2015 BMW I3 maintenance

Addendum
ADDENDUM TO OWNER'S MANUAL
We wanted to provide you with some updates
and clarifications with respect to the printed
BMW Owner's Manual. These updates and
clarifications will supersede the materials con-
tained in that document.
1. Where the terms “service center,” “the ser-
vice center,” “your service center,” “service
specialist,” or “service” are used in the
Owner's Manual, we wanted to clarify that
the terms refer to a BMW dealer's service
center or another service center or repair
shop that employs trained personnel that
can perform maintenance and repair work
on your vehicle in accordance with BMW
specifications.
2. Where the text of the Owner's Manual con-
tains an affirmative instruction to contact a
“service center” or “your service center,”
we wanted to clarify that BMW recom-
mends that, if you are faced with one of the
situations addressed by that text, you con-
tact or seek the assistance of a BMW
dealer's service center or another service
center or repair shop that employs trained
personnel that can perform maintenance
and repair work on your vehicle in accor-
dance with BMW specifications.
While BMW of North America LLC, at no
cost to you, will pay for repairs required by
the limited warranties provided with respect
to your vehicle and for maintenance under
the Maintenance Program during the appli-
cable warranty and maintenance coverage
periods, you are free to elect, both during
those periods and thereafter, to have main-
tenance and repair work provided by other
service centers or repair shops.
3. Where the Owner's Manual makes refer-
ence to parts and accessories having been
approved by BMW, those references are
intended to reflect that those parts and
accessories are recommended by BMW of
North America LLC. You may elect to use
other parts and accessories, but, if you do,
we recommend that you make sure that any
such parts and/or accessories are appropri-
ate for use on your vehicle.
4. At page 7, under the warranty section's dis-
cussion of homologation, where it states
that you “cannot lodge warranty claims for
your vehicle there,” the text should read
that you “may not be able to lodge warranty
claims for your vehicle there.”
5. At page 7, under the heading “Body work
and working on the high-voltage system,”
the text of that section should be disre-
garded and the following text should be
read in lieu thereof: “BMW recommends to
have modifications and work on the vehicle
only be carried out by an authorized BMW i
service center or one that operates accord-
ing to BMW i specifications with personnel
trained accordingly. If work is not carried out
properly, there is the risk of fire and fatal
injury from electrocution due to the high-
voltage system's high voltage.”
6. At page 8, under the “Parts and Accesso-
ries” section, in the sixth sentence, the
word “cannot” should read “does not.”
7. At page 55, in the “Check and replace
safety belts” section, the text beginning,
“This should only be done by your service
center …” should be disregarded and the
following text should be read in lieu thereof:
“BMW recommends having this work per-
formed by a service center as it is important
that this safety feature functions properly.”
8. At page 150 under the heading: “Objects
within the range of movement of the ped-
als” and at page 203 under the heading:
“Carpets and floor mats,” the paragraph
that begins: “Only use floor mats …” should
be disregarded and the following language
should be read in lieu thereof: “The manu-
facturer of your vehicle recommends that
you use floor mats that have been identified
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Addendum
by it as appropriate for use in your vehicle
and that can be properly fixed in place.”
9. At page 155, under the heading: “Have
maintenance carried out,” the sentence
beginning, “The maintenance should be
carried out …” should be disregarded and
the following text should be read in lieu
thereof:   “BMW recommends that you have
the maintenance carried out by your service
center.”
10. At page 161, under the heading “Make sure
that the charging device is in flawless oper-
ating condition,” the word “flawless” should
read “proper.”
11. At page 173, under the heading “Tire infla-
tion specifications,” the sentence begin-
ning, “Tire inflation pressure specifications
apply to approved tire sizes … .” should be
disregarded.
12. At page 176, under the heading: “Mount-
ing,” the paragraph beginning, “Have
mounting and balancing …” should be dis-
regarded and the following text should be
read in lieu thereof: “BMW recommends
that you have mounting and balancing per-
formed by your service center or a tire
mounting specialist.”
13. At page 177, under the heading: “Approved
wheels and tires,” the term “Approved”
should be disregarded and in lieu thereof,
the term “Recommended” should be read
in its place. In addition, the text of that sec-
tion should be disregarded and the follow-
ing text should be read in lieu thereof:
The manufacturer of your vehicle strongly
suggests that you use wheels and tires that
have been recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer for your vehicle type; other-
wise, for example, despite having the same
official size ratings, variations can lead to
body contact and with it, the risk of severe
accidents.
The manufacturer of your vehicle does not
evaluate non-recommended wheels and
tires to determine if they are suitable for use
on your vehicle.
