How To Replace The 12V Battery in The BMW i3 | GUIDE
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
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In this video, we will show you how to replace the 12V battery in your BMW i3. One of the first signs that your BMW i3 has to be replaced comes through through the instrument cluster which will display a "Battery discharging while stopped" message. Of course, you can always head over to your local BMW dealership to have the battery replaced, but some of us enjoy the DYI process. As always, this is just a guide and in no form or shape a recommendation to replace your own 12V battery.
If you're still interested in doing the work yourself, our own Chuck put together a comprehensive video taking us through the entire process. We used the Remy 12V Battery AUX18L which costs around $140 and the iCar Pro OBD2 Diagnostic Interface. You'd also need the Bimmerlink App from the App store for iPhone/Android.
Links to products:
iCar Pro OBD2 Diagnostic Interface - amzn.to/3AsbCCc
Bimmerlink App - www.bimmerlink.app/
Remy 12V Battery - remybattery.com/start-stop-au...
00:00 Intro
00:58 Remove covers
01:05 Remove Frunk Storage Bin
02:00 Disconnect high voltage safety connector
03:18 Remove metal bracket
03:45 Remove Battery Vent Tube
04:00 Remove Windshield Wiper Fluid Fill Tube
04:52 Disconnect Battery Terminals
07:00 Remove 12V Battery
07:15 Remove Brass Terminals and transfer to new battery
09:41 Move new 12V Battery up into frunk on battery tray
11:30 Reattach Battery Positive and Negative Cables
12:50 Move into final position, install Vent tube
14:00 Move to cabin and use iCar to register new battery
#bmwblog #bmwi3
This video only contains tips and recommendations that could be helpful when carrying out car repairs or replacing parts. BMWBLOG is not liable for any harm, injury or property damage incurred while carrying out repairs or replacements, that are a result of incorrect use or misinterpretation of the provided information. This video is for informational purposes only and does not guarantee achievement of a specific result. The user is personally liable for incorrect use of repair equipment, tools or car parts, in particular, when this use poses the risk of injury. BMWBLOG strongly recommends being careful and adhering to the safety rules when doing any repair or replacement. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
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Very nicely done. I have followed this procedure and used the VeePeak dongle with the Bimmerlink software. Everything went as expected. However, after completion, I have begun to get low battery warnings from my two key fobs. Changing the fob batteries does not seem to help. Curious as to whether anyone else has had same experience.
Thank you for the video. Used a OEM BMW aux battery for the swap (only one I could find in the market) Still getting some warnings on the display, but at least there is power going to the display. Car will not charge now with in wall charger (just yellow flashing). Secondly, it's my understanding you do not have to register an actual BMW battery is that the case?
😊
This is one of the best videos explaining the whole process. Easy DIY.
Glad it was helpful!
Just swapped out the 12 volt on my 2014 i3 rex. Great video! Made the job easy. Before replacing it, my car stalled out and threw a "drivetrain malfunction" warning. That has gone since I replaced the battery and it is running great. Dealership wanted $900 for the job. Had my car towed home and did it for $200 in parts myself. Thanks!
Fantastic! You provided all I needed in a step by step basis to swap out my 12V battery. Thank you very much!
Noticed on a reddit forum, a couple people mentioning they tried an alternative battery and had no issues. Well I installed a Duralast TX24HL battery typically intended for ATV's. I didn't need any extra hardware for it. Straightforward swap of hardware from one battery to the other. In all, about 30 min project. Didn't realize bimmercode wouldn't do the battery registration, so had to purchase bimmerlink after doing the work. Make sure your terminals have some fresh metal for connection when you're doing the swap, as I was lax about doing this and had to wiggle the terminal a little after installation to get a good connection.
So frustrating that Bimmercode doesn't have the ability to register the battery.
This is the definitive battery change video. I'm in the UK and was going to do my own video, but there is no improvement I could make on it! It's perfect.
