S/W Update

[jadnashuanh]

I was in talking to the service manager at the dealership yesterday, and mentioned one occasional issue I have had where I'd get a failed to complete or interrupted charging message on my phone's app. In my case, it always seemed to finish up, and the glitch was a short-term thing. Anyways, the service manager said a new software build was just released, and he suggested that that might solve that issue. It wasn't specific to that, but hey, it's not a big deal for me to leave the car for a day, so it is there now for work tomorrow. I'll try to get a readout on what the new s/w version is, and what it is supposed to address, probably later on Thursday.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I picked my car up this afternoon and asked the service manager what was included and his response was enlightening...essentially, BMW used to list the items changed, and there may be numerous ones, when they released a software update, but they no longer do. IOW, it's nearly impossible to know what (maybe numerous) things were tweaked in any one s/w update. This particular one can be applied (assuming your VIN is in the necessary range) if the range calculation is doing certain things. The update is supposed to make the 'guessometer' more accurate on those affected vehicles. While as I said in my initial post, I have noticed infrequent reports from the car that charging was interrupted, but in my case, when I eventually got into the car, it has always been fully charged, so it recovered. It may be part of the way the Clipper Creek EVSE works, as they claim that it will recover from most any transient faults so you should always get the vehicle recharged as long as there's power available and nothing catastrophic going on. Anyway, this is not a general, major s/w update applicable to everyone.

If I notice anything else of interest, I'll let you know after I've driven it a week or two.

 

[bwilson4web]

I haven't seen the backup camera work for 10 days so I plan to put in a service call next week. It had been intermittent but it is reaching the point of a problem as the days grow shorter. I suspect I'll get the new software so I'll 'uncode' the REG before I go.

Bob Wilson

 

[Sparky]

I received all the updates and motor fasteners two weeks ago. I've noticed to things now, when you lift the throttle, it takes longer for the full deceleration torque to begin, and I've gone from 3.9 m/kWh to 4.1.

 

[alohart]

I received all the updates and motor fasteners two weeks ago. I've noticed to things now, when you lift the throttle, it takes longer for the full deceleration torque to begin, and I've gone from 3.9 m/kWh to 4.1.

A delay in full regen was implemented when our i3's software was updated from the original 7/2014 version to the 11/2015 version, our current version. Do you know what version was installed before your recent software update?

I'll be taking our i3 in for its first scheduled maintenance (full inspection and brake fluid change) on 1 November. At that time, the weak motor mount bolt will be updated which requires a software update, so I assume that our i3 will then have the same software version as yours. I hope that this software version doesn't further delay the inception of regen upon lifting the accelerator.

 

[Sparky]

It sure feels that way to me Art. I liked the aggressive onset of regeneration. I now have to change my anticipation of regen braking.

My car is two years old. While I don't know what software was overwritten two weeks ago, I can say that it was the software that was installed in August of 2015, when my batteries and kme were replaced.

 

[jadnashuanh]

While I didn't have any problem with the onset of regen and its higher rate in the original i3's release, apparently, lots of people did, and BMW changed it. I do find it a bit better when using the cruise control, as you have enough time to get on the accelerator to soften the change when it disconnects, either manually or from some perceived obstruction.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know what other little tidbits were tweaked in any s/w update as BMW no longer gives that info to the dealerships. All that happens is to verify if it is applicable to your VIN.

 

[alohart]

While I don't know what software was overwritten two weeks ago, I can say that it was the software that was installed in August of 2015, when my batteries and kms were replaced.

Then I'm hoping that only one regen delay has been implemented and that was in a software version between the one installed on your car in 8/2015 and the 11/2015 version currently on my car. I'll know after the software on our car is updated on 1 November.

It's too bad that BMW didn't program the regen delay to occur only when ACC quits unexpectedly which is the only time that immediate strong regen has been a problem for me.

 

[jadnashuanh]

If you go back to some early threads in the forum, you'll see numerous people complaining that they can't drive the car smoothly. Personally, that was solved after about the first hour of owning the car, but some people never understood that you have to drive it a little bit differently than a typical ICE...it's more like a manual transmissioned car when your in a lower gear - that has significant engine braking, just like the i3 did have. You quickly learn to be smoother if you understand how it works. I blame both the salespeople that failed to instruct new owners, and the people that complained by not understanding their expensive purchase.