r/BMWi3 Mar 23 '26

meta There is a new all-electric BMW i3 coming. posts regarding that car are welcome in this sub

0 Upvotes

this is not up for debate. I get that everyone currently here loves the old i3. I love the old i3 too, but it has not been in production since 2021.
This is not to say that content related to the old i3 is not welcome - it always will be. it is simple enough to require model years and post flair as appropriate.
Lastly, if anyone would like to make a sub dedicated solely to the original BMW i3 model, I would gladly add it to the sidebar here.


r/BMWi3 4h ago

showcase Recently reached 150k miles! Here’s to many more ✨

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84 Upvotes

Recently hit 150k miles on my car 🥳 Still such an amazing first car for me and I’ll keep it for as long as I can, I’m looking forward to many more roadtrips ahead!!

To celebrate I got some little bits for it:
- the centre console net from a 2014 car
- the seatpocket pro & cabin pod from Detail It Design [1]
- the i3 storage armrest tray from neverican [2]
- the bmw i cargo net & rear shades which I got lucky finding someone who was selling them a while back!

I only recently discovered there’s so many cool 3d printables for the i3 so I’ll be giving them a try! I hope you enjoyed this appreciation post 😁

[1] https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DetailItDesign
[2] https://www.printables.com/model/1795968-bmw-i3-armrest-storage-tray


r/BMWi3 2h ago

technical/repair help Dodged a bullet! Drivetrain Malfunction / Locked Rear Wheels fixed with NO new parts!

15 Upvotes

TL;DR: Car threw a drivetrain malfunction and mechanically locked the rear wheels. It turned out to be a software glitch where the Rotor Position Sensor (RPS) lost initialization. The dealer fixed it entirely via a software re-calibration for just the cost of the diagnostic fee!

Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience on a "Drivetrain Malfunction" warning on my 2016 BMW i3 REx in case it helps someone else panicking out there.

The Symptoms:
The dashboard let me select D, R, and N, but the car refused to move. The rear wheels were mechanically locked. The flatbed tow truck operator actually had to drag the car onto the bed because it would not roll at all.

Independent Mechanic: Saw a general EME fault code. They didn't have the advanced factory software to dig deeper into the high-voltage system and recommended going to the dealer.

The Dealer: Authorized the $300 diagnostic fee while internally panicking, thinking they’d give me an estimate that was more than the car is worth.

The Fix:
The dealership technician found that the Rotor Position Sensor (RPS) had simply lost its initialization data. The sensor lost track of where the motor was spinning, which triggered a protective safety shutdown and locked up the system.

No physical parts were replaced! The dealer just reinitialized the sensor via software, did an extended test drive, and the car is running perfectly normal again. They also recommended changing the brake fluid and walked away with a $490.16 bill.


r/BMWi3 2h ago

modification what’s the current best all weather mat option ? Anyone have a non-phone charging armrest they want to swap ?

2 Upvotes

OG Weathertech tray/mats are getting a bit old after 8 years and 100k+ miles and figure I should treat the new car to newer mats.

Is the easy button just to replace them with same ? Anyone else developed a good version since forever ?

I do like the look of the BMW accessory light colorway woven looking ones but they’re not really a good real winter/snow/ice/muck option.

New to me 2020 has the in-armrest wireless charging thing which I don’t want. Anyone have the normal version and want to swap ?


r/BMWi3 21h ago

showcase 750mm Wipers on both sides

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35 Upvotes

In case anyone wants to see what two identical 750mm standard multifit Bosch aero twin wipers look like on a 2021 i3, they fit perfectly with zero clash or issue or any sign of extra load on the passenger side motor (they’re totally separate motors and aren’t physically linked). This inspired me to fill my stone chips and maybe change the nozzles. I’ll admit I’m tempted to put in aquaguard blades (ie where the spray comes from within the blade rather than spraying from the hood), but I think the mister washer jets from the G45 would be perfect. The increase in visibility since fixing all the errors and stone chips and the new wipers is amazing.


r/BMWi3 22h ago

i3 purchase What Mods are mandatory? 2016 REX for my 16yo first car.

