2015 BMW I3 Battery

Locking
Touch the surface on the door handle of the
driver's or front passenger door, arrow, with
your finger for approx. 1 second without grasp‐
ing the door handle.
This corresponds with pressing the button on
the remote control.

To save battery power, ensure that all power
consumers are turned off before locking the
vehicle.
Convenient closing Monitor closing
Monitor closing to ensure that no one
becomes trapped.◀
Touch the surface on the door handle of the
driver's or front passenger door, arrow, with
your finger and hold it there without grasping
the door handle.
This corresponds to pressing and holding

the remote control button.
In addition to locking, the windows and the
glass sunroof close and the exterior mirrors
fold in.
Unlocking the tailgate separately
Press button on tailgate's exterior
Without alarm system: This corresponds with
pressing the button on the remote control
, if the tailgate function is set.
The situation of the doors does not change.
Note the opening height of the tailgate
The tailgate swings back and up when it
opens. Ensure that there is sufficient clearance
when the tailgate opens; otherwise, damage
may result.◀
Do not place the remote control in the
cargo area
Take the remote control with you and do not
leave it in the cargo area; otherwise, the re‐
mote control is locked inside the vehicle when
the tailgate is closed.◀
Malfunction
Remote control detection by the vehicle can
among others be malfunctioning under the fol‐
lowing circumstances:
▷The battery of the remote control is dis‐
charged. Replace the battery, refer to
page 39.▷Interference of the radio connection from
transmission towers or other equipment
with high transmit power.▷Shielding of the remote control due to
metal objects.▷Interference of the radio connection from
mobile phones or other electronic devices
in direct proximity.
Do not transport the remote control together
with metal objects or electronic devices.
In the case of a malfunction, unlock and lock
the vehicle using the buttons of the remote
control or using the integrated key, refer to
page 43.
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Stationary climate control
Alarm systemThe conceptWhen the vehicle is locked, the vehicle alarm
system responds to:
▷Opening a door, the hood or the tailgate.▷Movements in the interior.▷Changes in the vehicle tilt, e. g., during at‐
tempts at stealing a wheel.▷Disconnected battery voltage.
The alarm system briefly signals tampering:
▷By sounding an acoustic alarm.▷By switching on the hazard warning sys‐
tem.▷By flashing the daytime running lights.
Arming and disarming the alarm
system
When you unlock or lock the vehicle, either
with the remote control or via the Comfort Ac‐
cess, the alarm system is disarmed or armed at
the same time.
Door lock and armed alarm systemThe alarm system is triggered when the door is
opened, when the vehicle is unlocked via the
door lock.
Tailgate and armed alarm system
The tailgate can be opened even when the
alarm system is armed.
After the tailgate is closed, it is locked and
monitored again when the doors are locked.
The hazard warning system flashes once.
Panic mode You can trigger the alarm system if you find
yourself in a dangerous situation.
Press button on the remote control for
at least 3 seconds.
To switch off the alarm: press any button.
Indicator lamp on the interior rearview
mirror▷The indicator lamp flashes briefly every
2 seconds:
The system is armed.▷The indicator lamp flashes after locking:
The doors, hood or tailgate is not closed
properly, but the rest of the vehicle is se‐
cured.
After 10 seconds, the indicator lamp
flashes continuously. Interior motion sen‐
sor and tilt alarm sensor are not active.
When the still open access is closed, inte‐
rior motion sensor and tilt alarm sensor will
be switched on.▷The indicator lamp goes out after unlock‐
ing:
The vehicle has not been tampered with.▷The indicator lamp flashes after unlocking
until the radio-ready state is switched on,
but no longer than approx. 5 minutes:
An alarm has been triggered.
Tilt alarm sensor The tilt of the vehicle is monitored.
The alarm system responds in situations such
as attempts to steal a wheel.
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DrivingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Start/Stop button Overview
Button in the vehicle1Start/Stop button2Park P3Selector lever
The concept Pressing the Start/Stop button
switches drive readiness on or
off.
Drive readiness starts with the
brake pedal pressed when you
press the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button again switches
drive readiness back off and radio-ready state
is switched back on.
Radio ready state Some electronic systems/power consumers
are ready for operation.
The radio-ready state is switched off automati‐
cally:▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the cen‐
tral locking system.▷If the charging state of the batteries is low.
The radio-ready state remains active if, e.g.,
the drive readiness is automatically switched
off for the following reasons:
▷Opening or closing the driver's door.▷Unfastening of the driver's safety belt.▷When automatically switching from low
beams to parking lights.
