iRemote Communications

jadnashuanh · 11-25-2014, 03:48 PM

One time, I could not get the car to send current data to the server, so the status shown in the app was incorrect - it always showed the same total mileage, and always said it was plugged in and 100% charged. Over almost two weeks, they reset my account multiple times, and asked me to force a data update, and nothing worked. I eventually went to the dealer's, and he removed the rear seat cushion, unplugged and then re-plugged in the Telemetrics unit, and it immediately started to send correct, current data to the server and the display on my iRemote app worked again. This has only happened to me once, but I've read of similar problems from other forum members.

If all else fails, and you don't want to remove the seat and unplug and re-plug the connector in (keep in mind that most of these are only rated for single digit insertion/removal cycles), and fuss with getting the seat belt anchors through the seat cushion, I found out which fuse controls that box. It's fuse F115...in the fuse box, on the lower-right-hand side, second row from the bottom, first fuse on the right-hand side should be F115. You shouldn't have to do this, but the fuses are designed for removal and replacement more often than the plug on the module. Still not super easy to get to, but better than the seat and reaching in there to get the right plug! And, it might save a trip to the dealer's service department. Try the account reset when you call, but if that doesn't work, you could try this at your own risk.

FWIW, when they reset my account, when I would go into the iRemote app, instead of showing the last vehicle status, it would be null, or empty, then it reappeared, meaning that the car was actually talking and filling in data, it's just that that data internal to the car was not being updated. That's what required the module to be reset, and the only way to make that happen is to remove power and let it reboot.

Hope this helps someone. Your dealer service manager should be made aware as well. If it happens a lot, they might consider replacing the module, or at least alerting BMW that there's a s/w bug.

Doenermann · 11-26-2014, 08:48 AM

Thank you very much for posting this! I've had the issues for an afternoon just yesterday, but driving the car again seemed to fix the problem. Hopefully it won't become a reoccurring issue, but i'll keep the fuse number in mind!

jadnashuanh · 11-28-2014, 12:43 PM

Keep in mind that the car doesn't constantly send updated info to the server if it hasn't been moved or the status hasn't changed (say it's sitting with itself fully charged...once it reaches that point, it may not update until you turn it on again to move it). So, the last update may not change. In my case, I had used the car multiple times, driven hundreds of miles, and the data reported stayed the same including the charging status. If yours gets 'stuck' in this software loop error, it appears until they figure out why, or the next s/w update fixes it unknowingly, the only way out of it is to reset the telemetrics unit. Try the other things first, but don't worry if the status says some other time if you have not used the car in the interim.

You want to make sure that it isn't a server issue, or a connectivity issue where the car may be parked in a dead zone before you go to more extreme measures.

Doenermann · 12-09-2014, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadnashuanh

Keep in mind that the car doesn't constantly send updated info to the server if it hasn't been moved or the status hasn't changed (say it's sitting with itself fully charged...once it reaches that point, it may not update until you turn it on again to move it). So, the last update may not change. In my case, I had used the car multiple times, driven hundreds of miles, and the data reported stayed the same including the charging status. If yours gets 'stuck' in this software loop error, it appears until they figure out why, or the next s/w update fixes it unknowingly, the only way out of it is to reset the telemetrics unit. Try the other things first, but don't worry if the status says some other time if you have not used the car in the interim.

You want to make sure that it isn't a server issue, or a connectivity issue where the car may be parked in a dead zone before you go to more extreme measures.

Looks like I've gotten to the point now. have driven the car at least 4 different times, charged 3 times in different locations, and no update in 30 hours. server connectivity from the phone is there, but vehicle can't be reached. I have turned off the remote GPS location option in the idrive settings and will reenable it in the morning as an attempt at a soft reset, but after that it is fuse time.

jadnashuanh · 12-09-2014, 08:48 PM

Let us know if it works! Based on my one-time issue, it did, and the results were essentially immediate (well, give the car its normal time to power up - pull and replace the fuse with the car off!).

I'd also let BMW know what was happening, and what fixed it. Get enough people complaining, and if this does fix it like it did on mine, they need to search out the bug that allows it to happen in the first place.

