BMW i3 Keyless Entry Dead, Door Handle Circuit Issue?

Hi there! I have some experience working on hybrid vehicles and went through something very similar with my 2012 BMW i8. Let me share what happened. The symptoms were exactly like yours, keyless entry failed and I got those same error codes. Initially, I thought it was the key fob battery, but that wasn't it. Took it to my regular workshop and they found it was a loose connection in the door handle wiring harness. The cable had worn out over time and wasn't making proper contact. The fix wasn't too complicated, they replaced the wiring harness and recalibrated the system. Cost me around 95 Euro and haven't had any issues since then. This seems to be somewhat common in BMW hybrids of that generation, including the i3 and i8 models. Could you share if you've noticed any other electrical issues or if the problem started suddenly? Also, have you had any recent work done on the doors or handles? This might help pinpoint if we're dealing with the same problem.

Thanks for the detailed response! Mine also started acting up suddenly last week. I haven't had any work done on the doors recently, last service was just routine maintenance and the car has been running fine at 92666 KM. I'm a bit relieved to hear it might just be the wiring harness and not something more serious. I'll definitely have my mechanic check that first. Thanks for the tip about the cables wearing out, makes total sense given the age of these cars. Did your mechanic mention how long the repair took? I'm trying to plan around this.

Hey again! Glad to help with more details about my experience. The actual repair on my i8 took around 2-3 hours, but I left it at the workshop for a full day just to be safe. The mechanic wanted to run a complete diagnostic after the repair to make sure everything was working properly, especially since these hybrid systems can be a bit finicky. I forgot to mention in my first reply, before the complete failure, I did notice the keyless entry was getting a bit inconsistent for about a week or so. Sometimes it would work fine, other times I'd have to try multiple times. Given your mileage is pretty close to what mine was when this happened (I was at around 89000 KM), it's most likely the same issue. Just a heads up, make sure your mechanic checks all the door handles, not just the driver's side. In my case, they found slight wear in the passenger side wiring as well, though it hadn't failed yet. We decided to replace both to prevent another visit in a few months. The parts aren't too expensive, so it was worth doing both at once. Let me know how it goes! Always good to compare notes with fellow BMW hybrid owners.

Thanks so much for all these extra details, super helpful! Good call about checking all the door handles. Now that you mention it, I have noticed some inconsistency with the passenger side too, so I'll definitely have them look at both sides. It's exactly like you described, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, and then total failure. I'll schedule it for a full day service next week and ask them to do a complete diagnostic after the repair. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's made me feel much better about the whole situation. And thanks for the tip about the potential repair time, I'll make sure to arrange alternative transport for the day. I'll definitely update you once it's fixed!