45e errors/warnings when EV battery is drained?

typedcl · 12-24-2022, 11:45 AM

Ran into this strange situation with my 45e:

I had just driven a couple hundred miles in hybrid mode and the EV battery was drained (dashboard showed zero and --- for range).

I powered off the car and turned it back on 5 min later. I got a bunch of warnings immediately:
- cont. driving: Drivetrain Malfunction
- cont. driving: all wheel drive
- cont. driving: power steering
- cont. driving: stability control
- cont. driving: reduced power

(Sorry these aren't the exact error messages.)

I was able to drive the car, but it seem to want to upshift at 3000rpm exactly. I get home and charge it up to full, overnight.

The next day, it showed still Drivetrain Malfunction but the other messages were gone. After driving it for a few minutes the drivetrain malfunction went away and the only indicator left was the engine light on the dashboard. After another 15-20 minutes of driving (and another restart), that went away too.

Anyone see this before?

I was always left with the impression that the car would work fine if the EV battery were drained... Maybe HVAC wouldn't work and the power would be reduced.. But it seems like something else went wrong for all these messages to appear.

If it matters, it's a 2023, about 6 weeks old. ~2k miles.

nZtiZia · 12-24-2022, 11:57 AM

even when the electric range shows - - - on the cluster, the vehicle should operate seamlessly and without error. that’s been my experience over 2y with mine. I ran it to - - - several times. whether local or highway driving, the vehicle then proceeds to charge the HV battery such that 1-2 miles is seen on the cluster and HVAC continues to function without interruption. I’ve even posted results of a test that showed the ICE will turn on and off cyclically to keep the HV battery charged while the vehicle is idle.

I’d take it to the dealer to see if they can pull any codes. search “drivetrain malfunction” here, and you’ll find some real unfortunate experiences.

typedcl · 12-28-2022, 12:13 PM

Got it checked out at the dealership.

They said it needed a software update to fix a message fault between modules.

Hopefully that's it.

12-24-2022, 11:45 AM	#1
typedcl Enlisted Member 26 Rep 41 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive45e (2023) Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Northern Calif iTrader: (0)	45e errors/warnings when EV battery is drained? Ran into this strange situation with my 45e: I had just driven a couple hundred miles in hybrid mode and the EV battery was drained (dashboard showed zero and --- for range). I powered off the car and turned it back on 5 min later. I got a bunch of warnings immediately: - cont. driving: Drivetrain Malfunction - cont. driving: all wheel drive - cont. driving: power steering - cont. driving: stability control - cont. driving: reduced power (Sorry these aren't the exact error messages.) I was able to drive the car, but it seem to want to upshift at 3000rpm exactly. I get home and charge it up to full, overnight. The next day, it showed still Drivetrain Malfunction but the other messages were gone. After driving it for a few minutes the drivetrain malfunction went away and the only indicator left was the engine light on the dashboard. After another 15-20 minutes of driving (and another restart), that went away too. Anyone see this before? I was always left with the impression that the car would work fine if the EV battery were drained... Maybe HVAC wouldn't work and the power would be reduced.. But it seems like something else went wrong for all these messages to appear. If it matters, it's a 2023, about 6 weeks old. ~2k miles.
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12-24-2022, 11:57 AM	#2
nZtiZia Major General 4648 Rep 8,689 Posts Drives: eVeRyOnE mAD! Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: neither here nor there... iTrader: (0) Garage List 2021 BMW X5 xDrive 45e [9.88]	even when the electric range shows - - - on the cluster, the vehicle should operate seamlessly and without error. that’s been my experience over 2y with mine. I ran it to - - - several times. whether local or highway driving, the vehicle then proceeds to charge the HV battery such that 1-2 miles is seen on the cluster and HVAC continues to function without interruption. I’ve even posted results of a test that showed the ICE will turn on and off cyclically to keep the HV battery charged while the vehicle is idle. I’d take it to the dealer to see if they can pull any codes. search “drivetrain malfunction” here, and you’ll find some real unfortunate experiences.
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12-28-2022, 12:13 PM	#3
typedcl Enlisted Member 26 Rep 41 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive45e (2023) Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: Northern Calif iTrader: (0)	Got it checked out at the dealership. They said it needed a software update to fix a message fault between modules. Hopefully that's it.
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