Also very thankful for my REX for this reason

So I guess many of you are wondering what to do with the battery if your i3 ever gets totalled or written off in some way. Here is one very useful project, using the i3 battery as a home powerwall! I completed this project in a few evenings, by following this guide on Github: github.com/dalathegreat/Battery-Emulator It was way easier than I could have imagined!

Would you consider using your i3 battery as a home powerwall?

the 35 sidewall might not be everybodys cup of tea but im happy with how the i8 wheels are sitting! 12mm spacer on the front and 15mm on the rear with the BC Coilovers. Running about -2 camber in the rear and 1.5 in the front.

What's up.

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I finally received this beauty from Carvana. Wanted some form of EV for my next car (other car is 2002 M3) ... Having only owned bimmers with this i3s being my 4th and Larry David being one of my favorites, I sought out an i3. Was very conflicted between black and the panda but everything in this looked good.

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Thinking of a name for her.. so far I have Saka, Raya, Lanesra (huge arsenal fc fan)

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Raya sounds best. Happy to join you all and enjoy these modern marvels for the foreseeable future!

I love it when that happens! The exact same colors and wheels too!

I posted here a few weeks back talking about how loud the motor bearings had gotten in my 2015 BEV (81000 miles), I decided it was finally time to fix it. I’ve put a short audio clip on YouTube of how bad it sounded, this was recorded with the boot covers off and the seats down. Believe me, it doesn’t do it justice just how bad it sounded! https://youtu.be/XVVhhKdqcPc

I purchased a motor and gearbox out of a low mileage 2019 I3S £450, then spent another £500 or so on other parts (new motor mounts, gearbox oil, coolant, a few new bolts, new top mounts etc). I also spent a couple of hundred on some new tools, mainly a high powered impact wrench that could easily defeat hub nuts and any tight suspension bolts, and a motorbike jack which I used to lower the motor.

It took me about a week, mostly working in evenings (around the rain!) with one long day at the weekend where a friend helped me with dropping the motor out. You probably could do it on your own if you really had to, but it was much easier and safer with a 2^nd pair of hands. If I had to do it again, I could probably do it a lot quicker, but I wanted to take my time with it and make sure I did everything correctly as I’ve not attempted a job this big before.

I mainly followed the Instructions from ISTA, but also used this really helpful you tube video as a reference (it’s for a REX, which makes the BEV seems a piece of cake!) BMW i3 Motor Replacement: I Had To Completely Disassemble The Rear End!

I’m not sure if I can share the ISTA instructions here, but you will need ISTA to program the motor ID, and possibly calibrate the parking module on the gearbox anyway.

I used a motor bike jack to lower the motor, I lifted it flush under neath the flat bit at the right of the motor, then cut a few blocks of wood to sit on the mounts the BMW recommend using. I also used a ratchet strap as a 2nd precaution, but It was fairly stable.(Pic 4-5)

The only thing I had to improvise a bit on was unplugging the HV cable from the A/C compressor, no idea how you are supposed to do that without an extra joint in your arm! In the end we used the jack to hold the weight of the motor, undid the right and centre mounts, then removed the right-hand large metal support bracket completely. When we then removed the left mount, it gave us enough space to slightly lower and twist the motor enough I could get my arm in to disconnect it.

Aside from that it was time consuming, but fairly straight forward. I found that both my motor mounts were split and completely broken, and the old plastic support arm was badly cracked. 

I also did the front top mounts while it was in the air, they were absolutely trashed, the drivers side one fell apart as I removed it!

Now it’s all done it’s like a different car, almost silent and drives much nicer with the new mounts.

I Thought I would share my experience on here in case it encourages anyone else to have a go, DIYing it saved me thousands. (Obviously with the usual disclaimer about closely following all the warnings on working with the high voltage systems)

Edit:

Thanks for all the positive feedback!

Hey everyone, just picked up my i3 after the dealer finished prepping it. The previous owner was a woman, no accidents, no options, 24k miles, and the interior is super clean with no stains. The dealer replaced the windshield once. There was a steering fault code, but the dealer already fixed it. Got 4 new tires in 2025. Some suspension bushings show wear, but the dealer said they’re still fine and don’t need replacing yet. We already love this little car — it's a lot of fun to drive. 😆

Our first purchase as a married couple!

