BMW i3 Hybrid Power Loss and Stalling Issues

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and went through something very similar with my 2014 BMW i8 last year. My symptoms were almost identical, rough idle, stalling, and that annoying check engine light. Turned out it was indeed the DISA valve. I took it to my regular workshop, and they confirmed the DISA unit was completely shot. The repair wasn't fun for my wallet, cost me about 280 Euro for the whole thing, but it fixed all the issues. The car runs smooth as butter now. Before you jump to conclusions though, any unusual sounds from the engine? Does it happen more when the engine is cold or warm? Have you scanned for error codes? Also, I owned a 320i before this, but nothing compares to the hybrid setup in terms of maintenance complexity. Let me know these details and I might be able to help more specifically with your i3.

Thanks for the detailed reply! Just had my service last month, so I'm pretty up to date with maintenance at 27634 KM. I'm hearing a slight rattling noise when accelerating, and it's definitely worse when the engine is cold, especially in the mornings. Haven't scanned for codes yet, but planning to get that done this weekend at my local shop. The hybrid system makes everything a bit trickier to diagnose for sure. I appreciate the heads up about the potential cost, at least I know what I might be looking at if it is the DISA valve. Was your repair done with OEM parts or aftermarket? Just trying to weigh my options here.

Hey again! Thanks for the follow-up. Those details actually sound really familiar, exactly what I experienced with my i8. That rattling noise during acceleration was definitely present in my case too, and yeah, those cold morning starts were the worst! I went with OEM parts for my repair. Tried to save some cash initially by looking at aftermarket options, but my mechanic strongly advised against it. He said he'd seen too many aftermarket DISA valves fail within months, particularly in hybrid systems. The OEM part was pricier, but honestly, it was worth every penny for the peace of mind. Quick tip from my experience, while they're in there replacing the DISA valve, have them check the vacuum lines too. Mine had a small crack that wasn't helping matters. It was a minor additional cost but fixed another potential problem before it started. And speaking of codes, when you get them scanned, if you see anything like P1017 or P1011, that's pretty much a smoking gun for DISA valve issues. That's what showed up on mine. Keep me posted on what the scan reveals, curious to know if you're dealing with the exact same thing I did!

Thanks so much for sharing all those details! Just got back from getting the codes scanned, and wouldn't you know it, P1017 showed up, just like you mentioned. Pretty much confirms our suspicions about the DISA valve. You've honestly been super helpful with all this info. I think I'll follow your advice and go with the OEM parts. No point trying to save a bit now only to pay more later if an aftermarket part fails. Really appreciate the tip about checking the vacuum lines too, I'll definitely mention that to my mechanic when I take it in. It's actually a relief to hear someone else went through the exact same thing and got it sorted. Being my first hybrid, I was a bit worried about potential repair costs getting out of hand. At least now I know roughly what to expect and what needs to be done. Thanks again for all your help with this. Time to book that repair appointment and get my baby running smoothly again!