The most expensive BMW software upgrade? £741

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eng1212

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
Messages
5
Hi, Is this the most expensive software upgrade a BMW car has ever had?
Last Friday my BMW i3 wouldn't unlock using the key. (I have only one key) Changed the battery No difference. Called BMW advised to contact AA ??
Eventually managed to open the car using the manual key but could get the car to recognise the Key Fob . After many attempts I managed to get the car started. After 3 days in the garage (and being charged for a new key I didn't need) the problem was resolved by a software upgrade. Bill was £741 . Is this the most expensive upgrade ever. I thought software upgrades were free if they were needed to fix keys not working. !!!!
 
If the problem was due to your car's system software, it would have affected many other i3's. I don't recall reading about a fob not opening an i3 unless the fob's battery needed replacing or the voltage of the 12 V battery was low. I suppose the fob itself could have failed.

Also, the fob is very sensitive to its battery's voltage. Even though the button cell's nominal voltage is 3 V, a voltage of 3.0 V might not be sufficient. The voltage of a new button cell can be as high as 3.3 V.

It's probably worth having a second fob so that if one fob fails or is lost, you won't have to wait for a new fob. This could take days to arrive because it must be registered to an i3's VIN which might need to be done at a central BMW facility. I suspect that a significant portion of the £741 was the cost of the new fob.

Whatever you paid for a system software update was almost certainly money that you didn't have to spend. A recent system software version probably has some value, but certainly not what you were charged.
 
Thanks for the response. Here are a few more facts which may clarify the issues?
1.0 On the evening before the car failed to open I was charging the vehicle at a BP Pulse Type 2 charger at Rookery Hall Hotel (near Nantwich) and the charger refused to STOP. I tried ringing the support number but no reply (just music) so I pressed the emergency stop and found the car would not release the cable. I know the fix for this is to open and shut the car 6 times using the key fob. I noticed that the response from the car was taking longer the greater number of time I repeated the requests to open and shut. The cable eventually released.
2.0 The problem of no response from the key occured the next morning. I replaced the battery in the key fob and it made no difference.
3.0 I am beginning to suspect the 12v battery in the car which may perhaps be low? Can you change this yourself or do you need specialist equipment to maintain the computer system etc.? Anyone know how much BMW charge for changing checking the battery?
4.0 There has been an intermittent seatbelt/airbag error occuring which is corrected by resetting the error code. This could also be related to a poor 12v battery voltage?
5.0 You are correct that a significant part of the cost was the new key (£291 plus £80 install fee) I feel it was unfair to charge me for a new key because BMW advised me that they needed the new key in order to test the receiver? Do they not have signal generators?
6.0 If anyone knows if the 12v battery can be removed and replaced with the assistance of the BMW garage I would like to know about it please.

My other car is a Toyota, It just works!!!!!!
 
eng1212 said:
1.0 On the evening before the car failed to open I was charging the vehicle at a BP Pulse Type 2 charger at Rookery Hall Hotel (near Nantwich) and the charger refused to STOP. I tried ringing the support number but no reply (just music) so I pressed the emergency stop and found the car would not release the cable. I know the fix for this is to open and shut the car 6 times using the key fob. I noticed that the response from the car was taking longer the greater number of time I repeated the requests to open and shut. The cable eventually released.
I've never read of opening and shutting an i3 6 times as a solution to a charging plug that won't release. However, many i3 owners have reported charging plugs that won't release. The causes could be the charger itself or a defective locking pin mechanism in the i3's charge port. A cable that could be pulled to release a stuck charging plug is accessible when the rear door on the side of the charge port is opened. I don't see any relationship between a stuck charge plug and a weak 12 V battery or failed fob.

eng1212 said:
2.0 The problem of no response from the key occured the next morning. I replaced the battery in the key fob and it made no difference.
Hopefully, the replacement button cell wasn't old with a voltage of 3.0 V. or less. When the fob button cell failed in one of my fobs, the replacement button cell was old. My fob didn't work until I bought a newer button cell whose voltage was 3.3 V.

eng1212 said:
3.0 I am beginning to suspect the 12v battery in the car which may perhaps be low? Can you change this yourself or do you need specialist equipment to maintain the computer system etc.? Anyone know how much BMW charge for changing checking the battery?
If you have a 12 V battery charger, it might be worth charging the 12 V battery before deciding to replace it. One should disconnected the high-voltage disconnect under the removable cover to the right of the frunk box before attaching a battery charger.

Many i3 owners have replaced 12 V batteries themselves. The frunk box should be removed to provide much easier access to the 12 V battery. The high-voltage disconnect should be disconnected before removing the 12 V battery. No special equipment is needed. Any mechanic could do this. However, most would not be aware of the high-voltage disconnect. Despite its name, it is merely a 12 V switch that shuts off the high-voltage system, so no dangerous high-voltage is involved.

eng1212 said:
4.0 There has been an intermittent seatbelt/airbag error occuring which is corrected by resetting the error code. This could also be related to a poor 12v battery voltage?
Odd errors can occur when the 12 V system voltage is low. However, the warning could be real as well.
 
I just recently replaced my 12v myself. I hear they tend to go bad after the 3rd or 4th year of use and when they go bad the i3 will start to have strange electrical issues. Mine was a 2017. So It lasted a good 4 years without any issues. I just changed it to avoid getting stranded.
It's super easy to replace the 12v, and a lot cheaper if you source the battery. I used a REMY AUX18L $139 US.
https://youtu.be/pvah5Vj7Ev8
https://youtu.be/4qjZsfoE6wc
 
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