Jack points

[I33t]

Yep. Most BMW's take the same Jacking point and they are cheap on ebay. No reason not to have at least one.

eg: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-SERIES-95-E39-E90-E91-E92-E93-F30-F31-JACKING-TOOL-JACK-POINT-ADAPTER-PAD-/182031871913

 

[alohart]

Yep. Most BMW's take the same Jacking point and they are cheap on ebay. No reason not to have at least one.

eg: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5-SERIES-95-E39-E90-E91-E92-E93-F30-F31-JACKING-TOOL-JACK-POINT-ADAPTER-PAD-/182031871913

This one looks like it was constructed from hockey pucks. I bought 4 similar to this and discovered that the rectangular extension glued to the top of the hockey puck was not thick enough reach the frame beam inside the i3's jack point. This meant that the i3's weight was supported by the plastic jack point whose rather sharp lower edges cut through the hockey puck the first time I tried to jack up our i3. Maybe the jack points on other BMW's are not as deep as those on the i3.

I worked around this problem by cutting the rectangular extensions off of the 2 damaged jack point adapters and gluing these extensions to the tops of the extensions on the other 2 adapters thus doubling the thickness of the extensions. This allows the extensions to support the i3's weight with the jack points only preventing the adapters from slipping sideways as they were probably designed to do.

 

[i3atl]

Maybe the jack points on other BMW's are not as deep as those on the i3.

You're correct - the voids inside the lifting pads on the i3 are taller/deeper than any other BMW model I've owned.

 

[alohart]

You're correct - the voids inside the lifting pads on the i3 are taller/deeper than any other BMW model I've owned.

Thanks for your confirmation! Never having owned a BMW, I was not aware of this difference. That would explain why the jack point adapters that I bought did not work with our i3.

 

[i3atl]

You're correct - the voids inside the lifting pads on the i3 are taller/deeper than any other BMW model I've owned.

Thanks for your confirmation! Never having owned a BMW, I was not aware of this difference. That would explain why the jack point adapters that I bought did not work with our i3.

The edges of the pad are normally much wider as well. The relatively thin/sharp edges on the i3 pads definitely would've contributed to the issue you had.

I've lifted our i3s several times with thick, flat nylon-reinforced rubber pieces under the pads without any issues, but I wouldn't try it with anything that's softer or prone to cracking.

 

[user 3172]

Just been reading the online manual for my yet to arrive car. It now includes pictures of the car being jacked at the jacking points with the usual emergency scissor type jacks so that removes any doubts and risks regarding that procedure.

 

[jadnashuanh]

TO preclude damage, you DO need to either use a jack pad adapter, OR a BMW jack, otherwise, you could poke a hole in the CFRP. The jack points are a plastic composite, rectangular cup, and the BMW jack (sold as an option) fits in there so it doesn't slip while distributing the weight where it is reinforced, and designed for jacking the car. Do not try this with any, generic jack, or at the least, you might crack the jack point, or at worst, slip and crack the frame.

 

[gt1]

I talked to a BMW mechanic today. I3 doesn't need a special jack. The jack points on a2016 5 series were exactly the same (based on my touch evaluation). There is no need to get the jack inside the jack point. At the dealer they use a lift with a round flat "hockey puck" type base.
A jack like the one on the picture will work.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Yes, you can use that jack (I have one exactly like it) but, you'll tend to crack the jack pad if you're not really careful. It is MUCH safer to use one designed to fit INTO the jack pad unless you're absolutely sure that the car is perfectly level or you've done a perfect job of using and installing a chock. I've had the BMW dealer crack two of mine because they used just that flat, rubberized jack...very annoying. I change my own tire/wheel package from winter/summer, so I've done it numerous times on my own two BMW's, and never cracked one of my own. Some scissor jacks are not shaped properly and are designed more to fit around a slot verses a rectangular pad, designed to sit in the jack pad. But, a BMW one works on most anyone. A puck that fits inside the jack pad is inexpensive, and if used, will prevent any damage. The jack pad is only about maybe 3/16" thick, and is plastic...just how well do you think it will hold up lifting maybe half a ton if there's any offset because things don't align? BMW makes a special jack for a reason.

 

[alohart]

Use a jack pad adapter with jacks like the one pictured above to prevent jack point damage, but make sure that the rectangular extension is high enough to reach the frame rail inside the jack point (some aren't):

 

[gt1]

Oh, I see. The flat pad will work on a lift with 4 of them used simultaneously, but not on a single jack.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Oh, I see. The flat pad will work on a lift with 4 of them used simultaneously, but not on a single jack.

Probably, BUT, if you haven't looked at one, do so...it is just plastic, and is a reinforced cup, designed to center the appropriate jack so it applies the lift to the designed point. I there's any unevenness in the lift, you'll crack the thing. This is what they look like https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/Jack_Pad/ES2803543/ While they're relatively strong, using just a flat jack like you pictured means it is pushing on just the rim...works MUCH better with a flat pad pushing on the bottom of the cup.

 

[gt1]

The mechanic told me that the "cup" design is just for the safety, so the jack wouldn't slip off, and the rim will support the weight of the car just fine.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The mechanic told me that the "cup" design is just for the safety, so the jack wouldn't slip off, and the rim will support the weight of the car just fine.

That's why BMW has broken more than one on my two cars...your car, your choice. Many places make those pucks to fit in there for a reason. The rim is probably about 3/4sqin...the bottom of the jack point 3sqin, or over 4x the surface area to support the car.

 

[alohart]

The mechanic told me that the "cup" design is just for the safety, so the jack wouldn't slip off, and the rim will support the weight of the car just fine.

That's why BMW has broken more than one on my two cars...your car, your choice. Many places make those pucks to fit in there for a reason. The rim is probably about 3/4sqin...the bottom of the jack point 3sqin, or over 4x the surface area to support the car.

The rim of the i3's plastic jack point has such a small surface area as jadnashuanh has pointed out that when lifted on this sharp rim, an i3 can cut the rubber lifting surface of a jack. My first attempt at jacking up our i3 using a rubber jack point adapter resulted in the jack point adapter being cut into 2 pieces because the rectangular raised section of the adapter wasn't thick enough to reach the aluminum frame rail inside the jack point.

If BMW intended the i3 to be lifted on the bottom edges of its jack points, BMW should have made the jack points out of aluminum with flat bottom edges that could withstand the lifting pressure without being damaged.