There is no battery coolant container. "The electric machine" coolant container (not the heater recirculation coolant container!) uses BMW G48 coolant, orBMW 82192 211 913. Please verify for your specific year model and configuration / owners manual before adding any coolant to the systems. Thanks.

@@bmwi3diy782 Thank you so much!!

Mine has been pretty accurate (maybe not all models are created equal or quality control issue), but I did notice that if the device is not making good contact in the socket, there can be a discrepancy. Try cleaning the contacts and see if it makes a difference. I just purchased an Ohmmu lithium 12V with a built-in bluetooth monitor/ I will be testing it soon & post the results.

@@bmwi3diy782 sounds good, what got me looking at this is wanting to see what was going on with a dash cam as it would stay running for around 13 mins after leaving the car if I didn't lock it.. I got that down to under 3 mins with bimmercode but would still like it to turn off straight away unless it was showing 14+ so wasn't draining the 12volt. I might have to check if power from the rain sensor shuts off straight away instead.

I'ts not too difficult to assemble, much like a standard tent with poles. However, I have mixed feelings on useability without side panels/screening on the awning. I would suggest upgrading to one that allows for this. Thanks for the feedback!

@@bmwi3diy782 Thanks for the response!

Totally agree. If the seat folded completely forward, the utilitarian aspect of the car for cargo/ camping would be better. This would be a fun future project to figure out if/ how to do this! Thanks for the comment.

@@bmwi3diy782 I'd be interested in that as I sold my van to get the I3.. I heard other BMW seats fit so maybe the I3 seat could work with other rails if that was switched out. That would be make it better for sleeping but would be more useful if the seat folded flat.

Well, I just checked the SOH yesterday using the MI3 app and it was at 69% ( the battery Kappa max read 13.4). My i3 is a 2015 made in May, so it's 9+ years old now. It is unlikely it will fail the BMW degradation test at this point. Also, several owners have said that BMW's position was told to them that extended CARB state warranty does not include normal degradation beyond the 8 yr standard. I will know more later this year. Thanks for the question! FYI, a BMW technician told me that he saw that I had done 'software modifications like HSOC' and that would likely impact BMW honoring the warranty if they saw this during testing. I would suggest disabling changes done using bimmercode based on this before getting tested...

Sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, I ended up not persuing use of the Relion battery due to the feedback from Relion- especially regarding the battery shutting down completely when running the internal heater. The relion has a max amp draw of 40amps ( 520watts for ~7.5 seconds) which should be enough unless REX cooling fan is on, headlights are on or other current draws plus the spike draw of locking the door is more than this. When you get out of the car, the DC to DC inverter will still be powering the car for up to 15 minutes after shutting it off, so the current draw should not be an issue in this case. I measured the current draw off the battery when locking the car (off) & I got between 10-15 amps draw only (the DC to DC inverter was off). I would suggest checking the terminals to make sure they are not loose (intermittent connections), check the battery voltage when it fails/i.e what is causing it to go into protection mode ( was it shut off for an overvoltage protection or overcurrent protection event prior to the locking issue). It could be a bad BMS too, Possibly Relion can help you with suggestions or a replacement.

@@bmwi3diy782 Indeed. Just making sure that everybody knows, that battery is not working in the i3. I'll be testing a Chinese FlyPower very soon. Will let you know.

Possible, I have not gone back to try out some ideas suggested, since I don't want to end up having to donate more $$ to BMW (can't reset it using bimmerlink) & I no longer have access to an ISTA account.

I have several ideas in the queue for more videos... as soon as my current 'assignment' allows me to shift more time to them. Thanks for the feedback!

@@bmwi3diy782 that is wonderful news!!! I am glad to know you have not moved on. You were such a valuable resource of information about this very unique car!!! I also have not stopped looking for a 12 v lithium replacement. Will update if another candidate is found. Till you post again, blessings.

FYI regarding batteries- I have an Ommu 22ah battery (bluetooth built in, no heater but only $169 on sale, check their website) that I have been bench testing and have configured the BMS in software for a Mini Cooper EV install using their app ( no I3 config, but that should be close since it is also basically BMW internals from what I can tell). So far it looks like it could work/haven't seen a problem- but still testing. I will likely install sometime this fall since my current lead battery is 4 years+ old now. Also, there is at least one owner (to my knowledge) that has installed the more expensive heated version, configured for the Mini Cooper EV, successfully.

@@bmwi3diy782 does the more expensive heated battery mentioned disconnect the outflow of power when heating? Wondering if it will cause the same alarm activation issue as the previous battery of interest.

If the 12v battery is weak, it can cause other errors to start to pop up. I would definitely look into checking the 12v battery,especially if it hasn't been replaced in the last 3 to 4 years.

Nope. The suction cup mounts have been used by some, but I would be concerned with accelerating the delamination of the roof coating & have decided not to try it. It would look cool though, but I'm pretty sure the impact on efficiency from the drag is going to be high. I was thinking that I could pull off the trim along the roof and adhesive bond a mounting point directly to the carbon fiber frame, but I havent looked into the details/plan yet.

