in a shared garage space that has developed a theft problem (bikes, etc.).

For some reason the unlock appears to work fairly often on Chargepoint units (even on 2014/early 2015 i3s). Not sure about Volta, since they're not nearly as widely deployed yet.

In contrast, it rarely (or never) works with home L2 units on cars built before 3/2015.

 

[Sparky]

Update:
All new parts are now at dealer. EME, motor, and all new batteries. Motor is being installed now and batteries on Wednesday. I'm going by Wednesday so I can watch the installation of the batteries. Won't be long now, getting tired of driving an X1!

I just hope the EME and motor design have been changed for the better, and they're not just installing the same parts.

 

[Sparky]

Last update:
Went to the dealer today. New batteries, fuses, and EME are installed. Probably pick up the car tomorrow. It's been 3 weeks.
No info available to me, the tech, or the dealer as what the rev. Level of the replacement EME is, so no knowledge as to if its been iterated.
Either the replacement was the same, and I have to hope I had a defective EME, or the EME has been changed for the better.

 

[SSi3]

thanks for the updates, fingers crossed!

 

[Jeffj]

Hopefully its all fixed for you now. Our cars came in on the same boat, so I'm hoping that I won't have the same problem. Do you know what your manufacturing date was? Mine was built on October 9-16.

 

[Sparky]

Mine is the same month, took delivery late December. My car is back and I still love it!
I live in an urban area where there are plenty of dealers to tow to. I'm keeping the puppy, but not past the warrantee. I'm also not going to hack the firmware.

 

[justanotherdrunk]

Sparky,

I'm the guy who bought your floor mats.

Remember me?

Curious about the reliability of your car since this nightmare?

Is your lease ending soon?

Are you rolling into a 2017?

Thanks

 

[Sparky]

No problems what so ever since the "Big Bang". The car is a perfect complement to our other cars. I foolishly bought mine, should have leased. It's a keeper. 50% more range is not enough for me to want a 2017, I'd still want a REX. When a light weight BEV gets to 200+ I'll get one.

 

[bwilson4web]

Right in the middle of SF rush hour traffic! Car won't start and won't come out of park, so I can't push it out of traffic!

BMW assist gives tow truck driver wrong address, then a flatbed shows up. I explain they can't drag the car onto it because it's stuck in park. Finally the right truck shows up and it's no sitting at a dealer I have now relationship with. CRAP. Spent 1 1/2 hours directing traffic around my car.

Started with a bang....
Sounded like the REX backfired, it was running at the time.

Still happens, this time December 9, 2016:
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4266#p37104
Sad to say, it repeating the similar problems including the trouble of getting the car into "N".

Very happy with the car but this reminds me of a silent Laurel and Hardy film:

As they sit in the car, all of the parts fall off leaving them sitting on the seats in a pile of parts and Hardy turns to Laurel and accuses,"Did you make that last car payment?"

Laurel breaks down and cries.

Bob Wilson

 

[Sparky]

Sorry to hear that Bob. The "bang" I heard was an electrical arc to the outside case of the EMU (maybe wrong name, it's the box that does ALL the A.C. To D.C. To A.C. Conversions). The Bmw tech had seen dime size holes in the case on other cars, caused by an electrical arc.

 

[bwilson4web]

Sorry to hear that Bob. The "bang" I heard was an electrical arc to the outside case of the EMU (maybe wrong name, it's the box that does ALL the A.C. To D.C. To A.C. Conversions). The Bmw tech had seen dime size holes in the case on other cars, caused by an electrical arc.

I was lucky that there was only a 3-4" drop. When I saw the car, the HV power lines appeared to be intact. There is more than one way to make a 'bang.' <grins>

Bob Wilson

 

[SugarMan1]

Wow, Sparky, you've certainly had your share of bad luck - I believe this has happened to you twice! I've been lucky since my first occurrence. In my case, they actually dragged the car up onto the flatbed with a winch (wonder how much rubber I lost from my tires). At the dealer, they used soapy water to slide it back off!! Although I've been lucky since that first occurrence, I'm afraid this problem is still an issue for the i3. Until someone gets killed I fear BMW won't do anything about it. Like you, I bought mine and I wish I had waited as the lease deals that came later were much better.
Best regards,
Mitch

 

[Sparky]

I only had the one failure over a year and a half ago.