[nZtiZia]

like others, my default driver mode is Electric Individual. I just entered my vehicle to take a photo. It was at Load level. upon closing the door, it raised to Sport level (my Electric Individual setting). when the vehicle went to sleep 5 minutes later, it switched to Hybrid mode. (even though the instrument cluster was off, I know it was in Hybrid mode because the suspension raised to Normal level.) when I pushed the Start/Stop button to wake it up, I saw 'Hybrid' on the instrument cluster for a split moment before it changed to Electric Individual and lowered once again to Sport level. makes no sense why it went to Hybrid mode with just me sitting inside touching nothing. (I was taking leather trim photos!)

FYI: I had the fob in my pocket but my car always sits unlocked in my garage. there was no Comfort Access unlocking it or me pressing the fob to unlock before I entered.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

like others, my default driver mode is Electric Individual. I just entered my vehicle to take a photo. It was at Load level. upon closing the door, it raised to Sport level (my Electric Individual setting). when the vehicle went to sleep 5 minutes later, it switched to Hybrid mode. (even though the instrument cluster was off, I know it was in Hybrid mode because the suspension raised to Normal level.) when I pushed the Start/Stop button to wake it up, I saw 'Hybrid' on the instrument cluster for a split moment before it changed to Electric Individual and lowered once again to Sport level. makes no sense why it went to Hybrid mode with just me sitting inside touching nothing. (I was taking leather trim photos!)

FYI: I had the fob in my pocket but my car always sits unlocked in my garage. there was no Comfort Access unlocking it or me pressing the fob to unlock before I entered.

Mine switches to hybrid too when I switch of the car just before opening the door.

I still have to see if this happens occasionally or every time.

Maybe hybrid mode is the default mode after switching off?

[ikheetleon]

My own car does not switch to hybrid when stopping. The loaner I had for 3 weeks did. But not always. I did see the suspension going to "default/hybrid" a couple of times when leaving the car (loaner).

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

Maybe hybrid mode is the default mode after switching off?

my car switches off numerous times and stays in the Load level 99% of the time since ownership, so it's still in EI mode when asleep.

in the beginning, I thought maybe my wife's fob proximity triggered Hybrid as I noticed it after she walks by my car to get to hers, but her fob was nowhere near my car last night. additionally, she walks by it 5 days a week, but these random switches to Hybrid have only occurred a handful of times in 7 months.

[Tommy11220]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

I have the impression that it happens more often when I have been driving Electric individual for a longer time. Not sure.

I still think it might be the car wanting to switch on the ICE now and then.

Good point. I've driven a lot with the ICE this weekend when I was out of town. I'll keep watching out if it now takes longer until Hybrid shows up at startup

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Tommy11220

Good point. I've driven a lot with the ICE this weekend when I was out of town. I'll keep watching out if it now takes longer until Hybrid shows up at startup

I will try how it drives in the Alps next week in Austria.

[Tommy11220]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

I will try how it drives in the Alps next week in Austria.

Enjoy! I just got back from Teichalm/Styria. The car is an excellent companion in the Alps. Since I can charge there, I do day trips in Electric, only when it gets really steep uphill I switch to Hybrid (manually)

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Tommy11220

Enjoy! I just got back from Teichalm/Styria. The car is an excellent companion in the Alps. Since I can charge there, I do day trips in Electric, only when it gets really steep uphill I switch to Hybrid (manually)

What I did last year in that situation is putting the gear in M/S.

It is also amazing how much power is regenerated when driving 20 km downhill.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by ikheetleon

My own car does not switch to hybrid when stopping. The loaner I had for 3 weeks did. But not always. I did see the suspension going to "default/hybrid" a couple of times when leaving the car (loaner).

Tested today:

Leaving home in the morning. Opened with the fob, started in EI.

Leaving work ik the afternoon, forgot about it, opened with the door handle: started in hybrid.

Picked the kids up from sports: 2 x opened with the fob, 2 x started in EI.

So it looks like what you suggested is happening. Will do some more testing the next days. I was always opening with comfort acces and I couldn't predict when and if it would happen.

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

Tested today:

Leaving home in the morning. Opened with the fob, started in EI.

Leaving work ik the afternoon, forgot about it, opened with the door handle: started in hybrid.

Picked the kids up from sports: 2 x opened with the fob, 2 x started in EI.

So it looks like what you suggested is happening. Will do some more testing the next days. I was always opening with comfort acces and I couldn't predict when and if it would happen.

