BMW i8 in shop 14 days after I got it

thesunny · 06-30-2016, 11:29 PM

So, yep, just got my new 2015 White with Gray Accents i8 two weeks ago and it's already in the shop.

To add insult to injury, it happened right after I was at Emergency with my 2-year old at around 1:00 AM or so. Daughter is fine though which is most important.

The error was "Drivetrain: Vehicle cannot be restarted." Couldn't put it in gear. Has anybody else seen this?

Eventually, after exiting the car and coming back, the car was able to be put in gear but with the yellow engine light on. Roadside service said it was okay to drive home with a yellow light. The tow truck was already here so I had them follow me home and then tow it.

It was also somewhat frustrating as when I called roadside assistance (a) they didn't have my VIN in their system which they said all cars should and (b) I also got cut off of the roadside assistance call and the system wouldn't let me call them again. It said "call in progress" even though there was clearly no one there. Eventually it allowed the call out but not sure why it cut me off then blocked the call out.

BMW has been very apologetic and has gotten my car in the shop right away owing to the fact that it is such a new car so that is definitely good. They also got me a loaner today (a 328).

It looks like it may need a new EME (not sure what it is) and the part may be 2 weeks out.

Have been enjoying my car a lot up until now but hope this isn't the beginning of reliability issues. I've been having bad luck with this kind of thing lately. First world problems and all but frustrating never-the-less.

Well, I hope to be a happy member of the BMW i8 club again soon. Wish I could have made introductions on a happier note but hope to see you around in the forums. Will keep you updated if interested.

On a related note, BMW reached out to me through twitter's social media to email them. So far, they haven't responded to my email.

If anybody has any experiences or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

hytek · 07-01-2016, 01:37 AM

My car experienced similar symptoms, but all it needed was a software update.

Nivarox · 07-01-2016, 04:40 AM

Sorry to hear that glitch, I trust they will fix it soon

jcpca356 · 07-01-2016, 08:46 AM

software updates cause more issues with modern cars than mechanicals, smh. i've experienced them in my porsches too. my i8 has been perfect for the last year and a half however. will see if it lasts

Aye-eight · 07-01-2016, 10:34 AM

Had this happen twice. Always while I was parked at work in a deep underground structure that no flat-bed could get into.

First time was the worst. The hotline didn't know what an i8 was and sent me some roadside assistance guy who expected to see an 850i. :-/ So, he radioed for a tow truck, which we had to wait for again. Eventually, we got the car out and towed on dollies. The did an overnight software update, amd it worked again.

Couple of weeks later, the issue came back. This time, they did swap out some electronic component on the gearbox. Apparantly, the gearbox had "forgotten" which gear it was in, and could therefore not be shifted.

I have done about 10k km since then and the problem hasn't reoccured. Knock on wood...

thesunny · 07-01-2016, 11:39 AM

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the information. It's helpful to know that it is fairly common and not too difficult to resolve. The BMW guys seem to think it needs a new EME though and not simply a software update. I guess we'll see what they ultimately do.

thesunny · 07-06-2016, 06:34 PM

Sadly, I went to pick up my car and it was returned to me with a crack in the windshield.

The dealership said that it arrived like that from the towing company which was provisioned by BMW Roadside Assistance.

The dealership says I need to call BMW Canada, which I do, and the guy on the call says he doesn't know how to deal with i8's (I'm his first i8 call) and that he will escalate it. They will now apparently get back to me in 3-5 days which seems long for them to respond to a windshield that broke when the car was under their care.

Anyways, will hopefully have better news later.

rastaman777 · 07-06-2016, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesunny

Sadly, I went to pick up my car and it was returned to me with a crack in the windshield.

The dealership said that it arrived like that from the towing company which was provisioned by BMW Roadside Assistance.

The dealership says I need to call BMW Canada, which I do, and the guy on the call says he doesn't know how to deal with i8's (I'm his first i8 call) and that he will escalate it. They will now apparently get back to me in 3-5 days which seems long for them to respond to a windshield that broke when the car was under their care.

Anyways, will hopefully have better news later.