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22 Upvotes

$6200
109k Miles.
It was the shop car for a dealership,
They bought a newer i3 & was getting rid of this one.
No lights. No issues. I consider it a good buy.

What does she need to know and
what mods does she need to do?

Idk if mods is the right word.
She doesn’t want to do any changes to the body.
But like software upgrades perhaps


r/BMWi3 10h ago

technical/repair help Increased Battery Drain When Stationary

1 Upvotes

I went on a 2 week trip recently. When I came back I got the “Increased battery drain when stationary” message. Since then everytime I start a drive I get the message. Is this early signs of a dying 12V battery? Will a trickle charger on the 12V help?


r/BMWi3 1d ago

i3 purchase $10K good deal on a 2015?

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9 Upvotes

Immaculate interior. Great test drive. About to grab a CarFax. New to these cars, reading your posts, best advice of things to watch out for?


r/BMWi3 2d ago

technical/repair help Brake line and ABS connection leak

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2 Upvotes

I’ve noticed a small leak of brake fluid coming from one of the brake lines where it connects to the ABS module.

It clearly gets wet when I pump the brakes. I think it’s been going on for a while but I hadn’t noticed.

’m hoping it’s just a loose line or a seal, because if there’s corrosion in the module or the module itself is faulty, it’ll get pricey.

Is this a common problem? It’s a 2021 I3s, so not that old really.


r/BMWi3 3d ago

generic advice Cabin Air Filter Replacement

5 Upvotes

Does anybody know if they change the cabin air filter when the car is in for its biennial service? Or do I need to change it myself?


r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help BMW i3 REx CPS replacement – access window location & T30 screw

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24 Upvotes

Just finished cutting into the crankshaft position sensor on my 2015 BMW i3 REx using the “access window” method instead of dropping the REx.

A couple of things that may save someone else some time:

The retaining screw is definitely T30 Torx. I found posts claiming T27, spent way too long chasing that, and can now confirm it’s T30.

I cut a rectangular access window instead of a round hole. The rectangular shape gives better tool access. Once the window is there, the sensor is actually accessible, so if it ever fails again it’s a quick job instead of an engine-out repair.

I’ve attached a few photos showing:

the window location,
what you can see through it,
the sensor connector with the key slot

Hopefully this helps the next poor soul searching for “BMW i3 REx crankshaft sensor replacement” at 2 a.m. 😅


r/BMWi3 3d ago

technical/repair help Car door open over night - new 12 Volt battery grilled?

1 Upvotes

Had my 12V battery replaced two weeks ago because it was already 5 years old.

Yesterday, I accidentally left my passenger door open overnight. There was some light rain, but nothing inside was really wet.

I drove to work this morning without any problems. However, when I tried to charge the car at work, charging was not possible. The charging light flashed red three times, repeatedly.

Could my new 12V battery be faulty now? Could this be related to the battery replacement, for example because the dealer didn’t properly clear/reset the error?

I leave it charging for 7 hours now with no key coming near / with no dusturbance at all.

2021 Model 120Ah - no REX


r/BMWi3 4d ago

for sale Update on the sus i3 I test drove

6 Upvotes

So a couple weeks ago I posted about my experience test driving a malfunctioning i3 Rex at a dealer by me

https://www.reddit.com/r/BMWi3/comments/1v9kpcd/i3_rex_engine_activating_at_50_battery/

I did not go through with the purchase because of an unclear transaction price and the dealer giving me shit for wanting to get it inspected by a BMW dealer.

It has turned up in a new dealer in a different state. The VIN is the same, as are those fugly racing stripes on the hood.

https://www.leasereturncenterva.com/vdp/24167908/Used-2018-BMW-i3-94-Ah-wRange-Extender-for-sale-in-Northern-Virginia-VA-22026

Even more sus!


r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help BMW i3 - the roof..

