DriveTrain Error and loss of power whilst over taking

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Lexmin

New member
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Nov 1, 2017
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2
I've had a very distressing situation arise with my 1 year old i3 Rex. I was driving to work the other morning in the dark and in the middle of an overtaking manuoevre the DriveTrain error appeared on the screen and the power on the accelerator went completely. The message said to stop driving and switch the car off....very scary message to get when driving especially when overtaking. Fortunately, the road was not busy and I managed to coast along the road into a layby but normally this road is very busy and this completely unexpected failure could have caused a very serious accident. I've had not previous errors alerting me to any problem with the car, engine or battery. The car was charged, I was not using the range extender, I was not on an incline and I was only accelerating from 55mph to 60mph so the car was not under any strain. BMW have said the problem has been fixed, there was a sensor problem and something wrong with the engine. I wasn't using the engine so why would a failure with it affect the acceleration and power. I've lost so much confidence in the car. What if this error had happened on busy motorway at 70mph with my kids in the car. Has anybody else had this problem? Not sure what to do next. I can't be expected to continue to pay for a car I'm scared to go over 55mph and overtake in.
 
I did read most of those but felt since they were older models I couldn't use them to go back to BMW...would like to hear if anybody with the new 2016 94H model has had this problem. BMW says it is fixed and they added about 70 miles to my car to road test it. I'll not be having my kids in the car now for long journeys when I go over 50mph as I've lost confidence in the car. It was perfectly fine for 16,000miles and then out of nowhere failed so it could happen again anytime.
Thanks for your post. :(
 
We had this problem a couple of weeks ago on a crowded motorway in poor visibility.

My wife got a "Drivetrain - not possible to continue .." message and the drive immediately shifted into "N".

Fortunately she managed to coast through two lanes of trucks, in driving rain, onto the hard shoulder - but we were both pretty shaken. After switching off & on twice - the fault cleared & the car drove normally for 200 miles,

Our i3 is an early 2014 model which has suffered from spurious "drivetrain errors" of various types since new - despite several attempts by BMW to resolve them. We've just got used to switching off & on again to clear them.

This is the first time it has ever interfered with driving though.

Like you, we've lost all confidence in the car and my wife won't take it on a motorway again - making the car useless to us since I can't drive. I'm serious considering legal action against BMW on safety grounds even though the car is out of warranty.

It's truly shocking that the new 94 models are exhibiting the same problems as the originals - after all the complaints BMW have had.

I guess they will only act when a few people have died.
 
A year ago, December, we had a motor mount break in traffic. Unable to get a tow, I caught a cab home and Saturday morning we got the car towed to BMW. It took two weeks during which I had to fall back to our 2010 Prius. Lacking dynamic cruise control and collision avoidance, I lost all confidence in the 2010 Prius and replaced it with a Prius Prime.

The BMW i3-REx was repaired with significantly stronger parts but I never again want to be without dynamic cruise control and collision avoidance. So the BMW i3-REx backs up the Prime and the Prime backs up the BMW i3-REx. The 2010 Prius was sold.

For those who have 'lost all confidence' in their BMW i3, you have options that continue to expand. Just a word of caution, only the Prime comes with standard dynamic cruise control, collision avoidance braking, and lane keep assist (more a reminder.) By all means, don't keep a car that you have 'lost all confidence' but seek relief as soon as possible. BTW, I understand the Tesla cars are nice.

Bob Wilson
 
In Massachusetts we're required by our lemon law to disclose any defects in our cars to prospective buyers - even in a private sale. The list of i3 defects continues to expand, from drive train errors, to motor mounts, to miscalculations by the GOM. By the time I finish disclosing these problems my car will be worth nothing.
 
Benagami said:
In Massachusetts we're required by our lemon law to disclose any defects in our cars to prospective buyers - even in a private sale. The list of i3 defects continues to expand, from drive train errors, to motor mounts, to miscalculations by the GOM. By the time I finish disclosing these problems my car will be worth nothing.
If your car went through the recall for the motor mounts, IMHO, it is no longer a defect. IF you did NOT take the car in, I find that kind of a big mistake. If the car does not have any open recalls or service campaigns applicable to it, it should not be considered a defect. If a reason was discovered, and then fixed, IMHO, it is no longer a defect, but is part of the service history. ALL cars have some service campaigns against them, and it is rare that there isn't a recall or two on them, especially when a new model.

The i3 (and most EVs) have a big depreciation hit on them from retail, partly because the market is limited, people are scared of new things, and many people realize that they can get $7500 tax credit on a new one, so that already makes the car 'worth' less on the used market place.
 
I've been unable to obtain the recall history or the service history on my car, despite requesting it from the BMW dealer I've been using. They claim they do not have access to it.
 
Benagami said:
I've been unable to obtain the recall history or the service history on my car, despite requesting it from the BMW dealer I've been using. They claim they do not have access to it.
You can see if there are any open safety recalls on your vehicle by accessing the www.nhtsa.gov website and providing your VIN. BMW may have some service campaigns for your vehicle, and they should be able to just read your keyfob and tell. Some are customer complaint triggered...they won't be applied unless you complain about a specific problem, and those, the typical service writer may not know about, but the service manager will.

