Drivetrain Malfunction & no a/c...P0CE1 code

[Renni1986]

2014 i3 Rex w/ 49K. Driving home from work last night after being on a Lev2 charger and preconditioned before I set off. Right away noticed no A/C which had worked perfectly during am commute. I cycled the AC on and off and adjusted the fan speed and set to manual recirc and still no AC. 15 min into the drive I got the yellow triangle on the speedometer and a warning message on iDrive saying: "Drivetrain Malfunction. Visit Service Center Soon". Clicked on the message and it stated I could continue driving normally, so I did while carefully monitoring the SOC during my 25 mi drive at 70 mph. No abnormal degradation of the battery range or any weird noises or sounds so I made the rest of the drive to my house. Turned car off and on a few times in the hope this was just a fluke and the same issues were present, now w/ a CEL.

My first thought was to test the 12V Batt to make sure it was actually producing 12V as I remember reading all sorts of fun problems can come up if the batt has gone bad. Removed the frunk bin and hooked up meter to the batt. Sure enough, 13.8-13.9V w/ accessory on. Interesting note: You can't get a static reading of the 12V unless doors and boot lid are all closed. Had to get a little creative with some extra long leads connected to the batt posts and the frunk closed. True static reading of 12.77-12.84V so well within tolerances of a healthy 12V batt.

I decided to put a pressure tester on the high side port of the A/C to see if it had any refrigerant or if it all leaked out. To my surprise, the meter was pegged all the way to the top......not good. So we have plenty of gas in the system and the compressor seems to be working properly as the pressure inside the system is insanely high, the High Volt Batt seemed to be ok & car drove normally, we just didn't have A/C into the cabin, hmm.

Next we plug in our ebay OBD2 scanner and open Torque app to try and see if I could get the actual code. After 3X scanning for codes it shows P0CE1. The web app for Torque didn't show anything for this code....F@#*er!!!! Cleared the code and CEL stayed on and same DT Malfunc message appeared on iDrive display. I know, I know, I need to pony up for a decent scan tool....

After extensive Google searching, and I DO mean extensive I came across the answer - P0CE1 Hybrid/EV Battery Pack Coolant Control Valve "A" stuck on. Searched all over i3 forums and no one has posted about this particular code so I guess I have the honor of being first(?).....yay for me!

Thankfully, someone on i3 forum did include a i3 repair manual link that includes a refrigerant circuit diagram. Sure enough, there is a Electronic A/C Expansion Valve on the rear pass side of the car right off the HV Batt. From what I could tell, this is the only item that would trip that code. Attached right off A/C compressor and the back of the valve block fits into the HV Batt.

I'm not a fan of just replacing components willy-nilly but I feel like I found the root of my issue. Sadly the only way I can think to test this unit is unbolt it and try getting power to it from another 12V source & this means evacuating the whole system in order to do it safely. I have the part ordered from the local dealer and it was only $115 delivered to my office so surprisingly, very reasonable. I have a lift and ex-bmw tech to assist me so I know I can get this done. My worry is just that I go through the process and still no A/C. Not sure what else to look at if this isn't the culprit. Any thoughts out there?

 

[Renni1986]

UPDATE:
Just realized the other A/C Expansion valve is also electronic and is the one that leads to the evaporator and then the cabin. This may also be our problem. $120-150 for both, I think I'll just do both of them once we have it on the lift tomorrow to see if this fixes our A/C malady. Stay tuned...... :?

 

[jadnashuanh]

Earlier this year I had an issue with mine. It was diagnosed as bad temperature sensors...they were lying to the computer, telling it that it did not need to run the a/c. The compressor and charge were fine, but between the testing and parts, about $800 to get it resolved.

 

[Renni1986]

any ideas on part #s they used? I have a diagram that lays out refrigerant circuit of the car but didn't see any mention of Temperature Sensors.....

 

[Renni1986]

Here is the diagram, my REX doesn't appear to use a heat pump so it would be the top photo. I'm wondering if BMW didn't integrate a temp sensor into the Valve body itself? Seems like a pretty substantial amount of material that makes up this valve and incl elect connections.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/i01-i3-rex-hat/repair-manuals/64-heating-air-conditioning/64-00-note-overview-components-climate-control/1VnXvebcmP

 

[jadnashuanh]

any ideas on part #s they used? I have a diagram that lays out refrigerant circuit of the car but didn't see any mention of Temperature Sensors.....

I might be able to dig up the receipt, but not today. They are part of the control system, not the actual plumbing as I understand it. In this case, the computer wasn't being told it needed to run, but it was capable of it, if asked.

 

[bum55]

I just got this same error code. same issue as your describing. AC controls seem to be responding but just no cold air being produced. how did you resolve your issue? What was the culprit?

 

[bum55]

Despite the error code referring to "coolant control valve A" being stuck "on" my. local dealer is now telling me I need to replace compressor and other associated parts for $4800! Should I be suspicious?

 

[alohart]

Despite the error code referring to "coolant control valve A" being stuck "on" my. local dealer is now telling me I need to replace compressor and other associated parts for $4800! Should I be suspicious?

I would ask the dealer why they decided that the compressor and other associated parts needed replacing. If their answer wasn't convincing, I'd seek a second opinion.

 

[eye3guy]

This may be useful!

https://bimmercat.com/bmw/en/search/selectCar/I01/MCV/BMW+i3+60Ah/USA/64_1982

The numbers on the diagram are clickable so that you can see the exact part, additionally, there's a list of parts below, with part numbers!

Also, i usually get my parts from rockauto.com (no affiliation) they just have great prices, and I haven't had any quality issues.

if you're interested in looking into prices: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/bmw,2014,i3,electric,3310358,heat+&+air+conditioning


Also, for what it's worth, my local dealer (not official BMW), replaced my compressor and is currently replacing my fan (however I don't believe I had the same error code as you) but because it is still under a short warranty, they covered the cost of the replacements. The reason I'm mentioning this, is because no dealer in their right mind would want to pay that out of pocket, but it may be possible that compressor replacement is needed if there is ever any high pressure build up in the a.c lines. If I'm not mistaken high pressure in those lines can cause the compressor to either become damaged (thus spreading debris), or fail all together. Doesn't mean that there would be guaranteed damage though...just the chance of damage (and probably only if you really tried to keep running it for a while under that high pressure). Of course, someone who is more qualified to comment on this, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[DUnit]

Any updates on this? I pulled the same P0CE1 code.


For me, this is where I'm at...
1) Took it to one of the best BMW indy in town and they replaced the "stuck" valve. Issue was not resolved. ($700)
2) Then I dropped it off at the BMW dealership and they are having trouble diagnosing the issue. $250 to diagnose the car. Another $250 to re-program the whole car. It's labor day weekend, so I won't know if reprogramming the whole car fixed the issue or not till Tuesday.

 

[HolyRex]

Any updates on this? I pulled the same P0CE1 code.


For me, this is where I'm at...
1) Took it to one of the best BMW indy in town and they replaced the "stuck" valve. Issue was not resolved. ($700)
2) Then I dropped it off at the BMW dealership and they are having trouble diagnosing the issue. $250 to diagnose the car. Another $250 to re-program the whole car. It's labor day weekend, so I won't know if reprogramming the whole car fixed the issue or not till Tuesday.

What was final outcome?