Front license plate holder in CA

[blaxerB]

I just got word from my dealer that my i3 might come with the front license plate holder installed. I know it's a very minor detail but it is a very big deal for me (yes I have problems, sorry). For those of you who took delivery of your i3 in CA, can you tell me if the holder was installed or if they gave you the option to install it or not install it?

TIA!
Blax....

 

[HomelessDude]

I feel your pain. Purchased my mine in Phoenix AZ but it was acquired by them from a California BMW dealer and it did have a front plate bracket installed. Looks like the dealer in CA put it on.

 

[Lola]

You have the option to have the dealer put it on. Mine came to the dealer uninstalled.

 

[DeafSoundGuy]

Yeah I also know how you feel. Why is it the i3 is the first car I ever cared about where I really don't want to put a front plate on it? Here in Portland, after I bought the car they handed me the license plate frame and said "here you go, you can figure out where you want to put it, if you really want to put one on". It seems like a lot of guys there hated running front plates and they all told me that most likely, you won't get popped unless you park it downtown and get the evil meter maids :twisted: . The Portland ones are pure evil for sure. So with that, they then said, "or come back and we'll put it on". So that was nice, at least I had the chance to think about that.

Really bugged me, thinking of drilling holes in that nice new bumper . So figured that I could figure out something magnetic and ordered some big Neodymium magnets. It came up a lot faster than I thought it would happen, that I needed to park downtown. I only got to spend 5 minutes in design mode, but designed a adapter that slides through the very bottom grill front, and then is held down by velcro applied to the top of the bottom vent opening. Ring magnets carefully mounted to the license plate makes it complete. Get out of the car, slap the plate on and go. The plate instantly comes off or the whole adapter can be taken off in a few seconds .

Just saying this to let anyone know that it's possible to have an easily removable plate system with a little work. I used 1" black Poly so it's UV resistant, hardly noticeable, and cannot rust of course. Works great. I'll post some pics here soon for anyone interested :idea: .

 

[704hov1451]

My car came with the holder uninstalled and unexplained. Just got my plates this weekend so will take the car to the dealer and have them install it. No way I am going to screw it up, literally. This is a hassle for me, and reflects I think that the dealer was sort of rushed to get all the details done and left it for another day. Have had other cars with the same predicament. And since I use the toll roads, will want a front plate.

 

[i3an]

I a very thankful to my dealer for NOT installing that ugly slab of slag on the front bumper of my dream car.
Now, in these days where one can (supposedly) run off counterfeit bank notes on an inkjet printer, surely someone can scan and reproduce a reflective license plate on a decal, suitable for mounting directly onto the front bumper. Anyone?

 

[WoodlandHills]

I a very thankful to my dealer for NOT installing that ugly slab of slag on the front bumper of my dream car.
Now, in these days where one can (supposedly) run off counterfeit bank notes on an inkjet printer, surely someone can scan and reproduce a reflective license plate on a decal, suitable for mounting directly onto the front bumper. Anyone?

I suspect that if you did use a decal you would get ticketed more often than if you just kept the plate in the frunk. There are lots of out of state cars with no front plate so a missing plate is not always a signal to pull you over, but a decal is illegal in all 50 states. In my experience with two smarts one went three years before I got a fix-it ticket for no front plate and the other is at 6 years and still no front plate.

 

[mindmachine]

I a very thankful to my dealer for NOT installing that ugly slab of slag on the front bumper of my dream car.
Now, in these days where one can (supposedly) run off counterfeit bank notes on an inkjet printer, surely someone can scan and reproduce a reflective license plate on a decal, suitable for mounting directly onto the front bumper. Anyone?

I suspect that if you did use a decal you would get ticketed more often than if you just kept the plate in the frunk. There are lots of out of state cars with no front plate so a missing plate is not always a signal to pull you over, but a decal is illegal in all 50 states. In my experience with two smarts one went three years before I got a fix-it ticket for no front plate and the other is at 6 years and still no front plate.

Here in Ohio it is not a fix it ticket, but a $ 75 fine.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Somebody makes adapters that screw into the front tow hook port to hold a license plate. I think the i3 has one of those, if I remember correctly. If you have the front ultrasonic sensors, you'd have to be careful of where you put things so that you don't block them and render them inoperative, or constantly alarming for things too close.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Wonder what that does to the CD of the vehicle...adding drag, decreases mileage. Might not be measurable, but it could. Let us know, that's assuming you have some history to compare it to.

 

[i3Pooshd]

Make sure to tell your dealer NOT to install the license plate bracket-- I asked mine and they complied.

 

[stumbledotcom]

For those of you who took delivery of your i3 in CA, can you tell me if the holder was installed or if they gave you the option to install it or not install it?

Front plate holder was in the rear cargo area, under the rubber tie-down strips. No screws or bolts included. Once the plates arrived, I swung by the dealer; they installed both while I waited.

Personally I don't understand all the agita over it. State law requires a front plate. The included holder is factory equipment. I'll go with the judgment of BMW designers over improvised alternatives, thank you very much.

 

[Buskraut]

Just FYI, my front plate holder also came in the rear trunk under the rubber straps, but the mounting screws were in a little plastic baggie in the frunk next to the tire repair kit.