BMW i3 Hybrid Stalling: Ignition Switch or Something Else?

Hey! I've got some experience working on cars and had a super similar issue with my 2018 BMW i8 Hybrid last year. Those symptoms sound exactly like what I went through, it was super frustrating, especially the unusual shutdowns. Turned out a fuse was blown in the main electrical system. My mechanic found it pretty quickly during diagnostics, and replacing it solved all those issues. The whole thing cost me 52 Euro, which wasn't bad at all. My cousin actually has a BMW X5, and he swears by regular electrical system checks now after hearing about my experience. Before I can help more specifically, could you tell me if you're getting any warning lights on the dash? Also, does this happen more often when it's cold or after the car's been running for a while? These details would help narrow things down. Hope we can get this sorted for you!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My i3 has 61623 KM on the odometer, and I'm actually seeing a check engine light now that you mention warning lights. It definitely happens more when the car's been running for about 20 minutes or so. I just had my regular service done last month where they checked everything out, but these issues started popping up recently. Really appreciate the tip about the fuse, I'll definitely have my mechanic take a look at the electrical system since it sounds like it could be something similar to what you experienced. Did your i8 also have any weird electrical glitches before the complete shutdown happened?

Hey again! Yeah, I totally get what you're going through, my i8 actually did have some weird electrical quirks before the complete shutdowns started happening. The radio would occasionally flicker, and the power windows would sometimes act sluggish. The thing that really caught my attention was that these issues got worse as the car warmed up, just like what you're describing with your i3. Since you mentioned you've got a check engine light now, that's actually a different situation from what I had. My fuse problem never triggered the check engine light. Given that your issues started after a recent service, I'm wondering if something got knocked loose during the maintenance work. With these hybrid systems, everything's so interconnected that one loose connection can cause all sorts of weird symptoms. Tell you what, when my fuse issue was fixed, the mechanic also recommended checking the battery terminals and ground connections. These BMWs can be super sensitive to any voltage fluctuations. Maybe have your mechanic check those too while they're looking at the electrical system. Just keep me posted on what they find. These hybrid BMWs can be tricky, but once you figure out the actual problem, it's usually a straightforward fix!

Thanks so much for the detailed response! That's really interesting about the electrical quirks you experienced, it's actually giving me more clues about my situation. I hadn't even thought about checking the battery terminals and ground connections. You're right that something might have gotten loose during the service, that timing does line up perfectly with when these issues started. I've made an appointment with my mechanic for tomorrow morning and I'll definitely have them check all the electrical connections you mentioned. It's such a relief to hear that once the actual problem is identified, it might be a straightforward fix. I was worried I'd be looking at some major hybrid system repair! I'll let you know what they find, really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It's helped me feel much more confident about getting this sorted out!