What maintenance do I need after 2 years and 23,000 km?

[17R3W]

Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada (near Windsor/Detroit)
I3: 2017 Rex, with 23,000 km. Originally from California (this impacts warranty) but purchased in Ontario, Canada.
Purchased: June of this year


I've had an i3 since June, and ever since the test drive it's been asking for service. I finally took it in to BMW Windsor and they said I need the "essiantals 2" package and btw it will cost $900 (CAD).

This includes an oil change, break flush, cabin filter change, 66 point inspection, tire rotation and alignment.

The guy at BMW insists that the oil needs to be done every year or the engine will explode, but I'm pretty sure that I've read that you only need it every year to two and a half years.

Apparently none of this is covered under warranty and because the car was originally from the US and I can't buy more coverage here. I'm waiting for a call from Rochester Hills to see if they can sell me an extended maintenance plan, but I doubt it will be worth it after the exchange rate.


Multi part question
1) do I need all this?
2) what did you do after two years
3) where did you take it (to BMW or somewhere else)
4) how does doing this impact the warranty? Does it matter where I do it?

 

[vreihen]

I strongly believe that the brake fluid needs to be flushed every two years, because it collects moisture. I paid the local BMW dealer to do mine a few months ago at the scheduled two year mark.

There's videos on YouTube for changing the cabin filter and REx oil/filter. If you're concerned about warranty implications, document everything and save the receipts.

Since the car is new-to-you, paying the dealer to do the full service (with inspections) might not be a bad idea, just to see if they find anything wrong and try to sell the repair job. I paid the dealership a bit over $300 USD to do the brake fluid flush and inspections on my new-to-me BEV a few weeks after I bought it, for the peace of mind knowing that there were no problems that I missed in my pre-purchase inspections. Plus, I didn't have a prior business relationship with the local BMW dealer, so I figured throwing them a cash "gravy" job might help if I ever need them to go to bat for a good-will repair after the warranty is over.

If there's a decent independent BMW shop in your area, it might save you some money if they are comfortable working on an i3.....

 

[Anonymous]

As vreihen posted, might not be a bad idea to get a 'full service' done. That said, not sure about a BMW Dealer who tells you they are going to rotate the tires on an i3 Rex. The wheels/tires on the rear are a different size from the fronts, and can'd be swapped around. If they do swap them, you will know immediately, as driving off the lot, it will sound like you have a coffee grinder attached to each front wheel. The price also seems a little steep even in Canadian funny-money (lol, sorry, am a transplanted Canuck, my sister taught at UofW for years). You might ask one of the BMW Dealers across the river in the Detroit area for a quote for similar and see what they come back with. You are already talking to the one in Rochester Hills. I was able to 'refresh' my dealer maintenance agreement, as 2nd owner, for about 20% off retail. After the warranty expires, there is a good independent BMW shop near me I will use. Half the price of the Dealer. Also, things like the alignment can be done at any indy shop, there is nothing unique about the BMW i3 suspension, it is standard, off-the-shelf BMW/MINI stuff.

Brake flush every two years, oil change every year. And no, the engine won't 'explode'. (Another black-mark against using that dealership). But the Rex is a tight-tolerance scooter engine, and BMW recommends the oil change every year - with very specific oil, so I stick to that. Why take chances on an engine that costs $13 grand to replace. Plus, if still under warranty, you skip the yearly recommended oil change, and the Rex has issues, they can deny a warranty claim for repair, because the car was 'not maintained'.

You might also give BMW NA a phone call and make sure your name is listed as the owner in their records, so you get any recall notices. You can also ask them to tell you if any warranty repairs were done to the car.

 

[i3Houston]

I agree with above posts. I am good with paying for Brake fluid[$200] and Rex oil change[$100] . While they service Rex, they also do the inspection so that saves a trip.

I have changed the cabin filters myself, takes about 20 minutes. They are non-OEM version from amazon but felt had a better quality than what was installed. I cycled them again after 12 months but they looked barely used so I will change them every other year now.