BMW i8 Nav Dead, Transport Mode Electrical Issues?

Hey there! I've got some experience with hybrids, and this sounds familiar. I had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW i3 last year. I'm not a car expert, but I've learned quite a bit about these electrical systems through my experiences. When I got those electrical warnings and nav system failures, I took it straight to the BMW dealer since my car was still under warranty. Turned out it was indeed related to Transport Mode, which sometimes doesn't fully deactivate during delivery prep. The dealer simply needed to perform a system reset and properly deactivate Transport Mode. Didn't cost me anything since the car was new. Could you tell me if you've noticed any other electrical quirks, like issues with the climate control or instrument cluster? Also, when did these problems start, right after getting the car or later? This info would help me understand if you're dealing with the same thing I experienced.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah, I've had my i8 since new, and these issues just started popping up last week. My car's at 116964 KM, and everything was fine during the last service. The climate control has been acting up too, sometimes it just switches off out of nowhere. The instrument cluster seems okay though. I was hoping it'd be as simple as a system reset like in your case. Sounds like I should probably head to the dealer to get it checked out properly. Did your car have any warning lights on the dash while this was happening?

Hey again! Yes, my i3 definitely had warning lights when this happened, mainly the general electrical malfunction warning, which sounds exactly like what you're experiencing. The unusual climate control shutoff you're describing is really similar to what I dealt with too. The fact that your issues started suddenly after running fine for so long is actually encouraging. In my case, and in several other cases I've heard about since then, sudden electrical gremlins like this often point to a system that needs resetting rather than a major component failure. Just to give you a heads up, when I took mine in, they had to keep it for about a day to run full diagnostics and do the reset properly. They also updated some software while they had it hooked up. Since your i8 is out of warranty (mine was still covered), you might want to ask about the cost upfront. One thing I learned from my experience, don't keep driving it too long with these symptoms. I know it's tempting to wait and see if it sorts itself out, but with these hybrid systems, it's better to get it checked out quickly to prevent any potential cascade of electrical issues. Let me know how it goes when you get it looked at. I'm really curious if it turns out to be the same thing I experienced.

Thanks so much for the detailed info! That's really helpful, especially about not waiting too long to get it checked. You've honestly made me feel a lot better about this whole situation, it does sound super similar to what you experienced. I just called the dealer and booked it in for tomorrow morning. They mentioned they'd need it for at least a day, just like you said. The service advisor actually seemed pretty familiar with these symptoms when I described them, which is reassuring. They're going to do a full diagnostic scan and check the Transport Mode status. Really hoping it's just a reset and software update situation rather than something major. I'll definitely keep you posted on what they find. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful in knowing what to expect!