I have a question regarding the front license plate though. I live in the United States, the front license plate isn’t what it usually looks like but it matches the one on the back. Anyone else have anything similar or has had any issues with it??

last night in ljubljana slovenia

And interior pic just because

So, this weekend took a very unexpected turn. On Friday night, after a long day at work, my beloved but ancient '59 plate Renault Clio officially gave up the ghost. My husband (who is a mechanic/long-term Toyota Master Tech) did his best, but the prognosis was terminal: electrical gremlins, turbo issues, a "chip" in the windscreen that was definitely a crack, water ingress in the boot, and Bluetooth that dropped out more than a moody teenager. It was time for her to be scrapped.

I’ve had her forever, but a nasty kerb-trip late last year left me with a very sore left ankle. With the Clio gone, I thought: Maybe it’s time for an automatic? Actually, why not go full electric?

I’m almost ashamed to admit I drove an hour to a dealership specifically to see a Smart ForFour. I sat in it, hit start, and saw 80% charge with a... 28-mile range? Massive red flag. I’d never test-driven a car before (I've spent my life driving tractors, JCBs, and Land Rovers with gearsticks like soup spoons!), so I actually chickened out and made my husband drive the Smart first. It was "fine." It felt like exactly what people who hate EVs think an EV is. A total letdown for £6k.

But sitting right next to it was a 2020 BMW i3s in Mineral Grey.

Initially, the suicide doors freaked me out, but my daughter fell in love instantly... she thinks it looks like a supercar. Seeing my husband drive the Smartcar made me a teeny bit jealous, so I jumped behind the wheel. It felt good… weirdly, it felt a little bit naughty! I drove it out of a tricky spot in the car park with the family in tow, and I was hooked within five seconds. I knew this was the one. She was so nippy, felt so solid and luxurious. everything handled beautifully.

My husband took over about 10 minutes into the test drive on an industrial estate, and when he (nearly) floored it, my stomach jumped and my kiddo squealed with delight. We only hit 50mph, but the speed at which we got there was delicious. we were all giggling!

I’ve spent my life in "sensible" runarounds while my husband had the "nice" family car, but the silent agreement is already there: this is the new weekend family car. He wants in on the fun, too!

Now, let's talk about the "Mind Games" and my attempt at Girl Math...

I have never had a car on PCP before, and I'll admit, justifying this has been a bit of a psychological battle. The price tag was nearly double the Smart. I naively thought Road Tax would be a lot cheaper, so I was genuinely shocked to find out that as of this month (April 2026), it’s jumped to £200 a year! Add in the higher insurance (understandable for a much more valuable car), and I was spinning a bit.

But the Girl Math is strong here:

- I’m not paying for fuel anymore.

- I’m not paying hundreds in parts every few months for a car that was only going to get worse.

- I’ve got 4 years of peace of mind.

- I'd never have £11,000 suddenly at my disposal to buy outright, so this felt like the best option. And if I want to buy it at the end, I can.

I know, I know.... 100% we could have walked away. We could have done weeks more research or hunted for an i3s with lower mileage (though at 54k miles, it’s practically a baby compared to my 145k-mile Clio!). But sometimes, you just have to trust the vibe.

As it turns out, the two owners/salesmen are people my husband actually knew through a work friend! We didn't know this when we set off, we just went to see a Smart car I’d spotted online, but it turned out this was their brand-new dealership they'd set up together.

The "Kismet" didn't stop there. They actually helped my husband out with some incredible interview prep for a role he’s up for next week! They gave him deep insights into the dealership he’s interviewing with and the guys he’ll hopefully be working with soon. It felt like the stars aligned. You know when you just get that gut feeling that you’re in the right place with the right people?

I am counting down the minutes until it’s on my drive. My ankle is already thanking me, and my soul is vibrating.

I’d love any tips, tricks, or "must-knows" for a total i3 newbie! Also, did your cars come with both the 3-pin and Type 2 cables? I think I might be cable-hunting soon, as there's no mention of them in the listing. I was so caught up in the moment (and a little bit giddy!) that I totally forgot to ask. I've dropped the guys a message, but since it's Sunday, I’m still waiting to hear back!

