[ikheetleon]

Ok, so finally an update on this issue. The dealer replaced my BDC module and coded the car to 11/2020.64. Hopefully this issue is fixed now, but we'll have to see.

[nZtiZia]

mine is also 11/2020 but still switches from EI to hybrid albeit rarely

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

mine is also 11/2020 but still switches from EI to hybrid albeit rarely

What is the minor software version you have? Did the dealer replace the bdc module as well for this?

[nZtiZia]

11/2020.38. it came from the factory like this in December so unsure (unlikely) the BDC module was replaced before I took delivery.

[Eu001939]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

Hi fellow 45e drivers.

I have a feeling that a lot of us are starting up in electric individual and most of us encountered the spontaneous switch to hybrid setting.

Anyone who didn't see this in electric individual? Anyone has it solved by BMW?

Not a big issue by the way you can just switch back after a minute.

Originally Posted by X5 45e

Hi fellow 45e drivers.

I have a feeling that a lot of us are starting up in electric individual and most of us encountered the spontaneous switch to hybrid setting.

Anyone who didn't see this in electric individual? Anyone has it solved by BMW?

Not a big issue by the way you can just switch back after a minute.

I am wondering if the switch back to hybrid is not on purpose, when the overall electrical consumption of the car is too high.

Some of the larger electrical consumers run on the high voltage battery. Heating & ventilation is one of them. So imagine you are on full electric with Max AC set, or with the heating blasting away on a freezing day. If you then push the accelerator, either the electric motor will not provide the acceleration you expect, or worse, you might get a dip in electrical power to the rest of the car, which the voltage regulator cannot iron out.

Forcing you back to hybrid would then be a solution. Hit the accelerator, and the ICE will kick in, requiring less electrical drain to the electric motor, and not impacting the heating/ventilation

I hardly ever start in electric, so this is all guess work. But I did have once or twice that while driving the car refuses to switch to full eletric when I push the button. So there must be a safeguard somewhere that prevents full electric in certain circumstances...

Just an addition: the manual states that electric driving is only possible if the battery temperature is adequate... which I guess is not the case if you start full electric on a very hot or very cold day...could that be the reason ?

[nZtiZia]

wish we knew the reasons it does it, but none of the characteristics u just mentioned apply to my situation, which is that it switched from EI to hybrid upon starting the car in the morning when:
1) car has been parked in a sealed garage. (not driving)
2) high voltage battery is fully charged.
3) preconditioning isn't active.

in addition, mine is set to start in EI and has started/driven off in that mode when it's 20-30ºF outside. i have not experienced the car randomly switching from EI to hybrid while driving.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Eu001939

I hardly ever start in electric, so this is all guess work. But I did have once or twice that while driving the car refuses to switch to full eletric when I push the button. So there must be a safeguard somewhere that prevents full electric in certain circumstances...

Just an addition: the manual states that electric driving is only possible if the battery temperature is adequate... which I guess is not the case if you start full electric on a very hot or very cold day...could that be the reason ?

When the ICE is switched on electric mode can't be selected for +/- a minute that is correct. But that is not what is happening.

It seems to be random and not related to all the propositions you made.

The manual says that below certain temperatures electric drive isn't available but that is for really low temperatures. Below - 20 Celsius. Some Scandinavian owners have experienced this.

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by Eu001939

I am wondering if the switch back to hybrid is not on purpose, when the overall electrical consumption of the car is too high.

Some of the larger electrical consumers run on the high voltage battery. Heating & ventilation is one of them. So imagine you are on full electric with Max AC set, or with the heating blasting away on a freezing day. If you then push the accelerator, either the electric motor will not provide the acceleration you expect, or worse, you might get a dip in electrical power to the rest of the car, which the voltage regulator cannot iron out.

Forcing you back to hybrid would then be a solution. Hit the accelerator, and the ICE will kick in, requiring less electrical drain to the electric motor, and not impacting the heating/ventilation

I hardly ever start in electric, so this is all guess work. But I did have once or twice that while driving the car refuses to switch to full eletric when I push the button. So there must be a safeguard somewhere that prevents full electric in certain circumstances...

Just an addition: the manual states that electric driving is only possible if the battery temperature is adequate... which I guess is not the case if you start full electric on a very hot or very cold day...could that be the reason ?

I have two (separate) issues with the mode switching.
1) Default startup is EI, but sometimes it starts up with Hybrid instead of EI. HV Battery is full, temperature is normal (15 degrees Celcius). My profile is selected (can be derived from the custom avatar).
2) Sometimes the car switches from EI to Hybrid while driving. I don't accelerate, HV battery is full, not going uphill or towing anything. It just somehow thinks it needs to switch.

So maybe the software update will fix it, but than it has to be fixed between version 11/2020.38 (last reported bad) and 11/2020.64 (min since yesterday). In a couple of days/weeks we will know. If the issue is solved in my car, we still don't know if it's the software update or the BDC replacement. So when it is solved for me now, we need to have someone else let his/her car update to at least 11/2020.64 and test. If it's not fixed, the BDC module has to be replaced as well. The dealer said that there were a couple of revisions already on the BDC module since my car was delivered at 02/2020.

[Herr]

The single update to 11/2020.64 did not help for me. The car was updated at 22 februari.
At the second start up it was already switched from electric individual to hybrid.
I barely drive the car due to covid so i did not check the car after 22 februari.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Herr

The single update to 11/2020.64 did not help for me. The car was updated at 22 februari.
At the second start up it was already switched from electric individual to hybrid.
I barely drive the car due to covid so i did not check the car after 22 februari.