Doenermann · 12-10-2014, 11:18 AM

It worked flawlessly! Thank you! For the next person to come across this thread, I would just like to add a couple of notes: Make sure the car unplugged (or it wont properly power up after); The fusebox is located in the passenger footwell and opens by loosening two thumb screws; Once pulled down, fuse location is exactly as described above (bottom right, F115). Once removed and replaced, be careful not to wedge the footwell lighting harness when closing it back up; properly start car with foot on brake; in settings, the remote GPS tracking option (very bottom of menu) should be unavailable temporally, indicating the reset worked; everything works again!

it took two attempts as the first time around i left the car charging and was unable to properly turn it on. This may or may not have made a difference, but either way, it works!

jadnashuanh · 12-10-2014, 06:52 PM

Good to know, especially about that caution on the charging! Please relate this information to your dealer and maybe the iConcierge people...they did not want me to remove the fuse, probably because of the effect you noted, but knowing that, I think it is much less likely to damage something than pulling the rear seat, unplugging the connector, and getting it back in without damaging something. Getting the seat back on isn't horrible, but is a pain getting the seat belt anchors through the seat properly. Many of those connectors are not really designed for many installation/removal cycles. Once when installed, and maybe once or twice if something fails, but not many more. I worked on one piece of test equipment once where the manual indicated that the fancy coaxial connector was rated for ONE insertion. Any more, and it might not meet the calibration specs. Nothing in the i3 is that critical, but you get the idea.

Doenermann · 12-15-2014, 07:43 PM

I haven't had a chance to report it to the dealership yet, but I didn't work once again for a whole day today. I did not pull the fuse this time as I wanted to try something else first... I noticed I didn't have any traffic info in the car either, and the online services didn't work. I pushed the sos button to talk to bmw assist and verified that they could still read my location when the module has issues - they could. After that call, my traffic info came back. They also suggested that I call the genius team, usually wouldn't but I figured why not. They recommended I go to connected drive in the I drive menu, hit the option key, and go to 'update assist' or something along those lines a few menu points down. That process completed within a few seconds and afterwords the online services worked. The genius person also advised that this usually fixes app issues. After I got home, the remote app worked as well. No idea which step fixed it, but that might be a soft restart to try before pulling the fuse, and let's hope a more permanent solution too!

jadnashuanh · 12-15-2014, 11:18 PM

In my case, I tried all of those things, and for nearly 2-weeks, the app reported the same mileage and said the car was 100% charged and plugged in when it was not since many trips were made in the interim. Tried the update, reload app, BMW reset the account multiple times. It is best to try all of the 'normal' things before going to more aggressive endeavors.

MalibuBimmer · 12-16-2014, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadnashuanh

In my case, I tried all of those things, and for nearly 2-weeks, the app reported the same mileage and said the car was 100% charged and plugged in when it was not since many trips were made in the interim. Tried the update, reload app, BMW reset the account multiple times. It is best to try all of the 'normal' things before going to more aggressive endeavors.

On your smart phone have you signed out of the app and then signed back in? (I.e., cleared it and then reactivated it?)

I've found that to help a few times.

jadnashuanh · 12-16-2014, 12:31 AM

I had the 'lockup' happen once, but it lasted nearly 2-weeks and prior to pulling the plug on the telemetrics unit, nothing fixed it to include multiple account resets, deleting and reloading the app, forcing an update in the car, and going into and out of the application to include fully signing out. The symptom was, after the account reset, going into the app, it would show blanks for status, then they would update, BUT, the data was old. The odometer reading stayed the same for the entire time even though the car was driven regularly. The same thing on the charge state and the plug status. It even showed the car was locked and the windows up, when they were not after the app status said it had been updated. IOW, since the account was reset back at the server, the only way to get that info to the app was if the car sent it, and it was stale. The only thing that fixed it was to essentially, pull the plug. Since that is a pain with removing the rear seat, pulling the plug (not designed for lots of use!), and reinserting, then fishing the seat belt anchors through the seat to reinstall it, I searched out the fuse, which is easier, and is something that is essentially designed to be user replaced rather than the module itself. Immediately before, the app showed stale data. After a hard power reboot, it was correct and updated and has been working since for about 3-months with no issues (other than the normal marginal cell coverage I have depending on where the car is parked). Pull the fuse at your own risk, but that risk is very small. Ensure you do it with the car 'off' (i.e., not in ready state) and everything is as off as it gets (two presses on the start/stop if not already 'off'), and not connected to your EVSE (since that keeps some things on).

