BMW iX3 FlexRay Bus Failure Causing Electrical Chaos

I had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW i3s last month. The FlexRay bus failure caused complete chaos with the electrical systems. My car showed identical symptoms, unusual power losses, dead infotainment, and constant error messages on the dash. Turned out the main control module had a faulty connection where the cable harness plugs in. The mechanic found corrosion on the pins, which was interrupting the communication between systems. It wasn't a major repair in terms of parts, but accessing the module was quite labor-intensive since they had to remove several components to reach it. They cleaned the connection points, replaced the damaged pins, and secured the harness properly. The car has been running perfectly since then. It's worth getting it checked soon though, these electrical gremlins can potentially leave you stranded if not addressed. Good idea to ask around first, my lesson was finding a shop that really understands EV diagnostics makes a huge difference.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful as it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Glad to hear it wasn't a major parts replacement issue. Would you mind sharing how much the repair set you back? Also, just curious if you've had any other electrical quirks pop up since they fixed it? Been a bit nervous about potential issues down the road with my iX3.

Hey there! Happy to give you an update. After the repair, everything has been running smoothly, absolutely no electrical issues whatsoever. The FlexRay bus fault was definitely the culprit, and once they sorted out that cable connection, all those crazy symptoms disappeared completely. The total cost came to 95 € for the repair, which wasn't bad at all considering how many problems it was causing. They basically had to clean up and fix the faulty connection where the cable plugs into the component. Much better than having to replace entire modules! I've put about 3,000 km on the car since the fix, and honestly, it's been perfect. No more unusual power cuts, the entertainment system works flawlessly, and those annoying error messages are history. I was also worried about future issues, but my mechanic explained that once these connection problems are properly fixed, they typically don't come back. Trust me, finding a good mechanic who knows their way around EVs made all the difference. Once they identified the actual problem, it was a pretty straightforward fix. Don't let your previous bad experience hold you back, getting this sorted sooner rather than later is definitely the way to go!

I took your advice and got my iX3 checked out today. You were spot on, it was indeed a FlexRay connection issue. The mechanic found corroded pins in the main control module, just like in your case. They cleaned everything up, replaced a couple of damaged pins, and properly secured the connection. The whole thing cost me 120 €, which wasn't too bad considering how worried I was about potential major repairs. The best part? All those crazy electrical problems have completely disappeared. No more unusual shutdowns, the audio system is working perfectly, and those annoying error messages are gone. Really appreciate you sharing your experience. It gave me the confidence to get it sorted quickly instead of waiting until things got worse. The mechanic also mentioned these issues rarely come back once properly fixed, so that's a relief. Thanks again for helping me avoid what could have been a much bigger headache!