14. At page 181, under the heading: “Snow
Chains,” the text should be disregarded and
the following text should be read in lieu
thereof:
Only certain types of fine-link snow chains
have been tested by the manufacturer of
your vehicle and are determined by the
manufacturer of your vehicle to be road safe
and are recommended by the manufacturer
of your vehicle.
Information about recommended snow
chains is available from a service center.
15. At page 182, under the heading “Hood,” the
sentence beginning, “If you are unfamiliar”
should be disregarded.
16. At page 185, under the heading: “Adding or
changing engine oil,” the text should be dis-
regarded and in lieu thereof should be read
as follows:
If necessary, BMW recommends that you
have oil added changed at your BMW
dealer's service center or at another service
center that has trained personnel that can
perform the work in accordance with BMW
specifications.
17. At page 189, under the heading: “Service
and Warranty Information Booklet for US
models and Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models,” the second
paragraph should be disregarded and the
following text read in lieu thereof:
The manufacturer of your vehicle recom-
mends that you have maintenance and
repair performed by your BMW dealer's ser-
vice center or another service center or
repair shop that employs trained personnel
that can perform maintenance and repair
work on your vehicle in accordance with
BMW specifications. The manufacturer of
your vehicle recommends that you maintain
records of all maintenance and repair work
performed on your vehicle.
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ContentsThe fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 210.6Notes
At a glance
14Cockpit18iDrive26Voice activation system29Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle31BMW eDRIVE34Safety of the high-voltage system
Controls
38Opening and closing53Adjusting60Transporting children safely64Driving75Displays90Lights93Safety107Driving stability control systems110Driving comfort128Climate control135Interior equipment143Storage compartments
Driving tips
148Things to remember when driving152Loading154Increase rangeMobility160Charging vehicle169Refueling172Fuel173Wheels and tires182Under the hood184Engine oil186Coolant188Maintenance190Replacing components196Breakdown assistance200Care
Reference
206Technical data208Appendix210Everything from A to Z
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equipment that is offered in the model series.
Therefore, in this Owner's Manual, we also de‐
scribe and illustrate features that are not avail‐
able in your vehicle, e.g., because of the se‐
lected optional features or the country-specific
version.
This also applies to safety-related functions
and systems.
The respectively applicable country provisions
must be observed when using the respective
features and systems.
On right-hand drive vehicles, some controls
are arranged differently from what is shown in
the illustrations.
Status of the Owner's
Manual
Basic information
The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a
policy of constant development that is con‐
ceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to
embody the highest quality and safety stan‐
dards. In rare cases, therefore, the features de‐
scribed in this Owner's Manual may differ from
those in your vehicle.
Updates made after the editorial deadline
Any updates made after the editorial deadline
can be found in the appendix of the printed
Owner's Handbook for Vehicle.
For your own safety
Warranty Your vehicle is technically configured for the
operating conditions and registration require‐
ments applying in the country of first delivery -
homologation. If your vehicle is to be operated
in a different country it might be necessary to
adapt your vehicle to potentially differing oper‐ating conditions and permit requirements. If
your vehicle does not comply with the homolo‐
gation requirements in a certain country you
cannot lodge warranty claims for your vehicle
there. Further information can be obtained
from your Service Centre.
Working on the vehicle, maintenance
and repairs
Advanced technology, especially the use of
high-performance high-voltage electronics
and modern materials such as carbon, requires
special knowledge when making modifications
to and working on the vehicle, as well as cus‐
tomized maintenance and repair work.
BMW recommends to have modifications and
work on the vehicle, especially maintenance
and repairs to the high-voltage system and
carbon body as well as the retrofitting of ac‐
cessories only be carried out by an authorized
BMW i service center or one that operates ac‐
cording to BMW i specifications with personnel
trained accordingly.
Body work and working on the high-volt‐
age system
Do not perform any modifications or work on
the vehicle, especially maintenance and repair
work on the high-voltage system and the car‐
bon body and avoid retrofitting accessories.
If work is not carried out properly, there is the
risk of fire and fatal injury from electrocution
due to the high-voltage system's high voltage.
BMW recommends to have modifications and
work on the vehicle only be carried out by an
authorized BMW i service center or one that
operates according to BMW i specifications
with personnel trained accordingly.◀
Parts and accessories
BMW recommends using parts and accesso‐
ries approved by BMW for this purpose.
Your BMW center is the right contact for genu‐
ine BMW parts and accessories, other prod‐Seite 7Notes7
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ucts approved by BMW and related qualified
advice.
BMW has tested these products for safety and
suitability in relation to BMW vehicles.
BMW can assume responsibility for them.
