[JasH]

You really couldn't make it up!

My i8 was at the dealer for over a week to have an oil leak fixed. They "fixed" it.

Then of course the leak recurred just as I was at Eurotunnel leaving for the PI Dusseldorf event, so I had to return home and miss the event.

Then the dealer kindly gives me a brand new i8 as a courtesy car, yesterday. Just 30 miles on it. I move it 30 feet from my drive into my neighbours drive (as my garage is being repaired after the flood), and it develops a fault (fans won't turn off).

I tell the dealer the car has a problem and will be flat by morning at this rate. This happens! Brand new i8 dead on my neighbour's driveway now.

BMW recovery now say the i8 needs a special transporter, and that will take another day. Imagine if you break down away from home in an i8

[JasH]

Now the dealer says there is no oil leak on my i8.... it's just oil from the engine insulation. I told them I don't believe this at all...

I've asked them to answer some detailed questions.

The technicians need to explain:

1/ If the insulation caused the visible oil leak, then why wasn't it cleaned up on its last visit?

2/ How can so much oil have been in the insulation, to be dripping out 1 week later onto my floor.

3/ If there is no leak, why did the car report low oil? Even when I specifically ran the measurement dignostic, where it showed the level so low it was halfway between minimum and zero.

[Maanpur]

Sorry to hear about your trouble. I know it sucks but unfortunately we are all at dealers mercy when it comes to fixing stuff properly. Hope they get that resolved for you soon.

[orion1977]

Is your i8 your daily driver ?

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by JasH

You really couldn't make it up!

My i8 was at the dealer for over a week to have an oil leak fixed. They "fixed" it.

Then of course the leak recurred just as I was at Eurotunnel leaving for the PI Dusseldorf event, so I had to return home and miss the event.

Then the dealer kindly gives me a brand new i8 as a courtesy car, yesterday. Just 30 miles on it. I move it 30 feet from my drive into my neighbours drive (as my garage is being repaired after the flood), and it develops a fault (fans won't turn off).

I tell the dealer the car has a problem and will be flat by morning at this rate. This happens! Brand new i8 dead on my neighbour's driveway now.

BMW recovery now say the i8 needs a special transporter, and that will take another day. Imagine if you break down away from home in an i8

Years ago (yes. I’ve had mine since Jan 2015), I did break down away from home. Drive train malfunction, gearbox locked up. In a low-clearance underground parking structure.

Called the BMW service line. The i8 must not have been in their systems yet, because they sent a guy who was expecting an 8-series. He had never seen an i8 in his life. Then they sent a flatbed truck, which didn’t fit into the building. Then they sent a pickup-style tow truck. They put the i8 on four dollies, rolled it out of the building, and towed it halfway across town like that. I wonder how many pictures of that are floating around on Instagram ...

[JasH]

Thanks guys. Yes i8 is my daily driver, but I have 2 other cars so it's not a transportation issue. It was only a BIG problem when I failed to make the PI event as it notified the low oil issue during the journey.

Aye-eight

[Maxxsirrah]

And people say the i8 isn't a super car, sounds like all the classic symptoms of a supercar to me, brilliant when its working and a right royal PITA when it isn't!

[JasH]

I don't recommend BMWi Recovery at all.

Two days on, they sent a bigger recovery truck and a technician.

However, despite my advice they did not bring a mobile charging unit. They said they had never heard of such a device

I know many AA trucks carry them.

When the technician turned up I asked if he was an I-car technician. He said no. I asked if he had worked on an i8. He replied that he had never even seen an i8 before!

THIS is BMWi Recovery

So he sets about trying to fix it. He calls his helpline who talk him through the process.

I gave him a little help regarding accessing the pull-tag on the passenger side.

The two of them had been told how to lift the bonnet, but were clearly lost. They failed to use screwdrivers to hold it up. They were looking for a catch mechanism to keep the bonnet up I advised using 2 screwdrivers.

So one of them released the bonnet It flexed slightly

They charged the 12V battery using jump leads, and got the ICE started.

Upon closing the bonnet they were going to bend the rear points by pressing those down I told them where to press it down, saving the bonnet of this brand new i8

Then I left them to it, and they returned saying they can't drive it to the flatbed truck, as they are not insured to drive anything worth over £90,000

So I drove it for them

Bravo BMWi Recovery

[NGR]

Originally Posted by JasH

I don't recommend BMWi Recovery at all.

Two days on, they sent a bigger recovery truck and a technician.

However, despite my advice they did not bring a mobile charging unit. They said they had never heard of such a device

I know many AA trucks carry them.

When the technician turned up I asked if he was an I-car technician. He said no. I asked if he had worked on an i8. He replied that he had never even seen an i8 before!

THIS is BMWi Recovery

So he sets about trying to fix it. He calls his helpline who talk him through the process.

I gave him a little help regarding accessing the pull-tag on the passenger side.

The two of them had been told how to lift the bonnet, but were clearly lost. They failed to use screwdrivers to hold it up. They were looking for a catch mechanism to keep the bonnet up I advised using 2 screwdrivers.

So one of them released the bonnet It flexed slightly

They charged the 12V battery using jump leads, and got the ICE started.

Upon closing the bonnet they were going to bend the rear points by pressing those down I told them where to press it down, saving the bonnet of this brand new i8

Then I left them to it, and they returned saying they can't drive it to the flatbed truck, as they are not insured to drive anything worth over £90,000

So I drove it for them

Bravo BMWi Recovery

I am speechless, not really surprised but speechless. What is the reg number? Any potential buyers should be warned about that thing!

[JasH]

I really wouldn't buy any ex-demonstrator anywhere.

This one will be ok though. I saved it from the worst of it.

[Ravon]

Jas, sorry for your predicament, but rather glad you are seeing the sort of BMW service I see. Now I hope you might revise your views of my numerous depressing posts. Still love the car, and unless something better comes along have every intension of purchasing a new Coupe just before production finishes .

PS. When my i8 broke BMW turned up with a 60,000mile 730DL, looked like an ex taxi, needless to say I wasn't amused !

[JasH]

I'm reserving judgement on the dealer until it's concluded, as they have always looked after me.

BMWi Recovery however are utterly terrible. That conclusion has been reached and cast in stone. If this had been my own car, I'd have gone supernova on them!

[JasH]

The courtesy i8 was returned to me a couple of days ago. All is ok with it now. The fault was a tiny thing - just a faulty resistor in the heating fan circuit.


And even better news! The dealer says they found the source of my i8 oil leak. It was the inlet vanos solenoid. They are testing for a few more days to make 100% certain.