Dang man, that really sucks. sorry to hear that. i'm sure it will get resolved, just a matter of time/frustration.

there's a thread on here somewhere i believe that discusses weak windshield on the i8 prone to cracks.

phoenixbmwlife · 07-06-2016, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aye-eight

Had this happen twice. Always while I was parked at work in a deep underground structure that no flat-bed could get into.

First time was the worst. The hotline didn't know what an i8 was and sent me some roadside assistance guy who expected to see an 850i. :-/ So, he radioed for a tow truck, which we had to wait for again. Eventually, we got the car out and towed on dollies. The did an overnight software update, amd it worked again.

Couple of weeks later, the issue came back. This time, they did swap out some electronic component on the gearbox. Apparantly, the gearbox had "forgotten" which gear it was in, and could therefore not be shifted.

I have done about 10k km since then and the problem hasn't reoccured. Knock on wood...

Is yours a 2015 also?

thesunny · 07-06-2016, 07:25 PM

Yes, it's a 2015.

It's funny that it has a weak windshield. According to the following article, "BMW i8 is first car ever to be fitted with Gorilla Glass."

http://www.slashgear.com/bmw-i8-is-f...lass-08293148/

I wonder if it has more to do with the flex in the body because it uses unusual materials like carbon fibre reinforced plastic.

Hopefully I'll get to enjoy my car soon...

MrRob · 07-07-2016, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesunny

Yes, it's a 2015.

It's funny that it has a weak windshield. According to the following article, "BMW i8 is first car ever to be fitted with Gorilla Glass."

http://www.slashgear.com/bmw-i8-is-f...lass-08293148/

I wonder if it has more to do with the flex in the body because it uses unusual materials like carbon fibre reinforced plastic.

Hopefully I'll get to enjoy my car soon...

The gorilla glass is only used in the rear window between passenger and engine compartments.

I think the i8 windshield is no thinner than any other car. I had a stone chip which has not spread although it is being replaced on Friday as it is quite large and in the drivers line of sight - am a little apprehensive about how well they will get the car apart and more importantly back together.

thesunny · 07-07-2016, 01:13 PM

I see, thanks for the clarification.

I'm a little apprehensive as well. Last time I had my windshield replaced, it was for an SLK55. After they repaired it, the convertible top would not open. I didn't trust the windshield place anymore so I brought it to Mercedes Benz and apparently it was just a mess.

Chalermchai Wongwaiwit · 07-13-2016, 02:14 AM

I’m an i8 owner from Bangkok, Thailand. I visited this forum many months ago and my story is in the thread “drivetrain, no restart”.

When my car was new, I experienced this drivetrain problem, and it took the independent dealer about 2 weeks to fix. Now the problem has resurfaced. 10 days ago as I was leaving my driveway slowly, the car suddenly died while in motion, and the message “drivetrain, no restart” appeared. I waited a few minutes to restart and it was ok to drive. However, in the evening as I was leaving my office, the car died again while in motion. As before, I waited to restart the car but went straight to the dealership’s garage not far away.

Two days later, the dealership said they fixed the problem by downloading new “drivetrain software”. But as I was only about 300 yards from the dealership, the car died again and I was blocking a major intersection! So I had to restart the car asap and got out of the way, but it died again immediately. Now the car is still in the dealership and they told me there is some problem with the HV battery. They are suspecting the problem is caused by a fault in the ‘EME”, which I am told is the electricity generator, and the car is responding by shutting off the electrical supply to the drivetrain. They also suspected the problem I had last year was from this faulty EME unit. They told me there is one EME in front and one in the rear. Luckily, this dealership happens to have a spare front EME unit and they are going to replace it and see if the problem is fixed.

Last time I suspected the problem might have been caused by unstable power supply grid in Thailand. Every time it rains and there is lightning nearby, the electricity will get interrupted for a few seconds. Now it is rainy season in Thailand, so I rarely charge my car when there is a possibility of rain, but the problem still reoccurred.

While I owned many good cars, I love this one the most. But this reliability problem with the drivetrain is giving me worries. It is embarrassing to have such a beautiful car die in the middle of an intersection while other cars are honking at me!

Hope they get this problem fixed with the new EME unit. I will know the answer within a few days and will report to this forum.

thesunny · 07-14-2016, 04:15 PM

Thanks for chiming in with some additional information.

