BMW i3 Climate Control Issues, Sensor Problems?

Hey there! I have some experience working on hybrids and faced something similar with my 2018 BMW i8. Not a pro mechanic, but I've dealt with a few electrical issues before. Had the exact same symptoms, climate control acting up and poor heating. After taking it to my trusted workshop, they found it was just a loose connection in the wiring harness for the climate control system. The cable connector wasn't properly seated, causing intermittent issues. Total repair cost was 95 Euro, mostly labor for diagnosing and fixing the connection. Before throwing parts at it though, could you share: Are you getting any specific error messages? Does it happen all the time or intermittently? Have you noticed any other electrical glitches? This might help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing that insight! My i3 just had its service last month at 155985 KM, and I'm getting a "Climate Control Malfunction" error consistently. It's pretty much constant, the heating barely works and the auto climate seems to have a mind of its own. Haven't noticed any other electrical issues though, everything else works perfectly fine. I'm a bit relieved to hear yours was just a loose connection, definitely less scary than a full sensor replacement! Did your mechanic mention how they diagnosed it? I might ask my workshop to check the wiring first before diving into more expensive repairs.

Hey again! Yeah, seeing your mileage and symptoms, it does sound quite similar to what I experienced with my i8. When my mechanic diagnosed it, they actually used a diagnostic scanner that pointed to a communication error in the climate control module. But here's the interesting part, they initially thought it was the sensor too, until they did a physical inspection of the wiring. They basically traced the wiring harness from the climate control module and found that the connector near the blower motor was slightly corroded and not making proper contact. In my case, they cleaned the connector pins and made sure everything was properly seated. After that, the system started working perfectly again. The constant error message you're getting sounds exactly like what I had. One way you can kind of test this yourself is to try gently pressing around your dashboard while the climate control is on, if you notice any changes in performance, it might indicate a loose connection somewhere. I'd definitely suggest having them check the wiring and connections first. My repair was way cheaper than what a new sensor would have cost. Plus, given that you just had service done, maybe something got knocked loose during that work? Just a thought! Let me know what you find out, really curious if it's the same issue!

Thanks so much for all that detailed help! After reading about your experience, I called my workshop and insisted they check the wiring connections first. Turns out you were spot on, they found a damaged connector near the blower motor, just like in your case! Some corrosion had built up, and they think it might have been disturbed during my recent service. The fix was actually pretty straightforward, they cleaned the connector, secured it properly, and now everything's working perfectly again. The heating's back to full strength, and the auto climate control is behaving normally. Best part? The whole repair only cost me about half of what I was expecting to pay for a sensor replacement! Really grateful for your advice about getting them to check the wiring first, saved me quite a bit of money and headache. Amazing how such a small connection issue can cause such annoying problems in these high-tech cars. Thanks again for steering me in the right direction!