[schriss]

Replaced KLE unit myself, total cost €1600 (+blue coolant), below is my experience with "Mains power too low" and KLE Charging Unit replacement on 330e BMW.

Disclaimer: This is only my experience and not a guide to follow, I take no responsibility.
KLE Replacement Manual attached.
Disassembled the old KLE, pictures in second post.

Car: 2017 F30 330e with 50k kms.
KLE unit (manufacture date 2017) failed during charging from a wall charger, it blew a fuse. After that, it would never charge again, regardless what cable or charger I tried, in all cases the "Mains power too low" message would show and red ring would flash.

How I find what part number to order:
I always go to realoem.com, but use whatever method works for you. On realoem I enter last 7 digits of VIN on top, click Search and then click Browse Parts. Then I enter KLE into search box and get part number page. I take note of the KLE unit part number that is the latest revision, in my case it was: 61449489061, as it was shown with no end date. I did not check my old unit part number prior to purchasing a new one, I trust realoem that much, but you can check your old unit part number to make sure. After taking out old unit it turned out to be 61448696116, which is listed on the page, which confirmed I purchased the right part.

For replacing the KLE I took it to a local mechanic for convenience of using a lift, but it can be done on jack stands on the ground.
I used TIS manual page named "Replace convenience charging electronics (After vehicle diagnosis) (without programming/encoding)". The process is simple, you disconnect high voltage first, then disconnect both other batteries, then remove 3 underbody panels, proceed to replace the KLE which is mounted in a holder and bolted up to the car. Coolant had to be drained in locations shown in the manual. New KLE unit was fitted and connected, cables and connectors are color coded. Coolant lines were reconnected back.
Car was lowered. All batteries reconnected in reverse order.
No unexpected error messages on the dash, only 2 red warnings: one for date/time not set and the other for bonnet open.
Coolant was filled back, same amount as was drained. Bleeding procedure was started and the car took some more coolant. In total I used 4.5L of coolant (I did not dilute).
The manual stated no coding, so no coding was done. But I did have the cable with me just in case.
That's it. Drove home, plugged in the charger and it worked.

EDIT: I have scanned the codes with ProTool and there was lots (10+) of codes all related to charging unit, high voltage, socket, flap, etc. and also one code stating that the charging unit does not have any coding. But still there was no check engine light and everything was working as expected. When I opened Charging Unit in ProTool it also notified there is no factory coding present and asked to factory code, I confirmed and all codes went away. Will scan again after driving tomorrow to see if any codes come back.
EDIT2: No codes after charging and driving it next day.

[schriss]

Old failed KLE disassembled. I see no visible signs of damage or fault. Could not easily remove the middle part/block, but will try more, it seems to be just stuck to sticky heat pads.
Overall the water cooling does not seem to be great, water block only touches few components via a very thick thermal pads, that is probably a weak point of this 2017 design.

[tsalika]

Fantastic post. I had a similar situation with my 2017 330e. Dealership wants $1964 for the 61-44-9-489-061 part and $1600 for labor.

[The Airman]

It was a great post. But its older and I sure would like to know how the OP troubleshot it to the KLE unit.

[jcdub]

Great post. Should be made a sticky

[2016BMW330eAZ]

2016 330e here. I went through same procedure, new KLE installed, went to charge it and it charged momentarily (or at least it seemed like it was), left car charging to only come back to the charging process being interrupted. Unplugged and plugged back in and got the "low grid power" message and red ring again. Ran it for codes, and no codes this time other than the unable to charge "low power from grid" code. It is however, recognizing the KLE because previous to replacing KLE I was getting a fault code for the KLE. Now that code doesn't come up. Any ideas what it could be?