If you are planning to keep the car for a long time, preventatively covering them is a good idea. That being said, my 'uncovered' seats seem to be holding up well over the past ~10yrs of aging/use. I do use a leather care product on them routinely to avoid cracking.

Overall the design has aged well in my view. The interior is still one of my all-time favorites (giga/lodge). My neighbor has a Tesla model 3 and he just bought a post facelift panda- the i3 really 'steals the show' in his driveway! There is probably more value in keeping the design as close to stock now (vintage?) rather than to try and do any extreme mods. Thanks for watching!

Good question, I do not know the reasoning. I do wish that I had replaced all of them last time, since I think I will be fighting these again during the upcoming annual maintenance check!

Agreed, cooking inside the car doesn't make a lot of sense if the weather is nice, unless you just want to quickly make a snack or some tea/coffee. If the tent was fully enclosed, you could heat it with the car i suppose. I have mostly used the sink on the rear deck and the stoage drawers the most over the past year to clean up, or use as a work surface in a remote location, but I have not used the awning. The rear hatch opened is enough to stay dry in the rain while fixing a quick meal. If there is a picnic table available, I can move the stove (attacked with velcro) & powerbank there. Thanks for the feedback!

I think it can work to code it as a short press, but I haven't tried it to see if there is any issues. The expert mode is part of Bimmercode, no extra cost to use. Thanks for watching the channel!

@@bmwi3diy782 I did it last night. Everything worked. I was unable to make the climate control come on with the short press.. There was simply not WERT_07 option to change it to. Cheers

Hi, this is not Icar Pro but the Mi3 app from the Apple app store, connected through a Veepeak bluetooth OBD dongle. Hope this helps!

Thank you!

No, the brown is a ground line, the purple is a PWM or pulse width modulated signal. If you rectify the signal with a diode & smooth it out with a capacitor, You might get enough DC power ( I got ~ 11volts when the circuit was on) depending on the load and voltage requirements for the camera. You could review the schematic I made in the video for some ideas. Good luck!

That is awesome! Thanks for the positive feedback.

I have reprogrammed my Key FOB and I can turn on preconditioning 'while" charging the car anytime I want. When normally charging, (as per the user manual) you can activate the climate control (preconditinoing) by setting the departure times. So, it should work in 'camping mode' whether charging or not (I haven't verified this so please check before going camping!). Thanks for the question, and let me know if it doesn't work! BTW, as a viewer correctly noted, turning off preconditioning is easy, by just pressing the fan speed button to off.

60 Ah battery & Rex. Some days I wish I had the larger battery size as degradation reduces the EV only range, but with the Rex the value proposition on upgrading is questionable for now. I am hoping the 10yr CARB warranty can be utilized when the time comes. Thanks for watching!

Awesome, a true electronaut! The embroidered "Electronaut" frunk bag is pretty rare beast too (any frunk bag now). I still think this is a uniquely designed (&looking) car after 10 yrs, and drives better (more fun) than most of the newer EV's. Thanks for watching the channel!

Interesting note on the AC is that the refrigerant flow in the REX Vs the BEV models is not the same, with the REX version giving more protection to the coolant lines /condenser if a compressor failure does occur. Check out the schematics for details.

Yep, but for 95% of the time I rarely use any braking (try to use regen only and get the "5 stars" on the driving efficency screen!), so overheating is less of a concern. Thanks for watching!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for the inquiry. I am still looking, as the Relion turned out to not be the best option. One owner has been using the Ohmmu Rivian battery for several months (mostly working, but in a tropical climate, not cold weather) and I just got some feedback from LithiumMoto rep that their battery may work as well. One of the biggest issues is the high (>15V) cold weather charging voltage from the DC-DC inverter & disconnection of the battery from the electrical system. I still haven't found /tested an ideal battery, but the two companies above may be next in line for evaluation. I'm not looking for any funding at this time, as I have less time to dedicate to this task for the near term.

⁠@@bmwi3diy782lithiummoto says they are coming out with a sodium 12v for i3 in cold weather. Should be out within month

@@tommyboy7589 that's cool! looking forward to it~

Yes it was, but in an uninsulated garage at night. Test was just a quick evaluation to look at the heat loss rate changes. Thanks for the feedback!

As of a week ago it was still reading 70% SOH (state of health) with the MI3 app ( and the newly released Bimmerflow app). My local BMW dealer said it's not likely to fail on the warranty test and didn't recommend it (yet). Since I am in California, I may have until the end of 2025 with the extended warranty coverage so hopefully it will meet the criteria by then.

Thanks for your update 🙏

Still works fine, and I use it quite a bit during winter. I haven't had any issues so far. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for sharing!

I used the bimmerlink app to chek the fault codes. It's easy as long as you have the app and an OBD reader.