[xigolle]

Originally Posted by awosy

So without check-up it went of the list?

Yes indeed without a check-up it was teken of the list.

Originally Posted by Tommy11220

Sounds great! Did you just have the STOP code to begin with, or the Recall code, too?

I also got the stop code and checked earlier today (after I got the call) and didn't have the stop code on the site anymore.

[Tommy11220]

Originally Posted by xigolle

Yes indeed without a check-up it was teken of the list.

I also got the stop code and checked earlier today (after I got the call) and didn't have the stop code on the site anymore.

Thanks guys for the update. I take it you only had the STOP then, never the Recall as well. I had both and the STOP vanished but the Recall is still in there as of now.. and I'm concerned it will remain and the battery will need to be replaced before I can even take delivery

[stevieb27]

Just got an update from my dealer!

My car is currently at my dealer in Antwerp ...didn’t know that!
It needs to go back to Zeebrugge for a part change!
Something to do with the high voltage battery.

It is scheduled to leave back to Zeebrugge next week.
It is expected to take about 3/4 weeks so delivery will be early Nov.
Cars currently in ZeeBrugge will be done earlier.

Going to go and check it out tomorrow at the dealers ;-)

[lexieke]

Today I heard that about 400 cars that were previously on the list to recall, are now removed. But there is still a serious batch in Belgium that needs to go back. Expectations are that it will take at least over a month or it could take longer. I get a loaner (5 series) until the car is available.

[Heavyd]

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

[Tommy11220]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

Wow, that would be something. Is it really more cost effective to build a new X5 than to swap the battery pack? Plus, what's the waiting time; if I place an order today, it'll take at least 2-3 months until delivery here in Europe with a favorable time slot I guess. In the meantime, customers would need replacement cars. All in all, sounds like a nightmare.

[Phil284]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

I wonder if that's for the 30d and 40d variants of the X5s too? And the others..

[jad03060]

Originally Posted by Phil284

I wonder if that's for the 30d and 40d variants of the X5s too? And the others..

The thing that may be slowing down 45e deliveries is that this June, it became available for US customers for the first time...prior to that, BMWUSA did not have this model in their lineup. The US does not have the option of any of the diesel engines, so it should not have affected the international demand for those. Since they are built on the same assembly line, though, if they're building more of other models, that might impact the slots available for a diesel. Unlike days of old, they don't do batching...where they make a bunch of x today, then switch to y, tomorrow...it's uncommon to have two identical vehicles in next to each other. Way back when, they'd be making all white ones one day, then maybe black the next, and so on...today in the assembly line, one might be an X5, the next an X6, etc. It's impressive to take a tour if you ever get the chance. I've had the opportunity to visit the factory in Munich and in South Carolina, and there are lots of similarities.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

Originally Posted by jad03060

The thing that may be slowing down 45e deliveries is that this June, it became available for US customers for the first time...Unlike days of old, they don't do batching...

Agree entirely with this also having taken the tours and specifically asked these questions ...

I'm speculating that euro supply was held back to help meet US demand which may be considered a more critical 45e market ... (both total sales potential and margins)

Further, I wouldn't be surprised if Euro cars affected by the stop-sale are prioritized for immediate build & replacement as that would be the fastest, surest, (and quietest) way to clear up the battery problem: customers get a new car so they're happy and BMW buys the luxury of time to figure out next steps with the recall fleet. It's also the fastest way to give customers a clear date as BMW probably doesn't have a battery replacement team sitting around looking for work and that procedure probably has much more room for errors. Hopefully BMW is prioritizing customer satisfaction and expectations over what might theoretically be cheaper.

I've been in similar meetings were we've made that call many times; basically get customers clear of your fuckup as fast and as surely as you can, then deal with the mess and cleanup.

If BMW is doing an immediate-build-and-swap that gives me a ton of confidence in the 45e and BMW's support.

[biterror]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

I wonder what their "test" is.. Charge the battery once and see if a "thermal event" occurs? This silence is not very reassuring..

[BMW BFG]

I am assuming this is a different issue to the one effecting MHT (mild hybrid technology) cars? Or is there a relation ?

[Tommy11220]

Originally Posted by biterror

I wonder what their "test" is.. Charge the battery once and see if a "thermal event" occurs? This silence is not very reassuring..

Exactly what I was thinking. If there was a simple test, they would have done it already at the dealer and released my car. This is gets more confusing by the day.

[Tommy11220]

Also, as a quick update, while the STOP code has vanished last Friday, I kept checking my VIN since then on a regular basis - the Recall code 0061670500 remains and I assume it will. Any of you guys with different experiences?

[Pateeke81]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

Just read on the Belgian forum from someone that got a call from BMW telling him that impacted cars will be tested. If the test fails a new car will go in production, no repairs.

Why would they scrap a +100k car + put delivery many months back + extra cost of months replacement car + possible lawsuits + very bad PR, when they can remove a 10k battery pack and test it outside of the car?
That would make absolutely no sense at all, there is nothing wrong with the car itself, only the battery pack.

