Bored? Here's a good problem that needs an answer

[EvanstonI3]

I've not seen an answer to this yet anywhere so here goes:
Scenario:
Your 12v Battery is dead.
Your car is locked
The FOB won't work (requires 12v power in car)
The physical key in the FOB also won't work. ( I think it still requires power)
You can't get inside the car to change the 12v battery or access the terminals under the rear engine cover.

How would you get 12v power to the system from OUTSIDE the car? Just enough to allow the FOB to work to open the door.
There must be a way to do with without Breaking a Window/Calling a Service.
I just don't know what it is. I think RIVIAN has some terminals hidden in the hitch that can be used for this purpose. The i3 does not have anything that obvious.

Note: I do not have this problem so don't tell me to "try this or try that". This has just come up a few times in the past with others. Also, someone on Reddit currently has this problem.

 

[Whereitis]

I've not seen an answer to this yet anywhere so here goes:
Scenario:
Your 12v Battery is dead.
Your car is locked
The FOB won't work (requires 12v power in car)
The physical key in the FOB also won't work. ( I think it still requires power)
You can't get inside the car to change the 12v battery or access the terminals under the rear engine cover.

How would you get 12v power to the system from OUTSIDE the car? Just enough to allow the FOB to work to open the door.
There must be a way to do with without Breaking a Window/Calling a Service.
I just don't know what it is. I think RIVIAN has some terminals hidden in the hitch that can be used for this purpose. The i3 does not have anything that obvious.

Note: I do not have this problem so don't tell me to "try this or try that". This has just come up a few times in the past with others. Also, someone on Reddit currently has this problem.

I find it hard to believe the physical key won't unlock the door. I always thought that was its primary function (to allow entry into the car if power has failed). The Owner's Manual includes an explanation of how to access the Frunk area manually, for when the electric frunk release fails.

 

[EvanstonI3]

I find it hard to believe the physical key won't unlock the door. I always thought that was its primary function (to allow entry into the car if power has failed). The Owner's Manual includes an explanation of how to access the Frunk area manually, for when the electric frunk release fails.

I have set up the Scenario. You don't get to remove issues to make it easier.

 

[alohart]

The physical key in the FOB also won't work. ( I think it still requires power)

The physical key does not require power. Every year since 2015 except for 2020 and 2024, I have stored our i3's for 3 to 9 months each time while we traveled internationally. I always disconnect the negative 12V battery cable emulating your "no 12V power" scenario. I don't close the frunk completely so that I can open it when I return without having to use its emergency opening cable. The final steps are carefully open the unlocked driver's door because its window won't drop without power, lock the passenger door from inside the car, exit the car and carefully close the driver's door, and then use the physical key to lock the driver's door. Upon return, I have always been able to unlock the driver's door with the physical key.

As much as you don't want me to change your scenario, your scenario is unrealistic. If you lose the physical key, entering a powerless i3 would be difficult without breaking a window. If this is a concern, attach a 12V battery charging harness to the 12V terminals in the motor compartment below the cargo area floor. Secure the end of this charging harness somewhere underneath the car within easy reach from the back of the car. You could then attach a 12V battery or charger to the charging harness which should bring an i3 back to life so that you could enter it with a fob.

 

[EvanstonI3]

As much as you don't want me to change your scenario, your scenario is unrealistic.

Yet it is a current scenario for one owner on Reddit at the moment:

If you lose the physical key, entering a powerless i3 would be difficult without breaking a window. If this is a concern, attach a 12V battery charging harness to the 12V terminals in the motor compartment below the cargo area floor. Secure the end of this charging harness somewhere underneath the car within easy reach from the back of the car. You could then attach a 12V battery or charger to the charging harness which should bring an i3 back to life so that you could enter it with a fob.

That's a good pre-emptive maneuver but if that is not done in advance, what would you do?

