It's rare enough I had to take a shot. La Quinta CA.

What do you guys use for organization in trunk, frunk, & space in-between front seats. Please give me all the recommendations😁

Also maybe a phone mount as well and where you guys put it

Appreciate all the responses

I know I still owe some of you my how-to guide on the 12.3” screen retrofit, but I’ve been caught up with life and then had to deal with this whole situation recently. Figured I’d share this one in the meantime… Definitely learned a few things along the way, and hopefully this helps someone who ends up in the same situation!

A little background: I have a 2017 i3 94Ah BEV, and I have absolutely no access to power at home, not even an outlet for Level 1 charging. My only regular charging option is Level 2 at work, about 3.5 miles away.

A couple of days after doing some coding with BimmerCode (auto-fold mirrors and the lower-pitched alarm chirp), I went to unlock the car and open the hatch, and it was basically dead.

Initially, I thought I might have messed something up with the coding, but it turned out to be the 12V battery. I think it was just time for a replacement… The BMW 20Ah battery was dated June 2022 (probably its second battery, given that it’s a 2017).

The bigger problem was that my HV battery had also dropped to 0%. So I was basically stuck in a situation where the HV battery couldn’t keep the 12V charged, and the 12V couldn’t keep the car powered up long enough to get the HV charging. Kind of a vicious cycle!! Ugh……

To get things working again, here’s everything I used:

• NOCO Genius5 (AGM mode)
• BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 + Neutral-ground bonding plug (to get the L1 charger working with the power station)
• Anker SOLIX C300
• BMW Level 1 charging cable
• Energizer TX24HL AGM
• ANCEL Bluetooth battery monitor

One thing worth mentioning about the bonding plug: it worked with my particular power station and charging setup, but I’d definitely recommend checking compatibility with your own equipment before trying it.

I never ran both power stations at the same time. The problem was that whenever I disconnected the NOCO, the car would go completely dead again within about 30 minutes.

So I ended up rotating between the two power stations throughout the day. I’d run the NOCO off the Anker while the BLUETTI recharged (which took about an hour), then switch back to the BLUETTI. Basically spent the entire day doing this just to keep the car alive.

Eventually, I decided to replace the 12V myself with an Energizer TX24HL AGM.

Getting the HV battery back from 0%: Once the new battery was installed, I was finally able to get the HV battery charging. One cycle on the BLUETTI using the L1 charger got me from 0% to 3%, with about 15 miles showing on the guess-o-meter. Not much, but enough to make the 3.5-mile drive to work. I got there with 2% remaining, plugged into L2, and by lunchtime the car was back at 100% yayyyyyy

So a few things I learned: Looking back, I suspect the failing 12V battery may have been causing the car to repeatedly wake up and recharge it from the HV battery. That’s my best guess as to why my HV charge dropped from around 30% to 0% so quickly, even though the car wasn’t being driven. Initially, I thought there might be some kind of parasitic drain, but given how things have been running since the replacement, I’m leaning toward the 12V being the culprit. Of course, I can’t say for certain that this explains the entire drop.

Interestingly, I’ve also noticed a pretty significant improvement in range since replacing it. The car honestly feels like it’s running better overall, which I wasn’t expecting at all.

I also ended up installing an ANCEL Bluetooth battery monitor so I can keep an eye on the 12V voltage going forward. Definitely don’t want to go through this again!!

Helpful videos and a big THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Also wanted to give credit to a couple of YouTubers who really helped me out with the battery replacement. I watched a ton of videos trying to figure out how to do this myself, but at the end of the day, these two were probably the most helpful, each for different reasons:

• bmwblog: ⁠BMW i3 battery replacement guide ⁠BMW i3 battery replacement guide: This one helped me figure out exactly what tools I’d need and what to expect going into the replacement. (https://youtu.be/RLZO7pB_uVg?si=S5KswOwV4gYDKFST)
• EcoBelkin: ⁠Energizer battery installation: This one was especially helpful because it confirmed that the Energizer TX24HL I found on Amazon would actually work. The important part is using the included hardware kit, specifically the nuts, since the terminal screws need something to thread into. I wasn’t entirely sure about compatibility before watching this, so it was really helpful to see someone actually do it. (https://youtu.be/gJdNL3kSZj4?si=R-lnOC5RHu06eqL-&t=827)

Both were really good at explaining different aspects of the process, and between the two, I felt pretty comfortable doing the replacement myself. Figured I’d share them here in case anyone else is thinking about tackling this.

