[3ackok]

I'm planning to buy my i3 after the lease runs out and I like to service my cars when it is within my modest abilities. My car was at the dealer twice. According to the invoices, the majority of work was in reading codes, resetting and reprogramming. Is there a guide for getting started with ISTA, Rheingold or whatever system used in i3? I don't want to go the trial and error route, because it is apparent that the errors are easy to make and may result in bricking the car.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by 3ackok

I'm planning to buy my i3 after the lease runs out and I like to service my cars when it is within my modest abilities. My car was at the dealer twice. According to the invoices, the majority of work was in reading codes, resetting and reprogramming. Is there a guide for getting started with ISTA, Rheingold or whatever system used in i3? I don't want to go the trial and error route, because it is apparent that the errors are easy to make and may result in bricking the car.

If you own the i3 out of warranty, I would NEVER touch the coding. Why break what's working?
Dealers religiously update software on i3's because BMW NA reimburses them for this work. If NA reimbursed them for flossing tires, you they would come out looking brand spanking new from service as well. But what's the upside to you for doing that?

Having said that, please run the #s on pro's vs. con's of buying our lease return i3. The residual values are usually $10+K above the market value of the car. Battery capacity goes +50% every other year, which further sinks the resale value of old i3s.
With the subsidies BMW NA is throwing at i3 leases, it's really hard to beat leasing a new one every 24 months for ~$250/month or $3K/year.
If you find a used i3 that depreciates less than $3K/year, let me know!

Good luck either way,
a

[3ackok]

I definitely didn't mean buying the car at its residual value. I have a used car dealer, who can buy the car for me at the dealer auction. I'll just have to watch for the VIN.
I'm concerned about repairing the car out of warranty. Let me copy a service invoice after my last visit when they fixed two problems:
CUSTOMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS COMING ON
INTERMITTENTLY
PER PUMA CASE # 63383752, PERFORM SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE
VEHICLE, AND VERIFIED FAULTS DID NOT RETURN. VERIFIED COMPLAINT, FOUND ACTIVE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT
WHEN PULLING INTO WORKSHOP. PERFORM SHORT TEST. FOUND
MULTIPLE FAULTS THE TWO IN QUESTION WERE 2228B8- EDME-
UNABLE TO ACTIVE DURING READINESS, AND 222C02-EWS- RESPONSE
IMPLAUSIBLE. PERFORM TEST MODULES PROVIDED, AND TEST PLAN
CONCLUDED TO REPLACE EME CONTROL UNIT. (CONTACT T.C.)
CREATE PUMA CASE # 63383752. ADVISED TROUGH PuMA TO PERFORM
COMPLETE VEHICLE ENCODING ON THE VEHICLE AND RE-CHECK.
PER PuMA REQUEST DISCONNECT HIGH VOLTAGE SYSTEM, AND PERFORM
VEHICLE PROGRAMMING/ ENCODING. PROGRAMMING SUCCESSFUL. (AND
i-LEVEL" WAS ALSO UPDATED FOR LINE 8) RE-RUN SHORT TEST
AFTER PROGRAMMING AND CLEAR FAULTS AGAIN. LET VEHICLE GO TO
SLEEP FOR 1hr. RE-RUN SHORT TEST THE NEXT MORNING 5/19/17.
SUBMIT FASTA DATA, AND ADVISED PER PuMA AT THAT POINT FAUTLS
DID NOT RETURN, OK TO RELEASE THE VEHICLE. VERIFIED REPAIRS
COMPLETED.

So the tech reprogrammed and reset a module.

CUSTOMER STATES THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS APPEARING
FAULTY DRIVER'S FRONT STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG.
VERIFIED COMPLAINT, FOUND ACTIVE SRS WARNING WHEN ENTERING
WORKSHOP. PERFORM SHORT TEST AND FOUND FAULT CODE 93090A-
DRIVER'S AIRBAG, INTERVAL STAGE 2: RESISTANCE TOO HIGH.
PERFORM TEST MODULE PROVIDED. PER TEST MODULE, REMOVE DRIVER
AIRBAG. INSTALL OHM RESISTOR OF 3.1ohms IN PLACE OF AIRBAG.
TEST MODULE TESTED WIRING FROM AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT- DRIVER'S
BAG. 3.1ohms MEASURED AT HARNESS END. TEST PLAN CONCLUDED TO
REPLACE DRIVER'S STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG. 5/24-REPLACE DRIVERS
FRONT AIRBAG. PERFORM SHORT TEST, CLEAR ANY FAULTS CREATED.
VERIFIED REPAIRS COMPLETE.
Here he substituted the airbag with a resistor to determine if the fault was in the airbag or its circuit.
I have a background in electronics and IT and capable of doing such troubleshooting. At the same time my experience says that there are infinite ways to screw things up. This is why I don't want to experiment and looking for better ways to get started.

[Almaretto]

ISTA+ is really user friendly and easy to use.