Radio ready state is switched back on if the
on/off button on the radio is pressed when the
vehicle is parked.
Operating readiness
All electronic systems/power consumers are
ready for operation. Odometer and trip odome‐
ter are displayed in the instrument cluster.
To preserve the battery, use operating readi‐
ness and activated power features only as long
as absolutely necessary.
Operating readiness is switched off:
▷When locking the vehicle, even if the low
beams are activated.▷When opening or closing the driver door, if
the driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
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▷While the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
with driver's door open and low beams off.▷When the batteries' state of charge is low,
if the low beams are turned off.▷The low beams switch to parking lights af‐
ter approx. 15 minutes of no use.
Drive readiness
If drive readiness is switched on, the vehicle
ready to drive and the READY signal, refer to
page 65, is displayed in the instrument clus‐
ter.
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Most of the indicator and warning lights in the
instrument cluster light up for a varied length
of time.
Activated drive readiness is the equivalent of a
running engine in conventional vehicles. Deac‐
tivated engine readiness is equivalent to
switching the ignition off.
To save battery power when parking, switch
off drive readiness and any unnecessary elec‐
tronic systems/power consumers.
Drive readiness is switched off automatically:
▷When opening or closing the driver door, if
the driver's safety belt is unbuckled.
Note
If drive readiness is switched on, the system
automatically switches to the radio-ready state
when the door is opened and the driver's
safety belt is unbuckled, or if the lights are
turned off or the daytime running lights are ac‐
tivated.
Selector lever position P with drive readi‐
ness switched off
When drive readiness is switched off, selector
lever position P is automatically engaged.
When in an automatic car wash, e.g., ensure
that the drive readiness is not switched off ac‐
cidentally, otherwise, wheels can lock up.◀
Drive readiness in detail
Hints Do not leave the vehicle unattended
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
drive readiness switched on; otherwise, it may
pose a risk.◀
Before leaving the vehicle
Before leaving the vehicle, with drive
readiness switched on engage lever in position
P P and set the parking brake; otherwise, the
vehicle is not secured against rolling away.◀
Switching on drive readiness1.Close the driver's door.2.Depress the brake pedal.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Drive readiness is switched on.
Display in the instrument cluster The READY display indicates
that the vehicle is ready for driv‐
ing.
Display on the Start/Stop button
General information
Drive readiness is also displayed through light
indicators on the Start/Stop button.
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Lighting pulses orange▷After unlocking and opening the door.▷After switching off drive readiness.
When the brake pedal is depressed, the light‐
ing becomes more intense.
Lighting lights up steady blue
After drive readiness is switched on, light turns
blue. The vehicle is ready to drive. The READY
indicator lights up in the instrument cluster. In
addition, a signal sounds.
Lighting off
Drive readiness, operating readiness and
radio-ready state are turned off. The vehicle is
in the idle state. The charging cable may be
connected.
Driving off
Requirements
Driving is possible under the following condi‐
tions:
▷The high-voltage battery is sufficiently
charged.▷The driver's door is closed.
Driving
1.Switch on drive readiness.2.Apply the brake and engage lever in posi‐
tion P D or R.3.Release the parking brake.4.Depress the accelerator pedal to drive.Selector lever positions
The engaged selector lever position is dis‐
played on the selector lever.
D Drive
Position for normal vehicle operation.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is NeutralUse in automatic car washes, e.g. The vehicle
may roll.
P Park Engage only while the vehicle is stationary and
the brake is applied. The drive wheels are
blocked.
P is engaged automatically:
▷If the belt on the driver's seat is off, the
driver's door is open and neither brake nor
accelerator pedal are depressed while
drive readiness is switched on and selector
lever position D or R is set.▷After switching off drive readiness via the
Start/Stop button, if selector lever posi‐
tion D or R is set.▷With operating readiness turned off.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that se‐
lector lever position P is set. Otherwise, the ve‐
hicle may begin to move. On uphill slopes, also
Set parking brake, refer to page 70.
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Driving in detail: eDRIVE
Hints Awareness of vehicle reduced when
driven in electric mode
When driving in electric mode, note that, due
to the lack of engine noise, pedestrians and
other traffic might pay less attention to the ve‐
hicle due to missing engine noises. Please
take special care when parking or leaving a
parking space.◀
Cautiously remove your foot from the ac‐
celerator pedal
Cautiously remove your foot from the acceler‐
ator pedal because the braking effect of the
electric motor can be stronger than with a
combustion engine. Otherwise, abrupt braking
and slow-down may confuse other traffic.◀
Accelerator pedal positions1Deceleration2Coasting3Acceleration or constant speed: ePOWER
Deceleration
The deceleration depends on the position of
the accelerator pedal. The less the actuation of
the accelerator pedal, the greater the decelera‐
tion. In this way energy is recovered and the
high-voltage battery is charged.
