Massachusetts man fixes $50,000 BMW i3 in just 30 minutes after it had been written off by dealership due to '13-hour repair'

In a bid to win a $500 bet, Massachusetts-based mechanic and YouTube guru Rich Rebuilds showcased how a 30-minute shortcut fixed a BMW i3 EV that was written off due to a supposed ’13-hour repair’.

With the new era of EVs upon us, mechanics have been scrambling to understand the ins and outs of every vehicle.

The art of mechanical engineering has seen decades worth of experience create shortcuts (yet trusted and sturdy fixes) that prevent the car from being ripped apart. But that knowledge faded with the electrical overhaul.

That is, unless you are Rich Rebuilds, who has managed to save thousands of dollars and 12-and-a-half hours of work by finding a 30-minute fix for his ‘declared dead’ BMW i3.

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Rich Rebuilds buys a spare BMW i3 to fix his ‘declared dead’ one

Back in December, popular YouTube mechanic Rich Rebuilds landed himself an electric BMW i3 for exactly a penny on the dollar, and has been going through the strenuous task of getting it roadworthy again.

Fitted with a range extender, the BMW i3 can be a ‘forever car’, and getting it back up and running could make the mechanic a hefty profit.

But after doing some research and diagnostics on the car, he found out that it was ‘declared dead’ for good reason.

“So, I ran the VIN and found the original auction listing,” he explained.

“It was listed as a run and drive, which means something happened after that. And that’s important because it means that this car didn’t die naturally. It was declared dead.”

The main problem appeared to be that the crankshaft position sensor had failed, which usually means the entire drivetrain needs to be dropped.

“The people who actually repair the BMW i3 professionally even say that it takes them 12 hours.”

However, he wasn’t going to let that stop him, as he had a quick fix in mind.

Instead of dropping the drivetrain, he drilled an access hole in the carbon-fiber area to reach the sensor ‘blind’.

From there, he attempted to align it, which would have saved 12 hours.

So, could he get them back up and running?

Well, initially, his method faced issues. The sensor failed to line up again with a connector pin proving to be mismatched, which means he had to buy a new OEM sensor.

From there, though, it was plain sailing. Through the drilled hole, he was able to install the part with ease, fixing the massive problem inside of 30 minutes.

Then, when the moment of truth rolled around, the car fired up without as much as an engine warning on the dashboard.

Unfortunately, he still lost a bet he made about the car, as he couldn’t complete it within three days.

Instead, he now has to live up to his side of the bet, dooming himself to driving only cars that are worth $5,000 or less.

At least he can find a cheap one like this BMW i3 and fix it up again…

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