[julian204]

Originally Posted by 2016BMW330eAZ

2016 330e here. I went through same procedure, new KLE installed, went to charge it and it charged momentarily (or at least it seemed like it was), left car charging to only come back to the charging process being interrupted. Unplugged and plugged back in and got the "low grid power" message and red ring again. Ran it for codes, and no codes this time other than the unable to charge "low power from grid" code. It is however, recognizing the KLE because previous to replacing KLE I was getting a fault code for the KLE. Now that code doesn't come up. Any ideas what it could be?

I've had the low grid power message a couple times, but it was just the charging point I plugged in to. When I took the cable out and plugged it into a different socket, it charged just fine. When I used that first socket again the next day it just worked as it should, so it never seems to be a permanent thing. (I mostly use public charging points near my house)

If you charge at home, maybe you had too many appliances running at once which resulted in the available power being too low?

[lawyeradam]

Hi schriss - hope you are still monitoring the thread, or someone else knowledgable! Great post. I swapped out the KLE. I don't have the pressureized bleeding equipment - did you use that? I am getting an error Coolant Pump in low temp coolant circuit - coolant loss detected. I also get several other temp exceeded codes. I have only driven around the block. I did run the electric pump bleed and heard the pump run. The KLE will charge now, but if I leave it plugged in it will stop- I think temp related. I don't want to have anything melt down. I clear the faults with Carly and they come back.

Any thoughts or advice? I imagine I can find a shop that can pressurize/bleed the system.

[lawyeradam]

Originally Posted by 2016BMW330eAZ

2016 330e here. I went through same procedure, new KLE installed, went to charge it and it charged momentarily (or at least it seemed like it was), left car charging to only come back to the charging process being interrupted. Unplugged and plugged back in and got the "low grid power" message and red ring again. Ran it for codes, and no codes this time other than the unable to charge "low power from grid" code. It is however, recognizing the KLE because previous to replacing KLE I was getting a fault code for the KLE. Now that code doesn't come up. Any ideas what it could be?

My KLE wasn't throwing any faults, but it was bad and needed to be replaced.

[Paul_g30]

Hey everyone,

I'm reaching out to the community to see if anyone has experience with swapping the KLE (Convenience Charging Electronics) unit between an G30 and F30 BMW.

My 2017 G30 530e is having some charging issues, and I'm wondering if a KLE unit from a F30 might be a compatible replacement. I've seen some listings for F30 KLE units that seem tempting, but I don't want to pull the trigger unless I'm sure it'll work with my G30.

Anyone have any insight on this? Here's what I've found so far:

* Some online parts stores advertise the G30 KLE as compatible with the F30 330e (specifically for 2016-2018 models).
* There are also discussions about using a G30 KLE unit in an F30, but it's unclear if any modifications are needed.

Ideally, I'd love to hear from someone who has actually tried swapping these KLE units between the F30 and G30. Did it work seamlessly? Were there any coding or programming requirements?

Thanks in advance for any help

[jcdub]

I recently had a KLE failure. I wasn't prepared to pay bmw €1,600 for the part plus fitting. So I removed the old unit and installed the new unit myself at a cost of €760 including coding the unit and a small bottle of coolant! It's fairly straight forward. I had no hoist to put the car onto, so I used a trolley jack. The job took me 3 hours to complete. I would have easily done it in 1.5 hours if I had a hoist! Instead of draining the low temperature cooling circuit completely. I used hose clamps to seal off the two coolant lines at the KLE unit. With the job complete. The car charged from the plug straight away. No errors on the dash. I checked for codes using bimmerlink. And there was one there asking for the KLE to be coded to the car. Although the car was charging without faults. I decided to code the unit to the car to ensure it was optimised to the car.

Both the KLE unit from the f30 and the G20 look almost identical apart from 1 bracket. Internally I don't know if there are any differences.

Originally Posted by Paul_g30

Hey everyone,

I'm reaching out to the community to see if anyone has experience with swapping the KLE (Convenience Charging Electronics) unit between an G30 and F30 BMW.