Mine started up in hybride when I left the dealer with the updated software.

[nZtiZia]

what is the BDC module?

[ikheetleon]

No dice unfortunatelly... today the car started up in hybrid again. Reported it to the dealer. They will update the case at BMW and hopefully they will start looking into the software. Somehow the software decides to switch over. They need to find out why and fix it. According to the dealer, the computer does not record any error/warning when it happens.

[Eu001939]

Question for those who have this problem: is it the setting in the drive modes that changes back to hybrid as standard, or only the drive mode itself when you are starting ? And are you using a "personal profile" linked to your key ?

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by Eu001939

Question for those who have this problem: is it the setting in the drive modes that changes back to hybrid as standard, or only the drive mode itself when you are starting ? And are you using a "personal profile" linked to your key ?

In my case it's just the drive mode switching to hybrid. Profile settings are still correct. Drive mode is indeed linked to profile. But when it happens, my profile is selected (personal avatar is visible).

[nZtiZia]

Electric Individual drive mode in my driver profile. hybrid drive mode in my wife's driver profile.
when my car randomly starts in hybrid, my driver profile avatar shows, not hers. are they linking somehow? Who really knows?

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

Electric Individual drive mode in my driver profile. hybrid drive mode in my wife's driver profile.
when my car randomly starts in hybrid, my driver profile avatar shows, not hers. are they linking somehow? Who really knows?

I have just 1 profile and have the same issue. I don't think it's a profile mixup issue. It might be an issue that the profile doesn't fully load? So the drive mode stays in default.

[Eu001939]

Reason I was asking is that I have had a few cases already where the personal profile acts weird: the steering wheel not moving to the right postion, or the seat not moving completely to the right postion. The problem is inconsistent, no idea why it happens. So hence the idea that the profile settings might be the cause...just a tought...

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by Eu001939

Reason I was asking is that I have had a few cases already where the personal profile acts weird: the steering wheel not moving to the right postion, or the seat not moving completely to the right postion. The problem is inconsistent, no idea why it happens. So hence the idea that the profile settings might be the cause...just a tought...

This is interesting. I have sometimes that the steering wheel doesn't extend when I start the car. When I press and hold memory button it extends fine to the right position. I haven't had the issue with the seat, but I only have one profile. The dealer has replaced the steering wheel and electronics, but it didn't fix the issue. I have a very strong gut feeling that the user profile gets selected, but the car does not fully enroll it somehow. Since there is no error in the log when this happens (same with driver profile) I really think this is a software problem. The dealer won't be able to fix/find it. In my case they've done everything with regards to replacing modules. The logs are now send to BMW for further analyses. Let's hope they find and solve it with an OTA update.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by ikheetleon

This is interesting. I have sometimes that the steering wheel doesn't extend when I start the car. When I press and hold memory button it extends fine to the right position. I haven't had the issue with the seat, but I only have one profile. The dealer has replaced the steering wheel and electronics, but it didn't fix the issue. I have a very strong gut feeling that the user profile gets selected, but the car does not fully enroll it somehow. Since there is no error in the log when this happens (same with driver profile) I really think this is a software problem. The dealer won't be able to fix/find it. In my case they've done everything with regards to replacing modules. The logs are now send to BMW for further analyses. Let's hope they find and solve it with an OTA update.

I have the same issue with the steering wheel but it is rare. It is solved by pushing the memory button or by doing it my self with the steering wheel button.

With my 40e I had an issue where the steering wheel wouldn't extend at all. Not with the memory button and not with the sw button. This was another issue and it the sw columns had to be replaced.

[ikheetleon]

Wow.. so it seems these issue's are probably related of multiple users have the same two issues. Some sort of signal to set the drive mode or set the steering wheel is not being send by the computer. And because the computer does not write an error/issue in the log, this must be some sort of software related issue. All related hardware has been replaced already in my case.

Indeed, with the previous model (F15), the steering wheel not extending was a hardware issue.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by ikheetleon

Wow.. so it seems these issue's are probably related of multiple users have the same two issues. Some sort of signal to set the drive mode or set the steering wheel is not being send by the computer. And because the computer does not write an error/issue in the log, this must be some sort of software related issue. All related hardware has been replaced already in my case.

Indeed, with the previous model (F15), the steering wheel not extending was a hardware issue.

What I have observed is that sometimes just before getting out of the car it switches to hybrid. I will see if in this condition it also starts in hybrid.

At the end both issues don't bother me enough to do any hardware modifications without garante the issue is solved.

I will use it as an excuse everything time I feel I need a software update. I don't think I will be going for 03/2021.

I still have to go back for the charger flap replacement.

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

What I have observed is that sometimes just before getting out of the car it switches to hybrid. I will see if in this condition it also starts in hybrid.

At the end both issues don't bother me enough to do any hardware modifications without garante the issue is solved.

I will use it as an excuse everything time I feel I need a software update. I don't think I will be going for 03/2021.

I still have to go back for the charger flap replacement.

So is this when you've already pressed the stop button? These are minor issues, I agree. But I do want them to get fixed under warranty. I had to go through all the hardware hoops, before BMW will look into the software. Now we've finally have done that part, so hopefully it will get the right attention. 03/2021 doesn't bring any new features indeed, so I'll wait for 07/2021 and see what it brings. Unless I get the request to come in for a earlier software upgrade to fix the steering wheel/driver profile issue.