It is making me wary. BMW originally said they thought it was the EME as well but then they said they'd just do a software update or something. The error has gone away but I'm still a little worried. Hopefully they error won't recur.

Furthermore, they (BMW roadside assistance) broke my windshield while towing the car in and they are saying they won't pay for it.

Overall, the worst service I've received from any car company period.

I've bought cars from Mercedes, Ferrari, Lexus, Audi, Infiniti, Mazda, Toyota and Honda and have never been treated so poorly. The service guys at the dealership have been good but BMW Canada is not treating me well.

They should really be embarrassed and doing their best to make things right but it feels like the bad behaviour is piling on.

I wanted to get over the car breaking down so soon but the broken windshield and more importantly their response to it have been insulting.

Aye-eight · 07-15-2016, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixWolf

Is yours a 2015 also?

Yes, early 2015; late 2014 production.

Aye-eight · 07-15-2016, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesunny

Sadly, I went to pick up my car and it was returned to me with a crack in the windshield.

The dealership said that it arrived like that from the towing company which was provisioned by BMW Roadside Assistance.

The dealership says I need to call BMW Canada, which I do, and the guy on the call says he doesn't know how to deal with i8's (I'm his first i8 call) and that he will escalate it. They will now apparently get back to me in 3-5 days which seems long for them to respond to a windshield that broke when the car was under their care.

Anyways, will hopefully have better news later.

That doesn't look like a stress crack. That looks very much like a stone chip, or someone dropped a tool on it. Do you know if they towed the car along a highway? On a normal road / within a city it would seem unlikely that a sizeable stone would fly over the top of the truck, and onto the i8, which presumably was on a flatbed.

Chalermchai Wongwaiwit · 07-20-2016, 03:55 AM

Update:-

My car is still in the garage. After replacing the EME unit, the problem of the car dying while in motion with "drivetrain, no restart" still persists. The mechanic says the problem will go away if I warm the car for at least 10 minutes before driving off, but surely that is not the solution. Meanwhile they said the diagnostic program is showing no fault. So they will do an "online session" with BMW in the UK tomorrow to see if that side can provide the answer.

Will update again soon.

DallasDave · 07-21-2016, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chalermchai Wongwaiwit

Update:-
The mechanic says the problem will go away if I warm the car for at least 10 minutes before driving off, but surely that is not the solution.

That would be a completely unacceptable answer to me. Keep the pressure on. And keep us posted.

Dave in Dallas

Aye-eight · 07-22-2016, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chalermchai Wongwaiwit

Update:-

My car is still in the garage. After replacing the EME unit, the problem of the car dying while in motion with "drivetrain, no restart" still persists. The mechanic says the problem will go away if I warm the car for at least 10 minutes before driving off, but surely that is not the solution. Meanwhile they said the diagnostic program is showing no fault. So they will do an "online session" with BMW in the UK tomorrow to see if that side can provide the answer.

Will update again soon.

That's a ridiculous answer. This is 2016, not 1916. Please remind me - is this a proper, i-qualified BMW service place? I think I remember you talking about the high taxes in Thailand and having to go through some special hoops to get an i8 there.

HHBruin · 07-22-2016, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aye-eight

That's a ridiculous answer. This is 2016, not 1916. Please remind me - is this a proper, i-qualified BMW service place? I think I remember you talking about the high taxes in Thailand and having to go through some special hoops to get an i8 there.

from what i recall, he's not going through BMW.

Aye-eight · 07-22-2016, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHBruin

from what i recall, he's not going through BMW.

My point, exactly. This is not the type of car that you want your average mechanic without special training to mess with. They could make things worse rather than better.

Chalermchai Wongwaiwit · 07-26-2016, 03:22 AM

Well, I got my car back for temporary use. The mechanic said he has narrowed it down to the alternator and the rear EME unit. When the car is cold and when I step on the gas, there is an “overvoltage” caused by either of the two units and the drive train is shut down. (I am not sure I got this right). He was apologetic he didn’t find out sooner because the fault didn’t show up on the diagnostic equipment when the engine was warm. It would only show up when the engine was cold.

So the temporary solution is to warm the car for 3 minutes before driving off in the morning. They need 3 weeks to order these parts from Singapore because there are very few i8 in Thailand, and nobody is stocking these parts. So far the car is acting normal if I do as instructed.

