:( CEL again and 2 Fault codes

[Deutsch100]

New 2019 i3S, about 1000 miles (less than a month old) and it was in a week ago for the same issue. Last week was a tank vent valve and a charcoal/carbon canister that was saturated with fuel.

Today, CEL came on again. OBD shows: P0440 and P016B.

P0440 is the evaporative emissions control and code P061B means that the powertrain control module (PCM) has detected an internal performance error in the engine torque monitoring system.

P0440 has been occurring since 2014!!! I cannot believe BMW has not fixed this yet (or maybe the cannot fix it

I LOVE my i3, but this is beginning to make me feel not great about my new car choice!

 

[jadnashuanh]

When filling the REx's tank, do you try to put more in after the pump first shuts off? If so, STOP!

 

[Anonymous]

tank vent valve and a charcoal/carbon canister that was saturated with fuel.

This is a sign of overfilling the tank. There is a REASON the gas pump nozzle clicks off automatically! Means that the nozzle valve detects that the tank is FULL! Adding more gas after that to a full tank just overflows the fuel into the vapor emissions control system in all modern cars, the emissions vapor control system doesn't react well to to have raw fuel dumped into it. The i3 is particularly sensitive to this. If you are doing this, as jadnashuanh posted - STOP.

 

[Deutsch100]

I have been driving for almost 30 years, and have never overfilled a gas tank This is something my Mom and Driver's Ed teacher harped on!

I have only filled the REX tank one time, and the minute it clicked I stopped immediately. And the last time the tank was topped off, the BMW dealer did it themselves when my i3 was in for service, for the same thing that happened today :-O

The CEL comes on and the codes populate when REX activates. No REX...perfect i3, no CEL & fault codes. REX comes on...CEL light comes on!

Googling the CEL and these codes...this has been happening for over 5 years now. Crazy!

 

[Anonymous]

LOL, sounds like we had the same driving instructor.

hmmmm, if the tank isn't being overfilled, yet the charcoal canister got saturated - and it is showing P0440 (leak in the fuel tank vapor system) and P016B (basic emissions fault) ODB codes - what has the Dealer come up with? The i3 fuel tank is pressurized - have they checked that it is holding pressure, and there is no crack or leak somewhere in the fuel/emissions system, or a faulty fuel fill cap?

 

[Deutsch100]

MKH...I bet we had the same driver ED teacher, LOL.

I told the dealer when I took it in last week for this same issue that there have been a few times that our garage smells like gasoline (not super strong, but for sure there). A few days ago, before the CEL came on again, the garage had that same gasoline smell. I'm thinking this is related. At all possible I can smell the saturated canister?

My dealer is having their top Advisor look at my car when I bring it in tomorrow. They actually have an Advisor and a Technician for cars that are under a month old (some kind of quality control Team).

Fingers crossed. I am really beginning to think I should have gotten the non-REX! I insisted on the REX for emergency purposes, but so far it has just made things not so easy

 

[Anonymous]

I am really beginning to think I should have gotten the non-REX! I insisted on the REX for emergency purposes, but so far it has just made things not so easy

Our REx has been trouble-free. No gas smell, no throwing codes. If you are smelling gas - there is a leak somewhere either in the fuel system or the tank pressurization system, which is why the car is popping up with the error codes whenever the REx is running. The Dealer just needs to find it and fix it. Definitely not normal.

 

[Deutsch100]

Thank you MKH. I agree. I love, love this i3 Sport....I just hope they can find this. Besides this problem, the car is beyond amazing!

 

[Deutsch100]

Just heard from the dealer. I told them that I am not happy with the "findings" the BMW engineers told them. The EXACT same parts that were replaced ONE week ago need to be replaced AGAIN!

Fuel vent valve and the carbon/charcoal canister was once AGAIN saturated with gasoline. Btw, NO gas (no refueling) was done since the repair a week ago.

I find it shocking that the dealer and BMW seems it is logical and acceptable to replace the exact same parts in a one week timeframe on a 2019 i3 that is only a month old (about 1000 miles now).