My 2017 G30 530e is having some charging issues, and I'm wondering if a KLE unit from a F30 might be a compatible replacement. I've seen some listings for F30 KLE units that seem tempting, but I don't want to pull the trigger unless I'm sure it'll work with my G30.

Anyone have any insight on this? Here's what I've found so far:

* Some online parts stores advertise the G30 KLE as compatible with the F30 330e (specifically for 2016-2018 models).
* There are also discussions about using a G30 KLE unit in an F30, but it's unclear if any modifications are needed.

Ideally, I'd love to hear from someone who has actually tried swapping these KLE units between the F30 and G30. Did it work seamlessly? Were there any coding or programming requirements?

Thanks in advance for any help

[agentorange]

Note to self:

Avoid used 330e and 530e cars like the plague.

[Paul_g30]

How did you get a new KLE for 760 euro ?

Originally Posted by jcdub

I recently had a KLE failure. I wasn't prepared to pay bmw €1,600 for the part plus fitting. So I removed the old unit and installed the new unit myself at a cost of €760 including coding the unit and a small bottle of coolant! It's fairly straight forward. I had no hoist to put the car onto, so I used a trolley jack. The job took me 3 hours to complete. I would have easily done it in 1.5 hours if I had a hoist! Instead of draining the low temperature cooling circuit completely. I used hose clamps to seal off the two coolant lines at the KLE unit. With the job complete. The car charged from the plug straight away. No errors on the dash. I checked for codes using bimmerlink. And there was one there asking for the KLE to be coded to the car. Although the car was charging without faults. I decided to code the unit to the car to ensure it was optimised to the car.

Both the KLE unit from the f30 and the G20 look almost identical apart from 1 bracket. Internally I don't know if there are any differences.

[schriss]

Originally Posted by Paul_g30

Hey everyone,

I'm reaching out to the community to see if anyone has experience with swapping the KLE (Convenience Charging Electronics) unit between an G30 and F30 BMW.

My 2017 G30 530e is having some charging issues, and I'm wondering if a KLE unit from a F30 might be a compatible replacement. I've seen some listings for F30 KLE units that seem tempting, but I don't want to pull the trigger unless I'm sure it'll work with my G30.

Anyone have any insight on this? Here's what I've found so far:

* Some online parts stores advertise the G30 KLE as compatible with the F30 330e (specifically for 2016-2018 models).
* There are also discussions about using a G30 KLE unit in an F30, but it's unclear if any modifications are needed.

Ideally, I'd love to hear from someone who has actually tried swapping these KLE units between the F30 and G30. Did it work seamlessly? Were there any coding or programming requirements?

Thanks in advance for any help

I would compare part numbers for example here: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=61_5313

[jcdub]

Originally Posted by Paul_g30

How did you get a new KLE for 760 euro ?

I bought it from a company on eBay. They are based in Germany. It also came with a 12 month warranty.

Pics of the new and old unit.

[Paul_g30]

Could you share the replacement instructions? I tried to get this online with minimal luck

Originally Posted by jcdub

I bought it from a company on eBay. They are based in Germany. It also came with a 12 month warranty.

Pics of the new and old unit.

[schriss]

Originally Posted by Paul_g30

Could you share the replacement instructions? I tried to get this online with minimal luck

They are in the first post.

[schriss]

Before buying any unit I would suggest to check part number and make sure it's not one of the older revisions, which are more likely to fail.

[slugmaster]

I have a 2017 BMW 330e that has the main power too low message and blinking red rings. Bumping this thread.

Car is at the dealer and they are saying the KLE unit is not throwing an error and they have no idea why it won't charge. As step 1 in possible solution, they want to change one cell of the EV battery for about $9,000. They did find these codes:
0x222842 Charge management function: fault during the charging procedure
0x21F0C2 High voltage battery, cell supervision circuit 1 Voltage measurement battery cell, line disconnection
0x21F0C5 High voltage battery, cell supervision circuit 4: Voltage measurement battery cell line disconnection



Does anyone know how to troubleshoot the KLE or is it just "give it a try, because it fails frequently"? It does not seem like the issue is the EV battery.