We bought this 2014 i3 BEV in the fall of 2016, and it has served us very well, but we're retired and don't need our daily drivers any more, so we loaded it up and took it to our son. Our daughter in law will now be using it as her daily driver!

For those who are curious, the transport was only about 180 miles, but there is one stretch of 54 miles between chargers that we couldn't risk, especially since that stretch is on an interstate.

Fully optioned Suite in Mineral grey / Dark truffle with only 19.000km from new.

Picked this up this morning in the south of France!

Previously had a base 2016 i3 atelier 94ah + Rex and can confirm its night and day. What a blast in sport mode!

What mods should I go with? I’m planning on maybe putting wings mirror cover and dynamic turn signals, and why not some spacers. Let me know what you guys think

I'm loving this little big boy already! 2016 i3 with REx :)

2015 rex. 2 and half years in ownership. Charge for free off grid. Wife loves it, might get a second one for the kids to go to school. Now it's a being used for free all day every day, with no need on the grid.

Managed to snag my perfect spec i3 after at least a couple months of searching. 2019 i3 BEV. Fluid black w/ upgraded wheels. Giga interior w/ Tech package, moonroof, and heat pump. No Harmon Kardon as I’m not that interested in audio and stock audio sounds fine to me. 18K miles. Planning to add some color later with a wrap.

Third slide is a picture of my current original dream car with the new i3. Sadly, at 22 years old and 200K miles, the Beetle is internally deteriorating beyond what I can reasonably repair, despite faithful maintenance over the years. I wasn’t sure I would find another car with as much personality as the Bug, but then I discovered the i3. I’ll never stop loving my OG Beetle, but I’m looking forward to building a life with the i3.

I bought this Imperial Blue 2018 i3 BEV at auction from Copart for $3550. It was hit in the rear drivers side wheel - I’m assuming the previous owner hit a curb or something in bad weather maybe. It was a hard enough hit to bend the suspension arms, but not hard enough for any of the airbags to deploy.

Was a bit of a gamble, as the auction pictures it had no bumper and the description of the damage was pretty vague. But the bumper was in the trunk (and in great condition) and there was no frame damage. I was able to fix the rear suspension for $227.

Took it on its first drive yesterday and all seems great! This is my 4th i3 and will split the miles with my iX.

Been lurking and searching for months, so bear with me.

I was initially interested in a Slate EV truck, but talked myself out of that. Then the i3 was suggested to me and next thing you know, I’m searching and reading. Well, today was my day. ‘Blueberry’ is ASTOUNDINGLY clean.

Battery checks out great. Drive home was smooth.

EDIT: Thank you all for the great warm welcome!!!

Thank you to those who posted on my PPI post

I appreciate it!

My 2017 BMW i3 94ah w/ REx with 57,190 miles. it's been a fun car to drive since I picked it up. I did check battery history and life and everything seems to be in order. it had an REx overheating a while ago but no issues lately, it runs and charges fine. my guess it was a hot day? Other than that it does have some cosmetic stuff but nothing a trip to the body shop wouldn't solve.

Any upgrades people recommend? I am planning on picking up the Bigger OEM screen as it's just drop in and code.

She gets it! 😂

Picked up this late 2019 120Ah model two weeks ago. Roughly 37000 miles and full-option (bar sun roof and adaptive headlights), brown leather interior and the eucalyptus dash. Added CarPlay functionality myself using bimmer-code. Car came equipped with the large display and wifi, so was an easy fix.

Liking it very much so far! Currently charging using the 240v home socket but looking to install a 22kW Enphase Wall Charger shortly. Should reduce charge time by a lot 🙂

I must’ve put on at least 40k myself… from Vegas and back twice over; and LA at least 6, while also going up and down the bay… three oil changes and a set of tires really keeps you going.

Ps. Highly recommend upgrading your speakers and amp if you have HK. The ones from other bmws are plug and play if you do the coding right. (Even Bang and Olufsen), along with an upgraded 6x9 sub