[krisdv]

Originally Posted by biterror

I just got a call from my dealer. Obviously, my 45e has been inspected in Zeebrugge and taken off the STOP list, so it should be shipped to the north soon.

EDIT: Just checked the UK recall page and my car no longer has recalls there, either.

That's good news! What is the production date of your car?

[Portocale]

Originally Posted by BMW BFG

I am assuming this is a different issue to the one effecting MHT (mild hybrid technology) cars? Or is there a relation ?

In the case of MH is just the + cable that need to be changed. Easy fix.

[biterror]

Originally Posted by krisdv

That's good news! What is the production date of your car?

It was supposed to be 2020-09-05, but when I checked with VIN, it said "2020-09-02".

[xigolle]

Originally Posted by Tommy11220

Also, as a quick update, while the STOP code has vanished last Friday, I kept checking my VIN since then on a regular basis - the Recall code 0061670500 remains and I assume it will. Any of you guys with different experiences?

I got a different experience.
At first mine VIN had a stop code on the site and received a call from my dealer.
This week I got a call back from my dealer that it isn't on the list anymore and when I checked the site it was also gone.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Pateeke81

Why would they scrap a +100k car + put delivery many months back + extra cost of months replacement car + possible lawsuits + very bad PR, when they can remove a 10k battery pack and test it outside of the car?
That would make absolutely no sense at all, there is nothing wrong with the car itself, only the battery pack.

Not sure how you arrived at all of that ...

Giving customers a new vehicle is most sensible thing BMW can possibly do: it's faster, cheaper, has fewer risks, and fewer variables. BMW is engineered to build cars at scale - BMW can do this reliably & predictably - versus replace batteries at scale, which BMW likely cannot do predictably or reliably. (1-10, maybe, but 100s? risky)

The process would go like this:

(1.) Test the charge / discharge consistency over x # of cycles; if within threshold, return to customer, if not within threshold, then

(2.) Order new car from factory with same options and expedited build, i.e., very next production slot, and put customer in courtesy car in the meantime; this gives the customer an expected *and reliable* date plus new car!

(3.) 6-8 weeks later customer receives ... a new car!

Customers getting new cars with expedited reliable timelines are usually happy and, if not, their odds of winning any lawsuits are 0%. And giving people new cars is great for PR.

The reason it's smart is because BMW doesn't have a team of mechanics waiting around to install batteries so they'd have to contract them (that's expensive and risky) and BMW likely doesn't have hundreds of extra batteries and parts laying around (which would all have to shipped to wherever with all the associated parts - that's expensive and risky). Plus BMW would have to deal with the possibility of human error in all of the installs while 100s of customers are waiting for their cars; no way that project stays on schedule, it's full of uncertainty and therefore high risk.

Doing a new car swap gives BMW the luxury of time to ship all of the cars that don't meet spec to (?) and fix them at their leisure and then use them for whatever is best at the time (tax loss? Used market? Courtesy fleet? Corporate fleet? Rental market?)

[biterror]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

(1.) Test the charge / discharge consistency over x # of cycles; if within threshold, return to customer

Some site reported "Two cells in the high-voltage battery can short-circuit, which increases the risk of fire." for the X5 45e.

If there really is a risk of a short circuit in the battery, how can they be sure after a few charge/discharge cycles that the problem doesn't occur after driving 10000 km on rough roads or some off-roading or just a few years of aging? I don't know what kind of a problem it is, but "checking" the car without actually opening up the battery pack sounds fishy to me.. especially as this applies to _my_ car ;-)

I agree that BMW most likely doesn't have extra batteries for replacement, but then, they also need batteries to build new cars.

[Heavyd]

Originally Posted by biterror

Some site reported "Two cells in the high-voltage battery can short-circuit, which increases the risk of fire." for the X5 45e.

If there really is a risk of a short circuit in the battery, how can they be sure after a few charge/discharge cycles that the problem doesn't occur after driving 10000 km on rough roads or some off-roading or just a few years of aging? I don't know what kind of a problem it is, but "checking" the car without actually opening up the battery pack sounds fishy to me.. especially as this applies to _my_ car ;-)

I agree that BMW most likely doesn't have extra batteries for replacement, but then, they also need batteries to build new cars.

I read somewhere if your car isn't torched after the first reload you're good to go
I think if there are welding beads that can cause a problem they will short circuit directly and not after charging 1000 times.

[biterror]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

I read somewhere if your car isn't torched after the first reload you're good to go
I think if there are welding beads that can cause a problem they will short circuit directly and not after charging 1000 times.

The "welding beads" was the first recall (or whatever) for cars manufactured between Feb and Aug (if I remember correctly). This didn't affect my car because it was manufactured in September. The new recall is some other battery problem that was discovered only in September.

Well, I guess this brings some new excitement to life.. ;-)