Releasing the accelerator pedal causes decel‐
eration similar to cautious braking. Addition‐
ally, the brake lights will come on without hit‐
ting the brakes.
Energy recovery: CHARGE The high-voltage battery is recharged in part
through energy recovery. The electric motor
acts as a generator when decelerating and
converts the kinetic energy into electrical en‐
ergy.
Energy can be recovered if the following condi‐
tions are met:▷The vehicle is moving.▷Speed higher than approx.
12 mph/20 km/h.▷Selector lever position D or R is set.▷Gas pedal is not actuated or only pressed
down 1/3 of the way.
Energy cannot be recovered in the following
situations:
▷Selector lever position N is set.▷While drive stability control systems, e.g.
DTC, are active and control the vehicle,
even though this is not indicated by an in‐
dicator light.▷The high-voltage battery is fully charged.▷When temperature of the high-voltage bat‐
tery is very low or very high.
In winter it might be possible that the en‐
ergy recovery is temporarily unavailable af‐
ter startup.
Always be ready to apply the brake
Always be ready to apply the brake, be‐
cause without energy recovery there is also no
braking action through the electric drive unit.
The vehicle could roll further than anticipated.
This may constitute a danger for other traffic.◀
Exemplary traffic situations
If a deceleration operation is foreseeable while
driving, this can be used for energy recovery.
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The following exemplary driving situations may
show that:▷Decelerating downhill.▷Deceleration before a red light.
Avoid late or abrupt braking. Instead, deceler‐
ate the vehicle using energy recovery.
Coasting
The electric drive makes it possible to roll with‐
out consuming energy. This driving condition
is referred to as coasting.
Proactive driving reduces energy consumption
and increases the range.
With vehicle rolling, no energy is recovered.
Exemplary traffic situations If a route can be traveled without anticipated
need for braking, it is advantageous to roll.
The following exemplary driving situations may
show that:
▷Rolling on a straight downhill route without
obstacles.▷Coasting on a route without obstacles.
Avoid late or abrupt braking.
Range Extender
Increase range
If the charging state of the high-voltage battery
drops during travel to a minimum value, the
Range Extender starts and supplies the re‐
quired electrical energy for driving on.
The symbol on the charging state indicator
designates a Range Extender reel-on time.
The Range Extender controls its output auto‐
matically, turns itself off and restarts according
to the driving situation.
The high-voltage battery will not be charged
by the Range Extender.
Automatic maintenance run
To ensure that the Range Extender functions
properly even during longer periods of non-
use, the Range Extender is automatically acti‐
vated for a few minutes at certain intervals dur‐
ing the trip. Respective Check Control
messages indicate the dry run. Should that oc‐
cur at an unfavorable time you may cancel the
dry run by pressing the Start/Stop button. It
postpones the dry run.
Should the high-voltage battery be fully
charged or if there is not enough gas in the
tank then a dry run will not be executed.
Heavily discharged high-voltage
battery
If the high-voltage battery is heavily dis‐
charged during the trip, the performance and
some comfort features are reduced step-by-
step to extend the range.
Heated high-voltage battery
With a stationary dirt In exceptional cases, it is possible that the
high-voltage battery heats up sharply when the
vehicle is stationary. E. g. with extreme exter‐
nal temperatures and direct solar radiation.
With a overheated high-voltage battery, drive
readiness cannot be switched on.
A Check Control message is displayed.
Another message will indicate when drive
readiness is available again.
While driving
If the high-voltage battery overheats during the
trip, the performance is reduced step-by-step
in order to cool down the battery. The ePO‐
WER performance display in the instrument
cluster returns in the process. When tempera‐
ture increases further, park the vehicle until the
high-voltage batter has cooled down. Should
the performance display fall to 0, drive readi‐Seite 69DrivingControls69
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DisplaysVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due tothe selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Instrument cluster
The concept
The instrument cluster is a variable display.
Some of the displays in the instrument clustermay differ from the way they are shown in this
Owner's Handbook.
At a glance
1Computer   862Driver assistance systems3Speedometer4Drive readiness indicator   655ECO PRO tips  1556Trip odometer   827Driving Dynamics Control program   1088Range for electric driving  839Battery charge indicator  7710Performance display  77
Selection list, such as for the radio   8511Range Extender range  83Seite 75DisplaysControls75
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