11-25-2014, 03:48 PM	#1
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	iRemote Communications One time, I could not get the car to send current data to the server, so the status shown in the app was incorrect - it always showed the same total mileage, and always said it was plugged in and 100% charged. Over almost two weeks, they reset my account multiple times, and asked me to force a data update, and nothing worked. I eventually went to the dealer's, and he removed the rear seat cushion, unplugged and then re-plugged in the Telemetrics unit, and it immediately started to send correct, current data to the server and the display on my iRemote app worked again. This has only happened to me once, but I've read of similar problems from other forum members. If all else fails, and you don't want to remove the seat and unplug and re-plug the connector in (keep in mind that most of these are only rated for single digit insertion/removal cycles), and fuss with getting the seat belt anchors through the seat cushion, I found out which fuse controls that box. It's fuse F115...in the fuse box, on the lower-right-hand side, second row from the bottom, first fuse on the right-hand side should be F115. You shouldn't have to do this, but the fuses are designed for removal and replacement more often than the plug on the module. Still not super easy to get to, but better than the seat and reaching in there to get the right plug! And, it might save a trip to the dealer's service department. Try the account reset when you call, but if that doesn't work, you could try this at your own risk. FWIW, when they reset my account, when I would go into the iRemote app, instead of showing the last vehicle status, it would be null, or empty, then it reappeared, meaning that the car was actually talking and filling in data, it's just that that data internal to the car was not being updated. That's what required the module to be reset, and the only way to make that happen is to remove power and let it reboot. Hope this helps someone. Your dealer service manager should be made aware as well. If it happens a lot, they might consider replacing the module, or at least alerting BMW that there's a s/w bug.
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11-26-2014, 08:48 AM	#2
Doenermann Emperor 22 Rep 189 Posts Drives: mostly, but walks occasionally Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: SE Michigan iTrader: (4) Garage List 2018 530e [0.00]	Thank you very much for posting this! I've had the issues for an afternoon just yesterday, but driving the car again seemed to fix the problem. Hopefully it won't become a reoccurring issue, but i'll keep the fuse number in mind!
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11-28-2014, 12:43 PM	#3
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Keep in mind that the car doesn't constantly send updated info to the server if it hasn't been moved or the status hasn't changed (say it's sitting with itself fully charged...once it reaches that point, it may not update until you turn it on again to move it). So, the last update may not change. In my case, I had used the car multiple times, driven hundreds of miles, and the data reported stayed the same including the charging status. If yours gets 'stuck' in this software loop error, it appears until they figure out why, or the next s/w update fixes it unknowingly, the only way out of it is to reset the telemetrics unit. Try the other things first, but don't worry if the status says some other time if you have not used the car in the interim. You want to make sure that it isn't a server issue, or a connectivity issue where the car may be parked in a dead zone before you go to more extreme measures.
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12-09-2014, 08:48 PM	#5
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Let us know if it works! Based on my one-time issue, it did, and the results were essentially immediate (well, give the car its normal time to power up - pull and replace the fuse with the car off!). I'd also let BMW know what was happening, and what fixed it. Get enough people complaining, and if this does fix it like it did on mine, they need to search out the bug that allows it to happen in the first place.
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12-10-2014, 11:18 AM	#6
Doenermann Emperor 22 Rep 189 Posts Drives: mostly, but walks occasionally Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: SE Michigan iTrader: (4) Garage List 2018 530e [0.00]	It worked flawlessly! Thank you! For the next person to come across this thread, I would just like to add a couple of notes: Make sure the car unplugged (or it wont properly power up after); The fusebox is located in the passenger footwell and opens by loosening two thumb screws; Once pulled down, fuse location is exactly as described above (bottom right, F115). Once removed and replaced, be careful not to wedge the footwell lighting harness when closing it back up; properly start car with foot on brake; in settings, the remote GPS tracking option (very bottom of menu) should be unavailable temporally, indicating the reset worked; everything works again! it took two attempts as the first time around i left the car charging and was unable to properly turn it on. This may or may not have made a difference, but either way, it works!