However, we cannot assume any responsibility
whatsoever for parts and accessories that have
not been specifically approved by BMW.
BMW cannot evaluate whether each individual
product from another manufacturer can be
used with BMW vehicles without presenting a
safety hazard. This guarantee does not apply
when country-specific government approval
has been granted. Testing of this kind may fail
to embrace the entire range of potential oper‐
ating conditions to which components might
be exposed on BMW vehicles. Such products
could conceivably fail to comply with BMW's
own stringent quality standards.
California Proposition 65 Warning California laws require us to state the following
warning:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automo‐
bile components and parts, including compo‐
nents found in the interior furnishings in a vehi‐
cle, contain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth
defects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain
products of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro‐
ductive harm. Battery posts, terminals and re‐
lated accessories contain lead and lead com‐
pounds. Wash your hands after handling. Used
engine oil contains chemicals that have caused
cancer in laboratory animals. Always protect
your skin by washing thoroughly with soap and
water.
Service and warranty
We recommend that you read this publication
thoroughly. Your vehicle is covered by the fol‐
lowing warranties:▷New Vehicle Limited Warranty.▷Rust Perforation Limited Warranty.▷Federal Emissions System Defect War‐
ranty.▷Federal Emissions Performance Warranty.▷California Emission Control System Lim‐
ited Warranty.
Detailed information about these warranties is
listed in the Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models or in the Warranty and
Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models.
Your vehicle has been specifically adapted and
designed to meet the particular operating con‐
ditions and homologation requirements in your
country and continental region in order to de‐
liver the full driving pleasure while the vehicle
is operated under those conditions. If you wish
to operate your vehicle in another country or
region, you may be required to adapt your ve‐
hicle to meet different prevailing operating
conditions and homologation requirements.
You should also be aware of any applicable
warranty limitations or exclusions for such
country or region. In such case, please contact
Customer Relations for further information.
Maintenance
Maintain the vehicle regularly to sustain the
road safety, operational reliability and the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Specifications for required maintenance meas‐
ures:
▷BMW Maintenance system▷Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models▷Warranty and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
If the vehicle is not maintained according to
these specifications, this could result in seri‐
ous damage to the vehicle. Such damage is
not covered by the BMW New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Seite 8Notes8
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Safety of the high-voltage systemSafety of the high-voltage
system
Working on the vehicle Maintenance and repairs
Have maintenance and repair work per‐
formed only by a service center or a workshop
that works according to BMW specifications
with appropriately trained personnel. Other‐
wise, there is the risk of fatal injury from elec‐
trocution due to the high-voltage system's
high voltage.◀
Body work and working on the high-volt‐
age system
Do not perform any modifications or work on
the vehicle, especially maintenance and repair
work on the high-voltage system and the car‐
bon body and avoid retrofitting accessories.
If work is not carried out properly, there is the
risk of fire and fatal injury from electrocution
due to the high-voltage system's high voltage.
BMW recommends to have modifications and
work on the vehicle only be carried out by an
authorized BMW i service center or one that
operates according to BMW i specifications
with personnel trained accordingly.◀
Your vehicle's high-voltage system is a self-
contained system. Safety is ensured as long as
no work is performed on technical components
or on the chassis.
High-voltage system: contact with
water
The high-voltage system is typically safe even
in the following example situations:▷Water in the footwell, for instance after a
rainstorm when sunroof was kept open.▷Vehicle is in water but only up to the al‐
lowed height.▷Liquid escapes in the trunk.
In these cases there is no risk of injury from
electrocution. Other damage to the vehicle is
possible.
High-voltage system: automatic
deactivation
If an accident occurs, the high-voltage system
is switched off automatically to prevent risk of
danger to occupants and other traffic.
Read the information on What to do after an
accident, refer to page 199.
Seite 34At a glanceSafety of the high-voltage system34
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Opening and closingVehicle 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.
Remote control/key General information
The vehicle is supplied with two remote con‐
trols with integrated key.
Every remote control holds a replaceable bat‐
tery.
You may set the key functions depending on
the optional features and country-specific ver‐
sion. For Settings, refer to page 48.
The vehicle stores personal settings for every
remote control. Personal Profile, refer to
page 39.
The remote controls hold information on re‐
quired maintenance. Service data in the re‐
mote control, refer to page 188At a glance1Unlocking2Locking3Unlocking hood4▷With alarm system: panic mode▷Without panic mode:
Adjustable function: headlight courtesy
delay feature, stationary air condition‐
ing or unlock tailgate.
Integrated key
Press button, arrow 1, and remove the key, ar‐
row 2.
The integrated key fits the driver's door lock.
Seite 38ControlsOpening and closing38
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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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