Thank you. But as always, the dealer might be the best option to perform this
@@bmwblog Well I actually went and did my own one, but only because in UK cars the battery is on the other side! It's not behind the wash wipe reservoir, its behind the radiator hoses on the right hand side. czcams.com/video/m8EyVMWvyV4/video.html
Took mine to the dealer to replace. After replacing they found a hard fault unable to charge warning on cluster and that further diagnosis is needed with charge control module. Assuming the replacement battery wasn’t fully charged before replacement, but I was assured they were a master tech. They want $300 for the fault diagnosis alone. Who knows for the rest of the work. What should I do going forward?
Ty. Very informative and clear. The hardest part was finding and getting a 12v battery.
Great comprehensive video was able to change mine moving slow about 30 minutes flat
Just completed a battery swap. Very straightforward thanks to your video. Thanks!
I heard that the 12v battery is a common fault for the i3 and it's annoying to swap. Definitely more work than most other cars. But this video makes it super easy!
It is common fault apparently
Thanks a lot, the change was pretty easy to do thanks to your DYI!
Thank you! Feeling confident about doing this now.
Thanks a lot for this video. I saved myself a few bucks by replacing the battery myself. Got an original battery from BMW directly, costing about £100. I am in the UK so the battery is on the other side. So, I didn't need to remove the washer bottle nozzle. By the way, on the positive terminal (and the negative), only one screw (that holds the connector on the battery) needs to be loosened and it pops out. The green HV connector gave me a lot of trouble to put back in. The orange seems much simpler.
Thank you soo much! 😊🎉
Wow! Thanks for this upload!
Hi this was a great video and totally supported me in changing my 12v battery successfully! Thank you!
Excellent thorough video. Thanks a ton. About to install mine in a 2015 BEV. Cheers.
Thank you for this video! Will be trying this out soon
BMW's are really expensive! You saved me many hundreds of dollars. Much appreciated. The video is fantastic. The one thing I would add is how to reconnect the green high voltage switch. I had some trouble with that. I have a 2016 Rx i3.
How did you do? I have the same problem with the reconnect... :(
Thanks for making this video. I will be doing this job myself soon.
Glad it was helpful!
good tip on that extra connector coming loose. I had the exact same issue, also on my positive side.
Thanks man! This was really helpful
Very good instructional video. Would be great if added tips how to close green connector back. I took me a while to find out how to do it. The most of my time took me to properly setting lower screw in the bracket that holds battery - somehow this screw wanted to cut the thread - oh boy that was a trouble maker!
Very helpful and detailed video. Thank you much!
Glad it was helpful!
This was very well done. It allowed me to quickly change my 12v battery in my ‘18. Only thing I’d add is how to reconnect the high voltage system on ‘18 and later…you need to pry a green safety clip with a small screwdriver in order to lower the main piece. 😊
Hi Where did you find your battery for your 2018 i3? I have the 2018 i3 rex and cant find a 12volt replacement battery.
@@lashandaherring9223 I've just bought a battery from BMW themselves as it was actually cheaper (£95) than one from Euro Car Parts, who I normally use for spares etc. (In case it makes any difference, mine's a 2017 and non-rex btw.)
Thanks for the little green clip thing. The rest of the video is perfect, but that little extra just saved me !
Great tutorial! I was able to do this all on my own as a non-car savvy guy. My biggest issue was getting the Bimmerlink app to connect to the OBD2 diagnostic interface on my iPhone 14. After selecting the "Vgate iCar Wi-Fi" in the Settings > Adapter options and then force closing the Bimmerlink app it finally connected when I re-opened it. The OBD2 interface on Amazon is black instead of the white one in this video, so perhaps this latest model is a bit finicky with the Bimmerlink app.
Thank you for this mate
This worked perfect! Thank you!! I bought the Remy battery for my 2015 i3 Rex and the install went super smooth. My battery had the offgassing tube and I was able to disconnect it and attach it to the new battery without issue. I already had an obd bluetooth adapter I used with Bimmercode and used it with Bimmerlink to code the new battery. Worked like a charm and the car is happy.