New forum readers would ask why I didn’t get the car from authorized BMW dealership in Thailand? The import tax on luxury cars here is 300%!!! The i8 gets away with “relatively cheap” 150% import tax because it is hybrid with small engine. Authorized dealer sells this car for about US$ 380,000 while “unauthorized” importers sell for about $300,000. So it is the $80,000 question whether to risk going with the unauthorized car. (Car prices are crazy here. You can read my story in the "drivetrain, no restart" thread)

The “unauthorized” dealer I bought the car from seems to have very modern equipment and well trained mechanics. They also sell Porsches, Ferrari, Lamborghini and all other kinds of exotic cars, and have connection with dealers in the UK. If the problem is so hidden like in my car, I doubt if the BMW mechanic would find it sooner. Even BMW Thailand is not selling many of the i8’s because people are afraid of the new technology (and the crazy price). So I think they may only have one or two mechanics trained to work on this car.

Car owners in the USA and UK have it easy. You are driving good cars at cheaper prices and better services. You don’t have to wait months for spare parts. We Thais are having to pay ridiculous prices for cars and have to take all kinds of risk to own them. But hey! I love new technology and am still amazed at how good this car is (while it is running). It is a small price to pay to be an early adopter.

Will report if they finally get my car fully repaired once they get the spare parts.

06-30-2016, 11:29 PM	#1
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	BMW i8 in shop 14 days after I got it So, yep, just got my new 2015 White with Gray Accents i8 two weeks ago and it's already in the shop. To add insult to injury, it happened right after I was at Emergency with my 2-year old at around 1:00 AM or so. Daughter is fine though which is most important. The error was "Drivetrain: Vehicle cannot be restarted." Couldn't put it in gear. Has anybody else seen this? Eventually, after exiting the car and coming back, the car was able to be put in gear but with the yellow engine light on. Roadside service said it was okay to drive home with a yellow light. The tow truck was already here so I had them follow me home and then tow it. It was also somewhat frustrating as when I called roadside assistance (a) they didn't have my VIN in their system which they said all cars should and (b) I also got cut off of the roadside assistance call and the system wouldn't let me call them again. It said "call in progress" even though there was clearly no one there. Eventually it allowed the call out but not sure why it cut me off then blocked the call out. BMW has been very apologetic and has gotten my car in the shop right away owing to the fact that it is such a new car so that is definitely good. They also got me a loaner today (a 328). It looks like it may need a new EME (not sure what it is) and the part may be 2 weeks out. Have been enjoying my car a lot up until now but hope this isn't the beginning of reliability issues. I've been having bad luck with this kind of thing lately. First world problems and all but frustrating never-the-less. Well, I hope to be a happy member of the BMW i8 club again soon. Wish I could have made introductions on a happier note but hope to see you around in the forums. Will keep you updated if interested. On a related note, BMW reached out to me through twitter's social media to email them. So far, they haven't responded to my email. If anybody has any experiences or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