I send an email to the dealer asking if they disabled CA on purpose or by accident. If on purpose (by whose instruction? BMW Germany?), why bother installing the datalogger? Would be sufficient to ask me to only use keyfob right? If by accident, happy if we found (part) of the cause, but unhappy about driving with a datalogger without use. Keep in mind that it only happens sometimes with CA, not always. Can't test if it is the same issue with the steering wheel. Until now, it always extended, so keeping my fingers crossed. Finding (part of) the cause is the beginning of a solution. My gut feeling from the start was a software bug. If that's the case, we all might be able to get the fix through ota.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by ikheetleon

My own car does not switch to hybrid when stopping. The loaner I had for 3 weeks did. But not always. I did see the suspension going to "default/hybrid" a couple of times when leaving the car (loaner).

Tested again yesterday and today. When I unlock with the fob it starts in EI (3 times) forgot about it half an hour ago leaving work and opened with the door handle and … started in hybrid. So we might be on to something.

Will keep on experimenting.

Edit charged for an hour at home and opened with the handle again and started in EI but is was plugged in.

Maybe someone else having the same issue can try to do the same?

[nZtiZia]

i mainly 'unlock on approach' and don't press my fob or touch the door handle, but I still get random switches to Hybrid mode.

so we're testing if unlocking via Comfort Access door handle is a trigger to switching from EI to Hybrid mode? I can test this in the coming days.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

i mainly 'unlock on approach' and don't press my fob or touch the door handle, but I still get random switches to Hybrid mode.

so we're testing if unlocking via Comfort Access door handle is a trigger to switching from EI to Hybrid mode? I can test this in the coming days.

Yes that is correct.

So what I found out the last days.

If I open with the door handle 90 % start in Hybrid. Except once (10%) when I was plugged in and charging.

Opening with the fob 100% start in EI

I wonder if you see the same.

[nZtiZia]

I've only performed two tests so far after I disabled 'unlock on approach':
• yesterday after work, unlocked with key fob > started in EI
• this morning before work, hand on door handle > started in Hybrid

**interesting caveat with 2nd test: it was still plugged in and it was already unlocked, so it appears that just by placing my hand on the door handle triggered Hybrid. (i know it wasn't in Hybrid prior to me touching the handle because it was still at the Load level.)

[ikheetleon]

Did you have the issue when you had "unlock to approach" enabled as well? Because I can enable that feature and maybe reproduce the issue while having the datalogger in my car. That will help BMW to find the issue within the software. Although, knowing what we know so far, it shouldn't be very hard to reproduce with what we found out about it.

[Tommy11220]

Update: since I have done 300km ICE driving last weekend, I was curious to see if this has any impact on the ghost switching to hybrid: since Monday, two daily drives, all started in IE as set. I have unlock on approach disabled and I always lock/unlock with comfort access (hand on the handle)
— aaand it switched to hybrid on my way home now when I started. Disregard the above

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by ikheetleon

Did you have the issue when you had "unlock to approach" enabled as well?

very rarely. with 'unlock on approach' 99.9% of startups were in EI mode. those times it switched to Hybrid was always in my garage while plugged in when I was either coding or changing/checking other settings. Comfort Access may not have anything to do with it switching all the time because one time it switched when I was inside the cabin coding, but it's interesting that unlocking with the door handle this morning triggered it immediately!

[nZtiZia]

more test results…

three times today after work (not done consecutively but after driving short distances) hand on door handle > started in EI

…soooooooo the Comfort Access theory is starting to lose ground.

I'll report back again after the weekend

[ikheetleon]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

more test results…

three times today after work (not done consecutively but after driving short distances) hand on door handle > started in EI

…soooooooo the Comfort Access theory is starting to lose ground.

I'll report back again after the weekend

Well keep in mind that there is still a random factor involved. What I'm trying to prove is that it never happens when using keyfob. And that it MAY happen when using comfort access.

If we can conclude that that's the case, we've already narrowed it down from totally random to a very specific situation. That makes it way easier to reproduce/solve.

[nZtiZia]

full weekend of tests.

even number of unlocking with key fob and Comfort Access hand on door handle > NO random switches to Hybrid whatsoever.

oh well…

[jad03060]

I wonder if the state of the 12vdc battery might make a difference in what mode it decides to run in...lots of short, lower speed trips may or may not get the 12vdc battery fully charged...some weird things happens when the 12vdc battery is not charged enough.

[nZtiZia]

my daily M-F commute is 20 miles round trip, all electric on suburban streets, 40-50 mph. I'm not sure if this meets your above described criteria for the 12V battery. I rarely get the random switch to hybrid, but the fact that it happens in the first place piques my interest in this 'issue'.