SMH!

 

[Anonymous]

Seems like they are just fixing the result of the flaw, but not looking for the source. Ask them to replace the fuel cap too. That fuel is coming from somewhere - if the cap is bad and isn't sealing and pressurizing the tank, maybe the lack of pressure lets the fuel slop up into the valve and canister.

 

[Deutsch100]

Thanks MKH. They said the cap was perfect. No fuel leaking in or out! I am (fingers crossed) hoping the parts replaced last time were maybe not "done right" and the 2nd time around will do the trick!

Besides from this CEL, the car is amazing and I love driving it, looking at it and seeing it parked in the garage

 

[bwilson4web]

It might be useful to print a copy of the fuel tank schematic and ask if they've checked the various valves. If my memory serves me right, there is a canister protection valve.

Bob Wilson

 

[Deutsch100]

Thank you Bob Wilson! They called me today and said they are replacing another part in addition to the valve and canister that was not replaced last week. Hopefully it is this part you speak of, if that is the case!

 

[Zpmada]

Yes, no need to overfill the gas tank. Here in NJ, we have full service gas stations. I always step outside and tell them to stop when it clicks. The attendants are always surprised by the small gas tank.

 

[Deutsch100]

Thanks for the replies, but I have NEVER overfilled a gas tank.

I got my car back on Thursday 10/24 after they replaced the fuel vent valve and charcoal/carbon canister for the SECOND time, in addition to another overflow valve.

10/28...car is back at BMW. REX kicked on yesterday, and the f*cking CEL came on again. All 3 times this has happened, our garage has smelled like gasoline.

BTW, from the last 2 repairs...NO gasoline has been added. So, there is NO way the tank was overfilled. BMW is going to have to figure this out. I barely have 1000 miles on my car, 1 month old now

This would upsetting for a 2014 model, but mine is a new 2019. Seems hard to believe this problem is just "unique" to me, as BMW is trying to tell me.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The fuel system is supposed to be sealed. Being able to smell gasoline vapors in the garage means that it's leaking somewhere. I'm surprised that they cannot find that as the system is pressurized when turned on, and should retain pressure when off. I'm not a certified tech, but it really shouldn't be that hard to find the leak. Fix that, and that may resolve the problems. It could be anywhere in the fuel system.

 

[Deutsch100]

Thanks jadnas. I opened a case with BMWNA. I think this probably made it more difficult for the dealer (and will make this longer for me), but since this is the 3rd time for a serious problem on a brand new car, I just felt I had to report it.

If they cannot fix this permanently, I will seek my down payment back and my lease to be terminated. Major bummer, as I love my i3!!!

 

[Anonymous]

If they cannot fix this permanently, I will seek my down payment back and my lease to be terminated. Major bummer, as I love my i3!!!

Hopefully it won't come to that. But check your State's lemon laws for some guidance on what needs to happen, and what steps to take.

When a Dealer can't solve an issue like this, and it escalates to BMW/NA, they may send in factory engineers to a) fix the issue, and b) document and determine if the issue is a manufacturing defect that needs to be rectified. I know of at least one instance where BMW flew two factory engineers in from the i3 plant in Germany to deal with a failure that a dealer was unable to diagnose and repair.

A fuel leak when the Rex runs, that they can't locate can be serious. On some early REx models, they had a fuel line/fuel vapor leak issue that resulted in a couple of crispy i3's.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1108987_bmw-i3-plug-in-hybrid-recall-to-fix-fuel-vapor-problem-fire-concerns

 

[Deutsch100]

OMG, MKH. I do not want a crispy i3! If BMWNA will play hardball and require Bavarian engineers to come to So.California, this means I am going to be in a loaner for a long time. I will seek in the meantime that BMW reimburses me for my lease payment while they try and figure this out!

 

[JimBmwi3s]

Hi.. fascinated about your story … what ever happened to solve your fuel issue?