BMW 7 Series Hybrid Stalling and Jerking: Ignition Issue?

Hey there! I've had some experience working on cars. I actually faced something very similar with my 2018 BMW 5 Series Hybrid last year. The symptoms were almost identical to what you're describing. After taking it to my regular workshop, they found that the issue was a loose cable connection to the throttle position sensor. The connector had worked itself loose over time, causing those exact symptoms, rough running, jerking, and poor response. They fixed it by securing the connection properly and running a diagnostic check. The whole thing cost me 95 Euro, mostly labor. Before jumping to conclusions about the ignition coil, could you share: How many miles/kilometers are on your car? Are there any other warning lights besides the check engine light? Does this happen more when the engine is cold or warm? This could help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue I had. These newer BMW hybrids have pretty complex systems, but they're usually reliable once properly sorted.

Thanks for the response! Mine has 100143 KM on the clock and I just had it serviced last month. Those symptoms actually started showing up more when the engine is warm, usually after about 15-20 minutes of driving. And yeah, just the check engine light is on, no other warning lights. I'll definitely have my mechanic check the throttle position sensor connections. That would be a much cheaper fix than replacing ignition coils! Did your car also have that slight hesitation when you first pressed the accelerator? That's been really noticeable in my case, especially in electric mode.

Hey again! Yes, actually that hesitation on initial acceleration was exactly what I experienced too, especially in electric mode, it was super annoying! Just to share more about my experience, I had that same hesitation you're describing, and it got really noticeable after the engine warmed up. My car had around 95,000 KM when this happened, so pretty close to yours. At first, I was also convinced it was the ignition coils because the symptoms seemed to match, but I'm glad I had it properly checked before replacing parts unnecessarily. The interesting thing is, after they fixed that loose connection on my car, they also found that the throttle body needed a good cleaning. It had quite a bit of carbon buildup, which was contributing to the hesitation. They did both jobs at the same time, and the total came to about 180 Euro. The difference in performance was like night and day! Since you mentioned yours is doing the same thing in electric mode, I'm even more convinced it could be sensor-related rather than an ignition coil issue. These hybrid systems are pretty sensitive to any sensor irregularities. Definitely have them check both the connections and the throttle body cleanliness. It might save you a bunch of money compared to replacing ignition coils! Let me know what your mechanic finds, I'm really curious if it turns out to be the same issue!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! That's really helpful information, especially about the throttle body cleaning. I just called my mechanic and scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning. I mentioned both the sensor connections and throttle body cleaning to him, and he agreed these should be checked first before jumping to more expensive repairs. It's such a relief to hear from someone who had almost identical symptoms and got it fixed without major expenses. The fact that your car had similar mileage and showed the same hesitation in electric mode makes me pretty hopeful it's going to be something similar. I'll definitely update you once I get it checked out, fingers crossed it's just those sensor connections or carbon buildup! Thanks again for taking the time to walk me through your experience. It's really saved me from potentially spending a lot more money on unnecessary parts replacements!