maximilian_held1
BMW i8 Wiper System Dies: Relay vs Control Module Issue?
Wipers don't work properly
Fault stored
4 comment(s)
Thanks for sharing your experience! That definitely sounds similar to what I'm dealing with. Great to know it wasn't anything too major in your case. I'll probably take your advice and hit up a certified BMW shop rather than risk it with a regular mechanic. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much the repair set you back? Also, has everything been working smoothly since the fix, or have you noticed any other electrical quirks popping up?
Hey there! Happy to give you an update on my i3s situation. After taking your suggestion and going to the certified BMW shop, I was right about the relay being the culprit. They found and fixed a faulty wiper relay, it was actually just a bad cable connection to the component. The whole thing cost me 95 Euro, which honestly wasn't as painful as I expected! Everything's been working perfectly since the repair, no more wiper issues or any other electrical gremlins showing up. The wipers respond perfectly now, both in manual and auto modes. Really glad I went with a proper BMW specialist, they diagnosed it quickly and got it sorted without any drama. You definitely made the right call going to a certified shop. These hybrid systems can be tricky, but once you get the right people looking at them, it's usually something fairly straightforward. Hope your repair goes as smoothly as mine did! Let me know how it turns out with your i8. Always interested to hear if others run into similar issues and how they get resolved.
Thanks for the follow-up! I actually just got back from the BMW service center today. Funny enough, my issue was completely different from yours. Turns out there was a software glitch in the control module that was causing the wiper system to fail. The technician did a complete system reset and software update, which fixed the problem. The whole thing took about two hours and cost around 200 Euro, a bit more than yours but still not terrible considering I was expecting much worse. They also gave the whole system a thorough check and everything else looks good. Really glad I took your advice about going to a certified shop. The mechanic was super knowledgeable about the i8's systems and explained everything clearly. No more stressing about driving in bad weather now that the wipers are working perfectly again! Thanks again for helping me make the right call on this one. These hybrid cars can definitely throw some curveballs at us, but having the right people work on them makes all the difference.
I had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW i3s Hybrid last month. The wiper system completely died during a drive, showing the same symptoms, no response in both manual and auto modes. Took it to the garage and turns out it wasn't the relay at all. The main culprit was a faulty connection in the wiring harness near the wiper motor. Some cables had corroded and lost proper contact. The technician found the issue during diagnostics pretty quickly. Not a serious problem in terms of car health, but definitely unsafe to drive without working wipers. The repair involved replacing a section of the wiring harness and checking all connections. Took about 3 hours to complete the whole job. Since you've got an i8, I'd strongly suggest getting it checked at a certified BMW service center. These hybrid systems are quite complex, and you want someone who knows what they're doing with the electronics. The error code should help them pinpoint the issue faster.