Hi All,
I bought an i4 M50 last year, and while I've been thrilled with its design, build quality, and performance, I'm encountering a consistent and frustrating issue with its charging time settings.
The Issue:
I reside in an area where daytime electricity is significantly more expensive – 3x more than between 10pm-7am. Naturally, I've programmed my i4 through the MyBMW app to charge exclusively during the cheaper time slot. However, much to my disappointment, the car disregards these settings approximately 75% of the time.
Here's an example of what I experience: I might return home at 10 am with a 70% battery charge, a set departure time of 7 am the next day, and a target charge of 80%. Despite having ample time to charge during the night, the car begins charging immediately, right in the heart of the higher rate period. The app acknowledges the "charge slot active," but it simply doesn't abide by it.
What I've Tried:
- Multiple conversations with BMW connect support, which unfortunately didn't yield any solutions.
- Took the car to the dealer for a potential software upgrade.
- Multiple car reboots.
- Deleting and recreating my BMW ID account, as advised by support.
Recently, to add to the frustration, the 'Restart charging' button has been removed from the MyBMW app. Now, the only method to restart charging after manually halting it is to physically unplug and plug back in the charger.
I turn to you all for insights, advice, or potential solutions. Have any of you experienced something similar? Is there a workaround I might not be aware of? I'm genuinely baffled that the car struggles with what seems like a simple timer feature, especially when household appliances can do it with ease.
What adds to my perplexity is that upon doing some research, I've stumbled upon multiple threads spanning years where other BMW owners describe similar challenges with their charging schedules. This leads me to believe that my experience isn't an isolated incident or a result of incorrect settings on my end. Given that on days where I drive short distances, these unexpected immediate charges are completed within a mere 30 minutes, it's evident that the car would have ample time to charge overnight based on the schedule I set.
Has anyone received an official response or resolution from BMW that adequately addresses this problem?