Buying 2017 BMW i3 Out of State_Need Advice

[Swapsafari]

Hello All,

I am in the market looking for a 2017 BMW i3 for my wife either BEV or Rex. I have come across a really good deal for a BEV only but it is out of state. I plan to fly to look at it and then ship it via independent auto transport since the dealership is asking too much to set up their own transport. I have a few questions for you guys who have had this car for a while. Any advice on the process would be helpful.

I have looked up the carfax and pictures and everything is looking fine so far. There is one minor accident but the car has been a lease before and now I will be the second owner. Has about 34K miles.

I plan to fly and drive around and look for cosmetic damage before making a deal. I plan to take it to an independent mechanic as well but this being an EV, would any mechanic be able to tell the engine condition or should I chose a BMW Indy to get an inspection done?

Also, how do I find out if the car is 94AH battery for sure? The reason I ask is that the dealer says it is 94ah and purchase sticker shows it 94ah as well but when I google the VIN one search shows it as 60ah so I am not sure. I certainly don’t want 60Ah.

Also, pardon my ignorance on this last question but this is my first time buying an EV. how does one know if the car has fast DC charging and what are my options if it doesn’t? My internet search tells me that level 2 charging takes 4-5 hrs to charge for which I will have to install 240V plug at home since the regular outlet takes whole night to charge full. So in other words, is it to do with the type of outlet at home or is there anything that the car has (fast charger) that helps the car charge faster on a regular outlet?

Lastly, please advise on any caution or pointers that will help me look at this car and make a decision when I fly there next week.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Pahaska]

I used the charger that came with the car for about 3 months. For the driving I do, less than 20 miles most days, it was adequate. I set the car to charge from midnight on. The HV battery seldom has gone below 75%. I coded and used the REx on the only two long trips I have made.

A week ago, I installed a 16-amp, 220v charger in my garage. It will help cover any unusual days where I may drive longer distances. It looks like I am getting 12 to13 miles per hour charge from the new setup. I can also precondition on cold nights.

 

[EvanstonI3]

I just went through this a few months ago buying a 2017 BEV and ended up getting it from CarMax. They shipped the car from Washington State to Chicago for $1499. Then I was able to see the car. But I had similar concerns to your own as I got conflicting info regarding what version of Traction Battery was in the vehicle.

If your CarFax and Google Searches decode the VIN as 60ah and not 94ah, there are still a couple more you can try. One is free, one costs $7
CarMax uses an Experian site for their "Auto History" and it was the only place on the CarMax site that showed what version of Battery was in the vehicle when I was comparing. It seems to be fairly accurate and you can see the basics displayed by entering your VIN here:
https://www.autocheck.com
It is free to search the VIN and get both ah and kw rating to display.
Again, CarMax uses this service so I trusted it since it showed different results for different 2017 BEVs. Some 2017 BEVs are 60ah and others are 94ah. All the 2017 REX seem to be 94ah though.

Anyways another way to check is to go to https://monroneylabels.com and pay to get a facsimile of the original Monroney Label (Dealer Sticker) that was on the car. It costs about $7.

If you do these things and the car in question still comes up as 60ah and that is not what you want, the Dealer is a liar and you may want to save the trouble of the trip and look elsewhere.

However, if you still want to pursue it and travel, there is another method once you have access to the vehicle.
First thing you need is the Last 5 Digits of the VIN. Add them up. Write down that number. It will be a 2 digit number.
Then access the Hidden Menu via the Trip Rest Button on the left side of the Dash Display.
There is a better explanation in this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELT5b2YWL58

If you go through that process and find the "Battery Kappa" to be under 20 kWh , it is a 60ah battery. In the video it shows 18.8
For a 94ah battery it would show in the UPPER 20's like 28 or 29+
The 94ah battery has 33kw, but only 30kw is available to use. When I checked the 2017 BEV w/20K miles that I was going to buy, it showed 29.5 under the Hidden Menu after unlocking it.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The fastest charging you can do at home (for now) is if you have a level 2 EVSE that can put out something like 30-32A or more. The charging system is in the car when using an EVSE and can handle a maximum of 7400W. Power = volts * amps. My normal input voltage is around 247vac, so my (older) 30A EVSE (most newer ones this size went to 32A, the maximum you can put on a 40A circuit) can max out my vehicle. It's not uncommon for your acv input to vary over a range of +/- 5%, so you may not max yours out if your acv is on the lower end with a 30A unit.