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12-10-2014, 06:52 PM	#7
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Good to know, especially about that caution on the charging! Please relate this information to your dealer and maybe the iConcierge people...they did not want me to remove the fuse, probably because of the effect you noted, but knowing that, I think it is much less likely to damage something than pulling the rear seat, unplugging the connector, and getting it back in without damaging something. Getting the seat back on isn't horrible, but is a pain getting the seat belt anchors through the seat properly. Many of those connectors are not really designed for many installation/removal cycles. Once when installed, and maybe once or twice if something fails, but not many more. I worked on one piece of test equipment once where the manual indicated that the fancy coaxial connector was rated for ONE insertion. Any more, and it might not meet the calibration specs. Nothing in the i3 is that critical, but you get the idea.
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12-15-2014, 07:43 PM	#8
Doenermann Emperor 22 Rep 189 Posts Drives: mostly, but walks occasionally Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: SE Michigan iTrader: (4) Garage List 2018 530e [0.00]	I haven't had a chance to report it to the dealership yet, but I didn't work once again for a whole day today. I did not pull the fuse this time as I wanted to try something else first... I noticed I didn't have any traffic info in the car either, and the online services didn't work. I pushed the sos button to talk to bmw assist and verified that they could still read my location when the module has issues - they could. After that call, my traffic info came back. They also suggested that I call the genius team, usually wouldn't but I figured why not. They recommended I go to connected drive in the I drive menu, hit the option key, and go to 'update assist' or something along those lines a few menu points down. That process completed within a few seconds and afterwords the online services worked. The genius person also advised that this usually fixes app issues. After I got home, the remote app worked as well. No idea which step fixed it, but that might be a soft restart to try before pulling the fuse, and let's hope a more permanent solution too!
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12-15-2014, 11:18 PM	#9
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	In my case, I tried all of those things, and for nearly 2-weeks, the app reported the same mileage and said the car was 100% charged and plugged in when it was not since many trips were made in the interim. Tried the update, reload app, BMW reset the account multiple times. It is best to try all of the 'normal' things before going to more aggressive endeavors.
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12-16-2014, 12:31 AM	#11
jadnashuanh Major 51 Rep 1,061 Posts Drives: 535iGT x-drive; i3 BEV Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I had the 'lockup' happen once, but it lasted nearly 2-weeks and prior to pulling the plug on the telemetrics unit, nothing fixed it to include multiple account resets, deleting and reloading the app, forcing an update in the car, and going into and out of the application to include fully signing out. The symptom was, after the account reset, going into the app, it would show blanks for status, then they would update, BUT, the data was old. The odometer reading stayed the same for the entire time even though the car was driven regularly. The same thing on the charge state and the plug status. It even showed the car was locked and the windows up, when they were not after the app status said it had been updated. IOW, since the account was reset back at the server, the only way to get that info to the app was if the car sent it, and it was stale. The only thing that fixed it was to essentially, pull the plug. Since that is a pain with removing the rear seat, pulling the plug (not designed for lots of use!), and reinserting, then fishing the seat belt anchors through the seat to reinstall it, I searched out the fuse, which is easier, and is something that is essentially designed to be user replaced rather than the module itself. Immediately before, the app showed stale data. After a hard power reboot, it was correct and updated and has been working since for about 3-months with no issues (other than the normal marginal cell coverage I have depending on where the car is parked). Pull the fuse at your own risk, but that risk is very small. Ensure you do it with the car 'off' (i.e., not in ready state) and everything is as off as it gets (two presses on the start/stop if not already 'off'), and not connected to your EVSE (since that keeps some things on).
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