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

modification Idle hands.....

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21 Upvotes

.... are the devil's playground. I got a little bored and decided to do a little modification. 2015 Rex with HK, but the bottom end was still lacking. Found a 6.5" sub that fit nicely under the rear seat. Just needed to cut the styrofoam that holds the park assist module and re-secure it. Very easy to do and it's all tucked away under the seat. No loss of trunk space, no exposed wires. It won't win any bass competitions, but it definitely fills the lower frequencies nicely.


r/BMWi3 27m ago

generic advice How crazy is this? Is a 10 year old CarMax i3 be a bad idea

Upvotes

So, my used BMW Mini S hit it's 10th anniversary since driving it off the CarMax lot. In that time I've put maybe 25K miles on it. Had literally zero issues since CarMax preps it's cars well. Fun car.

But it's now at 63K miles, due for all the 60K maintence stuff it likely needs and I'm a bit nervous about how it's gonna hold up over the next 5 years. Now in my mid-seventies I'm looking at maybe 5-7 years of driving due to neuritis which is supposed to leave my legs numb. Sorry TMI, but I gotta plan for my car future.

I have a second actual sports car, so the next car will likely not see more than 2K miles a year for those 7. Single, living in a commercial/residential area with all grocery stores within 3-4 miles. A replacement car won't leave the parking deck but once or twice a week for short trips in the big city deep south.

Scanning CarMax and they show a few 2016 era i3's with 70k miles or so and a price I can certainly live with. The primary requirement is that it be trouble free the next 7 years. Being 10 years old, I imagine it will be on it's 2nd AC? and CarMax will likely have spotted any brake and steering issues?

So bottom line, considering my low mileage short distance use case would a 10 year old CarMax i3 be a bad idea? Mind is made up on CarMax so any nay-sayers can hold off there. Any and every thoughts welcome and much appreciated. Thx.


r/BMWi3 18h ago

other We had a car meet by coincidence!!!

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18 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 1d ago

generic advice Tires. Yep. Tires.

3 Upvotes

2020 s here. Momo 195/55-20 on all corners. all new last November. got a nail in one recently and began shopping around.

I can't find them ANYwhere. Like they never existed.

What are you all running when you can't find the Momos and don't want to spend $1200 on the OEM spec Escopias?


r/BMWi3 1d ago

technical/repair help Cannot release from "P" to "N" position for towing

7 Upvotes

Dear i3 community,

our BMW i3 (2017, 94 Ah) is displaying the error message "Drivetrain: Stop carefully" and therefore cannot release the transmission brake ("P" position) to be towed – meaning we can't engage "N" or "D" gear, and therefore the parking brake won't release for towing it. I'm referring to the transmission / "P" brake, not the parking brake (which releases without any problems). Is there any other way to release it manually so we can tow it.

Thank you a lot for your help in advance,
Florian


r/BMWi3 1d ago

modification Dashcam Installation with Dongar Power Adapter

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22 Upvotes

I got a Viofo A119M V3 as an "Amazon Renewed" deal for $69, and got one that seems in like-new condition.

I also purchased the Viofo hardwire kit, which you route to the fuse box, find some appropriate fuses to tap, pull the fuses, install the probably-won't-start-fires fuse taps, route the wires to the dashcam, don't interfere with the airbags...

It's a lot easier for me to reach the fuse box after removing the glove box. Be sure to carefully remove the two different wire assemblies before pulling too hard.

But you don't have to do any of that.

Rear view mirrors these days have electronics in them to auto dim during UFO encounters. So there's a power connector.

Dongar Technologies makes a little box that coverts the power for the mirror into voltage that works with the dash camera.

I didn't want 24-hour constant camera vigilance. I wanted a not-dead 12V battery in the morning. The rear view mirror power is great for that: always energized when the car is on (regardless of Park Drive Reverse), and remains so for about 10 minutes after the car is powered off.

Despite Dongar's website, which claims there's no support for the i3, I found an adapter that just works. Plugging it in was super easy.

DCA-LRS
Kit with two styles of writing harness.

I had to buy a mini (NOT micro!) USB cable to do USB-C from the power adapter to the USB mini B on the Viofo camera.

Kit with two styles of writing harness.

https://dongar.tech/products/dongar-classic?variant=47763275022560

I'm not sure if the photos make sense. Every electronic device is black plastic, this helps you not see anything at all. It's like that in real life during installation, as well.

I used the iFixit spring steel pry tool to shuck the rear view mirror housing. It's tough plastic.

My 2020 doesn't have the Tech Package camera, so I put the dashcam there.

The rain sensor is looking up, through the windshield, I believe. There is a forward-looking CdS light sensor that senses daylight and adjusts the iDrive display, and maybe where I put the power cable and camera will interfere with that.