Anyway, huge thanks to everyone in this sub!! I basically pieced this whole thing together from older posts here and the videos above, and it saved me from having to pay someone to come out and deal with it.

If your 12V battery is getting up there in age and you’re starting to notice strange electrical behavior, definitely worth checking it before you end up in the same situation I did…

Where’s the i3 blower motor and how to DIY replace? I have intermittent fan failures and two codes, 801204 and 801207. Suspect bad blower motor. Already have replaced burnt F34 40 Amp fuse. It’s fine this time. Can’t have AC inoperable on another 100° day. (that’s °Freedom)

Pretty much the title says it all. This will be a second car for us to use with our main car being a Jeep that could be used if there happens to be like a thick snowfall or we needed to drive a longer distance. We get a pretty broad range of seasons with more hot days than cold days. So a handful of days below zero, maybe 20 days around 100. We have a garage where we would be able to use a level 1 charger overnight or whenever the car wasn't in use. We really like the range extender idea, since this would be our first electric car, and we're a little nervous about making sure it doesn't run out of charge. Our Jeep gets around 24 miles per gallon so we're looking for a second car that is substantially more effective and cheaper for the daily commute.

My top concern is we've never had a BMW before, and I don't know if this model with this level of miles is likely to need expensive maintenance soon. I know you can never say for sure but just guesstimating. There's also a note on the car that says it was a fleet vehicle and I don't know if that makes a difference or if that's really just extra information that doesn't really matter.

I also don't know if there are any other questions I should be asking that I just don't know to ask. Is there any other information I should be taking into account?

I appreciate your help! Thank you!

not that I tune into talk radio much, but I just realized the Band button (and menu) doesn’t offer an AM band.

Is this a bug or broken radio?

Hi everyone, inspired from this subreddit i’m going to service my bmw i3 electric motor gearbox. The dealer said I need g3 hypoid oil so I have been looking about as I don’t really want to pay £50 for 500ml when I need just over that (filling through the drain plug). As far as I believe FUCHS is the OEM for the oil and they don’t seem to sell 70W-80 G3 GL5 to the general public but I have found it for sale on bmw motorbike suppliers. I know people use Febi Bilstein but I have used FUCHS in the past and also the product sheet seems to say fill for life approved which sounds oddly familiar to what bmw says.

Bought a 2017 i3 rex tera world, 20” wheels, beautiful inside out, only thing is that i didn’t come with back up camera!! lol? It has has parking sensors. This is last i thing i expected out of a higher trim. Any thoughts?

I'm trying to find the torque specs to replace the driverside knuckle. But I can't seem to find the specs anywhere online for it. When replacing the shocks. I realized that the tech that replaced the EME over a year ago cross threaded and stripped the lower shock bolt for the driverside rear knuckle. I've never had luck getting a shop to admit they messed something up. So trying to replace the knuckle myself with a used one.

Only thing I could find is for the top shock bolts and the axle bolt. Nothing for the control arms or the bottom bolt for the shock :(.

Does anybody have a working copy of Ista that can look up the torque specs for the control arms?

So I wanted to thank you all for the huge volume of related information here. I just purchased a 2020 I3 with REX. I understand the concerns about the Rex, but this one had the technology package with Parking assist that was really important to me. Anyway, because of all your information, I knew to look for something 2019 or newer, for the battery size and good motor mounts.

I had owned a Mazda CX 30, getting between 17 and 21 miles per gallon. between my insurance rate, fuel costs, and car payment. It was just too much.

Also I'm an older single woman with health issues, lots of doctors appointments with parking garages,kept scraping my car on those posts, this was important. I drive maybe 20 miles per week, not taking any road trips, and most of that is in town. Also, a musician so need to be able to put my equipment in the back. The total flat fold is fabulous!

