Test drove 2016 I3 and battery level went down to 2 miles and REX did not start, is this normal?

BMW i3 Forum

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

accidentalyEV

Active member
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
30
I am not familiar with BMW I3 but Googled a bunch of stuff before and during the test drive at a non BMW dealer so they had no idea how the extender should work. Based on my searches I expected the extender to start when the battery fell below 6% if the settings were factory. Can anyone help me out with how this should work before I purchase a broken I3? Thanks!
 
How much fuel/range shown for the REx on the dash REx fuel gauge?
Is the REx start-point indicator on the electric range gauge (small white inverted triangle/caret) visible?
Did your electric gauge-range drop past the caret?
Any warning messages on the infotainment screen about the REx not available/not able to start?
 
MKH said:
How much fuel/range shown for the REx on the dash REx fuel gauge?
Is the REx start-point indicator on the electric range gauge (small white inverted triangle/caret) visible?
Did your electric gauge-range drop past the caret?
Any warning messages on the infotainment screen about the REx not available/not able to start?

Thanks for your reply! I was only in the I3 for 30 minutes and didn't know to look for some of the things you asked. There was a blue "battery" range on the right side of the dash / screen directly in front of me and that was at 47 miles when I started the test drive. There was a white range o the left which I believe to be the REX range and the was at 34 miles when I started. The white REX range went up to 37 during the test drive and the blue battery range went down progressively during the test drive pretty quickly since it was 14 Deg F outside and the heat was consuming lots of power. My goal was to get the REX to kick on because I have no idea what it is like and how load it is. When I got back to the dealership there was 2 miles left on the blue battery range and then a warning showed that said something like charge main battery to prevent damage. My assumption was the REX should have already started and had I been on the road I would have been stranded. I did not see any warnings about the REX.

A side note with all of this, I read most of this post trying to understand how the REX should work before I started the test drive and that is what lead me to believe the REX should start when the main battery dropped below 6%. I went into the settings and couldn't find any settings for the REX. I did check the oil on the REX before starting the test drive and it was a very clean golden honey color which was sort of a good sign and sort of a bad sign as maybe it has not ran in a very long time. Link below.

https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1081096#:~:text=When%20you%20re%2Dstart%20the,battery%20is%20below%2075%25%20SOC
 
MKH said:
How much fuel/range shown for the REx on the dash REx fuel gauge?
Is the REx start-point indicator on the electric range gauge (small white inverted triangle/caret) visible?
Did your electric gauge-range drop past the caret?
Any warning messages on the infotainment screen about the REx not available/not able to start?

"Did your electric gauge-range drop past the caret?" I didn't notice a caret, but I can say there were 5 horizontal blue bars on the right-hand side and three out of the five were full when I started the test drive. All bars were gone when I got back to the dealer and the blue range on the right-hand side was at 2 miles and then the warning came up about charging the battery to prevent damage.
 
Ok, then definitely something not right with the REx engine. Though usually a failure of the REx to start will pop up some sort of message. An OBD code reader should find error codes that might shed light on what's going on.

Try starting it via the emissions test procedure. One of the more common reasons for the REx not starting is a failed fuel pump relay, which is a pretty easy replacement - it's a small cube-shaped relay that plugs into an electrical panel underneath the glove box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbr1xJNnAQ4
 
This is the REx caret you should see on the range gauge, that indicates when the REx should start.
 

Attachments

  • REx.jpg
    265.2 KB · Views: 4,987
MKH said:
Ok, then definitely something not right with the REx engine. Though usually a failure of the REx to start will pop up some sort of message. An OBD code reader should find error codes that might shed light on what's going on.

Try starting it via the emissions test procedure. One of the more common reasons for the REx not starting is a failed fuel pump relay, which is a pretty easy replacement - it's a small cube-shaped relay that plugs into an electrical panel underneath the glove box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbr1xJNnAQ4

Thanks for all your help! I do not own the I3 we are talking about yet and I don't think I will purchase it from Carmax.
 
MKH said:
This is the REx caret you should see on the range gauge, that indicates when the REx should start.

I do not recall seeing a caret and the battery level was completely blank when there was 2 miles left. Thank God I didn't run out of battery on the highway in 14 Degree weather and wind chills down to -1. Lesson learned
 
I don't think I will purchase it from Carmax.

Point out to Carmax that the REx isn't working properly - to fix it before you take another test drive. They most likely will then take it to a BMW dealer and get it sorted out. Quite likely it's that $20 fuel pump relay gone bad.

One thing about Carmax - if you opt for their extended warranty at time of purchase, it will cover everything, with all repairs done at a BMW dealership. It's rated one of the best extended warranties in the biz.

If I was looking for an i3, Carmax would be at the top of the list for just this reason.
 
MKH said:
I don't think I will purchase it from Carmax.

Point out to Carmax that the REx isn't working properly - to fix it before you take another test drive. They most likely will then take it to a BMW dealer and get it sorted out. Quite likely it's that $20 fuel pump relay gone bad.

One thing about Carmax - if you opt for their extended warranty at time of purchase, it will cover everything, with all repairs done at a BMW dealership. It's rated one of the best extended warranties in the biz.