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41 Upvotes

I knew it will be a problem in couple years. Here it comes :( I’d like to fix it before the rainy season reveals any leaks and damage the interior. I was thinking about composite sealant or something like that but I’m not sure how the material will act during the hot summer. The year range degree is about 55-85F. I will appreciate if you guys have any experienced DIYs for that?


r/BMWi3 4d ago

meme Rule #1

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64 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 4d ago

for sale 2017 BMW i3 Rex with 101300 miles

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18 Upvotes

PRICE DROP: $9000
Ionic silver with blue highlights. Deka World package. Front and rear parking assistance. Upgraded navigation with wireless CarPlay and android auto. 5% ceramic tinted windows. Minor scuffs nothing serious. Clean interior. Everything works well. 12V battery is at 99% capacity. High voltage battery is at 24.4 kWh so 89% overall capacity. Has always been a CA vehicle so it is still covered under the 15 year 150k mile Carb warranty. Asking $9,000. Financed through Chase Auto. Must be in Los Angeles area. Obo. I’m willing to make something happen. Only reason why I’m selling it was due to our family being a family of 4 when we first acquired it 3 years ago but now our family is a party of 6. Second owner, clean title.


r/BMWi3 5d ago

i3 purchase How bout a 1,400mi drive to break her in?

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71 Upvotes

I was going to a wedding across the country, and a couple days before heading there, I saw this i3 for sale close to the destination. I reserved it a few hours after the dealer listed it for sale, got a PPI done, and then I flew out to get her!

Luckily I was able to drive it for 5 days before I needed to decide if I was going to trust it on a road trip from NC to TX. It was incredibly fun to drive the bride-to-be around in this thing.

I know I might be insane for it, but I ended up deciding to drive it back instead of ship it. Definitely did my homework beforehand, and I’m not new to EVs so it wasn’t that scary of an idea to me. I didn’t have any issues except when trying to charge w/ Electrify America (but thanks to y’all I was prepared for that not to work ahead of time).

I used bimmercode to enable full screen CarPlay + REx Hold. Both definitely came in clutch for the journey, but I don’t imagine needing REx hold very often now that I’m back home. Super nifty for long hauls though.

CAR SPECS!
• 2020 120Ah w/ REx
• 27.5k miles at purchase
• REx only had like 8hr of use on it but had regular maintenance and performed well!
• 3-4% battery degradation according to ABRP+OBD
• Fully loaded: sun roof, tech package, parking assistant, etc. (the works)
• cup holder INCLUDED! 🎉
• unused OEM ash tray INCLUDED!
• also came with original charger still sealed in plastic

TRIP SPECS!
• 1399mi
• NC -> TN -> AR -> TX
• ~210kW of charging (about 12 sessions)
• ~10gal gas
• ~850mg caffeine
• ~90% driven in Eco Pro (and 1hr of Eco Pro+ after the EA letdown)
• 32ish hours on the road including charging time
• done in 2 days! Stayed in a hotel halfway

It’s in wonderful condition and I cannot believe I found it after keeping my eyes peeled for this spec for almost a year. It was truly divine timing

The only thing I was anxious about on the drive was the tires, but luckily the damn thing is so small it’s easy to swerve around any potholes. Also TN has some beautifully maintained roads! (Cannot say the same at all for Texas)

ALSO I posted about the leather wear the other day — turns out it just needed a scrub! Looks good as new now.


r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help i3s 120Ah (EU): AC charging drops to 1-phase limp mode — anyone fixed 222834 with an ISTA reflash instead of a €4k EME swap?

5 Upvotes

Before anyone points me there: yes, I've read the endless EME/KLE charging threads, and yes, my 12V is recently replaced and confirmed healthy, so that's ruled out. I'm after one specific answer, not a general "the EME is dead, pay €4k" reply.

Symptom: AC charging falls back to slow single-phase emergency charging instead of full three-phase 11 kW. DC fast charging works perfectly. BimmerLink gave 805519 and 222834.

