I3 not following delayed off-peak charging

[Neil]

When I purchased my i3 Rex in 2014 and expected to use low cost charging, I was in for a real surprise. Long story short, it was not reliable. I went back and forth with the dealer about this, sending in reports of the failures over periods of weeks but finally gave up as no help was forthcoming. I ended up installing a water heater timer on my EVSE (a basic Clipper Creek model) and set the car to immediate charging which solved the problem. A smarter EVSE would have eliminated the need for the timer but I had expected low cost charging to work. Silly me!

[Beardsley]

Sounds like a really good idea. I just ordered a "Programmable Timer Switch Time Relay Digital LCD" from amazon for $12 to wire to the on/off switch of my Bosch Power Max Level2 charger. I will post my results.

I love my i3 but I am lossing my confidance in BMWs electrification.

[alohart]

I just ordered a "Programmable Timer Switch Time Relay Digital LCD" from amazon for $12 to wire to the on/off switch of my Bosch Power Max Level2 charger.

How many amps is your Bosch Power Max Level 2 EVSE providing and what it the amperage rating for your Programmable Timer Switch Time Relay Digital LCD? It looks like most timer switches in the $12 price range are limited to only 16 A whereas the i3 can charge at up to 30 A.

[Beardsley]

I am switching the on/off switch not the main power. The relay is rated at 30A which seems high, but the on/off switch is very low power just to enable the charger.

Thanks

[alohart]

I am switching the on/off switch not the main power. The relay is rated at 30A which seems high, but the on/off switch is very low power just to enable the charger.

An on-off switch on the low-power side of the relay is a nice feature that few EVSE's seem to have. However, to access the low-power side, are you splicing into the internal EVSE wiring? Otherwise, all EVSE power usually comes through a single power cable that carries high power.