You're welcome!
What does coding a new battery involve? I have ODB and bimmercode. Thanks!
Greetings @bmwblog,
Followed your tips on change out the 12V battery on my 2019 i3. Started with charging the new battery the night before and removing from the charging station when it was time to install in the car. The removal and the install was the hard part due to the limited space also the T25/27 screw on the negative terminal had a bit of rust so will swap that on the next swap, besides from that the process was easy. After install did the registration process did a quick 3 mile drive in it and no issues reported.
A successful DIY experience!
Thanks for the great informative video.
Thanks for the feedback
Thanks! Didn’t manage to disconnect the big battery via the green connector but I did it anyways.
many thanks for your terrific tutorial. just waiting for my Remy AUX18L to arrive and will be doing the swap out. a quick question: is the car turned ON when you start the OBD2 reader and the BimmerLink app or is off. Thanks again!
Great video TY
Professional, thanks for the detailed video, Thank you
You are welcome!
Pro tip on new Li battery disconnector. When you try to reconnect, use the thin flat screw driver and insert it into the small opening on front left side to unlock.
Thanks. That was the slowest part of the job!
This is very useful, thank you! Today I can't go to work because the 12V battery passed away. Tomorrow I receive the new battery so I hope I can do it. I'm not too handy and don't like DIY. I disconneted the high voltage safety connector but I can't connect is back. There is no video from the green+black style reconnecting :(
Good video. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
thank you for this great video! dealership wants to charge $500 for a new battery. yikes!
Thank you!
This video was very helpful. Sadly, I couldn't find a battery to purchase anywhere near here, so I had to have the dealer provide it and install it. $600 gone :(
Thank you.
I bought a replacement vent tube and I have the grommet for the other end, but I'm not sure where to plug it in to in the car. Can you show me where to connect the other end in the car?
Thanks!
Thanks! The tutorial was very good and my car was back to normal as soon as I drove it about 10 feet. All warnings disappeared.
The oddball green connector was difficult, and probably cost me an hour of fiddling. I don't think the tab on the left side needs to be popped out to open it. I think that prevents accidental closing. Rocking it forward seems to be what worked for opening and closing, but I'm honestly not sure. That thing must change a relay or something as the tiny tiny wires could never conduct all the main battery current.
I would only add that it is worth cleaning the brass connectors and the clamps that attach to them. Dirty or loose connectors can make a good battery do bad things. I used a wire brush and alcohol on a work cloth.
Hi, which warnings disappeared? Did you have any restraint system errors prior, I’m thinking I’m may be getting this error as the battery maybe failing? Thanks!
@@avaisch007 The check engine light was on for sure, but I'm not sure about he rest.
After my experience, I'd say replace any battery that shows problems. Maybe even replace any battery on its 3rd birthday even if perfect. My first went 2.5 years after I bought the car but may have been 3.5 as the car had bee sitting on a lot for a long time. 2nd battery wen at 3.5 years.
I bought the REMY replacement battery and 2 day air cost almost $100.
Thenks mate
When taking the windshield washer filler tube off, be careful because there may be an o-ring seal that will fall if you are not careful. There is also only one way that it goes off / is put back on. Check it before you try.
Great video but the traction battery disconnect and reconnect could use some extra info on the newer style connector. It gets glossed over in this video and ended up being the single most difficult part of the job on my 2019 i3s. Thanks for doing this otherwise.
I just did mine and had the same issue. I think it needs rocked backwards for both opening and closing. It's hard to say.
05:20 When taking off the filler tube, make sure not to drop the black o-ring rubber seal. In this video, it seems like it is already (previously) lost. It will can either be found inside the tube, or on the connection stub on top of the bottle.
