Option for range extender to start at 15% not working

[Ronmamaci3]

Besides manual hold state of charge to activate the extender there is an option to start it when battery is from 3%-15%. I coded the option via bimmercode app but extender starts at 7%..... Any advice or tricks.

[SSi3]

I saw a thread on the i3 FB channel that the bimmercode developer was aware of this and working on it.

[Ronmamaci3]

Got ya. So it's not working at the moment

[alohart]

Got ya. So it's not working at the moment

… and has never worked, even when using BMW's PC desktop app to code.

It might be that the values of several parameters need to be changed to make this work and that the correct combination has not been found. Or it might be that BMW does not configure the REx engine start at different charge levels in different markets, so BMW did not create a coding parameter to change this behavior.

[jadnashuanh]

The 6% point is an emergency backup. In those markets where it is allowed, the optional upper limit is allowed, and increases the flexibility of the car, but considering it is an emergency fallback for a city car, where the REx was intended as a crutch to help sell the car to people with range anxiety, it doesn't surprise me that that function was not (easily, anyway) enabled in the coding. One man's opinion...if BMW really wanted a general purpose hybrid, they'd have made the engine larger. It didn't fit the profile or intent of the vehicle.

[viking79]

BMW broke the vehicle for the US market just to get extra ZEV credits. With Hold mode unlocked the vehicle immediately became more useful, actually capable of driving in hilly areas, etc. The 15% could be useful as well, but not really necessary with hold mode, but would be nice if hold wasn't used.

It is nice now that it is unlocked and I can flow with traffic at 75mph on the interstate for a 200 mile trip and not be *that* car driving 10 under the limit as I can't go faster without risking draining the buffer. The REx is definitely more than an emergency backup.