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      12-16-2016, 01:44 PM   #1
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i3 Cold Power Reduction

First night with the car in cold weather (15degF). Had to leave it outside without charging. This morning the car had very limited power available for acceleration. I’m talking 25% of regular acceleration. The epower indicator only had the first few blocks available. The others were greyed out (see pic). I knew there would be range reduction in the cold, that’s not what I’m asking about. I’m wondering if anyone else has had such a drastic reduction in the electric motor output to where it is unsafe to merge on the highway. Aren’t the drivetrain batteries heated/cooled as needed? Is there anyway to see what the live battery temperature is?
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      12-19-2016, 08:20 AM   #2
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Good idea to condition the car before use in this weather. Makes a big difference.
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      12-19-2016, 03:49 PM   #3
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Good idea to condition the car before use in this weather. Makes a big difference.
Exactly ! If you pre condition the car it will perform as normal, the precondition warms the batteries to normal operating temp. When I first bought the car I didn't pre condition and drove with the reduced power output but never had an issue merging, once the level 2 charger was installed I always preconditioned.

If you just leave it outside and don't precondition the car the batteries are cold and won't perform their best. Just like you'd warm up your ICE before flogging it.

I set my car to have the auto pre condition done for my morning commute, lunch time and when I leave work. Never have a problem.

Now not sure how short your on ramps are for the freeway but even at reduced power I never had a problem merging.
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      01-01-2017, 01:32 PM   #4
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As mentioned above, the car won't preheat the batteries unless you have the selected preconditioning feature AND set a departure time that is at least three hours in advance (If you want the car to be ready at 8:00pm, you need to have set the preconditioning feature by 5:00pm).

You can check the battery temperature from the hidden service menu. I've posted the steps to checking that below:

Turn the car on and leave it in "ready" mode.

To enter the hidden service menu, you need to hold down the trip meter button (left side of the instrument cluster) for about 10 seconds.

From then on, pressing this button scrolls to the next option and holding down the button for a couple seconds selects that option.

The scroll to the 4th option "10 Unlock"

To unlock the menus, you will need your VIN. Add the last FOUR digits together (Some i3's require you to add the last five digits - not sure why it's different sometimes) and that total is your unlock code. Example: If the last 7 digits of your VIN is VX45932, your code may be 19 or 23 (5+9+3+2=19 & 4+5+9+3+2=23).

Then scroll to option "14 Temperature".

Long press on that and you're in the temperature section. Battery temperature is the fourth or fifth option.

I sometimes drive for a while with the battery temp displayed on really cold days to watch it gradually rise.

You'll need to turn the car off to clear out of the service menu.
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      01-02-2017, 11:11 AM   #5
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Thanks for all the useful information. It would be nice if there was a way to have the battery temp displayed permanently without going through that multi-step process in the service menus to see it. Some kind of warning that limited power is available like the 37degF warning would help too. Now that I know what to look for, I will adjust my driving style accordingly if it happens again. Also the coolant temp of the rex while running would be useful like every other car that has a coolant/oil temp gauge. These readings are important to know while driving. I have been keeping the car plugged in over night all the time now and have not had it happen again since even without setting any preconditioning so all is good. Maybe 2017 models keep the batteries conditioned when plugged in at all times. I know we are considered early adopters but there is such limited info on all this from bmw. The i3 technical training docs available online provide a nice overview but don't discuss in detail how things are programmed.
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      01-03-2017, 03:51 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by u5g335 View Post
Thanks for all the useful information. It would be nice if there was a way to have the battery temp displayed permanently without going through that multi-step process in the service menus to see it. Some kind of warning that limited power is available like the 37degF warning would help too. Now that I know what to look for, I will adjust my driving style accordingly if it happens again. Also the coolant temp of the rex while running would be useful like every other car that has a coolant/oil temp gauge. These readings are important to know while driving. I have been keeping the car plugged in over night all the time now and have not had it happen again since even without setting any preconditioning so all is good. Maybe 2017 models keep the batteries conditioned when plugged in at all times. I know we are considered early adopters but there is such limited info on all this from bmw. The i3 technical training docs available online provide a nice overview but don't discuss in detail how things are programmed.
I urged BMW to include a battery temperature display both before and after the i3 launch, but they decided against it. Like you, I would like that information available, even if I had to toggle a bit through iDrive to find it.

No, the 2017 i3s don't have battery temperature available either. We need to keep posting in forums like this and giving BMW feedback on the things we'd like to have available. They read these forums; don't think for a minute that they don't. Make your voice heard!
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      01-03-2017, 05:20 PM   #7
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BMW won't listen - too arrogant.

We still have no gear indication on the i8 HUD for example, or bigger gear indication on the dash (Sport mode). And those are critical.
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      01-07-2017, 07:10 AM   #8
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BMW won't listen - too arrogant.

We still have no gear indication on the i8 HUD for example, or bigger gear indication on the dash (Sport mode). And those are critical.
They do listen, but they can't implement everything. Plus, I'm sure it's a matter of how many people reach out and offer feedback.

When the i3 launched, it didn't have the state of charge displayed in a numeric value, it just had the long bar with four sections. A LOT of the early i3 owners complained about that. BMW added it in a software update about 8 months after the US launch.

Also, the charging connector used to remain locked to the car even when the charging session was complete. This was causing problems with other EV owners at public charging stations that needed to share the EVSE once the i3 was fully charged. This is mostly a California problem because of the high concentration of EV there and the lack of enough public charging stations for them. So BMW added the connector unlock feature. The connector now unlocks once the charging section is complete.

