Home Charger 7.4kw on 2021 i3

[Fradie]

I have just had a 7.4kW home charger installed.
It is suitable for 32A at 230 volts, but my i3 is only consuming 15A.
Has anyone had similar problems?

Hi there, I had the BMW charger installed 35Amp, 240v max and it often hit that, but I ended up making the car throttle down to 15Amps because it was charging too fast. You may possibly have the car set to slower charging. Check the attached image to find where to adjust. Set it to maximum and that might sort your issue.

 

[Andyi3suffolk]

It's either that dreaded trip to BMW or I just continue charging with the granny charger as I have been for the past 3 years.
I only have one year left on the lease.

 

[mojo]

As far as I'm aware there is a set of fault codes that will generate text warnings on the central screen, and then another set of fault codes that won't. I'm not aware of any way to read the latter without a code reader.

Your situation does sound familiar - similar to other threads in which one half of the internal AC/DC conversion fails, and results in a maximum AC charging capability of 3.7kW.

But... to re-iterate: if the car detects your connection as a Mode2 one, it will not allow charging at a higher rate than 3.7kW. That logic is built into the car.

 

[cpallenjr]

1. Before powering on, inspect the power cord for damage.
2. Connect the AC plug to an outlet that meets national standards andmatches the plug.
3. Adjust Charging Settings: To enter the setting mode, press and holdbutton. Then, click button to cycle through the parameters. Finally, pressand hold button to confirm your selections. - Time button: Set charging duration between 1-12 hours. - Current button: Choose the charging current(8A/10A/13A/16A/20A/24A/32A) based on the socket's capacity. Note: Use32A only if the power cord's wire diameter is ≥6mm².
4. Insert the charging connector into the car's charging port until it clicks,indicating a secure connection.
5. Begin charging: The charger will start automatically, indicated by a flowinggreen light.O

 

[Andyi3suffolk]

1. Before powering on, inspect the power cord for damage.
2. Connect the AC plug to an outlet that meets national standards andmatches the plug.
3. Adjust Charging Settings: To enter the setting mode, press and holdbutton. Then, click button to cycle through the parameters. Finally, pressand hold button to confirm your selections. - Time button: Set charging duration between 1-12 hours. - Current button: Choose the charging current(8A/10A/13A/16A/20A/24A/32A) based on the socket's capacity. Note: Use32A only if the power cord's wire diameter is ≥6mm².
4. Insert the charging connector into the car's charging port until it clicks,indicating a secure connection.
5. Begin charging: The charger will start automatically, indicated by a flowinggreen light.O

I have followed all the above and still the car only draws 15amps

 

[Andyi3suffolk]

As far as I'm aware there is a set of fault codes that will generate text warnings on the central screen, and then another set of fault codes that won't. I'm not aware of any way to read the latter without a code reader.

Your situation does sound familiar - similar to other threads in which one half of the internal AC/DC conversion fails, and results in a maximum AC charging capability of 3.7kW.

But... to re-iterate: if the car detects your connection as a Mode2 one, it will not allow charging at a higher rate than 3.7kW. That logic is built into the car.

Maybe the charger design does not switch in the right resistor pull down value for the 32A mode. The charger display shows a control voltage of 8.2v

 

[Andyi3suffolk]

Resistance between PP and PE on charger plug is 220 ohms, as expected for 32A cable. Measure when unplugged from mains supply.

I've done an OBD fault log download, no faults relating to charger logged.

 

[alohart]

i3 7.4 kW single-phase charging is implemented using two 3.7 kW on-board chargers. If one of these chargers fails, the maximum charging power is 3.7 kW (16A @ 230V). If you've eliminated all other potential reasons why 3.7 kW is the maximum AC charging power that your i3 will accept, one of your on-board chargers might have failed. This would certainly have stored diagnostic trouble codes (DTC's) that an OBD code reader would report.