e-call failure

[bemax]

Today my car had the “e-call failure” the second time.
The first time the failure showed up more than a month ago after the battery was down to 7 %. While all the other failures vanished after starting the car (no problem with that at all due to the second battery) the e-call failure stood with me for some weeks until the dealer erased it last week.
Now it’s back.
this is definitely not a major thing as nothing is effected by it (as long as I do not crash…) but it is annoying anyway as the yellow triangle stays in the display all the time.
Has anyone had the same problem? My dealer seems not to know this particular failure and wants to look for a solution together with someone from Ineos.

 

[tristand]

I'm having the same problem. I disconnected the battery to do some work and when I reconnected it the error appeared and hasn't gone away. My dealer thinks that this is pretty normal and has to clear the code to make it stop.

Sounds like crap engineering to me!

Tristan

 

[ECrider]

Today my car had the “e-call failure” the second time.
The first time the failure showed up more than a month ago after the battery was down to 7 %. While all the other failures vanished after starting the car (no problem with that at all due to the second battery) the e-call failure stood with me for some weeks until the dealer erased it last week.
Now it’s back.
this is definitely not a major thing as nothing is effected by it (as long as I do not crash…) but it is annoying anyway as the yellow triangle stays in the display all the time.
Has anyone had the same problem? My dealer seems not to know this particular failure and wants to look for a solution together with someone from Ineos.

View attachment 7838301

I had my first ecall error message when I got back home after 10 days away. Had charged both batteries on my return (car was showing 76% SOC) and got them up to 97%.

It is annoying as I have the yellow triangle light in bottom right of the driver display the whole time. Along with permanent tyre on in bottom left! I did not have the warning that you have pictured above in the centre display. Maybe because I have a few other ones....

I also got the heating coil warning the whole time but this vanished after a start/stop. I remain with the ecall error and the red little led in the ceiling instead of the usual green one.

The only thing I can think of is that charging the batteries (secondary then gave the starter battery a go) upset it somehow.

No real issue but just not right.

I am running the older software, not 1946 from memory.

 

[Voader - Oudersopzwier]

I had the same, also after my battery was complete flat. It disappeared after a few days, and with the battery full-loaded.
This was also before the software up date. Now, with the new battery and the software up to date, all seems to be good.

 

[Hannes01]

Have had it when collect my car!
has gone after 3 weeks!

 

[ipcrss]

I also had it along with the second row ceiling lights staying on. The agent contacted IA and suggested a hard reset of the ECU. That cleared both faults. I am on the latest software. However since the fault battery charging and therefore total charge seem much worse.

 

[bemax]

Thanks for all replies so far. My car has the improved software version as well.
In two weeks the car will be at the dealer for fixing the problem. Annoyingly without a rental car for me…
I will report any progress.

 

[Mohs 9]

My car had the same problem since I took delivery in July 23, I assumed it was related to the early software problems. In October the software was updated. If I remember correctly the dealer mentioned that they had to change the battery of the e-call system to get rid of the error message. They took the battery from a demo car because a spare was not avialable.
Bottom line: The e-call system has its own power supply (i.e. battery).

 

[ECrider]

My car had the same problem since I took delivery in July 23, I assumed it was related to the early software problems. In October the software was updated. If I remember correctly the dealer mentioned that they had to change the battery of the e-call system to get rid of the error message. They took the battery from a demo car because a spare was not avialable.
Bottom line: The e-call system has its own power supply (i.e. battery).

That's interesting and makes sense to have it's own or a secondary power source.

Now if @jean M could just pull his car apart again and locate this battery........

Wouldn't it all be much simpler if we had some schematics!!!

 

[bemax]

My car had the same problem since I took delivery in July 23, I assumed it was related to the early software problems. In October the software was updated. If I remember correctly the dealer mentioned that they had to change the battery of the e-call system to get rid of the error message. They took the battery from a demo car because a spare was not avialable.
Bottom line: The e-call system has its own power supply (i.e. battery).

That is a real hint. Thank you. I just talked to my dealer an he will order the e-call battery so they have it if this is the fault. Your answer could save me some days waiting for the spare part!

 

[Eric]

That's interesting and makes sense to have it's own or a secondary power source.

Now if @jean M could just pull his car apart again and locate this battery........

Wouldn't it all be much simpler if we had some schematics!!!

Na.. much more fun and have plenty of photos (and guaranteed it will be correct information) if @Jean Mercier pull his car apart again

 

[Eric]

Na.. much more fun and have plenty of photos (and guaranteed it will be correct information) if @Jean Mercier pull his car apart again

Amazing what you find when you Google "car ecall system back up battery replacement"

 

[Dieter]

I had a flat main battery yesterday, and have the e-call error message showing up, even after fully charging and then disconnected the battery for 30 minutes (this clears most of the error messages, but not all). My dealer said it should disappear after one/two days when the main battery is almost charged. So, seems to be just to wait some days...

 

[Eric]

I had a flat main battery yesterday, and have the e-call error message showing up, even after fully charging and then disconnected the battery for 30 minutes (this clears most of the error messages, but not all). My dealer said it should disappear after one/two days when the main battery is almost charged. So, seems to be just to wait some days...

Suggesting the ecall standard alone battery is a small capacity that discharges quickly when on its own power source, and takes a long time to charge when flat. Or it is knackered. I read on the Internet that BMW ecall batteries have a scheduled replacement service. I don't know what though.

 

[Magical Mystery Tours]

We have the problem again after three months of being fine (replacement of the main battery and software update). Now repeatedly no starting possible, the battery is completely discharged and the car can only be started with a booster. This is absolutely no reliability. We are still successfully defending ourselves against this opinion, but we are beginning to believe that we have made a real mistake with the Grenadier. And the worst thing is that there is no response from INEOS. Communication once again at zero, like the battery.

 

[Magical Mystery Tours]

Update: After the road assistance jump-started the Grenadier (his booster was bigger and had more power than mine), I went to the garage.

They checked everything, ran several tests, reset the error messages, carried out another software update and replaced the battery. I drove off with 100% battery power.

Yesterday morning I had 99% power - that's ok. After a drive yesterday evening, I parked the car with 100%.

This morning I only had 75% battery power. I made a few trips with parking times and finally arrived home with 73%. After two hours of standing still (key removed, car locked) I only had 69% left. I noticed today that the car seems to be trying something while it's parked. After 20 minutes of standing still, I heard clicking noises from the engine compartment, as if a magnetic switch was working.

What is the car doing when it's not supposed to be doing anything?

I now believe that the error messages (eCall) etc. are not the problem at all, but merely symptoms. When I started the car today, the message "Error trailer lighting" appeared - I hadn't even attached a trailer. After a while the message disappeared.

 

[Voader - Oudersopzwier]

Did they already swapped the battery? My opinion your main battery is toasted.

 

[Magical Mystery Tours]

Did they already swapped the battery? My opinion your main battery is toasted.

We already have the third battery.

Next week, the car will spend several days in the garage for intensive testing.

 

[ECrider]

We already have the third battery.

Next week, the car will spend several days in the garage for intensive testing.

Good luck, does sound like it's 'working' when it should be dormant. I think the next thing would be to hook up a meter and pull fuses/relays one by one and try and source the drain by elimination?