I think CCS (dc fast charging) was standard on the 2017 MY, but it's easy to check visually...the ACV inputs and control lines are all included in a round socket. WHen it has a DCV input capability, there are an additional two-pin socket below the round one (the charging cable plugs into both of them when doing a CCS charge).

VW is playing with a CCS unit designed for home use. The maximum the i3 can handle is 50Kw, but not all of them are that size. As with an EVSE, larger doesn't hurt anything as the charging hardware and the vehicle talk to each other so things never get damaged or overloaded.

 

[Swapsafari]

Thank you so much guys! Didn’t expect replies on Christmas Eve but glad you all took time to reply since I plan to fly early next week. The video on battery kappa is very helpful and I will be sure to do that while I am there. Another thing, I plan to do is to do a pre-purchase check while there from some local shop who work on electric vehicles. That together should give me enough peace of mind to make a decision. We are excited about adding i3 to our family and looking forward to how it will change our life from not going to the gas stations anymore.

I will keep you posted.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

[eNate]

Use mdecoder.com to check everything the car was built with, including the battery. It's free.

I , too, found most 2017s were listed on CarGurus with 60Ah but in reality not a one I looked at had anything other than a 94Ah battery.

And yes, like Jim says, all 2017 models have DC fast charging, but you'll be able to confirm that using mdecoder (which is free, by the way).

 

[Swapsafari]

That’s a great suggestion. I confirmed on mdecoder and it turns out to be 94ah. Even more excited now to fly on Wednesday and take her for a spin. All the i3s I have been following on the sellers website around me have come down in price a bit. Seems like less demand but good for a buyer like me. Not sure if I can negotiate any with the car I am looking at since it is already low but doesn’t hurt to try.

Will keep you posted! Thanks!!

 

[eNate]

Having flown out of the area to buy cars in Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Pasadena, I can tell you with certainty that you lose all power to negotiate if you wait until you're there. Unless you're ballsy enough to play the "I'm not buying today I'll think about it."

I'd definitely try to lock in a price you're happy with before committing to fly. I've found sellers receptive to this and your offer will be treated more seriously if they know you're willing to travel for the right deal.

 

[Swapsafari]

Thank you everyone for your help in the process of purchasing the i3. I flew from Texas to Florida yesterday and after looking at the car, bought it right away! Checked all things that I could based on my research and the car looked absolutely gorgeous for 3 year old. From what I saw available on the web, I feel I got a pretty good deal! Bought a 2017 with 94Ah for a $1 less than $12K! The car has most of the features the wife was looking for like Sunroof, low miles (33K), grey/black color, Harmon Kardon system, great tires (almost new), etc. Only Compromise was not having cloth seats and wide screen.

Firstly, I do plan to upgrade the screen to 10.25” and did see couple of posts about upgrading it. Any advice on that topic would be helpful. How is the upgrade worked for you and is it a DYI or shop task? Particular model of the after market screen to be sure it works?

Secondly, since the seats are cloth and we have a toddler, planning to put some temp seat covers on. Any choices out there that look good on this good looking car and also fit well? Don’t have to be a full cover, can also be just a layer to protect.

Lastly, introducing you to the new member of our family and can’t wait to get it delivered to Texas next week!

 

[EvanstonI3]

For Front Seat Covers, here is a link to a post about a product someone posted about awhile back, seems to work fine and priced right:
https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=17141

not sure about something for Back Seat covers but the seller seems willing to answer questions about what they have that might fit based on your measurements.

 

[Swapsafari]

For Front Seat Covers, here is a link to a post about a product someone posted about awhile back, seems to work fine and priced right:
https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=17141

not sure about something for Back Seat covers but the seller seems willing to answer questions about what they have that might fit based on your measurements.

Love this solution for the front seat. I can get something generic for the back which can be used as needed. Thanks!!