BACK HOME with a new Brain!

Diagnosis of this weeks problem: Internal Fault in the PEU (Power Electronics Unit) or the 'Brain'.
After diagnosis the 'Flying Doctors' replaced the unit, reprogrammed the DMI and returned the car to my dealer.


After four days (with the 328i loaner) I am back in the drivers seat. Thanks BMW for creating this valuable program so many people are watching and learning from. 


My son and I picked up COOPER E 230 and drove straight into Santa Monica to see the Nissan 'Leaf' launching at Pier 59 Studios.


An Exciting Event, the Leaf is definitely a serious attempt by a Major manufacturer to jump in to the BEV market.
Watch for an event near you, they launched last night a 20 city tour exhibiting the car and a cutaway chassis that looks to be very well engineered.  


The run from home to Santa Monica is 51 miles one way, the computer was figuring 87 mi of range when we started out, hmmmm, this'll be fun. We jumped on the freeway, kept it at 60 mph, drove 55 miles to Hollywood using 50%, we spent 20 minutes on the charger at a friends business, where there is a charger in the parking lot, had some dinner while waiting. 


Now With 60 % and 11 miles to Santa Monica we went to the Launch Party.


The computer seemed to indicate we were using power at an alarming rate on the 11 mile trip to Santa Monica and I spent most of the time at the party wondering where we would be calling the flatbed from to get home.


I did, however, enjoy looking at Nissans entry. 


Retrieving the car from the Valet (hoping he hadn't joy rode with our meager remaining power) we headed out for the trip home, 52 miles with 48% battery! Jamie drove, keeping constant speed is his theory, so we pegged the speedo on 60 mph and meticulously stuck to it varying as little as possible. We watched the battery % meter at first deplete alarmingly fast then it began to recalculate and actually add percentage. Jamies theory is to keep speed constant and avoid using regen.


We were about 8 miles from home when we hit 0% and flat line on the battery!


Hmmmm we were still doing 60 MPH! I have run the car 9 miles in the same condition so I now new we could make it home, so we continued, conservatively, (Not Jamie's nature or even a word he likes) and pulled into the garage and the computer popped back up to 3% after having read 0% and flatlined for about 8 miles.


It was another great day with the Mini E and we are so happy to have it back ...and to be in the drivers seat again!