After 8 months, we have not been able to resolve the issue with the restoration of the PMSM electric motor for a BMW i3 with 183,000 km on the odometer. The motor stopped working after the outer bearing near the resolver sensor failed. The owner ignored the motor’s whining noise until the bearing completely failed, damaging the entire resolver sensor and the resolver hub on the rotor. Unfortunately, the resolver cannot be purchased separately, and the same applies to the resolver hub.
The bearings are commercially available, but the problem is further complicated by the unsustainable design of the electric motor. The resolver is unnecessarily fixed in place instead of using a keyway, as other manufacturers do, which would allow for safe disassembly and servicing of the motor. Although the motor is extremely reliable, designing systems that are not maintainable makes no sense; in short, such designs should be completely prohibited.
We even managed to adjust the clearance for the position and found another original sensor, but the vehicle still throws the error “2223E0 – Inverter, Controller voltages” precisely at 60 km/h. This adds to the confusion, suggesting that there is an additional fault in the inverter, which turned out to be an inaccurate diagnostic assessment by the system itself.
BMW is the only leader in e-mobility in Europe, unlike the rest of the “graveyard” of low-quality products that European manufacturers offer, alongside fossil fuel companies (such as Nissan and Toyota). However, poor decisions in manufacturing powertrain systems that are not sustainable in the long term could permanently jeopardize the prospects of the only true EV leader in Europe.
Interestingly, this drive unit is still being produced and is found in the Dacia Spring. Besides Tesla, BMW is the only manufacturer offering realistic prices for EV parts, with this motor selling for around €4,500 including VAT (Stellantis €13,000, VAG €10,000, etc.).
In this case, the repair of the BMW failed; the owner purchased a used motor, which we installed, and everything worked immediately. If your motor is making a loud whining noise, you might consider preventive repair before the bearing and resolver are damaged. Several colleagues have reported experiencing the same problem, with repairs also being unsuccessful when resolver damage occurred. It is therefore to be expected that the lifespan of the electric motor in the BMW i3 is around 200,000 km, and repair outcomes may be uncertain. This is first electric motor nobody succeeded to repair it.
DTC Code: 2223E0 – Inverter, Controller voltages
Part number: 27217613560-06, 12377626083, 0-2177512-1, 1237762607603,
OEM : 4500€
EVC: –