[schriss]

Originally Posted by slugmaster

I have a 2017 BMW 330e that has the main power to low message and blinking red rings. Bumping this thread.

Car is at the dealer and they are saying the KLE unit is not throwing an error and they have no idea why it won't charge. As step 1 in possible solution, they want to change one cell of the EV battery for about $9,000.

Does anyone know how to troubleshoot the KLE or is it just "give it a try, because it fails frequently"? It does not seem like the issue is the EV battery.

There was no error when my KLE failed. Most likely because it is mechanical failure of some contactor or whatever, as some people suggested. I had fuses blown at the house in the middle of charging when the issue happened. After that - "mains power" and red rings.
I highly doubt it's a battery, if it was a battery, then BMS and electronics would detect it and throw codes.
But who knows, maybe it's totally different issue.

[slugmaster]

Thanks Schriss. My dealer fortunately 100% reversed their position on warranty. I am in Cali and the EV battery should fall under the 8 year/80,000 mile extended warranty. Initially dealer said no, but after I called the BMW hotline, they changed their mind.

So they are going to try changing the battery cell that is faulting on BMW's dime. This is fine by me, but based on the number of these problems, it really seems like the KLE is faulty. The dealer specifically told me "no, it is not the KLE because there is no error". I told them that online a lot of people have this problem, changed the KLE even though there is not error and it fixes the problem. However they are being stubborn again. After they change the battery and if it doesn't fix for me I will try at an independent.

I'll let everyone knows how it goes a month from now.

[arbustinho]

Hello All,

I have a series of failures recently, started with the drivetrain power alert "you can continue to drive"

Now I had the battery not charging (12v) plus the level of the hybrid battery got stucked at 76% and the car states that the battery is too low, that i should start the car and make a long drive to make it charge (this while car started on gasoline). then went to battery extremely low,start the engine, then stopped, christmas lights appeared everywhere, steering hard then car stalled, had to take it to the dealership on a dolly.

I took it to the dealer and they wanted to charge above 10k usd for a battery cell, the kle moudule, the safety box (i think this is the one that goes inside the battery setup).

So far the dealership told me that:
-1 hybrid cell battery is faulty and need to be changed
-Need to change KLE
-AGM battery change
-Safety box change
5 battery control modules replacement-
-KLE harness replacement

As its a 2018 with the agm battery never replaced, was the only thing I accepted to be changed and programed.

They told me on a previous check (when the drivetrain drive safe warning appeared in sept) that it seemed that the connector to the KLE was broken maybe to an underbody hit, that the plastic holder was not doing the job to press the connector firmly, and that there was some loss of comunication with the KLE unit and that the harness needs to be changed. the problem is that the dealership can't find anywhere the part number of that conector, is the "Signal lead connection" cable, I want to troubleshoot if this might do the trick.

So by the quote it seems that they want to play it safe and replace all the hybrid system but still they are not sure that this will fix it, as they were not able to find the problem in september and only guess on the connector.

So apparently right now one battery is faulty and perhaps this is making the safety box contactors to disconect the battery system or telling the KLE to shut down and that's why the electric machine is not charging the 12v battery?

Is there a way to disconnect the faulty battery so that the system doesnt go bad?

I read somewhere that sometimes what makes the KLE to fail is the grounding cable if its rotten, so my big question right now before doing anything else is that with your experience, would you change right away the KLE or do you think there is anything else that can be tested before, I dont know if the kle is damaged now, it seems to but I would hate to change it just to damage the new one if something else make it fail on the first place.

Any suggestion?

Also does anyone knows what is the name of the cable that connects to the KLE? I cant find it on realoem? I'm attaching the only reference to this connector with 2 pictures, one is from the instructions on this thread.

Thanks in advance.