charging plug will not release from my i3

[jasleinstein]

A few weeks ago I went out to remove the charge plug from the i3, and it would not release. After a lock and unlock cycle from the key fob, the charge plug released. Now about %50 of the time the plug will not release. Using the key fob to lock and unlock the car does not seem to help. If I lock the car by touching the door handle, then unlock it using the door handle, it seems to unlock the charger. The fact this seems to be worse using the fob, and better using the door handle seems to be more of a control issue, or software bug than a bad lock for the charger.
It doesn't seem to be better or worse if the car is being prepared or not.

I hate to burn a couple trips to the dealer (it would be my 14th in just six months) just to have them tell me they could not find an issue. The folks at Seattle BMW provide great service, but it still burns half my day getting the car there and back home again.

Anyone else having issues with the charger not unlocking?

 

[jadnashuanh]

It happened to me once, and has not occurred again. I had to use the manual release (it's behind a foam rubber plug on the frame near the bottom of the right-hand rear door. FWIW, the software that will be installed after the KLE is replaced, unlocks the connector once the car reaches full charge.

 

[I33t]

FWIW, the software that will be installed after the KLE is replaced, unlocks the connector once the car reaches full charge.

I tested this. I have the KLE replaced but the connector remains locked after full charge. Perhaps this is a US only change.

 

[TomMoloughney]

FWIW, the software that will be installed after the KLE is replaced, unlocks the connector once the car reaches full charge.

I tested this. I have the KLE replaced but the connector remains locked after full charge. Perhaps this is a US only change.

The i3's will have a software update sometime in the spring. As part of this update, the connector will release upon completion of the charging session. I'm currently beta testing this software version. Everybody should have it in 3 or 4 months.

 

[nowtta60]

Er, isn't this a bad Idea? It means someone can walk off with your charge lead in the middle of the night while you are sleeping. Especially if like mine your EVSE doesn't lock the other end either.

The last thing i want is the i3 unlocking whrn complete.

I was thinking maybe it's for public charging so people can use the unit when you are done. But all the public posts expect you to use your own cable and lock the other end in with your RFID card being the key. ( well the ones I've tried). That would be a nightmare. Coming back to find your lead unlocked from the car an now locked into someone else's charge port. Lol.

 

[Schnort]

Er, isn't this a bad Idea? It means someone can walk off with your charge lead in the middle of the night while you are sleeping. Especially if like mine your EVSE doesn't lock the other end either.

The last thing i want is the i3 unlocking whrn complete.

I was thinking maybe it's for public charging so people can use the unit when you are done. But all the public posts expect you to use your own cable and lock the other end in with your RFID card being the key. ( well the ones I've tried). That would be a nightmare. Coming back to find your lead unlocked from the car an now locked into someone else's charge port. Lol.

In the US, the public charging points have the cable attached (not bring your own).

I hope they make it an option to unlock or not.

When I'm using a lvl2, I want to unlock, so I don't have to walk down to the car park to let somebody else charge.
If I'm using my occasional, I want it to stay locked, so nobody can run off with it.

 

[jasleinstein]

update. It appears the charger lock has completely failed. Great,,,,, another trip to Seattle BMW Service. It's about time, i don't think the car has been there for over two weeks!!!! This car has a long way to go to be even close to be reliable.


I am with the others,,,, why would I ever want the car to unlock the charger when the cycle is done. Some one can walk up and steal the charger. At least make an option to turn the function off.

I'd trade for an option that allows you set see the charging rate of the car while it is charging.

I wonder if the BMW product teams ever drive these things.

 

[alohart]

I'd trade for an option that allows you set see the charging rate of the car while it is charging.

^^THIS!^^

 

[E46toi3]

Funny - mine's been doing the same thing and I got mine from Seattle BMW. Let me know how the fix goes, at least they'll have done one before I take mine in. Thanks for being a trailblazer.

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, that software change DIDI show up on my vehicle when the KLE was replaced last month...before I took it in, it locked the cable when the car was locked and stayed that way...now, it locks it only while charging. I'd started a thread in the suggestions list to make that a user option. In the USA, the cable is tethered to the EVSE. I understand that's not the case for those using the Meineke (sp?) connector chosen for use in Europe.

 

[busaman]

mine releases at full charge and all the lights go out, before that you need to unlock it.

