Full gas tank available for 2017 (94 aHr) car ?

I've heard that the full gas tank is available for the 2017 models with the larger battery. In other words, no coding is needed to take advantage of the full tank. Can someone confirm this ?

Of course, coding would still be needed to make the REx come on earlier....

A MY 2017 that has the larger battery (that was, for a short time, an option) enables the full capacity of the fuel tank. The reason it did not previously was to satisfy a CAFE rule BMW wanted to take advantage of, that required that the car could not travel further when the REx was on, than by battery power alone. With the larger battery, it can utilize the full capacity and still meet that rule. The REx output is also slightly higher, which means exhausting it and dropping the SOC really low is less likely to occur...it still can, but it's harder to make it happen.

Thanks Jim
FWIW, I drove it until the SOC reached 6%. The REx came on as it was supposed to, but couldn't "keep up" as has been previously reported by others. The SOC dropped to around 5.5% and then increased slightly to around 6%. By that time I was home and parked the car.
The next morning I got in the car and the SOC was 5.5%,which decreased to 5% after driving a mile or so. Then the "limp" mode activated and limited my speed to 35. Again, as it was supposed to, but it was disconcerting. After driving a few more miles the SOC crept up to 6%, then 7% before I reached my destination.
I really need to code the car so that the REx comes on around 12-15% and the battery won't drop to 5%.

theothertom said:

By that time I was home and parked the car.
The next morning I got in the car and the SOC was 5.5%,which decreased to 5% after driving a mile or so. Then the "limp" mode activated and limited my speed to 35.

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Did you not receive an email message from BMW warning you to charge your i3's battery pack? Leaving a battery pack at such a low charge level isn't great for the longevity of the pack and can lead to reduced power as you discovered. The REx generator is intended to allow an i3 to reach a location where its battery pack can be charged, not to enable an i3 to be driven on REx power day after day.

theothertom said:

I really need to code the car so that the REx comes on around 12-15% and the battery won't drop to 5%.

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Unfortunately, no one has discovered how to code a REx so that the REx engine starts at a higher charge level. The REx engine starting at ~6.5% is apparently the behavior in all markets, so it may be "hard-coded" and not settable by changing a parameter value. But being able to manually start the REx engine when the battery pack's charge level is 75% or less can avoid the reduced power problem for those drivers who start the REx engine before the battery pack's charge level drops too low.

Thanks Art,
No, I didn't receive an email from BMW saying to charge the car if it reached a low level. However, there was a message on the nav screen warning not to leave it at a low charge "for a long period of time".

Regarding starting the REx, I understand your comments to mean you cannot code the car to have the REx come on automatically at a set SOC, but you can code it so that you can manually start the REx at any level below 75% SOC. Is this correct ?

theothertom said:

No, I didn't receive an email from BMW saying to charge the car if it reached a low level.

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The email warning seems to be sporadic.

theothertom said:

Regarding starting the REx, I understand your comments to mean you cannot code the car to have the REx come on automatically at a set SOC, but you can code it so that you can manually start the REx at any level below 75% SOC. Is this correct ?

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That is correct at this time. Of course, someone might discover how to set the automatic REx start charge level in the future.

Keep in mind that when the REx first turns on, it can take it up to 10-12 minutes or so to warm up enough to enable it to then reach full operating capacity...so, it makes sense that the charge dropped a bit at the beginning, at least as I understand it. Longevity of the engine wouldn't be great if it immediately went to full power with cold oil that doesn't flow well even though it is synthetic.

I coded mine from original 6% to 12%.

Also, hold charge. I can always manually switch the REx to keep the battery level charge.

ad78 said:

I coded mine from original 6% to 12%.

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Have you verified that the REx engine actually starts at 12%? Others have reported coding that moved the white triangle indicating the REx start point but that the REx engine still started at 6%.

i will check and drain it
im using the REx this morning when i see 75%. drove in a highway and it really hold the charge and i got even more.