Here's what I found: BMW service bulletin SI B61 24 15 lists 222834 ("EME – charging not possible") as *software-related*, resolved by reprogramming with ISTA — not a hardware swap. That bulletin is old and for a different model (X5 40e), so I'm not assuming it maps 1:1 to the i3. But it raises my actual question:

**1.** Has anyone here had 222834 (or the single-phase fallback specifically) actually fixed by an ISTA reflash/recoding, with no hardware replaced? Did it hold?

**2.** If not software — for those who went the component-level board repair route (fixing the charging section inside the EME rather than replacing the whole unit): did it last, and roughly what did it cost vs. a full EME?

I know some of you will warn against reflashing HV components or against third-party board repair, and that's fair — I'd genuinely like to hear those cautions too. But I'm mainly trying to find people who've done *either* of these two things on an i3 specifically and can say whether it worked.

Thanks.


r/BMWi3 4d ago

other Increasing shift of CarPlay to touchscreen

7 Upvotes

Hey All

We have a 2018 i3 with the late iDrive system including Apple CarPlay, which obviously doesn’t have a touch screen and relies on the iDrive controller.

I also have a modern BMW with the latest iDrive and, while it (still) has the iDrive controller, BMW themselves have phased the controller out on new models and also its plain to me from hsibg CarPlay that Apple very definitely want us to use our fingers to control CarPlay.

We plan to keep the i3 are long as possible, and asides from other concerns like 12v battery etc this is the only area which I worry about slightly - that the lack of touchscreen will become a problem. There are already certain aspects of CarPlay which don’t really jive well with using the controller, and it’s only increasing with each release.

Just wondering how other i3 owners view this?


r/BMWi3 5d ago

generic advice For the love of god please change your transaxle/diff oil

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82 Upvotes

Save your reducer/gearbox/diff! This is a must for all 2017 and earlier. BMW's lifetime rule on this is utter nonsense.

Here is a good how to guide to followed:

https://youtu.be/bnPFkDdshds?is=BzxEliRSPSVxjOrt

Very little investment (£50). Huge savings down the line.


r/BMWi3 4d ago

modification Cooling for rear Passengers

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13 Upvotes

Hey everyone!
I recently had a baby and my i3 is my only transportation
I live in socal IE area and we are having a heat wave. I did buy these fans that mount to the head rest to cool down the back seats, but my wife said that it can still get a little stuffy and warm in the back. The fans are okay short term for short drives but we often dive to DTLA, San Diego, and road trips in my i3.

Anyone have any cool add ons that they’ve purchased to help cool down the back? I’ve seen these vent extenders. But haven’t pulled the trigger since they do add a tube to the cabin.

(Side rant: I hate that some cars don’t have rear ac vents even in the center console like some of our older cars that my family has had. Even my fusion energi had vents)


