Efficient Mode update + 12v battery Q

RunSilentRunDeep85 · 05-31-2025, 07:53 PM

1-Has anyone figured out how to default to efficient mode with the new software upgrade 03/2025.47— it does not give me that option in My Modes?

2- has anyone had to replace their 12v AGM batter yet? how long did it last? Dealer quotes $750 to replace it when needed… there is no way to know when that will happen until it bricks the car!

darylp310 · 05-31-2025, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunSilentRunDeep85

1-Has anyone figured out how to default to efficient mode with the new software upgrade 03/2025.47— it does not give me that option in My Modes?

This was a mistaken note in the latest software release notes by BMW. This feature is not available to us in N. America.

javapro · 05-31-2025, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darylp310

This was a mistaken note in the latest software release notes by BMW. This feature is not available to us in N. America.

Not a mistake at all! The 03/2025 release notes clearly state that certain countries are excluded from the feature:

“5. MyMode efficient startup mode
Relevant for markets: All ConnectedDrive markets (excluding: USA, Canada, Korea, Brazil, India)”

LVBMW · 05-31-2025, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunSilentRunDeep85

1-Has anyone figured out how to default to efficient mode with the new software upgrade 03/2025.47— it does not give me that option in My Modes?

2- has anyone had to replace their 12v AGM batter yet? how long did it last? Dealer quotes $750 to replace it when needed… there is no way to know when that will happen until it bricks the car!

Starting in efficient is not available in the US and a few other countries. This is outlined in the release notes.

Paladin1 · 05-31-2025, 10:27 PM

Replacing the 12v in an EV is not exactly the same as just disconnecting the battery and reconnecting a new one in an ICE car. One difference is that in an EV the 12v battery is intimately connected with the HV drive battery - in the iX the HV battery maintains a charge in the 12v AGM. Consequently, working in the engine bay you are working on and around high voltage equipment. Touching the wrong thing in the wrong way with the wrong tool won't just give you a tingle, it will potentially kill you. The other difference is that after replacement, you will need to reprogram the car and register the battery. This may or may not be possible with off the shelf software and an OBD dongle in the iX, since BMW has essentially locked coding out of their newer EV models. The below is the fairly simple process for replacing the 12v in an i3 (different in process, but similar in concept to the iX):

So the short answer is that it may or may not be possible for the owner to replace the 12v DIY in the iX, depending on whether it's possible to recode the car. The dealer quote likely represents the standard cost for labor (plus battery) based on the time estimate for replacement.

exxxviii · 06-01-2025, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darylp310

This was a mistaken note in the latest software release notes by BMW. This feature is not available to us in N. America.

Quote:

Originally Posted by javapro

Not a mistake at all!

The mistake was that some people who got the updates earlier had the feature stated on the app in their phones without the exclusion caveat. Later people did not have the feature referenced at all in their app. For example, I got the update later than others, and this is not mentioned at all in my "Features" section on the mobile app.

thebishman · 06-01-2025, 06:49 AM

As for the OP’s second question:

Are owners of 2022 or early 2023 iX’s having any issues with the 12V battery dying an early death and ‘bricking’ the car? I’m not sure that I’ve read one case of that occurring in the last 18 months or so.

NomoTesla · 06-01-2025, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebishman

As for the OP’s second question:

Are owners of 2022 or early 2023 iX’s having any issues with the 12V battery dying an early death and ‘bricking’ the car? I’m not sure that I’ve read one case of that occurring in the last 18 months or so.

We have a 2023 model year and (knock wood) have had no issues with our 12v. We are 2 ½ years in. My Model S needed a new 12v by this point in my ownership period. The iX, with its almost non-existent phantom drain, appears to be far easier on the 12v.

RunSilentRunDeep85 · 06-04-2025, 11:36 AM

There does not seem to be a way to predict when the 12v is imminently going to fail… the dealer tells me that there are some precursor warning lights… e.g. 12v battery warning… but he did not guarantee this. Just wondering if anyone has had to replace their 12v battery since this failure not only bricks the car but does not allow you to put the transmission in neutral for towing— so, you will need to jump start the battery (scary situation on this car) so that you can get enough juice to shift it to neutral so it can be towed for a new battery.

05-31-2025, 07:53 PM	#1
RunSilentRunDeep85 Captian Sharkey 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: iX 50 Join Date: May 2025 Location: Scottsdale iTrader: (0)	Efficient Mode update + 12v battery Q 1-Has anyone figured out how to default to efficient mode with the new software upgrade 03/2025.47— it does not give me that option in My Modes? 2- has anyone had to replace their 12v AGM batter yet? how long did it last? Dealer quotes $750 to replace it when needed… there is no way to know when that will happen until it bricks the car!
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05-31-2025, 10:27 PM	#5
Paladin1 Major General 6,719 REP 5,002 Posts Drives: 2022 iX xDrive50, DGM Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 iX xDrive M60 [0.00] 2022 iX xDrive50 [9.00]	Replacing the 12v in an EV is not exactly the same as just disconnecting the battery and reconnecting a new one in an ICE car. One difference is that in an EV the 12v battery is intimately connected with the HV drive battery - in the iX the HV battery maintains a charge in the 12v AGM. Consequently, working in the engine bay you are working on and around high voltage equipment. Touching the wrong thing in the wrong way with the wrong tool won't just give you a tingle, it will potentially kill you. The other difference is that after replacement, you will need to reprogram the car and register the battery. This may or may not be possible with off the shelf software and an OBD dongle in the iX, since BMW has essentially locked coding out of their newer EV models. The below is the fairly simple process for replacing the 12v in an i3 (different in process, but similar in concept to the iX): So the short answer is that it may or may not be possible for the owner to replace the 12v DIY in the iX, depending on whether it's possible to recode the car. The dealer quote likely represents the standard cost for labor (plus battery) based on the time estimate for replacement.
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06-01-2025, 06:49 AM	#7
thebishman Lieutenant Colonel 1,678 REP 1,782 Posts Drives: ‘24 iX M60 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Overland Park, KS iTrader: (0)	As for the OP’s second question: Are owners of 2022 or early 2023 iX’s having any issues with the 12V battery dying an early death and ‘bricking’ the car? I’m not sure that I’ve read one case of that occurring in the last 18 months or so.
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06-04-2025, 11:36 AM	#9
RunSilentRunDeep85 Captian Sharkey 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: iX 50 Join Date: May 2025 Location: Scottsdale iTrader: (0)	follow up to 12v ix battery replacement There does not seem to be a way to predict when the 12v is imminently going to fail… the dealer tells me that there are some precursor warning lights… e.g. 12v battery warning… but he did not guarantee this. Just wondering if anyone has had to replace their 12v battery since this failure not only bricks the car but does not allow you to put the transmission in neutral for towing— so, you will need to jump start the battery (scary situation on this car) so that you can get enough juice to shift it to neutral so it can be towed for a new battery.
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