 

[robthebold]

If, as the subject line states, you've bored and got plenty of time, might as well watch LockPickingLawyer videos on YouTube until you see one where he picks open a BMW or maybe uses some other covert entry trick. (It's how I learned how to open my wife's office file cabinet with a piece of soda can when she set the "combination*" to something she didn't know. *Since I got an A in statistics, I know this is, mathematically speaking, a permutation.)

I'm guessing the white space I see in your post above is something from Reddit, but I kinda went Medieval vs. social media on my home network and white space it is . . . My guess is "lost key" but my backup guess is "someone super-glued toothpicks in lock".

 

[EvanstonI3]

If, as the subject line states, you've bored and got plenty of time,

It’s not about me. It was a question for others. Hence the question mark.

 

[robthebold]

It’s not about me. It was a question for others. Hence the question mark.

I didn't think I needed to be super-pedantic and type ". . . one is bored but has plenty of time . . ." but I was wrong. Sorry.

 

[mojo]

If you lose the physical key, entering a powerless i3 would be difficult without breaking a window. If this is a concern, attach a 12V battery charging harness to the 12V terminals in the motor compartment below the cargo area floor. Secure the end of this charging harness somewhere underneath the car within easy reach from the back of the car. You could then attach a 12V battery or charger to the charging harness which should bring an i3 back to life so that you could enter it with a fob.

That's actually a pretty good preventive measure - when I get some time, I'll take a look at mine. I've never had the "engine cover" off on mine (which doesn't have an engine) so it will be worthwhile, purely from that point of view.

BTW - I hate to mention it again, but fob is a word, not an abbreviation. It's just a fob, not a FOB.

 

[robthebold]

BTW - I hate to mention it again, but fob is a word, not an abbreviation. It's just a fob, not a FOB.

There is zero chance of making the normies understand this.

 

[alohart]

I've never had the "engine cover" off on mine (which doesn't have an engine) so it will be worthwhile, purely from that point of view.

When reinstalling the motor compartment cover, only hand-tighten the screws. Their nuts are thin neoprene that expands when the screws are tighten. Tightening more than hand tight can easily tear the neoprene ruining the nut.

I've ordered the large Torx bit necessary to remove the cables connected to the 12V terminals in the motor compartment on top of the EME. I'd like to install my 12V system logger there rather than on the 12V battery terminals, the positive of which can be difficult to access and loosen.

 

[Jackie]

I find it hard to believe the physical key won't unlock the door. I always thought that was its primary function (to allow entry into the car if power has failed). The Owner's Manual includes an explanation of how to access the Frunk area manually, for when the electric frunk release fails.

I also read that if you are experiencing this be extremely careful when closing the door as the window will not be rolled down the tiny bit that is necessary! (Of course, once you do get the door open.)

 

[Whereitis]

I also read that if you are experiencing this be extremely careful when closing the door as the window will not be rolled down the tiny bit that is necessary! (Of course, once you do get the door open.)

I get what you're saying, and of course the window won't do its little dance without power. But I'm still at a loss to understand how a coded key, ordered directly from BMW (after they copied my license and registration as proof of ownership) as part of a keyfob, would not open the door or hatch. Why even bother having a key or door lock, in that case?

 

[alohart]

I get what you're saying, and of course the window won't do its little dance without power. But I'm still at a loss to understand how a coded key, ordered directly from BMW (after they copied my license and registration as proof of ownership) as part of a keyfob, would not open the door or hatch. Why even bother having a key or door lock, in that case?

My Owner's Manual describes locking/unlocking the driver's door with the "integrated key" (i.e., physical key), but there's no mention of the integrated key unlocking the hatch. Does your hatch have a physical lock that the integrated key could unlock? I've never seen a hatch lock on our 3 i3's, but the physical lock on the doors is nicely hidden, so maybe the hatch lock is hidden.

If the key ordered directly from BMW doesn't unlock the driver's door, something's wrong. If your glove compartment is lockable, does your key unlock the glove compartment? If so, there must be something wrong with your driver's door lock (could it have been replaced?). If your key doesn't open either, contact BMW to explain the problem.