Can you disconnect the -ve earth terminal, insulate it and use a Ctec multistage trickle charger with the 12volt battery in place, a normal 12v has a long lifetime if trickle charged every 2 months ??
if i want to use a trickle charger for my 2017 I3 should i disconnect the high voltage battery switch. I have the pop up, it sticking. Im in the NE and leaving the car parked outside for 4 wks. Battery pack is charged to 80%. but worried about the 12 volt. also would it better to remove the battery from the car? i planned on using a plugin adapter inside for the charger
Thanks!
Glad it worked
Looks like the recommended battery is sold out everywhere. Is there another battery option?
@bmwblog
Everything went well, except until I tried to get the brass terminals off the old battery! How the heck do I get these off? It looks like some type of star nut
Hi, can you let me know the link for ratchet wrench?
you have to fully charge the battery you just bought? you cant just buy the battery and its good to go in ?
Looking into getting the i3 2015 Rex with 60kmiles/100k km. Is there any warned when the battery is weak? It doesn’t look like you can’t just jump start it like a normal car…
Does it matter if the Vgate is a Green stripe vs a blue or black stripe
I think my 2015 i3 might need this not too long from now. I'll save this video for later
What makes you think that? Is your car not holding charge as long?
@@jimmyvelez4165 no but it's the original battery and batteries usually don't last for a lot longer then 5 years. I also live in a sometimes frozen climate and it's harder on batteries.
@@Dindonmasker you know you can check how much charge your battery is actually holding. BMW says they’ll replace is if it’s only holding 13 kWh.
@@Dindonmasker look up “how to find the battery capacity in bmw i3. I tried it and it works. Mine was pushing 16 kWh
@@jimmyvelez4165 i was talking about the small 12 volt battery.
It would be great if you could even link the wrenches and sockets you used for total beginners
Will grab them and link
I have 2018 i3 but have the black/green style disconnect... how to reconnect that? TIA
Does the new BMW battery come charged or not? Had now the alarm going off all the time, so freaking annoying. Car not responding to the keyfob AT ALL.
Why do they make it so difficult to change what should be a cheap to replace disposable battery?
I don't think it's that difficult really. 6 easy screws to take the container thing out and then 2 10ml nuts on the bracket and 2 on the terminals, all of which are reasonably accessible and doable with a modest socket set. I'm no mechanic but I swapped my batteries in about 30 mins.
Great video! I got a message saying battery discharge while stopped, then a day later followed by a check engine light with a code p1c53. You guys think it needs a 12v battery?
Not a mechanic, but most likely from what I've seen in other cases
No mention of keeping it powered during replacement. I had heard that it is a good idea to jumper another 12v source to the jumper terminals at the rear of the car so that the computer is never shut down. Supposedly this helps avoid error messages and resets.
I thought this step was a must as well. I guess it isn't.
BMW quoted £280 done myself battery £90 +27£ BimmerLink all working 30min work time
You don't happen to remember which replacement battery you bought? Thanks
Some 2017s have new Li battery disconnector
Ah, good point
Correction - 2017 is already the green connector. Just doing this on my 2017 and it has a green connector, not the orange. I managed to unplug it but it was super hard and now impossible to reconnect. This is supposed to be just a plug-in connector but won't go back. I have tried every angle, pushed and pulled everything on the connector, but it won't engage back. What to do ?
Have you figured out how to re-engage the connector yet?
My 2017 has the green connector, and I don't remember how I got it re-engaged, but I remember it being a pain in the a$$.
👍👍👍👍👍
You have to wonder if the real problem was the loose connectors. This would explain the sudden bricking with no warning.
Not sure. Could be.
@@bmwblog Might also explain why you could not charge it in situ
I am thinking of buying a 2019 i3s and though I love the car, it bugs me the 12 volt battery every 5 years and I’ve read, a $16,000 bill to replace main battery down the road.
