Update on KLE replacement problem

[Vinnie50]

I have to side with you on the ordering parts before the car comes in. It would make my life allot easier if if didn't have to pull the car in and out several times because parts weren't ordered. The service advisor should be responsible for ordering the parts. Here is a dealer secret. This is not typical for all advisors. There are some good ones but they are few and far between. The advisor will likely make up a story just so they don't have to do extra work. Technicians yell at advisors daily trying to get them to contact the customer for approval to do work or more information about a problem. Again this is not all advisors. But once you know the inner working of a dealer you will find out they are there just to keep the customer satisfied. The tech can't do anything until he has a written repair order for the vehicle. As far as having a KLE in stock just in case, parts departments don't like to have a $1,000 control unit sitting on their shelf just in case a customer needs it. The less inventory means less overhead. Dealers are in the business of making money. As a tech I would love to have all parts in stock.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Thanks for the response and I hope you don't think I was on your case in a personal manner: just venting about a dealership system that I find unfair.

My beef is with a scheduled appointment made 3 weeks in advance to have the fuel pressure Service Bulletin complied with and arriving to find that no parts have been ordered yet. And being told by the SA that was policy.....
The fact that it was two days before Thanksgiving and "the job ran into the weekend" resulting in my being saddled with a junky 328 for a week has nothing to do with it..... Neither does the fact that my lease means that I am paying for a $55k EV, but I am driving a wornout ICE with 30k miles during the holiday weekend...... :roll:

At least Century West BMW as not inconvienced since that's what is important.....

 

[jadnashuanh]

I do not know what BMWUSA corporate stance on this is, but when I made my appointment (next week), the service people specifically said they'd order the part(s) so they had them on hand when the car came in. I think it may be a local thing, and not a corporate policy.

IMHO, the reason dealerships do not at this time have KLE's just sitting around unallocated to customer cars is that BMW wants to have at least a few on hand to dole out if a car goes non-op and needs one. Plus, the dealership probably has to pay for them if they want it for inventory, rather than specifically for a car in need, and none of them want to park a lot of extra money into parts - it just doesn't help their cash flow. In most cases, a dealer can order a part one day, and have it the next if it isn't in stock locally.

 

[Vinnie50]

No problem. I know you were just venting. I can fully understand your frustration. The i3 is a new experience for BMW dealers. With the active e customers knew it was experiment. The i3 is full production. I have to say the i3 customers are some of the most passionate and knowledgable out there. SA's can't get away with their usual excuses anymore. Also this is new for tech's. I have been very fortunate to be working on BMW hybrids and EV's since the X6. I have also removed and disassembled the drivetrain on the active e over 30 times. I fully respect high voltage but I'm not afraid of it. When you have tech's who never worked with high voltage before your bound to run into delays. i have learned a few things on this forum too.

 

[Boatguy]

I think it all just speaks to the fact that the dealer model serves nobody except the dealer. Tesla and Apple, in entirely different product categories, have shown that manufacturer direct produces much better customer satisfaction, higher quality customer feedback to the manufacturer and better profit margins for the manufacturer.

I worked at Apple when we had a dealer network and a) getting anything out to the customer was like pushing a rope and b) we never trusted what the dealers were telling us because they had their own agenda. The result was very poor communication between manufacturer and customer. Ultimately the dealers dumped Apple, which led to Apple opening its own retail stores and the rest is history (highest sales $ / sq ft of any retailer in the world).

But in the US we're stuck with BMW USA (we never interact with BMW AG), and the jobs at BMW USA are dependent on having a dealer network so they'll keep telling BMW AG that's the only way and we'll continue to have service (pre and post sale) that reflects the quality of the dealer, not the quality of the car or the manufacturer.

All of which means some of us will have a wonderful KLE replacement experience, and others less so.

 

[ted99]

My Dealer--Advantage BMW, Mid-town Houston--just got the recall notice for the KLE replacement on my i3. First available appointment with a loaner is Jan 13. Process protocol is that they must have the car, run for recalls, and then order parts; so I'm expecting several days before I get the car back. Service writer says no parts push or preorder possible.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I'll let you know how long mine takes...appointment next week.

 

[Vinnie50]

Are you guys getting i3 loaners?

 

[jelloslug]

Are you guys getting i3 loaners?

I got an i3 loaner from my local dealership.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I could have gotten a loaner, but I live within walking distance, and just chose to use my ICE in the interim. The 10-minute walk is not a problem unless it's a really nasty storm, then I get them to drop me home instead.

 

[i3atl]

Are you guys getting i3 loaners?

Yes.

 

[Vinnie50]

Let me know how it goes for everyone. I have noticed that programming the new KLE turns off GPS tracking of the car for the iRemote app. I would be curious if you guys find anything else so I can improve my repairs. Thanks.

 

[Tomasz]

Let me know how it goes for everyone. I have noticed that programming the new KLE turns off GPS tracking of the car for the iRemote app. I would be curious if you guys find anything else so I can improve my repairs. Thanks.

Hm... my iRemote app just reported GPS tracking to be turned off today (in service for drivetrain malfunction error). Does it mean I got new KLE in without them telling me?

 

[I33t]

KLE was replaced on mine the week before delivery. When testing the GPS location before it was shipped to me, I noticed there was no signal - a call to the sales guy and he turned it back on. I knew where the car was before the shipping company called me up to say it had arrived!

I didn't know fitting the KLE turns GPS tracking off, but that explains it being off.

 

[jelloslug]

KLE was replaced on mine the week before delivery. When testing the GPS location before it was shipped to me, I noticed there was no signal - a call to the sales guy and he turned it back on. I knew where the car was before the shipping company called me up to say it had arrived!

I didn't know fitting the KLE turns GPS tracking off, but that explains it being off.

My GPS tracking was off today when I picked up my i3 from having the KLE replace also. There were a few other settings that had been changed also, 12/24 hour, comfort/ECOpro/ECOpro + descriptions being displayed when you change modes and a few other things as well.

 

[Tomasz]

are those changes simply a result of flashing CPUs with fresh factory setting wiping out ours?

 

[Vinnie50]

The programming of the vehicle basically resets the car to factory settings. To be honest I was impressed that the preset radio stations were still there.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, but does the KLE affect the charging rate when using the DC fast charge option? Thanks in advance.

 

[pdurham]

No it does not.

 

[jelloslug]

The programming of the vehicle basically resets the car to factory settings. To be honest I was impressed that the preset radio stations were still there.

I'm sure it has something to do with it. All of my other setting were still there though.