If your vehicle was serviced at a BMW dealership, they can pull the service history on it. Whether they have a way to easily print it for you or not, I do not know.
 
OK, I just posted this on another Drive Motor Malfunction post but it bears worth repeating on this forum:

I don't drive a REX, just a straight BEV i3; 2014 w/37,000 miles on it. About a month back it threw the Drive Train Malfunction code on me just trying to back out of a parking spot on a rainy Florida evening. The car wouldn't go anywhere. I called BMW Roadside assistance and they promised a tow to the dealer in 48 hours; so I called my car insurance company for a tow and they said "45 minutes". Fortunately I was walking distance home so I went back for my motorcycle. On the way back I thought I would try to trick it into Neutral and see if it started back up. I managed to, and it started up, so I called off the tow and drove it home.

About 2 weeks later I started off for work, and was just as I was about to turn right on to a busy highway (with no shoulder) when the car threw the code again and shut down. [The worst part is that as it stops it goes into PARK and there's no pushing it out of the way. (I have since talked to the dealer and BMW N. America about this and there is nothing they can do. It seems everyone hates this feature and complained to their dealer about it, so I reported it as a vehicle hazard to the NHSTA).]

Before I called the tow truck this time I waited about 15 minutes and it started back up, so I drove it home and parked it. I called the local BMW shop and they towed it in. The said there was some issues with the HV battery pack so they had to drop the whole pack and replace a half dozen sensors & modules. That took about 10 days. I got it back Saturday morning (yesterday) and drove it to work; no issues. Later that night I was headed back home and just started merging onto the local freeway (where I needed to cross 6 lanes of traffic to take a left-hand exit in about a 1/2 mile) when it threw the DTM code again!

Yikes! I puckered up like a carrier fighter pilot that just lost thrust on a cold cat-shot (I know, I used to be one!)

I had gotten up to about 60 mph and was just 2 lanes away from the turn lane when it threw the code and died. Even though the car wouldn't glide very well (like it would in Neutral) fortunately traffic was light that time of night and I had enough momentum to make the exit and glide to a stop. I called a friend for a rescue but just as he was getting into his car I got the car to start back up again so I drove it back to my work.

I'm going to call the shop again and have them tow it in [where they will probably just replace some other sensor, throw some more pixie dust on it and pray for a miracle].

First question: does anybody have an idea of what's wrong with the car? Obviously the dealer has no idea and BMW Germany is staying quiet. Any particular module or sensor they should be looking at or testing?

Second question: Now that I am officially scared shitless of ever driving this car on the freeway again (and it's my only car so I'll have to get around on my motorcycle from now on) does anybody know of any legal recourse against BMW in case it happens again AFTER they try to repair it again? I'm serious...I'd just as soon never drive this car again knowing what it does when it throws that code (especially for no real reason).
 
MikeBrace said:
. . .
I'm going to call the shop again and have them tow it in [where they will probably just replace some other sensor, throw some more pixie dust on it and pray for a miracle].
Where is this car?

The reason I ask is knowing the location, perhaps someone can make a 'house call.'

MikeBrace said:
First question: does anybody have an idea of what's wrong with the car? Obviously the dealer has no idea and BMW Germany is staying quiet. Any particular module or sensor they should be looking at or testing?
The gross symptoms are not terribly useful. We really need the error codes from the car computer(s).

MikeBrace said:
Second question: Now that I am officially scared shitless of ever driving this car on the freeway again (and it's my only car so I'll have to get around on my motorcycle from now on) does anybody know of any legal recourse against BMW in case it happens again AFTER they try to repair it again? I'm serious...I'd just as soon never drive this car again knowing what it does when it throws that code (especially for no real reason).
What year and mileage is the car to compare with the warranty?

Bob Wilson
 
The car is back at the dealer. It is still under warranty (4 yrs old, 36K mi.) As for the error codes, according to the dealer they were: Faulty EME, SME, CSC.

According to the work order I was given: "Puma advised to check each battery cell using Deutronic Charger and wiggle the CSC Wiring Harness checking for voltage drop. Found CSC for 2, 4, 7, 8 dropping voltage. They replaced the CSC wiring harness, installed 8 CSC Modules, SME and new cover. Performed EOS; passed. Programmed car for SME, performed test plan to Input CSC numbers into CSC Modules." (That's the abbreviated version. The actual report is 3 pages long.)

None of that worked one bit.

As far as the gross symptoms not being useful, what part of DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION Fault Code is not useful? Especially after 4 times. One of a many micro-switches, sensors or modules are throwing a fault code, and apparently it's not one of the ones they listed. And since there is no redundant circuitry to test the validity of the fault, it simply shuts down. One might think that only one or two specific sensors would be capable of shutting down the car NO MATTER where it is at, but apparently that ain't so.

It's simple: whatever they did to fix it over the 10 days it was in the shop didn't work. Not even for a 12 hour period. I think they are shooting in the dark here, and I would be willing to wager [unless they do something else radically different] it will do it again within 2 weeks or sooner.