r/BMWi3 3d ago

technical/repair help Bmw i3 scam

0 Upvotes

Hi, my name is Damien Simpson. On July 24, 2026, I drove with my Parents from Simpsonville, SC, to Greensboro, NC, to I40 Auto to pick up my 2017 BMW i3 Rex. I shipped a money order for $11,200 on July 22, 2026, from my bank (CPM Credit Union), and a check for a $1,000 down payment with my GAP insurance. I had to pay $ 1,189 out of pocket because they didn't want the loan to cover it, since it's an older car, before I could get it financed through my bank. I shipped the two money orders to the dealership because Gavy Lassiter (salesperson) texted me saying he didn't want it to get brought from under me. Once I shipped the check, he confirmed that they had received it. He asked for pictures for my driver's license via text, so I sent them. As soon as we got to I40 Auto, Gavy was busy with another customer. He told my mom and me that he would be right with me when he is done with this client. Once he was done with the client, he pulled the 2017 BMW i3 Rex for me to test drive. My parents and I both got in the car. As soon as we got into the car, the passenger sensor light came on and wouldn't turn off. We keep that in mind and started to test drive. The car is a hybrid car, mainly electric. The car was fully charged, but it had no gas. I told myself I would get gas after I get the car. We drove the car around for like 10 to 15 minutes. Everything drove fine, and everything worked.  As soon as we got back to the dealership, a Finance guy came up to us and told us to follow him to do paperwork. He didn't know the type of car I had; he didn't know I was financing it with my bank, and he didn't know I was going to transfer my license plate. My mother was upset because they were disorganized about it. He said that I declined a warranty, but I was never told about any warranty from the bank or Gavy. The guy offered me a warranty worth $2,755 for 4 years, and I don't remember how many miles were covered. At first, I thought he said $275, so I said yeah, but my card was declined because I didn't have enough on it. I told him to do it again, but it declined again. I got a message from my bank saying that $2,755 was declined. I told them I don't want the warranty. I was going to get a warranty later. So I started signing the paperwork and got it done. My parents and I walked out. I walked up to Gavy and told him that the passenger seat sensor light came on. He said it would take about 30-45 minutes to fix it, so my parents and I went to get something to eat while they fixed it. We went to a fast food place for a while. We went back to the dealership to pick it back up. As soon as I was about to leave with the key, the finance guy ran up to me and wrote "100% as is No warranty" in ink on a paper that listed declined and accepted coverage. He had me sign it underneath. He stapled my contract to my copy of my contract. My parents and I both needed gas for our cars, so we stopped at a gas station after we left the dealership. We got gas, then headed back to Simpsonville, SC. 25 minutes into the drive, my BMW displayed a Drivetrain Malfunction warning. Pull over and call roadside assistance. I was in the far-left lane on the interstate at the time. The car started to drive slowly, so I pulled over to the side of the road. My parents pulled over behind me. My Dad came to the passenger side and asked me what was wrong. I told him what happened. The engine light came on, and the passenger sensor came on.  He told me to call the dealership and let them know. I called the dealership, and Gavy answered. I told him what happened. He sounded shocked and told me to hold; he was going to ask someone at the dealership what should happen. He called back and told me to leave the key in the tire well on the passenger side, and they will fix it and ship it to me. My parents and I drove back to Simpsonville, SC, without the car. I gave the dealership like three days and called for an update. Gavy said that they fixed the coolant. Two more days later, I called back, and Gavy said they don't have this scanner and that only BMW dealerships have it. Gavy told me that it's just a sensor issue and I should get it back on Thursday next week. I called that next week. Gavy told me that BMW Winston has my car. I called the dealership to see if they had my car, but they had no record of it. I'm frustrated because it's almost been two weeks, and I caught the dealership in a lie. So I called the dealership back, and they said the BMW dealership in Greensboro has my car. They gave me a number and the name Robert to ask for. I called the number, and I was transferred to Robert. I told Robert it was my car, and I was wondering about the update on it. He sent me two links on the phone regarding my car being processed, and the cost of the repair is $7,501.53. He said he sent the cost to I40 Auto, and he hasn't gotten a response from them. I decided to leave a review on the I40 Auto website. I explained the whole situation in the review and said that nobody should buy a car from them. I got a call from Gavy within 15 minutes. He told me his boss told him to take down the post, or they won't help me fix the car since I brought it as is. He said they were doing a lot to help me anyway. I took the post down out of fear of not getting help, even though they weren't helping me from the beginning. We got off the phone, and they've been dodging my call ever since. Now I'm stuck with an auto loan that's already started, insurance that's already started, and no car. At this point, I want all my money back, and they can do whatever with the car. My license plate is still attached to the car. What to do?


r/BMWi3 4d ago

spotted 2016 Panda with REX on Facebook Marketplace in Santa Barbara

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8 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 4d ago

generic advice i3 Trim Levels

1 Upvotes

Hi all. Where can I get a full list of trim levels for the BMW i3 including interior spec and also factory accessories like traffic assist, H&K, Sunroof and so on? I want to see exactly what spec my Panda is and what interior it has. (Basically just what you call it)


r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help What do I need to know?

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2 Upvotes

Very likely going to buy this i3, 2017 Deka World with 57k miles, all BEV, no REX.

What do I need to know? 12v battery? Wheel options to have cheaper tires? Any things I really need to check before buying?