Help no heat

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Stewart

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2024
Messages
16
Hi to all I have had my I 3s for six months now and love it what a car.but now on new years day the car lost heat just cold coming out of heater and also on new years day the bmw app would not work on phone had to re install app so since then cars heater stopped working but sometimes will work in the morning when we precondition useing the app could this be a software promblem or something bigger help would be appreciated .Stewart
 
I'm afraid it's a well-known problem - the heater element is prone to failure on the i3. They tend to become temperamental/intermittent before failing altogether.
 
What's your year and model? Heat pump?

My 2017 BEV with heat pump did this a few times, each about a week apart, each time on particularly chilly nights a leaving work, each occasion "fixing itself" by the next day.

I took it in. BMW didn't give me any indication this is a known issue, but the technician noted that he applied a software update, and the problem disappeared with the exception of one other instance.

I don't know whether or has to do with the PTC heater or the heat pump or something else entirely, I'm just throwing this out there as a data point – one perhaps that BMW is aware of.
 
If heater fails is this a job I can do at home and what is the main problem of heater that fails
 
Just my two bits recently joined this site after getting myself a used BM3 I3 Rex (2015 UK model) Purchase only a few days ago with 12k miles on clock. I also am/was ? having problems re no heating. Somewhere I then read that if its in Eco mode, either takes a long time to heat or perhaps, stays off. I fiddled with settings this morning and turned off eco drive mode, it then appears to have started heating . I had set the climate control "departure times" to come on at a set time. Prior to it coming on, I fiddled with a lot of controls however, no heating ? Anyway, long and short, predeparture heating did start and warm up the cab. I am still uncertain what or why or where I may be going wrong. I spoke to another person who has a Merc Van (electric) and he also told me that his van does not heat up fast. He sets off normal mode and then after a few miles switched it to eco. Hope this assists ? Appreciate, you may already have discounted this

PS - Unsure whether my I3 has a heat pump ?
 
Last edited:
for what it’s worth, my 2017 i3 Rex delivers reduced heat in eco mode, as it explains in the handbook. to compensate, I use the seat warmers which are quick & efficient. To get full heat I need to be in Comfort mode. It’s a choice. Hope yours works as well as mine has!
 
Minotaur said:
Just my two bits recently joined this site after getting myself a used BM3 I3 Rex (2015 UK model) Purchase only a few days ago with 12k miles on clock. I also am/was ? having problems re no heating. Somewhere I then read that if its in Eco mode, either takes a long time to heat or perhaps, stays off. I fiddled with settings this morning and turned off eco drive mode, it then appears to have started heating . I had set the climate control "departure times" to come on at a set time. Prior to it coming on, I fiddled with a lot of controls however, no heating ? Anyway, long and short, predeparture heating did start and warm up the cab. I am still uncertain what or why or where I may be going wrong. I spoke to another person who has a Merc Van (electric) and he also told me that his van does not heat up fast. He sets off normal mode and then after a few miles switched it to eco. Hope this assists ? Appreciate, you may already have discounted this

PS - Unsure whether my I3 has a heat pump ?
Click to expand...
Hi have tried a lot of things I drive in comfort mode all the time car has under 20 thousand miles on it bmw what £200 just to put on there machine
 
If your car has under 20k which was a selling point, and is under 4 years, there should still be a BMW warranty. 4/50,000
 
Stewart said:
This was my next step to do tomorrow been too busy working on my triumph today
Click to expand...
Have checked car today and all levels ok still no heat and now weather is snowing we are now looking at cheap car for work now i3 is now going into storage tell i have time to sort out
 
Before you put in storage, maybe take VIN to another BMW dealer in case car was made in first couple months of 2020 and there is a month or two left. If you put it to the side you may kick yourself later you didn’t get a 2nd opinion. I’m looking at a 2030 i3s and non-bmw dealer said you have the warranty when I requested the 12 volt battery be changed as part of the sale. Still checking to see if he is right as San Francisco BMW dealer I reached out to didn’t give an answer. BMW told me all dealers are privately owned on another dealer who said he could sell to my state.
 
Looked at BMW warranty and the 4 years starts the day it was first sold. So the one I’m looking at was sold in May 2024 so still 4-5 months left. Carfax it
 
JimBmwi3s said:
Looked at BMW warranty and the 4 years starts the day it was first sold. So the one I’m looking at was sold in May 2024 so still 4-5 months left. Carfax it
Click to expand...
Steward must be in the U.K. where BMW warranty terms aren't necessarily like those in the U.S.
 

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