This is the forth time this fault code has shut the car down, and I would like to think that something in the error codes would tell them exactly what is wrong, but no such luck so far.
 
MikeBrace said:
The car is back at the dealer. It is still under warranty (4 yrs old, 36K mi.) As for the error codes, according to the dealer they were: Faulty EME, SME, CSC.
Electrical machine electronics (EME)
Control unit, battery managment electronics (SME)
CSC(Cell Supervising Circuit)

MikeBrace said:
According to the work order I was given: "Puma advised to check each battery cell using Deutronic Charger and wiggle the CSC Wiring Harness checking for voltage drop. Found CSC for 2, 4, 7, 8 dropping voltage. They replaced the CSC wiring harness, installed 8 CSC Modules, SME and new cover. Performed EOS; passed. Programmed car for SME, performed test plan to Input CSC numbers into CSC Modules."
Their working hypothesis is a battery management problem.

MikeBrace said:
(That's the abbreviated version. The actual report is 3 pages long.)
Time to escalate the problem. Could you digitize the 3 page report and share? Perhaps take a photos and post images?

MikeBrace said:
As far as the gross symptoms not being useful, what part of DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION Fault Code is not useful? Especially after 4 times. One of a many micro-switches, sensors or modules are throwing a fault code, and apparently it's not one of the ones they listed. And since there is no redundant circuitry to test the validity of the fault, it simply shuts down. One might think that only one or two specific sensors would be capable of shutting down the car NO MATTER where it is at, but apparently that ain't so.

It's simple: whatever they did to fix it over the 10 days it was in the shop didn't work. Not even for a 12 hour period. I think they are shooting in the dark here, and I would be willing to wager [unless they do something else radically different] it will do it again within 2 weeks or sooner.

This is the forth time this fault code has shut the car down, and I would like to think that something in the error codes would tell them exactly what is wrong, but no such luck so far.
Are you within 300 miles of Huntsville AL?

I would like to do a 'house call.'

Bob Wilson
 
Hi Bob, unfortunately I'm in Jacksonville FL and the car is back in the shop. It went back in Monday and they have been quite as to what's going on. I suspect they will have it a while, but when they do give it back I'll let you know.

I do have the report in PDF. Would you like me to send you a copy? If so, where to?
 
Sounds like the throttle position sensor on a Jaguar XJR I had. If the sensor’s redundant reading didn’t match it would immediately put the car in limp mode and would not accelerate. The reasoning is that if it can’t reliable tell where you have the throttle, it’s not going to guess and run you into a wall. A price we have to pay for mechanical things now that are only connected by bits and bytes.
 
Here it is 6 weeks later and I just got my car back from the dealer. :D Over the last 6 weeks they tried a variety of fixes, and each time the car tried to kill the service tech by shutting down with each attempt. Finally they surrendered and replaced the THE WHOLE BATTERY PACK (of which I was told was a $35K fix) and gave me back the car this morning. Before this last service call happened I had offered to let them by the car back at a reasonable price, but seeing how the bluebook value of my $50,000 car has plummeted to below $13K :eek: , they only laughed (along with BMWUSA) and handed me back the keys. But hey, at 36,600 miles at least I have a new pack. :roll:

That's the good news...

The bad news is that if you were like me, and bought the BMW EV because it was one of the few affordable cars with a modular battery pack, and had hopes of popping in the new pack somewhere down the road (like the new one they offer on the 2018's [lighter, further, sexier...]) you'll be disappointed to learn it ain't happening. The new i3 pack is not backwards compatible. We are stuck with the old pack. My BMWUSA i3 rep (with whom I have gotten to be on first-name basis with) told me BMW had looked at making it so, but gave up on the notion.

Maybe someday some outside firm will offer an upgrade, but as of today it's not going to be coming from BMW. :cry:
 
So this happened to me last night in traffic I was in the fast lane on a busy Main Street I felt the motor Mount break and the engine drop, as soon as I came to a stop at the red light my car shut off and locked up I got the warning about my terrain malfunction, my car refused to power back on and the parking brakes activated I couldn’t push the car out the way so I was stuck almost 2hrs waiting for a tow before they arrived my lost all power not even the hazard worked, they had to drag the car on to the flat bed with car oil on the ground and in the flatbed. Mind u I had just gotten the car from the dealership 8 days prior to repair the locking mechanism and told them about that the bolt for the mount had broken 3 times before they say it’s because i had the original Mount and brackets that there was an upgrade to the new aluminum ones that it will keep doing it till I fixed it, I have extended warranty that covers that so I told them to go ahead and put that in to be replaced, they agreed so I thought they did this I was told that they replaced it was on the final repair done that my warranty covered or so I was made to believe, but then just driving last night the engine dropped again I take a look I didn’t want to believe it broke again, it was the same plastic mounts I have no idea what they did that’s they charged my warranty $5000. What I don’t understand is how could they have let me leave the lot with the same problem that we agreed would keep this from happening over and over. They had me in a dangerous situation that was agreed to be resolved. My engine could be damaged because they somehow didn’t change the part that was agreed the problem but didn’t let me know they didn’t fix
 
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