Remove/disable charging plug lock?

Hello all,

on my 2014 BMW i3 full electric:

My OEM charging plug locking motor was giving me problems unlocking (several times), where I had to use the emergency manual blue pull cable several time.

Four times, I had to take apart all, to get to the motor (on top of the charging socket) and reset (the pulled emergency release cable) and then to test its function on locking/unlocking. This seemed to resolve my issue (and not to pay my local dealer the high prices they would charge).

This time I couldn't get it to work properly, and said enough with the old motor.

Therefore:
I have just replaced my charging cable plug locking motor with a new part from BMW with Motor P/N 61 13 6 805 425 @ a cost of €93.90 from my local BMW Dealer.

Unfortunately, after installation, I found no change in function from the unit compared to that of the old replaced unit.

I can now unlock (lever on motor at the bottom location), but now cannot lock the cable (lever does not move to the top - lock position).
Manually I can move it to the top lock position, and it unlocks from there (with remote), but does not lock (using remote).

As I say the old unit (which didn't unlock the cable) now does the same exact thing as the new one (doesn't lock the cable now). Somewhere there is a logic circuit with controls its function (both seen in the old unit as well as now the new unit).

Help, Help i3 forum, does anyone have any ideas on where the problem lies? Has anyone experienced this as well?

Cheers,

Hi coupe0crazy,
I have the charging plug lock issue as well in my 2014 BEV. It has been like this for almost 4 to 5 years since I was able to use DC fast charging. The plug rarely lock (2% of time) on Level 1 or 2 charging. It used to lock the plug immediately when I locked the car after a software update of 2015/2016. Then the frequency of lock engagement keeps dropping to almost never lock itself on L1/L2. On Level 3 DC fast charging, I had two completely different experience on two different dealerships using the Chargepoint 25kW DC charger (they look exactly the same).

In dealer A (Harley Davidson), my charging plug lock will lock every single time I plug in the charging cable, then 5 seconds later unlock itself and DC fast charging would not start complaining charge plug lock error. No matter how many time I kept trying (plug and unplug), same cycle of events happened.

In dealer B (Mercedes), my charging plug lock would not engage at all, once I plugged in the cable, the white light came up, then turn to flashing blue, after 10 -15 sec, the charger would complain charging plug lock failure and the flashing red light came up on the charging port. So I kept trying, plugging in, wait for 3 sec, if lock did not engage, unplug, then plugging in, wait for 3 sec, so on and so forth. After usually around 15 mins to 45 mins of this exercise, the lock will engage within the 3 sec before I pull out the charging cable, then the DC fast charging will then start. At the end, I usually spent 45 mins trying to get it to work and another 45 mins to fast charge it at 25kW. Total of 90 mins is still faster then level 2 charging. That's why I don't use DC fast charging unless my SOC is less than 25%.

Base on the plug able to lock and unlock successfully in dealer A, but different behavior in Dealer B, I concluded the mechanical parts in the charging plug lock is fine. I am leaning toward the software of my car has a bug, which was last update mid 2018. That is the reason I did not change out the lock assembly.

Here are some previous discussions regarding dodgy charge plug locking:

DCFC Level 3 charging not reliable
https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16358

Charge door no longer locking and unable to CCS charge now
https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5015