BMW i8 Emergency Mode: Oil Temp Sensor Issue?

Hey there! I had something similar with my 2013 BMW i3. I have some experience working on cars, but hybrid systems are pretty complex. Last year, my car started showing engine warnings and went into limp mode, pretty scary stuff! After checking with my trusted workshop, they found it was just a loose connector on one of the sensors. The cable connection needed fixing, and they sorted it out pretty quickly. Total bill was 95 Euro, which wasn't too bad considering I was worried it might be something major. Have you checked if there are any visible loose connections around your engine bay? Before I can give more specific advice, could you share: What error codes you're getting? Any other symptoms besides the warning lights? Have you noticed any performance changes? If you want, I can tell you more about my experience with the i3's sensor system, as it shares some components with the i8. Let me know!

Just had my last service done at 118120 KM, and actually faced a similar issue last month! In my case, it turned out to be a faulty connector rather than the sensor itself. The symptoms matched exactly what you're describing, emergency mode, warning lights, the whole deal. The engine temp sensor error had me worried too, but the actual fix was much simpler than expected. Would strongly suggest checking the connector before replacing the entire sensor unit. If you can, try scanning for specific error codes, that really helped narrow down the issue in my case. The hybrid system is sensitive to these small electrical gremlins, but once sorted, it's been running perfectly. The coolant level might be worth checking too, mine sometimes triggers similar warnings when it's slightly low. Let me know what the error codes show, and I can share more details about my repair experience.

Hey again! Thanks for sharing your experience about the connector issue. Just wanted to add something about my i3's situation since you mentioned the error codes and coolant level. After my initial sensor connector fix, I actually had the same warning lights pop up again about two months later. Turned out my coolant was indeed slightly low, good call on mentioning that! These hybrids are super sensitive to coolant levels. Once I topped it up and had the system properly bled, those pesky warnings disappeared. I still keep a close eye on the coolant level now, just in case. One thing I learned from my experience, these warning lights don't always mean there's a major problem. Sometimes it's just the car being extra cautious with its monitoring systems. By the way, those error codes you mentioned sound really similar to what I got. Have you had a chance to get them scanned yet? My mechanic showed me how these sensors are all interconnected in the hybrid system, and one small issue can trigger multiple warnings. Keep us posted on what you find!

Thanks everyone for the helpful insights! Just got back from checking things out. You guys were spot on about the connectors, I found one that was slightly corroded near the sensor. Gave it a proper clean and check, but the warnings are still there. I managed to get the error codes scanned: P0117 and P1115. My coolant level looks good, but I've noticed the car's definitely running a bit rougher than usual. The emergency mode kicks in about 10 minutes into driving, which is really frustrating. Think I'll take it to a specialist tomorrow, your experiences have helped me feel less worried about it being something major. Will definitely ask them to check those connector points first before replacing any parts. Really appreciate everyone's input here, especially about the hybrid system sensitivity. I'll update this thread once I get it sorted, might help someone else with similar issues down the line. Thanks again for all the detailed responses!