 

[WasteZeroSF]

My charger lock does not release with key fob or door handle used to take 1-2 lock and unlock cycles, but now it does not work to release. Tired of taking the car in for a fix only to have something else not work the next week.

 

[GodFollower]

At the OP, I work in Oregon and we have been seeing a number of these charge port locks that intermittently fail, leading to a permanent failure. Seems to be a common issue with some of the earlier production U.S. cars in the cold weather.

I will say that I have not see a single vehicle come back with the same concern after we have replaced it, so it would appear they have updated the part.

 

[mjc]

My cable locked entirely and could not be released at all -- using fob, or door handle, or blue "emergency" override buttons.

BMW's only response is the lock might have "frozen" in the cold weather. Anyone else have this problem or know what to do to get the cable unlocked? Hair dryer came to mind....

 

[jadnashuanh]

It's happened to me twice, but each time, I've been able to release it with the emergency release. The first time it was not below freezing, the second time, it was (and WAY below!). I think I may try to remember to spray a little WD40 into the lock pin hole in the connector and see if that helps any (WD40, Water Displacement (try) 40 may not be available outside of the USA).

Note, though, that it takes a LOT of pull on the emergency release to unlock it. You're pulling back a motor driven cam. The first time, I thought I'd break the plastic cable, but just kept pulling a little harder until it actually released. It helps to actually have one hand on the charging plug while trying to pull the release and work them together. I hope never to get good at it through practice!

 

[Boatguy]

Today my charging cable would not release. I was at the gym and used a Chargepoint charger. I stopped the charging with my RFID card and the Chargepoint panel said to return the plug to the holster. But the i3 dash still showed it was plugged in which is probably why it would not release. It was a stand off with the Chargepoint unwilling to activate again until the plug was returned, and the i3 unwilling to let go of the cable. I used the emergency release and got the cable disconnected.

Unlike some other posts in this thread it was not weather related as the temperature was about 70F and clear, very nominal conditions. Not clear who was at fault, i3 or Chargepoint, but it's annoying...

 

[Gonville]

Be careful pulling that emergency release. I had occasion to get stuck to a triple header DBT unit here in the UK. Waiting for an Outlander on the Chademo.

Made the mistake of plugging in the CCS before he had finished. Locked the cable to the car. As expected for normal use but I had not presented a card. Except when I wanted to go to the AC post next door it wouldn't release and I had not presented an RFID card so couldn't stop the session.

Pulled the release. Required quite a bit of effort. Unfortunately, I found out later, the cable wrapped itself around the pin which then would not engage. Unable to charge the car again on DC or AC. Flatbed to the dealer via recovery.

They told me after 3 days the cable had a kink and had wrapped around the pin. So don't get too energetic with pulling it.

My only issue in 7,000 and I think partly user error in being impatient with the DBT which isn't quite up to standard, and too rough with the emergency release cable.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Well, mine failed on occasion after the last time it was serviced, and I could not release it with the emergency release cable. Cycling the lock/unlock a bunch of times eventually released it. The dealer was able to replicate the problem, and they replaced the locking mechanism (took awhile to get from Germany, but I was out of town, so didn't really care - but, be warned, it may take a few days to get the part if yours does require it). So far, so good, but it's only been a few days since I picked it back up. I was away for about two weeks, and it only was actually fixed the day before I returned.

 

[Boatguy]

My car is in the shop for a problem with the air conditioning so they have ordered a new cable locking mechanism from Germany to address the problem. I'll get the car back to tomorrow and then take it back in a couple of weeks when the part arrives from Germany.

 

[chapelhillbmwi3]

As of October 2015, my BMW i3 Rex still has this problem, intermittently. I have had the KLE replacement (about 3 months ago), and I do not live in a cold-weather environment. I have had to stop locking my car when I am using a public charging station in order to avoid risking inability to release the charging cable, but this is not a great workaround, obviously. I do not have this problem at home when I use the BMW Charging Station, but I rarely lock my car when I charge it at home. I have had the problem at several different public charging stations. I am able, so far, to release the charging cable by pulling on the emergency manual release cable in the passenger-side door well, but the posts here make me nervous that this emergency workaround might not be permanently reliable. Does anyone else have any more recent experience with this problem?