Software update - unable to set low-cost charging

[tomas206]

Just had a software update applied by BMW while my 2017 i3 REX was in for the minor REX recall. Now neither the vehicle nor the app will let me keep the "low cost charging" option setting. The low-cost rate window is still correctly set in my car, and I even changed each value by 1 minute (start/end time) to force an update, just in case that fixed it (it didn't). It lets me select low-cost option, it just doesn't work / respect the setting.

For example, if I park my car for the night and try to set leave time of tomorrow and low-cost charging, the car now resets back to charge immediately after a few seconds. Even if I quickly leave the car, or left-click to accept parameters, before it resets the setting, as soon as I plug in it starts charging. This will be a huge issue (>7x cost per kWh) when peak / summer rates come in, and is already 3x more costly (per my local EV tariff) to charge off-peak vs "super off-peak" or overnight.

I tried to use the app to force next planned trip through with low-cost charging and it will not work either. In this case, the new departure time won't even be accepted at the vehicle now.

Anyone else having trouble with the charge scheduling feature for low-cost? It worked until I got the update last week (w/o May 11, 2017). I'm asking the local dealership who provided the update about this and will post any learnings.

 

[bwilson4web]

This explains something I first saw yesterday. I tried to use the app to precondition the car and it did not work.

Bob Wilson

 

[user 3172]

What software version out of interest? Mine is on

<i-step>I001-16-07-503</i-step>

And also out of interest what are your low cost tariff times set to?

 

[Opusi3]

This removal of the low cost charging option is a bug in the current software release. Supposedly the engineers know about it, but we have had this bug since mid April and nada from BMW service as to when it will be fixed.

We live on solar/Time of Use rate system in CA so need to get up at midnight each night to plug our car in. We are NOT happy campers to say the least. We also asked if BMW would let us revert back to the old version and the answer is no.

Once you bring your car into the dealer for service, and it is hooked up to the compeer system for diagnostics, it will automatically get this update are remove the low cost charging option form working.

 

[nitramluap]

As a short term solution, can you not set up the timer from the EVSE side, rather than the car side (i.e. a wall socket timer for the occasional use EVSE, or a switchboard timer for a Wallbox EVSE)?

Following on from that, if you used a device like a Wemo Switch plugged into the occasional use charger, not only could you set timer functions but you could also control it remotely via its app as it is WiFi connected.

If you have a wall mounted Level 2 EVSE, check to see if you can enable/disable it via a relay contacter. If you can, you could use a device like the Wemo Maker to control it remotely. :-D

I use a Wemo Maker to control my garage door. It's great!

 

[cdnji]

Was called in for a software update/fix for this issue.

You can wait or be pro-active and ask your dealer to have the fix applied.

 

[ladriver]

Hi, we have the same issue with a new 2017 BEV just picked up, it's now back at dealer who is telling us they have to communicate the problem to Germany for instructions!

Did you get a software update to fix the issue or are you still living with it?
We thought perhaps it was associated with the airbag update required to release the cars after the stop sale. But in that case they should have seen more complaints.

Any help would be much appreciated as we dont have much faith in the dealership.
FYI, this is our second i3 after returning our 2014 after a three year lease so we're very familiar with the settings and programming the feature.

Thanks again.
Cyn and Vin

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, the local dealers do not have the software to update any of their cars...to get it, they connect your car to their diagnostic machines, and it connects to corporate headquarters (or somewhere in Germany) over the internet, and then, and only then, does their computer determine what software is in the car, and what needs to be updated. The dealership doesn't determine what, just when, any update is applied. THen, while it doesn't usually have a glitch, sometimes, if the connection has a hiccup, they may need to start over again, and it can take awhile. Usually, though, it goes fairly fast and smoothly.

 

[ladriver]

Thanks for the info Jim.
So we just have to hope that the delay charge not working is just a bug in our car and a software "refresh" will fix it, I guess one day they will roll out OTA updates, no dealers involved!

 

[jadnashuanh]

Thanks for the info Jim.
So we just have to hope that the delay charge not working is just a bug in our car and a software "refresh" will fix it, I guess one day they will roll out OTA updates!

Some of the newest models have started to do OTA map updates...it would be convenient if they could also do firmware updates, but so far, BMW seems to feel that's risky, and best left to be done in the dealership. I guess it could get messy if the car was part way through an update and you went in, wanting to drive it, and found it wouldn't go because the s/w was in the update process. When done at the dealership, you've already consigned yourself to the fact that you won't be able to use the car until it's ready and probably have made other travel plans in the meantime. On the map data updates, there's enough room on the HD to store the current release, and the new one, and they only swap after it's fully installed, and the car is turned off. The next time, it reboots (starts), it then swaps to the newer database version. In the case of the many smart modules in the car...they don't have lots of 'free' memory space to enable an updated backup to be made...they essentially disable the functionality, clear the memory, then reflash it with the new stuff so that module can't do anything in the interim.