07-01-2016, 01:37 AM	#2
hytek Private First Class 38 Rep 104 Posts Drives: i8, 335i Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	My car experienced similar symptoms, but all it needed was a software update.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-01-2016, 04:40 AM	#3
Nivarox Quadrex 1093 Rep 1,424 Posts Drives: W212 Mercedes=Benz E Class Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Close To German Car Dealer iTrader: (0)	Sorry to hear that glitch, I trust they will fix it soon
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-01-2016, 08:46 AM	#4
jcpca356 Lieutenant 164 Rep 465 Posts Drives: i8 Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	software updates cause more issues with modern cars than mechanicals, smh. i've experienced them in my porsches too. my i8 has been perfect for the last year and a half however. will see if it lasts __________________ 2015 BMW i8, 2018 Triumph Bobber Black, 2005 Lotus Elise Widebody, 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, 2019 Tundra TRD, 2019 Trek Powerfly 5 (love it!)
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-01-2016, 10:34 AM	#5
Aye-eight Major 509 Rep 1,177 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW i8 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: My garage iTrader: (0) Garage List 1962 Triumph TR3B [0.00] 2015 BMW i8 [0.00] 2007 Volvo V70 T6 [0.00] 1960 Chevrolet Corv ... [0.00]	Had this happen twice. Always while I was parked at work in a deep underground structure that no flat-bed could get into. First time was the worst. The hotline didn't know what an i8 was and sent me some roadside assistance guy who expected to see an 850i. :-/ So, he radioed for a tow truck, which we had to wait for again. Eventually, we got the car out and towed on dollies. The did an overnight software update, amd it worked again. Couple of weeks later, the issue came back. This time, they did swap out some electronic component on the gearbox. Apparantly, the gearbox had "forgotten" which gear it was in, and could therefore not be shifted. I have done about 10k km since then and the problem hasn't reoccured. Knock on wood...
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-01-2016, 11:39 AM	#6
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Hi everyone, Thanks for the information. It's helpful to know that it is fairly common and not too difficult to resolve. The BMW guys seem to think it needs a new EME though and not simply a software update. I guess we'll see what they ultimately do. __________________ now: 2015 BMW i8 White/Silver Accents prev: 2006 Mercedes SLK55, 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX35, Celica, Prelude, MX-6
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-06-2016, 06:34 PM	#7
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Sadly, I went to pick up my car and it was returned to me with a crack in the windshield. The dealership said that it arrived like that from the towing company which was provisioned by BMW Roadside Assistance. The dealership says I need to call BMW Canada, which I do, and the guy on the call says he doesn't know how to deal with i8's (I'm his first i8 call) and that he will escalate it. They will now apparently get back to me in 3-5 days which seems long for them to respond to a windshield that broke when the car was under their care. Anyways, will hopefully have better news later. Attached Images __________________ now: 2015 BMW i8 White/Silver Accents prev: 2006 Mercedes SLK55, 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX35, Celica, Prelude, MX-6
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-06-2016, 07:25 PM	#10
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Yes, it's a 2015. It's funny that it has a weak windshield. According to the following article, "BMW i8 is first car ever to be fitted with Gorilla Glass." http://www.slashgear.com/bmw-i8-is-f...lass-08293148/ I wonder if it has more to do with the flex in the body because it uses unusual materials like carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Hopefully I'll get to enjoy my car soon... __________________ now: 2015 BMW i8 White/Silver Accents prev: 2006 Mercedes SLK55, 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX35, Celica, Prelude, MX-6
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-07-2016, 01:13 PM	#12
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	I see, thanks for the clarification. I'm a little apprehensive as well. Last time I had my windshield replaced, it was for an SLK55. After they repaired it, the convertible top would not open. I didn't trust the windshield place anymore so I brought it to Mercedes Benz and apparently it was just a mess. __________________ now: 2015 BMW i8 White/Silver Accents prev: 2006 Mercedes SLK55, 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX35, Celica, Prelude, MX-6
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-13-2016, 02:14 AM	#13
Chalermchai Wongwaiwit Mr. 11 Rep 16 Posts Drives: BMW i8 Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Bangkok, Thailand iTrader: (0)	I’m an i8 owner from Bangkok, Thailand. I visited this forum many months ago and my story is in the thread “drivetrain, no restart”. When my car was new, I experienced this drivetrain problem, and it took the independent dealer about 2 weeks to fix. Now the problem has resurfaced. 