Smoke in Cabin! Brand new m340i, hybrid battery fire
Discussion
76 m340i Touring delivered last month, 500 miles, factory ordered.
Last Sunday, after 90 mins of motorway driving, when breaking to go into services, a thick plume of dark smoke entered the cabin from the passenger side vent. Wife and 1 year old in car. We frantically pulled over and got out of the car.
No warning lights prior to stopping. Smells of electrical burning, not oil residue. Very strong. BMW Assist attended, checked engine bay nothing, confirmed it smells like electric wiring / insulation. No warning lights on start-up; appears to drive but now obvious fire risk. Car taken away.
Just before the 30 day statutory limit. Car now in with a BMW service centre.
Never seen anything like it in 30+ years of driving!
Service centre subsequently reported:
"We have confirmed a fault with the 48-volt battery positive terminal, which was found to be thermally damaged.
- A technical TSARA case was raised with BMW Germany for specialist guidance.
- BMW has advised that this appears to be an isolated event and has instructed the replacement of the 48-volt battery and associated components. - We have ordered a replacement 48-volt battery, cover lid, and both positive and negative cables.
- These parts are currently on back-order from Germany. We have applied a VOR (Vehicle Off Road) status to this order to ensure they are shipped to us as a priority.
- Once the parts are fitted, the vehicle will undergo a comprehensive testing phase. I will be discussing the specific scope of this testing with our Service Manager and Aftersales Manager to ensure your total peace of mind before the vehicle is returned"
Anyone else experience / know of hybrid battery problems? Outright reject?
Many thanks!
Last Sunday, after 90 mins of motorway driving, when breaking to go into services, a thick plume of dark smoke entered the cabin from the passenger side vent. Wife and 1 year old in car. We frantically pulled over and got out of the car.
No warning lights prior to stopping. Smells of electrical burning, not oil residue. Very strong. BMW Assist attended, checked engine bay nothing, confirmed it smells like electric wiring / insulation. No warning lights on start-up; appears to drive but now obvious fire risk. Car taken away.
Just before the 30 day statutory limit. Car now in with a BMW service centre.
Never seen anything like it in 30+ years of driving!
Service centre subsequently reported:
"We have confirmed a fault with the 48-volt battery positive terminal, which was found to be thermally damaged.
- A technical TSARA case was raised with BMW Germany for specialist guidance.
- BMW has advised that this appears to be an isolated event and has instructed the replacement of the 48-volt battery and associated components. - We have ordered a replacement 48-volt battery, cover lid, and both positive and negative cables.
- These parts are currently on back-order from Germany. We have applied a VOR (Vehicle Off Road) status to this order to ensure they are shipped to us as a priority.
- Once the parts are fitted, the vehicle will undergo a comprehensive testing phase. I will be discussing the specific scope of this testing with our Service Manager and Aftersales Manager to ensure your total peace of mind before the vehicle is returned"
Anyone else experience / know of hybrid battery problems? Outright reject?
Many thanks!
Personally, I have no experience of this or anything similar but my opinion would be as follows:
A fault occurred and has been diagnosed.
The fault has been able to be precisely identified and sounds like an issue that means (perhaps) the terminal wasn't attached correctly, which will cause heat & damage where they have stated.
It should be quite easy to test for any repeat when it is fixed, so perhaps engage with the service manager to discuss these tests and your fears.
For me this would fall into the category, this should never happen again on that car when fixed and tested, and if you were to get another replacement, will it happen on that car?
Having said that only you/your wife can say if you feel safe in it or not.
A fault occurred and has been diagnosed.
The fault has been able to be precisely identified and sounds like an issue that means (perhaps) the terminal wasn't attached correctly, which will cause heat & damage where they have stated.
It should be quite easy to test for any repeat when it is fixed, so perhaps engage with the service manager to discuss these tests and your fears.
For me this would fall into the category, this should never happen again on that car when fixed and tested, and if you were to get another replacement, will it happen on that car?