But I was thinking, can the I3 12v battery be mounted in the frunk and extend the + - wires? The thought is every 5 years easy to change. Does the I3 maintain settings when 12v is disconnected or does it get power from main battery to hold settings? Seems like a pain if things need to be rest
I wouldn't worry about the cost of main battery replacement. Pretty much with all EVs with active battery temperature management (like the i3), the battery should be good for the lifetime of the vehicle. It's only cars with passive temperature control (Original style Nissan Leaf) where it might be a consideration. You have to reset the time when changing the 12V, but I don't think any of the presets get reset if I remember correctly. While I think I can change the battery myself, I had it changed on my 2017 by the used car dealer where I bought it. They know how to operate on EVs. They even registered the battery. I think it was only $350. More than DIY, but far, far less than the BMW dealer.
My car needed to "sleep" after battery replacement. Why is this?
This is useful information, but the real trick is finding someone that has a battery in stock.
Shortage of those batteries also?
I just picked up one at a BMW dealer for $170, plus tax and disposal $207
PSA - ALWAYS remove the positive terminal (RED) first when removing a battery. Leave the black "ground" in place until last. The RED terminal is where the power comes from - hence the reason that BMW put an "exploder" on the RED terminal and not the black.
Wrong. Always remove negative first.
@@merida1605 Electricity flows from (+) to (-) on a battery with the (-) being the common ground for the entire circuit. If you remove the (-) first then you still have electricity coming from the (+) Red terminal to your system/ECM potentially overloading capacitors and diodes with no source for ground. This can damage them with no path to ground as they are designed from the manufacturer. It is your system and your beliefs on how you think electricity works. As for me I will take the (+) Red off first so there is no electron flow from the battery to the system.
I hear what you’re saying but the point of removing the ground first is to prevent an accidental grounding when removing the positive. If you remove the ground first then you’ve eliminated that possibility.
What happens if you put in a new battery, and thats it? I dont need the car to tell me the battery is starting to degrade.
I just asked for a quote on the replacement here in LA. They are asking 1000$ for it. I guess I’m gonna DIY my replacement. By the way, does any of that iCar pro kit work? There are 3 kinds on your link. I was thinking of going for the bluetooth one for the convenience.
BMW are charging a friend £325 - $650to change the battery including fitting & diagnostics. The battery costs £75! $95 Is he being ripped off?
disconnecting the high voltage connector without ensuring the high voltage system is already turned off will create excessive wear on the switch contactors. im surprised that this video does not specify this crucially important step. the switch contactors have a service life and disconnecting the high voltage system when the high voltage system is active creates far more wear than a normal deactivation of the HV system when the vehicle goes to sleep normally.
How to ensure that the high voltage system is already turned off?
How the heck do you reconnect it is my problem !!!
Who ever changed the battery the first time probably left the vent tube connector in the old battery and just left it unconnected in the replacement battery.
It's possible.
I inherited this car. Dead battery, much like the previous owner. Can't open passenger door to open charger port and my knowledge about ANY car is about equivalent to that of a chicken. So now I just wanna get drunk.
but you didn't show how to disconnect the high voltage connector on the orange one lol
Jesus Christ...Tought the batteries were easy to replace, kinda odd how BMW complicate this...
Lol, you know society is about to break down when an amateur like this can make a video and get almost 1k likes on it :-D
Curios why the society would break down. And more importantly, what's wrong with a how-to video?
this comment doesn’t make any sense lol
BMW are really big on making a buck....
If enough people like and subscribe, maybe this guy can get some power tools. This was painful to watch.
That's a good idea. All his money went into that garage and power lift. So he needs money for tools now.
@@bmwblog ha! It was a good video, but a bit looong. For example, you don't need to show us a glove or what a 10mm socket looks like.
Magnetic tool bits help.
Such a hard job just for a battery change. Typical over complicated German garbage engineering.
How much for that battery?
@BMWBLOG - can i recharge that small battery using trckle charger withouth disconecting it from car?
I have not tried it