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      10-27-2019, 12:17 PM   #1
Ionicsilveri8
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Replacement batteries

Has anyone successfully had their main batteries replaced under warranty? I know we have an 8 year warranty on the batteries but have noticed more recently that the amount of range after an overnight charge is reducing, it used to be 20 miles or so, sometimes up to 23, but for the last few weeks it has only been 16 miles with 14 today. I know weather plays a part but other than that I am still using the car as I always have.

What do you do to check this please? Also, can BMW fit the larger capacity batteries of the newer cars in the older cars? Mine is 2016 with 40k. Ta...
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      10-27-2019, 12:41 PM   #2
JasH
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16 is perfectly normal, especially if you did not drive it gently recently.

If you start driving it very economically for a while, then on a warm day it should estimate 20 or more miles.

Yes batteries can be replaced but it is really not worth it. £10k+ Only worth doing when the batteries are dying in 10 years time or so (if the car is worth anything at the time).
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      10-27-2019, 02:09 PM   #3
Ionicsilveri8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasH View Post
16 is perfectly normal, especially if you did not drive it gently recently.

If you start driving it very economically for a while, then on a warm day it should estimate 20 or more miles.

Yes batteries can be replaced but it is really not worth it. £10k+ Only worth doing when the batteries are dying in 10 years time or so (if the car is worth anything at the time).
But I was driving it gently, Sunday afternoon trip to Marks and Sparks and all that! I’ll try to get it up a bit in the Spring and see what happens. Thanks...
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      10-28-2019, 10:28 AM   #4
ChiTownM
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I have a 2014 which I owned since new and the range MAY have deteriorated since new.....I know that they made changes to battery management via updates and personally feel that I used to get more mileage out of my battery when new. I have been driving the same commute in the same manner, more or less. However, how do we prove that the battery has lost capacity and needs to be replaced, that's totally unclear and of course the dealer will need to make that call.

I have yet to find somebody that has received a new battery under the 8 year warranty for it....
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      01-05-2020, 02:57 PM   #5
Swiss tone
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ionicsilveri8 View Post
Has anyone successfully had their main batteries replaced under warranty? I know we have an 8 year warranty on the batteries but have noticed more recently that the amount of range after an overnight charge is reducing, it used to be 20 miles or so, sometimes up to 23, but for the last few weeks it has only been 16 miles with 14 today. I know weather plays a part but other than that I am still using the car as I always have.

What do you do to check this please? Also, can BMW fit the larger capacity batteries of the newer cars in the older cars? Mine is 2016 with 40k. Ta...
Now that the weather in the uk is near freezing overnight, I struggle to get over 12 range after a full charge. That’s after driving it in eco pro gently as well. When I bought it in September, most I got was 15 I think. Hoping for a bit more when the warm weather comes!

I was concerned at first but just got used to how to drive it and enjoy it now. Just about works for me as work is about 8 miles away.

Interesting to find out what the criteria is for replacement? They won’t go on range as that’s just an estimate and dependant on how it was last driven so I guess they do there own capacity test and probably has to get down to about 50% at a guess?

Last edited by Swiss tone; 01-05-2020 at 03:13 PM..
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      01-05-2020, 04:29 PM   #6
JasH
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Not one single i3 battery has ever failed. And I don't believe an i8 one has either, so what you are experiencing is very likely simply poor cold weather performance.
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      04-22-2020, 03:49 PM   #7
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i8 battery replacement

Yes, I have had the HV battery replaced. I posted earlier about my 2016 having not liked storage. After four months, I have just received the car back. It has all new components as the source of failure could not be determined. Lots of well burnt electronics. Besides all new related electronics, the car has both HV and LV batteries. Two things different now - even with the new HV battery, the max charge is still 21 Km and now the ICE is run for a few minutes each time I set off and periodically while driving unless placed in max e mode. I am assuming this is to protect the ICE from detonation if asked for full power dead cold. This has never happened to any other i8 - lucky me? End result is a further four years hybrid drive warranty but with a new set of batteries. Apparently, using a battery tender on the LV battery is counterproductive because it is charged and monitored by the HV battery module when required.
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      05-13-2020, 03:02 PM   #8
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Im in the USA, had 4 of the 6 battery packs replaced in February of this year, due to a Drive train malfunction cannot restart, took 3 months to get parts, i dont think it was the actual batteries because sometimes the error cleared and the car would charge and run fine. After the new batteries the charge level is the same, I think they have to calibrate the charging levels so they are all even. If the capacity drops below 70% BMW will replace them.

This is from the BMW Service and warrant manual, not sure its the same worldwide:

High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery
Capacity Coverage
The high-voltage lithium-ion battery modules are
covered against excessive capacity loss for a
period of 8 years/100,000 miles, whichever
occurs first. This coverage is in addition to the
high-voltage lithium-ion battery’s limited
warranty for defects in materials or workmanship.
Due to its inherent technical design, the
high-voltage lithium-ion battery’s capacity will
decrease over time and with use. If an authorized
BMW center’s capacity check concludes that the
net battery capacity is less than 70 percent of its
original nominal value when it was new, this level
of capacity loss is considered excessive.
During the High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery
Capacity Coverage period, BMWNA will cover
the necessary component repair or replacement
to correct this excessive capacity loss when
performed by an authorized BMW center.
Battery performance and durability, including
high-voltage lithium-ion batteries, is
temperature-dependent.While battery capacity
increases in higher temperatures, colder
temperatures will lower the battery’s capacity.
Extreme high and/or low temperatures may
impact the battery’s service life.
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      05-16-2020, 08:44 PM   #9
P.K.
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Well, my car is not out of the woods yet!. It will charge (level 2) to a range of 35Km or 25Km depending on it's mood. Regardless of the stated charge range, driving down my steep driveway with the gauge solidly in the regen range it will show 21Km range once on the level and heading out. It will randomly drop the e-drive graphic, and e-drive, again a mood thing? Further, it can't decide if service is due in 9000Km or overdue with the big red graphic in the display. Only 3 months for the repair you say- lucky! Mine was over four and continuing. Because of the extent of the failure the entire kit was replaced and the package is on its way back to Germany to be reassembled and diagnosed. Answers pending? I'm a bit surprised that they would not replace all the cells in your situation? Batteries like to be the same age- its a bro thing? The older ones like the bigger meal. Maybe the charging system is capable of monitoring each cell group and able to direct the needed charge accordingly but I seriously doubt it. It is reasonable to assume that the battery group is all the same age? It is a huge task to replace cell packs- evacuate the AC system, remove the battery pack, pull the cells along with the cooling tubing etc. If the car has four more years of remaining battery warranty, it is a poor investment on BMW to replace 4 of 6 cell packs. I am going on the assumption that BMW has my back on this and it is looking as though the mysterious gremlin is getting out and while at this point there are only a few, the bean counters must be getting a heads up on what could effect the future confidence in BMW hybrid and EV vehicle sales for the future? I really like this car- it is cutting edge, so I expect "issues". I knew this when I dove in the deep end. This is not a lease it fast- ditch it fast thing - I'm long term- I just hope that my next road trip isn't on a flat deck ... with engine sounds playing on the sound system.
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