BMW 3 Series Hybrid Electrical Nightmare, Help Needed

Hey there! I have some experience working on hybrid vehicles. I actually faced a similar issue with my 2019 BMW 5 Series Hybrid last year. The symptoms were nearly identical, warning lights, electrical gremlins, and starting problems. Turned out my hybrid battery was severely discharged and failing. Took it to my trusted workshop where they ran diagnostics and confirmed the battery system was the culprit. The repair bill came to 290 Euro, which covered testing, recharging, and some battery cell repairs. The car has been running perfectly since then. Could you share more details about your 3 Series, like the specific warning messages you're seeing and how long this has been happening? This would help determine if you're dealing with the same problem I had. Just watch out, electrical issues in hybrids can be complex, so I'd recommend getting it checked soon before it gets worse! Would love to help more if you share additional info about your situation.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! My car only has 9513 KM and was just serviced last month, so this is quite frustrating. I'm getting the same warnings you described, the overvoltage alerts started about a week ago, and now more warning lights keep popping up daily. The error messages are in red and yellow, mainly showing "Drivetrain malfunction" and "Electric system error." It's especially annoying because the car sometimes takes multiple attempts to start, and unusual features like climate control and infotainment keep cutting out. 290 Euro for the fix sounds reasonable compared to what I was expecting. I'll definitely take it to the workshop this week. Did your mechanic mention how long the repair took? Really hoping it's just the battery system like in your case. Thanks for the advice!

Hey again! Yeah, I totally get your frustration, these issues are super annoying, especially on a fairly new car! My repair actually took about a day and a half, but that's because they wanted to run extensive tests to make sure everything was properly sorted. The symptoms you're describing are exactly what I experienced, right down to the climate control acting up! Something I forgot to mention in my first reply, after they fixed my battery system, they also found that the voltage regulator was slightly damaged from the power fluctuations. It wasn't a major issue, but they recommended replacing it to prevent future problems. That added about 150 Euro to my bill, but honestly, it was worth it for the peace of mind. Just make sure when you take it in that they check both the hybrid battery AND the charging system. In my case, they initially only looked at the battery, but the full solution needed both components addressed. One quick tip from my experience, keep a jump starter in your car until it's fixed. I learned this the hard way when I got stranded in a parking lot! Let me know how it goes at the workshop. I'm really curious if it turns out to be the same issue as mine.

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! That extra info about the voltage regulator is super helpful, I'll definitely mention that when I take it in. Better to fix everything properly than have to deal with this again later. I actually already ordered a jump starter after my second failed start attempt yesterday, so great minds think alike! Really appreciate the tip though, would've been awful to get stranded somewhere. I've scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning and requested a full charging system inspection along with the battery check, just as you suggested. The service advisor mentioned they might need the car for two days, which matches up with your timeline. Will let you know how it turns out, fingers crossed it's as straightforward as your repair was. Thanks again for all your help and sharing your experience. It's made me feel a lot better about the whole situation!