Having said that only you/your wife can say if you feel safe in it or not.
E-bmw said:
Personally, I have no experience of this or anything similar but my opinion would be as follows:
A fault occurred and has been diagnosed.
The fault has been able to be precisely identified and sounds like an issue that means (perhaps) the terminal wasn't attached correctly, which will cause heat & damage where they have stated.
It should be quite easy to test for any repeat when it is fixed, so perhaps engage with the service manager to discuss these tests and your fears.
For me this would fall into the category, this should never happen again on that car when fixed and tested, and if you were to get another replacement, will it happen on that car?
Having said that only you/your wife can say if you feel safe in it or not.
This. Unfortunately lots of things, especially cars, are very complicated these days, and even though manufacturers will almost certainly have impressive quality statistics, things can and do go wrong.A fault occurred and has been diagnosed.
The fault has been able to be precisely identified and sounds like an issue that means (perhaps) the terminal wasn't attached correctly, which will cause heat & damage where they have stated.
It should be quite easy to test for any repeat when it is fixed, so perhaps engage with the service manager to discuss these tests and your fears.
For me this would fall into the category, this should never happen again on that car when fixed and tested, and if you were to get another replacement, will it happen on that car?
Having said that only you/your wife can say if you feel safe in it or not.
The key is how the manufacturer deals with the situation when it goes wrong, and it sounds like BMW have dealt with this very well.
All of that said, I'm not sure I could trust the car again.
t BMW corporate optics.There was a recall in USA in 2020 for several models including the M340i for a similar issue. Things not being put together properly with battery connections.
I agree with the above that "thermally damaged" is a piss take.
What other components nearby could suffer premature wear as result? Smoke damage/smell in aircon and cabin?
I'd reject the car both for my peace of mind and that it costs BMW money and time. If enough consumers were harsher it would become cheaper for BMW to build things properly the first time.
I agree with the above that "thermally damaged" is a piss take.
What other components nearby could suffer premature wear as result? Smoke damage/smell in aircon and cabin?
I'd reject the car both for my peace of mind and that it costs BMW money and time. If enough consumers were harsher it would become cheaper for BMW to build things properly the first time.
Thanks all for the perspectives.
It is hard to trust the vehicle after a traumatic event like this, regardless of the proposed 'fix'.
There are plenty of concerns. For one, I am sure such heat damage could have future repercussions that might not be immediately clear on any standard diagnostics. And yes, I suppose there could be a faint smell that might never go.
I am also concerned that the significant "thermal" work is on the 'permanent record' and theoretically would be disclosable to others, or may even be required disclosure by me, in the event of a part-ex / sale. That goes to value and is it reasonable for me to just accept that? This is a brand new vehicle. A consumer should, not unreasonably, expect it to be perfect.
It is a really sad situation. It's like finding and beginning to fall in love with a dream girl... only to find out she's got a STD. She's never quite the same after that...
It is hard to trust the vehicle after a traumatic event like this, regardless of the proposed 'fix'.
There are plenty of concerns. For one, I am sure such heat damage could have future repercussions that might not be immediately clear on any standard diagnostics. And yes, I suppose there could be a faint smell that might never go.
I am also concerned that the significant "thermal" work is on the 'permanent record' and theoretically would be disclosable to others, or may even be required disclosure by me, in the event of a part-ex / sale. That goes to value and is it reasonable for me to just accept that? This is a brand new vehicle. A consumer should, not unreasonably, expect it to be perfect.
It is a really sad situation. It's like finding and beginning to fall in love with a dream girl... only to find out she's got a STD. She's never quite the same after that...
ashleyalbany said:
It's like finding and beginning to fall in love with a dream girl... only to find out she's got a STD. She's never quite the same after that...
It's just an overheated battery connection. No fire, just a bit of smoke. Leaving that aside, the concept of getting overheated with a dream girl could be interesting.Panamax said:
skyebear said:
If enough consumers were harsher it would become cheaper for BMW to build things properly the first time.
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