Hybrid charging problems after flooding and inverter replacement in BMW – how to fix it?

BMW driver question

Please advise. I bought a BMW 5 from a friend in Poland – the car originally from England. I took it to my local garage for repair. The car is not running. It turned out that the inverter was flooded with water, so we put on a used one. We also installed another battery after reconditioning. Now the car runs, but does not charge the battery. Please advise something, because the guys in the workshop have already lost their hair. Does the used inverter need to be programmed? Is there an option to code a used one?

The problem was with a 2013 BMW 5 Active Hybrid F10, but it may also occur in other models.

BM Cars service response

The described problem is very complex. Any repair of the electronics in a BMW after flooding is very difficult and requires a great deal of knowledge of the construction of the specific model and its equipment. From the description of the damage, we do not know whether the flooding of the inverter was caused by flooding of the entire vehicle or leaks in the cooling system of the hybrid’s electrical components.

Additionally, you write about replacing the battery with a remanufactured one. We assume that the replacement was due to battery wear, not flooding. In the case of electric and hybrid cars, any change of battery requires starting the procedure for assigning the battery to the car. In the case of remanufacturing and using the same battery after remanufacturing, the procedure is simpler. Using a different battery, on the other hand, requires coding and activating the battery.

A similar problem applies to the replacement of virtually any controller in a BMW. If the inverter is replaced, its correct operation will require programming and coding to the body. Coding a used inverter is possible, provided it is fully operational and correctly matched to the model.

For BMW models (F-Series and G-Series), programming should be done on the entire vehicle. It is not allowed to program selected controllers. Important information – during programming, the controller or controllers may be damaged. Then it is necessary to replace them.

The lack of charging you mention in your inquiry can also be caused by a malfunction in other components of the vehicle’s electronics.

Suggested service actions

We do not have enough information to suggest a very specific repair path. Based on existing information, we suggest performing the following steps:

1. Computer diagnostics of the entire vehicle.
2. Isolation of electrical drive components requiring repair/replacement
3. Replacement of the necessary components
4. Programming and coding of the entire vehicle

We invite you to take advantage of our service.

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