If I was looking for an i3, Carmax would be at the top of the list for just this reason.

I appreciate that information! I was a little taken back in that they told me over the phone the extended warranty would be approximately $900 ~ $1600 all depending on what deductible I picked and when I drove the two-hour round trip to get there, they told me it is actually $2600 ~ $3700. The brochure they gave me seems to be written for a conventional vehicle and I asked it the electric motor / motors are covered and they had no idea. All they were 100 % certain of is the battery isn't covered. I am not suggesting they were being dishonest but lack of specific paperwork on an extended warranty that is a third-party warranty for $3,000 on a 2016 used BMW I3 with 32,000 miles I am paying $21k for is not for me. End of the day they are a passthrough middleman if I buy the vehicle and extended warranty and I will need to fight it out with Experian which they told me would be the third-party warranty. Interestingly enough the brochure did not list Experian as one of the possible company's the extended warranty would be from. https://www.carmax.com/car-buying-process/maxcare-service-plans
 
I was a little taken back in that they told me over the phone the extended warranty would be approximately $900 ~ $1600

Check out the extended warranty from BMW (the only other one worth anything) - with it your looking at around $5 grand for just two years of coverage beyond the factory four year warranty. Considering the cost of repairs to an i3 (or any modern car for that matter) and the Carmax warranty is a bargain at those prices.

Just going by people who have bought i3s at Carmax, and had them repaired under the Carmax warranty. Everyone had good things to say.

When an ECM failure can run$4K to $6K, an electric motor failure $9K, and a REx replacement $13K (all repairs that i3 owners had done with no question at BMW dealers under their Carmax warranty), I tend to think the Carmax warranty is pretty good- despite the lack of knowledge of your particular Carmax location.

There is a good i3 Facebook group - join and do a search there, or ask there for peoples experience with the Carmax warranty.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BMWi3

Oh, and the i3 battery itself is covered by a separate BMW factory warranty for ten years.

Here is one posting on the i3 FB page on the Carmax warranty:

Ry Hatch
There is so much misinformation in the answers here. As a former technical production manager at carmax, I'll clear it up. This is completely unbiased and from one consumer to another. I left carmax on bad terms, but would still highly recommend the extended service plan (maxcare) from them.
1. CNA is the company who covers the vehicle sold by carmax. It can be used at BMW, carmax, or any repair facility that offers a 6 month and 6k mile warranty on their repairs parts and labor.
2. Carmax doesn't only cover/repair ICE vehicles; they repair Ev's, hybrids, and of course, the i3. Their technicians are ASE certified and the vehicle will go to a tech who can repair it. In the event their facility can't repair it, carmax will have the vehicle taken to a facility that can (i.e. BMW).
3. Maxcare is a named exclusion policy. This means that they specifically name the components that ARE EXCLUDED. All other components are included. A few components that aren't included: battery, shocks (struts/coilovers are included), battery, brake pads/rotors, body panels. Etc. These are wear items or components that you don't have.
4. You SHOULD get the vehicle from carmax and you SHOULD get the extended service plan. Many BMW, Mercedes, Audi, jaguar, and land rover techs and employees would purchase their vehicles from carmax just for the extended service plan.
5. A CPO from BMW only means that the vehicle met mileage and age requirements, nothing more. BMW includes a limited warranty and charges $3k-$7k more for the CPO name.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Again, I'm no longer with carmax and didn't leave on good terms, but they're the best when it comes to vehicles and the extended service plan.
 
MKH said:
I don't think I will purchase it from Carmax.

Point out to Carmax that the REx isn't working properly - to fix it before you take another test drive. They most likely will then take it to a BMW dealer and get it sorted out. Quite likely it's that $20 fuel pump relay gone bad.

One thing about Carmax - if you opt for their extended warranty at time of purchase, it will cover everything, with all repairs done at a BMW dealership. It's rated one of the best extended warranties in the biz.

If I was looking for an i3, Carmax would be at the top of the list for just this reason.

Update, I called Carmax and they got the REX working so I plan to get an Uber there Friday to purchase it. I would have purchased tonight but I asked them where the charger was and they couldn't find it so it is ordered, and ETA is Thursday. The Maxcare warranty pricing is below. I am not crying about it just posting it for clarity. The 2016 I3 is $21,998 and has 32,000 miles on it now and they said that 32k miles is deducted from the extended warranty miles so if I purchase the 100,000 mile extended warranty it is actually 68,000 mile warranty for the next 60 months $3,800 for the $50 deductible. 125,000 mile extended warranty it is actually 93,000 mile warranty for the next 60 months $4,989 for the $50 deductible.


100,000 125,000

$50 $3,800 $4,989

$150 $3,279 $4,199

$300 $2,799 $3,539

$500 $2,499 $3,139
 
they said that 32k miles is deducted from the extended warranty miles so if I purchase the 100,000 mile extended warranty it is actually 68,000 mile warranty for the next 60 months

That kind of 'new math' is pretty common. When BMW sells their extended warranty for 'Five years - 75,000 miles' it counts from the car's first day on the road when sold new, and zero miles - so that 5/75 BMW extended warranty is actually for only ONE year beyond the four year factory warranty, and to 75,000 total miles. :?
 
Back
Top