10 days ago as I was leaving my driveway slowly, the car suddenly died while in motion, and the message “drivetrain, no restart” appeared. I waited a few minutes to restart and it was ok to drive. However, in the evening as I was leaving my office, the car died again while in motion. As before, I waited to restart the car but went straight to the dealership’s garage not far away. Two days later, the dealership said they fixed the problem by downloading new “drivetrain software”. But as I was only about 300 yards from the dealership, the car died again and I was blocking a major intersection! So I had to restart the car asap and got out of the way, but it died again immediately. Now the car is still in the dealership and they told me there is some problem with the HV battery. They are suspecting the problem is caused by a fault in the ‘EME”, which I am told is the electricity generator, and the car is responding by shutting off the electrical supply to the drivetrain. They also suspected the problem I had last year was from this faulty EME unit. They told me there is one EME in front and one in the rear. Luckily, this dealership happens to have a spare front EME unit and they are going to replace it and see if the problem is fixed. Last time I suspected the problem might have been caused by unstable power supply grid in Thailand. Every time it rains and there is lightning nearby, the electricity will get interrupted for a few seconds. Now it is rainy season in Thailand, so I rarely charge my car when there is a possibility of rain, but the problem still reoccurred. While I owned many good cars, I love this one the most. But this reliability problem with the drivetrain is giving me worries. It is embarrassing to have such a beautiful car die in the middle of an intersection while other cars are honking at me! Hope they get this problem fixed with the new EME unit. I will know the answer within a few days and will report to this forum.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-14-2016, 04:15 PM	#14
thesunny New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: BMW i8 White with Gray Accents Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: North Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Thanks for chiming in with some additional information. It is making me wary. BMW originally said they thought it was the EME as well but then they said they'd just do a software update or something. The error has gone away but I'm still a little worried. Hopefully they error won't recur. Furthermore, they (BMW roadside assistance) broke my windshield while towing the car in and they are saying they won't pay for it. Overall, the worst service I've received from any car company period. I've bought cars from Mercedes, Ferrari, Lexus, Audi, Infiniti, Mazda, Toyota and Honda and have never been treated so poorly. The service guys at the dealership have been good but BMW Canada is not treating me well. They should really be embarrassed and doing their best to make things right but it feels like the bad behaviour is piling on. I wanted to get over the car breaking down so soon but the broken windshield and more importantly their response to it have been insulting. __________________ now: 2015 BMW i8 White/Silver Accents prev: 2006 Mercedes SLK55, 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, Audi Q5, Infiniti FX35, Celica, Prelude, MX-6
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-20-2016, 03:55 AM	#17
Chalermchai Wongwaiwit Mr. 11 Rep 16 Posts Drives: BMW i8 Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Bangkok, Thailand iTrader: (0)	Update:- My car is still in the garage. After replacing the EME unit, the problem of the car dying while in motion with "drivetrain, no restart" still persists. The mechanic says the problem will go away if I warm the car for at least 10 minutes before driving off, but surely that is not the solution. Meanwhile they said the diagnostic program is showing no fault. So they will do an "online session" with BMW in the UK tomorrow to see if that side can provide the answer. Will update again soon.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-26-2016, 03:22 AM	#22
Chalermchai Wongwaiwit Mr. 11 Rep 16 Posts Drives: BMW i8 Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Bangkok, Thailand iTrader: (0)	Well, I got my car back for temporary use. The mechanic said he has narrowed it down to the alternator and the rear EME unit. When the car is cold and when I step on the gas, there is an “overvoltage” caused by either of the two units and the drive train is shut down. (I am not sure I got this right). He was apologetic he didn’t find out sooner because the fault didn’t show up on the diagnostic equipment when the engine was warm. It would only show up when the engine was cold. So the temporary solution is to warm the car for 3 minutes before driving off in the morning. They need 3 weeks to order these parts from Singapore because there are very few i8 in Thailand, and nobody is stocking these parts. So far the car is acting normal if I do as instructed. New forum readers would ask why I didn’t get the car from authorized BMW dealership in Thailand? The import tax on luxury cars here is 300%!!! The i8 gets away with “relatively cheap” 150% import tax because it is hybrid with small engine. Authorized dealer sells this car for about US$ 380,000 while “unauthorized” importers sell for about $300,000. So it is the $80,000 question whether to risk going with the unauthorized car. (Car prices are crazy here. You can read my story in the "drivetrain, no restart" thread) The “unauthorized” dealer I bought the car from seems to have very modern equipment and well trained mechanics. They also sell Porsches, Ferrari, Lamborghini and all other kinds of exotic cars, and have connection with dealers in the UK. If the problem is so hidden like in my car, I doubt if the BMW mechanic would find it sooner. Even BMW Thailand is not selling many of the i8’s because people are afraid of the new technology (and the crazy price). So I think they may only have one or two mechanics trained to work on this car. Car owners in the USA and UK have it easy. You are driving good cars at cheaper prices and better services. You don’t have to wait months for spare parts. We Thais are having to pay ridiculous prices for cars and have to take all kinds of risk to own them. But hey! I love new technology and am still amazed at how good this car is (while it is running). It is a small price to pay to be an early adopter. Will report if they finally get my car fully repaired once they get the spare parts.
	Appreciate 0 Quote