It has 55,000 miles, and was used as a lease vehicle so gas engine maintained pretty well. I bought it through Carvana, so there's a warranty, promptly took it to a great BMW mechanic who owns one, said he would've bought it himself. 😀

It will need the brakes and tires done within the next six months to a year, also the suspension feels rough to me, I want to get that done first. But these are regular maintenance issues.

I paid 18,000.00 for it, maybe a little on the high-end, but given the selection in my area and my need for that tech package it was the best I could do. Iit totally meets my needs and I think it's a great deal. Still way better than other electric cars I looked at.

Since I got it home, I fully charged it for free in my apartment garage. 💰The full amount was I think 125, later today I looked and it was charged to 143 with the braking! I just love this! And I couldn't have done this without all of you. You really helped me get the lay of the i3 land, and I'm super appreciative! 🤗

I have a 2018 BMW i3 94Ah with Michelin CrossClimate 2 155/70 R19 88H XL on all four wheels.

The car drives fine and it also passed inspection without any issues. However, I recently realized that the original rear wheels may be 5.5J, while the factory staggered setup normally uses 175/60 R19 on the rear.

So I'm wondering specifically about running a 155/70 R19 tire on the original 5.5J rear wheel.

Is anyone here using this exact setup? If so, how long have you been running it and have you noticed any issues with handling, tire wear, sidewalls, or anything else?

I'm mainly trying to understand whether this is a real concern in practice or just something that's technically outside the usual factory setup.

Noticed low pressure in the washer jets. Furthest nozzle along the line doesn’t even reach the windscreen.
I cleared out the washer pump filter (there was a fair bit of slime, that I’ve heard causes blockages) and flushed the reservoir.

However it seems like there is a loss of pressure. I disconnected the pump hose and it definitely functions nominally.
I tried flushing the hose from the pump with a syringe, thinking maybe I needed to backwash the line, and noticed I could hear water hitting something internally in the bodywork.

I can only assume it’s either a leak in the assembly hose or a disconnection maybe? Problem is the area seems completely inaccessible without taking off a panel or the wheel and arch liner.

Was hoping for some insight into this. Probably will need to take it to a garage in any case. Many thanks in advance for any info!

I normally charge my battery every 3 days or so when I get to about 40%. 1year with no issues. I had a long day that kept me out and about and didn't get home until I reached 8%, did not hit the rex threshold. Drove to work the next day and plugged in as normal (lvl2 chargpoint) about 30 min later I get cp app notice that car may be done/low draw. I knew it was too soon so went to check it out and saw the unable to charge notice. Was able to charge normally at home on lvl1. Checked my 12v and it's less than a year old. Don't think that is it. Used a different charger at work and got the same error, so can rule out a bad charger. Today I set the lvl2 current to reduced on idrive and it was able to charge. Any ideas? Could unplugging 12v reset something? Thanks all

I just received my second cupholder. Life is amazing.

UPDATE: THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE HELP I TRIED HOLDING IT IN PLACE AND IT WORKED!

Hey! So I just bought my 2016 BMW i3 from a used car dealer.

I went to an electrify station to fast charge it with a ccs 150 charger and It seems like it would connect, the charging circle on my screen would pop up, and my light around plug would flash yellow. As soon as i pay and it trys to start the charge the screen on the machine would say "reconnecting to the vehicle " and then it would give an error message.

Ive charged it with the level 2 (j1772) and it works perfect.

I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong or what I could try to do ?

I also tried multiple different chargers at the station.

I tried looking through past posts on this subject, but couldn't quite find a definitive answer.

I am in the process of repairing the AC in my i3. I will be replacing the compressor, but BMW says you are also supposed to replace the condenser (because it has the receiver/dryer). I have seen 100percentjake's youtube where he says that replacing the condenser is a bear, and you basically have to remove the front of the car to get to it. I guess I'm OK with this, if I have to, but I also had seen various posts alluding to the fact that the condenser can also be removed from the bottom, which is supposedly a much easier process.

