BMW 3 Hybrid Jerking: Engine Power Loss Needs Fix

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW 530e Hybrid last year. Experienced the exact same symptoms, jerking and power loss. Turned out a third-party tuning shop had messed up the ECU programming during a "performance upgrade." Got it fixed at a certified dealership. They had to reset the entire engine control unit and reprogram it with the original manufacturer software. The hybrid system needed recalibration too. While the repair itself wasn't hugely complex, it was serious because faulty tuning could've damaged engine components if left unchecked. Here's my advice: Skip those tuning shops and get it checked at a certified hybrid specialist. They have the right diagnostic tools and proper programming capabilities. These symptoms typically point to electronic/software issues rather than mechanical problems. Just don't delay, driving with those symptoms could lead to bigger issues.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Really helpful to hear from someone who went through something similar. Do you remember roughly how much the dealership charged you for the reset and reprogramming? I'm trying to budget for this repair. Also curious if you've had any other issues pop up since they fixed it? Appreciate the advice about going to a certified specialist. Definitely don't want to risk making things worse by going to the wrong place again. Cheers!

Hey there! Happy to update you on my BMW 530e situation. The total bill came to 180 € for fixing that messed-up chip tuning. Pretty reasonable considering the potential damage it could've caused! Since getting it sorted at the certified shop, my car's been running like a dream, no more jerking or power issues at all. The fault code they detected was completely cleared and hasn't come back. Actually, I'm really glad I didn't wait any longer to get it fixed. The specialist mentioned that continuing to drive with the faulty tuning could've seriously damaged the engine over time. My car feels much smoother now, just like when I first got it. Honestly, it was worth every penny to get it done properly. I've put about 15,000 km on it since the repair with zero issues. Really taught me a lesson about staying away from those third-party tuning shops, no matter how tempting their offers might be! Let me know how you get on with yours!

Just wanted to give you an update on my BMW situation. Finally got it checked out by a certified mechanic yesterday. Turns out my issue was different, a failing fuel injector was causing the jerking and power loss. The repair set me back about 800 bucks, quite a bit more than your ECU fix! The mechanic was really thorough and showed me exactly what was wrong. They also did a full system check and found no other issues, which was reassuring. Got to test drive it today and what a difference! No more jerking, and the power delivery is smooth again. You were absolutely right about going to a specialist. The guy really knew his stuff and explained everything clearly. Should've done this weeks ago instead of worrying about it. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it gave me the push I needed to get it properly sorted. Really appreciate the help! Take care!