BMW PHEV: Safety fuse replacement is extremely expensive

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

The discussion revolves around the complexity, repairability, and overall ownership experience of modern vehicles, particularly EVs and PHEVs, often contrasting them with older or simpler ICE cars.

Here are the three most prevalent themes:

1. Modern Vehicles are Intentionally Complex and Difficult to Repair

A significant theme is the frustration with manufacturers intentionally designing cars (both EV and ICE, but often exemplified by the initial discussion about BMW) to be non-repairable, locking consumers into expensive dealership service networks.

Supporting Quotes:
- "The issue described is happening because German car makers love to put generic parts inside proprietary modules that cannot be repaired, and require extensive OEM tooling to replace." ("dghlsakjg")
- "IMHO this is something that should be regulated away as consumer unfriendly and environment unfriendly. (Not to say hostile.)" ("spockz")
- "It's probably more of a sign of what's coming in the future. There is no need to make EVs difficult/expensive to repair. The change in technology is just an excuse to lock everything down and rake in more money for repairs/new vehicles." ("Rohansi")

2. PHEVs Represent the Worst of Both Worlds in Terms of Complexity

There is a consensus that Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) accumulate the complexities of both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) drivetrains and electric powertrains without achieving the simplification benefits of a pure EV.

Supporting Quotes:
- "I would say so for this particular failure... The issue in this case has everything to do with the electronics design and close to nothing to do with propulsion." ("dghlsakjg") [Context being the complexity inherent in the specific PHEV failure discussed.]
- "Jandrese: One would expect a plug in hybrid to be the most complex of all the vehicle types. It has all of the complexity of an EV combined with all of the complexity of a gas burner." ("jandrese")
- "PHEVs are particularly complicated because they have to support two drive trains." ("dyauspitr")

3. Pure EVs (and Sometimes ICE Cars) are Fundamentally Simpler Than Modern Compromise Designs

Many users argue that the core technology of an EV powertrain is inherently simpler than a modern ICE, and that excessive complexity in new EVs is a deliberate choice by legacy automakers rather than a necessity of the technology itself.

Supporting Quotes:
- "EVs are ultimately much, much simpler than ICE cars, it's just that certain manufacturers are taking this opportunity to turn their cars into elaborate scams." ("nutjob2")
- "In principle and EV car should be much simpler than an ICE car. It seems they are adding a lot of extra stuff that's not really necessary." ("vjvjvjvjghv")
- "Tesla or BYD did the same. Kia and Hyundai are having a lot of success with their electric only line of cars... The result is a car that's simpler, more efficient, and more optimal for what it does." ("jillesvangurp")

🚀 Project Ideas

Third-Party EV Component Diagnostics & Repair Registry

Summary

A centralized, public registry for diagnostic codes, repair procedures, and component schematics for EVs (and especially complex PHEVs) from various manufacturers, focusing on proprietary/non-serviceable parts.
Core value proposition: Fostering independent repairability and reducing the "power imbalance" of electronic automotive complexity by democratizing deep technical knowledge.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Independent auto repair shops, DIY mechanics, EV owners frustrated with OEM lock-in.
Core Feature	Crowdsourced, validated database mapping proprietary module error codes to underlying component failure paths (e.g., "BMW Pyrofuse Module Error Code X" -> "Failed component is internal $50 fuse; access requires welding/cutting case").
Tech Stack	Web platform (React/Vue frontend, Python/Django or Node/Express backend), PostgreSQL database, community moderation tools. Potential use of blockchain/NFTs for verifying repair tool authenticity if tooling lockouts become prevalent.
Difficulty	High (Requires significant data aggregation, technical validation, and legal risk mitigation against OEMs).
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Directly addresses the complaint about proprietary parts locked inside sealed modules ("BMW doesn't allow tha though. So you have to replace the entire module"). Users called for regulation against this user-unfriendly design.
Potential for discussion or practical utility: This platform could become the de-facto "Haynes Manual" for the modern electronic vehicle, bypassing expensive OEM dealer networks and significantly lowering ownership costs, directly challenging the manufacturer revenue stream that users complained about.

Component-Level Open Source Hardware Schematics for EV Modules

Summary

A repository dedicated to reverse-engineering and publishing open-source hardware (OSH) designs or detailed schematics for common, yet proprietary, electronic components found in modern vehicles (e.g., specific power control units, battery management system components, specialized sensor modules).
Core value proposition: Enabling small businesses or individuals to manufacture third-party, serviceable replacements for specific internal components priced exorbitantly high by OEMs (like the ~$50 pyrofuse cited in the discussion).

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Electrical engineers, hobbyists with advanced soldering/PCB skills, small-scale specialized repair startups ("DSG specialists").
Core Feature	PCB layout files (Gerber), Bill of Materials (BOM), and assembly instructions for components suffering from the "replace the module vs. repair the component" problem.
Tech Stack	KiCad or Eagle for design files, GitHub/GitLab for hosting, potentially integration with PCB fabrication services APIs.
Difficulty	High (Requires significant reverse engineering effort, deep EE expertise, and managing IP exposure).
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: It moves beyond just knowing what's broken (Registry) to fixing it by enabling alternative manufacturing ("It would be so easy to build 'open' hardware..."). This targets the core capitalist incentive users identified: manufacturers maximizing repair revenue.
Potential for discussion or practical utility: This project would generate intense debate regarding intellectual property in automotive design but offers the ultimate "Right to Repair" solution for hardware lock-in.

Customizable "Backup Generator" Interface Standard (BEV + Range Extender Abstraction)

Summary

A universally adoptable communication standard and open-source hardware interface designed to integrate a simple, non-proprietary Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or Fuel Cell system as a regulated, decoupled Range Extender (RE) into any Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).
Core value proposition: Providing the beneficial "BEV with built-in backup generator" use case suggested by users, ensuring that the RE functionality is standardized, simple, and cannot be locked down by the primary vehicle manufacturer.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Consumers in semi-rural areas with intermittent charging access; small vehicle upfitters looking to add safe, regulated range extension.
Core Feature	A standardized CAN bus/API protocol layer that third-party RE units (e.g., a small Honda generator bolted onto a frame) can use to request charging from the primary vehicle's HV bus or signal the vehicle's BMS to manage charging load.
Tech Stack	CAN bus protocol specification (open documentation), Rust or C++ for the control logic/firmware running on a dedicated, isolated controller unit.
Difficulty	Medium/High (Requires deep understanding of automotive CAN standards and safely interfacing with high-voltage systems, though the vehicle side is read-only initially).
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: It directly addresses the viable surviving PHEV concept ("Basically a BEV with builtin backup generator... to eliminate range limitation"). It embraces the EV architecture while solving the anxiety factor (range/infrastructure).
Potential for discussion or practical utility: This could spawn a new category of third-party accessories, turning complex, integrated PHEVs into modular, serviceable systems, solving the "I don't want to drive a computer" issue by making the complex propulsion part swappable/serviceable.