We don't get everything we ask for, but if enough people complain about a feature, they absolutely will consider adding it.
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      01-07-2017, 10:46 PM   #9
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BMW won't listen - too arrogant.

We still have no gear indication on the i8 HUD for example, or bigger gear indication on the dash (Sport mode). And those are critical.
Yea they (BMW USA) even called me and asked me about my i3 purchase and what I liked and disliked about it and if I could change anything what would I change and what would I add, it was about a 30 minute conversation.

Probably don't reach out to everyone but thought it was nice to at least reach out.
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      01-16-2017, 09:12 PM   #10
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I am new 2017 i3 Rex owner on Long Island NY as of January 2017. "2cyl" handle because the other BMW I owned until recently was an R1150R boxer twin motorcycle, so all my BMW experience is with 2-cylinder powered vehicles. Truly impressed by the incredible dearth of information in the i3 user manual. I ran into the cold-battery power loss issue a few days ago when temps dropped to 15 deg F. I am working on getting a 240-V 40-A plug installed where I can use it and have ordered a Juicebox, but right now I'm on 120 V using the 9 amp setting for the standard EVSE supplied, because I'm not very confident about the power handling capability of my existing outlet. Looking to do preconditioning when the weather is really cold (30 deg F doesn't seem to cause the power loss, but 15 deg sure did). Absolutely no information in the manual about maintaining battery temps to avoid this.
Here are some of my questions for now: I've heard that preconditioning can use 4 kW. Is that correct? But I have no idea how long the precondition cycle pulls this kind of power. Since I'm at 9 A and 120 V, that's going to presumably draw down the car's battery charge significantly. Does anyone know what the power draw over time is for a preconditioning session? Will this vary significantly with temperature? What is the battery temperature threshold for drastically reduced performance (acceleration)? Does the car draw power from the plug to keep the battery warm when the charge is at 100%?
I would also love to know what i3 owners have experienced in terms of maintenance needs for these cars over time. Relatively minimal maintenance should be a selling point for an EV, but BMW doesn't seem to want to tell me anything except "the car will tell you when it needs maintenance, and then you must bring it to the dealer." Manual doesn't even tell you what kind of coolant it might need in its 2 coolant systems. And then, by the way, the dealer tries to sell you a maintenance plan, while telling you absolutely nothing about what the maintenance needs are likely to be.
I'm a car guy used to being involved in the maintenance of my vehicles. It's disturbing to have a car from a manufacturer that apparently thinks the less I know about maintenance the better. Guess I'm going to have to get my hands on a service manual.
Sorry for the tirade, no doubt most of you have moved beyond this stage.
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      01-16-2017, 09:21 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2cyl View Post
I am new 2017 i3 Rex owner on Long Island NY as of January 2017. "2cyl" handle because the other BMW I owned until recently was an R1150R boxer twin motorcycle, so all my BMW experience is with 2-cylinder powered vehicles. Truly impressed by the incredible dearth of information in the i3 user manual. I ran into the cold-battery power loss issue a few days ago when temps dropped to 15 deg F. I am working on getting a 240-V 40-A plug installed where I can use it and have ordered a Juicebox, but right now I'm on 120 V using the 9 amp setting for the standard EVSE supplied, because I'm not very confident about the power handling capability of my existing outlet. Looking to do preconditioning when the weather is really cold (30 deg F doesn't seem to cause the power loss, but 15 deg sure did). Absolutely no information in the manual about maintaining battery temps to avoid this.
Here are some of my questions for now: I've heard that preconditioning can use 4 kW. Is that correct? But I have no idea how long the precondition cycle pulls this kind of power. Since I'm at 9 A and 120 V, that's going to presumably draw down the car's battery charge significantly. Does anyone know what the power draw over time is for a preconditioning session? Will this vary significantly with temperature? What is the battery temperature threshold for drastically reduced performance (acceleration)? Does the car draw power from the plug to keep the battery warm when the charge is at 100%?
I would also love to know what i3 owners have experienced in terms of maintenance needs for these cars over time. Relatively minimal maintenance should be a selling point for an EV, but BMW doesn't seem to want to tell me anything except "the car will tell you when it needs maintenance, and then you must bring it to the dealer." Manual doesn't even tell you what kind of coolant it might need in its 2 coolant systems. And then, by the way, the dealer tries to sell you a maintenance plan, while telling you absolutely nothing about what the maintenance needs are likely to be.
I'm a car guy used to being involved in the maintenance of my vehicles. It's disturbing to have a car from a manufacturer that apparently thinks the less I know about maintenance the better. Guess I'm going to have to get my hands on a service manual.
Sorry for the tirade, no doubt most of you have moved beyond this stage.
Yep just tires and the brake fluid which they take care of, going on my third year and just replaced the tires. The fluid is replaced every 2 years.

Your car will tell you what it needs and also makes the appointment for you, at least mine does. If you go to your cars service page on your I drive screen it will tell you when your service checkup should be, and what your car requires brakes or fluid change or whatever else it senses at the time.

Mine seems to kick the blower motor on around 30 minutes before i leave when it crazy cold here in Chicago. When I pulled from the 120 volt when I bought it and didn't have the level 2 charger yet I did have a chunk of battery power taken away as the 120 volt can't keep up. Otherwise since I didn't have any highway to travel on I just used it and drove off without preconditioning sometimes as the power reduction didn't matter as the top speed was only 30mph anyway.
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      01-16-2017, 09:46 PM   #12
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Thanks for the info Colonel. I see you list a Mini Cooper S in your stable. That's mine in the avatar - 1967 Austin
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