So far it seems fine.

No visible wires.


r/BMWi3 1d ago

technical/repair help Washer fluid leak

1 Upvotes

I’ve been running out of washer fluid a week after topping it off. There are lots of previous Reddits about this in this group but I could use a bit more info.

Seems most say it’s the pump - and it’s an easy and inexpensive DIY fix.

So…people say that you start at the frunk and that you access the reservoir and can maybe see an obvious leak by “removing” something in the frunk.

What exactly am I removing in the frunk? I’ve never removed anything in the frunk. Is it just obvious? Will that let me gain access to the washer fluid thingy?


r/BMWi3 1d ago

technical/repair help Cannot release from "P" to "N" position for towing

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0 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 3d ago

art naptime

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87 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 4d ago

generic advice In case anyone was wondering, 7.5cuft fridges fit in the i3

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133 Upvotes

Fridge dimensions were 55.5inx21.5inx21.5in


r/BMWi3 4d ago

i3 purchase Good morning Florida☀️

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88 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help Mi3 app in Canada

3 Upvotes

Hey i3’ers! The mi3 EV app has disappeared from the Apple App Store in Canada, anyone know why?


r/BMWi3 4d ago

technical/repair help Top Panel Loose

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2 Upvotes

What do you do about this?

TIA


r/BMWi3 5d ago

technical/repair help How panicked should I be?

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9 Upvotes

I haven't seen many posts on this particular message, and the ones I saw were cold weather/battery heater related. It's about 90 here, so not that.


r/BMWi3 5d ago

technical/repair help A/C went out today. Does this sound like death?

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4 Upvotes

Is this the end?


r/BMWi3 5d ago

other Have my car a sim instaled?

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10 Upvotes

Hi

I added the car to my BMW app, and I can see how much battery have in this exact moment.

Is this info real? I mean the car have a built-in SIM?

Thanks!!


r/BMWi3 6d ago

deal 150k mile i3 for $5000. How bad of an idea is this?

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79 Upvotes

Found a 2015 i3REX Base for sale from a private party for around $5000. It has 150k miles on it, and the owner claims it gets 70 miles of range fully electric. KBB says it's only a $3000 car maximum which makes me skeptical on how good this car can actually be at this mileage/age.

It would be a third car for us, hoping to replace my wife's 2004 Oldsmobile that doesn't have working A/C. Daily use it would probably need 50 miles of range maximum. We have a garage that we could charge it in. We do live in Wisconsin so have very cold winters, albeit we'd probably drive our other cars in the winter.

Is this a good idea or too risky given the age and mileage?

From my limited research, it seems like a decent idea as long as the battery actually has the range he says it does for now. I love the idea of possibly being able to swap it to a higher AH one when it inevitably dies. Any thoughts?

Pic for attention.


r/BMWi3 6d ago

technical/repair help BMW i3 60Ah (22kWh) upgraded to 154Ah (54kWh) – Hungary

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129 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 5d ago

technical/repair help 2015 BMW i3 A/C loud like helicopter and weak only in hot weather

2 Upvotes

My 2015 BMW i3 REx A/C has become much louder this summer (helicopter/humming noise). It barely cools during hot afternoons but is ice cold in the morning/evening and cools much better on the freeway. It also improves when I use REx mode. Last year I recharged it with AC Pro. Does this sound more like a refrigerant leak, condenser fan issue, or a failing electric compressor?


r/BMWi3 6d ago

technical/repair help COMFORT is this setting a German pun, a mis-translation?

10 Upvotes

My i3 REX has this setting and it is the sportiest of the three. Also, does anyone else find that it is slightly better on range for highway driving?


r/BMWi3 6d ago

technical/repair help Lanyard Stuck and Jammed into Charger Port Help

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5 Upvotes

I was moving quickly with the lanyard in my hand as I closed the port and the lanyard got stuck and the charger port will not open even if I pull the emergency blue pin. I know this is a silly and specific situation, but does anyone know how to open it back up and fix this? Thanks


r/BMWi3 6d ago

modification what are these rims?

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19 Upvotes

Is this a legit thing people are doing?


r/BMWi3 7d ago

showcase My 2020 i3s with a nice view

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128 Upvotes

r/BMWi3 6d ago

technical/repair help Curious error messages

6 Upvotes

On the drive to work I had two faults pop up three minutes into the drive. 1. Brake System Fault & Driving Stability fault. The car drove and stopped absolutely fine. Has anyone else had this combo & any potential remidies before sending it to be plugged into BMW. I'm due to return to the vehicle in the next few hours after work hoping it was a temporary throw of error messages which self clear.