I don't know what architecture Tesla utilizes...there may be one program to control semi-dumb modules, and essentially only one program to update, so with enough memory, they could do a swap and deal with the OTA updates, but the BMW architecture is distributed, and that is less open to that sort of update process. A hacked OTA map database update isn't catastrophic, but a hacked rewrite of the car's critical systems software has a lot of potential issues. While the security can be decent, it is never foolproof...again, a hardwired connection is a lot harder to hack when the i3 is talking directly to corporate.

 

[ladriver]

Yep, I understand the various issues associated with OTA software updates but I appreciate your deeper knowledge of the topic.
The most pressing problem at this time however, and the reason for my initial reply to this thread, was to find out if anyone else had experienced the delay charging problem and had it been fixed?

We are particularly sensitive to this issue because we purchased one of the very first VW eGolfs in Nov of 2014, three months later, after working with the Dealer, VW USA and GmBh their delay charging feature never worked and they bought the car back from us. They even installed a new EVSE for free. We really wanted the car to work but in the end they returned every penny spent, but not the lost time going to the garage at 11pm to change settings, taking screen shots of the display, etc. basically acting like a beta test site. In Feb of '15 we got the i3 and never looked back...this charging issue is for us just a horrible Deja Vu!

 

[briantompo]

I realize this thread is 2+ years old but I recently bought a 2016 i3 from a BMW dealership and my car responds exactly the same way as the OP’s. I’d like to set charge times but my car begins charging the instant I plug in.

How do I determine what software version I have? The software info I’ve found in SETTINGS —> SOFTWARE UPDATE —> CURRENT VERSION relates to media and telephone and searching this forum for “software update” fails to generate a search result.
Thank you,
Brian

 

[Anonymous]

What are you charging at? 120v or 240v?
Are you setting a departure time?
Is the 'Charge Now' box in the menu un-checked?

Seems the charge system will go on immediately while cooling or heating the battery to optimum temperature, no matter what the settings are. It will also start to charge immediately, if the system guesstimates that the low-cost charge time-window isn't long enough to fully charge the battery before the departure time is reached - supposedly it will only charge enough immediately to reach that threshold, then pause, and re-start the charging in the low-cost time window.

 

[alohart]

How do I determine what software version I have?

Plug a USB flash drive into the USB port. In iDrive, back up driver profiles to the USB drive. Plug the USB drive into a computer. Open the user profile file that it contains in a text editor. The software version is the value of the <i-step> tag.

Low-cost charging has been very buggy in most system software versions. Probably better to use an EVSE that has a delayed charging feature.

 

[briantompo]

MKH and Art, thank you both for your helpful replies. I used a text editor to determine the software version and will monitor the charging behavior more closely at my next opportunity. It’s possible that delayed charging is functioning correctly and I didn’t stick around long enough to see it throttle back.
Thanks, Brian

 

[briantompo]

I’m back home on my L2 charger and i3 definitely charges as soon as I plug in. Within i-Drive I’ve set a departure day & time in the future, checked “precondition for departure”, set a tariff time and then checked the “low cost charging” box. After 15 secs the check mark changes to “charge immediately” and, if EVSE is connected, car charges at 7.08kW.
Connected Drive app on my Android phone reflects the correct settings for low cost charging but returns the standard, “Remote services cannot be executed at this moment”, when I try to command low cost charging via the app.
For reference, car has software version I001-18-03-520.
What am I missing?
Thanks, Brian

 

[alohart]

I’m back home on my L2 charger and i3 definitely charges as soon as I plug in./quote]
I don't believe we fully understand the low-cost charging behavior. As others have mentioned, if the battery needs cooling when an EVSE is plugged in, charging might commence immediately even when low-cost charging is enabled. Do you hear the A/C compressor running when the plug in your EVSE?

If the charge level is quite low (I don't know the limit), charging will commence immediately to increase the charge level (how much, I don't know). After that charge level is reached, charging stops until the low-cost charging start time.

If the low-cost charge time period is insufficient to fully charge the battery pack, charging could commence immediately even when low-cost charging is enabled.

For reference, car has software version I001-18-03-520.
What am I missing?

As I mentioned previously, the low-cost charging algorithm has been quite buggy in many system software versions. If you think that none of the conditions I described above apply, your system software version might be one of those whose low-cost charging implementation might be buggy. If you complain to your BMW dealer about low-cost charging not working and ask for a software update, you might be able to get one at no cost if your warranty is still in effect.

 

[i3Houston]

I think i3 software team had their hands cuffed due to influence from Dealership or management , map update, battery registration, software update etc require trips to dealership to make up no or annual oil change.

 

[briantompo]

Follow up report: Low cost charging now works after dealer performed, “charge management teach settings”. Software version appears unchanged when viewed on text editor.
i3 will actually interrupt charging if I switch from, “charge immediately” to “low cost charging”.
Thanks for the guidance, Brian

 

[Anonymous]

I think i3 software team had their hands cuffed due to influence from Dealership or management , map update, battery registration, software update etc require trips to dealership to make up no or annual oil change.

Battery registration does not require a trip to the dealership. Almost any independent repair shop can register the battery. Or with an ODB II scanner keyed for BMWs (loaded with BMW diagnostic software) you can do it yourself.