Few questions after a few weeks of ownership

Hoping I can get help with a few things...

1. Windshield/windows fogging up. This is the first car I've owned that had a bad fogging issue with the windows. I'm guessing it's because it's the smallest car I've owned. I mean with it being 65 degrees out I have to turn on the windshield defogger. I'm not singing, making out, or doing anything else but driving. LOL. Every other car I've owned had a half windshield, half floor or front vent setting. Is there some setting I'm missing where I don't have to use the windshield defogger the entire time I'm driving?

2. The wiper delay. It seems I only have 2 settings, crazy fast or fast. The delay button with the different speeds doesn't seem to do anything. I'm guessing it's broken. It's one tap up for the delay setting correct? If I tap up I just get the fast speed, and one more tap the crazy fast speed.

3. CC distance assistance- Is there a way to adjust the distance before speed is reduced due to the car in front of you? It's seems like the factory setting would be fine for country roads maybe but not on city highways with a lot of traffic. I found the frontal collision warning settings but it doesn't seem to change the CC assistance.

4. Related to #3, is there a way to use the distance assistance in bumper to bumper traffic? Do you have to set the cruise control? Also, do you have to activate the frontal collision brake assistance. My car doesn't seem like it stops automatically. I tried to delay braking as much as possible just to test it out but it seemed like I was just going to rear-end the car in front of me.

1. What mode are you running the HVAC system? If it's in AUTO, it should sense and adjust the fan and the a/c setting to keep the windshield clear. Also, you might try bumping up the fan speed somewhat. It can stay in AUTO, while the fan adjustment is more of an aggressiveness setting and may help.

2. There's a button on the end of the wiper stalk that turns on the rain sensing. I find that on a new car, especially one with lots of neat things built in, the only way to get good results is to spend some time and read through the manual. There's an electronic version IN the car, and you can also download one from BMW's site and search it on your computer.

3. If you have the adaptive cruise control, there's a set of buttons that will adjust the following distance. If you don't have that option, the CC is just the plain old dumb type.

4. The safety features that can stop the car were (are?) part of an options package. If you have them, there's an indicator on the dash that should be illuminated green when working, and you can push that button to change the mode.

So, some of this will depend on what options are in the vehicle...

Thanks! I have it on Auto. It actually starts up at Auto for me every time I start the car. After a few minutes the windows start fogging up so I have to turn on the defogger (defroster). I didn't know Auto mode was supposed to control the vents too. I thought it was just the temperature. It's the first auto mode I've used that doesn't control the fan speed so I guess I didn't think it would control the vents. I'll try turning up the fan speed to see if that helps.

I guess I really need to read the manual. I didn't know the car had rain sensing wipers. The delay switch doesn't seem to do anything. Tried all the delay speeds (3 i think) and it just stays at the fast speed. I'll look for the sensing button.

Yes, I have adaptive CC. The car speeds up and slows down just fine on its own, the distance is just too far. In heavy traffic I get people passing in the left lane and cutting in front of me. Too much distance there. I've played around with the buttons and the menu settings (I think it's just for front collision though) and no luck. I'll read the manual.

Yes, I have that braking assist option and the light lit up (think you helped me on my other post a couple weeks back). I guess it must apply the brake very late. I've never felt the car break automatically. I sometimes "test" it when parking in my driveway and get close to the house. I don't feel it braking at all and I swear it would crash into the house. LOL.

Do you know if the brake assist is possible in rush hour traffic without setting CC? I guess I'll look for that in the manual while I'm at it.

As has been mentioned, much depends upon the options on your car.

My round temp control knob has a display screen in the middle of the button that shows what the temp is set to. I had the car for a while before I discovered that the screen also shows which vents the air should be coming out of. Pressing a button on the dash should allow you to direct air out of the vents at the base of the windshield without having to turn defrost mode. This is, of course, with your system set to manual, not auto mode. I personally never use auto as I want to be in control of how and where the air is flowing, not having the car try to guess how it should be.

If you do have the rain sensing wiper option, as was mentioned, the button on the end of the stalk turns it on/off. With the rain sensing option the knurled knob that is built into the stock simply changes the sensitivity of the rain detection sensor. If you don't have rain sensing then the knurled knob changes the wipe delay.

If you have the radar cruise control there are buttons on the left side of the steering wheel that increase or decrease the following distance. You can deactivate the radar and run it in standard cruise control mode by pressing and holding the button on the wheel that decreases the distance (the lower button). I find the radar based cruise to be fine on 2 lane roads but on freeways I always deactivate it.

And yes, you really should take some time to peruse the manual. I'm not a manual reader myself but did find that with the i3 it was worth the time. First, however, make sure you know what options your car has because if you don't, you'll probably be confused by things in the manual that don't work with your car.

protonic said:

Hoping I can get help with a few things...

Click to expand...

As others have suggested, reading the Owner's Manual would answer many of your questions. However, the Owner's Manual is the worst one I've read. It's amazing that the translation from German to English is so terrible. You'll wonder what the word "reel" means in so many contexts. Its organization isn't great, either. If you download the BMW i Driver's Guide smartphone app, it is tailored to the options actually on your i3 plus it is searchable which really helps find things.

protonic said:

3. CC distance assistance- Is there a way to adjust the distance before speed is reduced due to the car in front of you? It's seems like the factory setting would be fine for country roads maybe but not on city highways with a lot of traffic. I found the frontal collision warning settings but it doesn't seem to change the CC assistance.

4. Related to #3, is there a way to use the distance assistance in bumper to bumper traffic? Do you have to set the cruise control? Also, do you have to activate the frontal collision brake assistance. My car doesn't seem like it stops automatically. I tried to delay braking as much as possible just to test it out but it seemed like I was just going to rear-end the car in front of me.

Click to expand...

Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) is purely camera-based; there is no radar like in many other ACC's. This can cause ACC to be blinded by the sun at low sun angles, by heavy rain or fog, by high contrast situations, etc.

Its default following distance is the greatest distance which is too far for me. In good weather, I always select the minimum following distance using the distance-setting buttons on the left side of the steering wheel. In rainy weather or at night, I usually back of the distance one level. I used BimmerCode to change the default following distance to the minimum so that I don't have to always change the following distance.

Automatic braking is related to ACC only in that both use the same front-facing camera. Adjusting the ACC following distance does not adjust the intelligent safety sensitivity and vice-versa. The Intelligent Safety Button in the lower center of the dashboard between the climate control air vents controls this system and how early it warns the driver. I have set it to its earliest warning setting. It works only when traveling below ~35 mph. It won't prevent most collisions but warns of an impending collision followed by automatic braking to reduce the collision speed. When I have tried to pull up very close to a stopped vehicle ahead to clear an intersection, for example, it has surprised me with its loud warning sound and hard braking, so it works as well as was intended.