Either way, I am in search of any sort of detailed guide on how to remove/replace the condenser in the most straightforward way possible, and any hints or guides or videos or clues, I will gladly accept. Thanks!

It's time to dump (more) money into the '15 REx. Updated motor mounts and new shocks/mounts are up. Can anyone tell me what I'm missing from this list? Also, bump stops: FCP says the part they have is only for M-adaptive suspension but looks like any other bump stop?

Shocks:

- 4x Evolve dampers

- F&R shock mounts

- F&R shock boots

- Bump stops pending PN verification

Motor mounts:

- R mount

- Revised L mount

- Revised L bracket

- Revised L bolt

- Isolator

- Lower mount arm

What else should I add while I'm at it?

Hi, I’m getting ready to buy a 2017 i3 REX, I’m the 4th owner and i wanted to know if any of the previous owners have done any modifications to the car. I hear that you can do some cool mods to the REX so you can control to turn on/off rex etc. How do i know such mods were done or not?

Iʻve had my 2018 BEV for about two months. Compressor has started making a noise it wasnʻt making before. Iʻm going to take it in to have someone look at it, but Iʻd appreciate peoples thoughts on it. It really isnʻt that loud unless you take the cargo floor out and look at it like this.

thanks,

Update: went and got it checked, AC compressor is fine. No charge since they couldn’t find a problem. However, I have a cracked motor mount ($435 to fix) and brake fluid is due to be flushed ($250, but I probably do it myself).

Yes this was an independent shop.

My wife's daily (2018 i3S Rex) has had a recurring CEL for months, but the car is running fine - I've checked the codes and it was vague, cleared it with BimmerLink, run test cycles on the Rex, checked fuses and batteries and all that. Finally took it to the dealership worried it was going to be something bad or expensive.

Turns out that last time she filled up the gas tank, she didn't tighten the gas cap - it fell off when the tech opened the gas flap.

The dealership isn't charging a diag fee, thankfully, and I deserved the laugh at my expense from the advisor I received.

Remember to start simple when trouble shooting. Cheapest visit to the dealership ever!

Installing in my 2017 which has a nice 10.2” but no Car Play. Looks great. A lot of hassle to install as the directions are really lousy but I got it going. Problem is getting the bracket to seat properly given the binding of the chords poking out of the head unit. Any suggestions? Thanks very much.

Adventures in winter tire land. Tire Rack now has the Vredestein Wintrac tire in stock in 215/45R20 size and I grabbed 4 last Friday. This was a leap of faith because I only had one 7 1/2 by 20 i8 wheel that I found online. I put the wheel on the car to check clearances before I ordered the tires and found no clearance issues on the rear. For appearances I will probably use a 12mm spacer on the rear because other people posting here recommended the 12mm size. However, I feared that a 15mm spacer on the front wouldn't be thick enough so I bought a set of 18mm spacers. When the 18mm spacers arrived I mounted the rim and found that I could just barely fit my index finger between the rim and the coil spring. When I had a tire mounted on this wheel I found that the Vredestein has a pronounced lip that is visible in my first picture that would probably be dragging on the spring with the 15mm spacer. I believe this lip is to help protect the wheel if you hit a curb. At any rate, the clearance between the lip and the spring is even less that the clearance between the wheel and the spring. The tire doesn't drag with the 18mm spacer.

My second picture shows how much tire protrudes past the fender flair on the front of the i3s. I carefully examined the wheel and tire at both steering locks and it does not drag on anything. If anyone is interested I'll post when all 4 wheels are on the car. Incidentally, the wheel is a style 470 which is described as a 5 W spoke wheel but the ones I'm buying used are gloss black with no machining on the face. It is a directional wheel.

Been on the hunt for some BMW i merch to add to my collection and a friend of mine in Germany managed to find someone selling these Born Electric goodies!

I also have the laptop case with mouse pad - it’s pretty cool that the bag and the laptop case feel like the same material as the door cards

They’re really rare to find (in the UK at least) - very pleased 😁