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Minimal Maintenance - 2014 BMW i3 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2015 in BMW
imageMinimal Maintenance - 2014 BMW i3 Long-Term Road Test

Our 2014 BMW i3 doesn't require much maintenance. So when the wiper fluid light went on, I wasn't even sure where to look for the tank.

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  • kirkhilles1kirkhilles1 Member Posts: 863
    Do you have to bleed the brakes every few years? What about any other fluids? Does it have any coolant for battery cooling or anything like that?
  • nate001nate001 Member Posts: 102
    I can't remember the last time I put washer fluid in my cars. it seems like you are filling one of the cars every week . I do my own maintenance so I am the only one who would have filled it up. I do use the washer feature, but if the windows get too dirty then its time to wash the car or clean the window next time I get gas because the washers are just going to make a mess.
  • schen72schen72 Member Posts: 433
    For my cars parked in the garage, I hardly ever use the washer fluid. The cars stays clean enough that it's not necessary. But for the car parked outside, the morning dew creates just enough moisture on the windshield so that by the time it dries up from the sun, there are spots all over the windshield - so I use the washer fluid to clean it before getting on my way.
  • ebeaudoinebeaudoin Member Posts: 509
    nate001 said:

    I can't remember the last time I put washer fluid in my cars. it seems like you are filling one of the cars every week . I do my own maintenance so I am the only one who would have filled it up. I do use the washer feature, but if the windows get too dirty then its time to wash the car or clean the window next time I get gas because the washers are just going to make a mess.

    Methinks all of the dry weather (read: lacking in precipitation) that L.A. has had this summer, perhaps there is more dust on the cars? Just a guess from a Midwesterner.
  • misterfusionmisterfusion Member Posts: 471
    ^ Correct, it's bad enough that my car gathers dust just sitting in the garage. (The garage opens directly to an alley, so if someone drives by while the door is up, a small cloud of dust comes in...bleh.)
  • markedwardsmarkedwards Member Posts: 32
    kirkhilles1 said:

    Do you have to bleed the brakes every few years? What about any other fluids? Does it have any coolant for battery cooling or anything like that?

    Yes to brakes service. Standard BMW protocol: brake fluid change every two years from the manufacture date. That plus a two-year vehicle check are the only scheduled maintenance. The drive/battery system is liquid cooled but there's no routine maintenance. The black panel shown under the hood above (there's another one on the other side of the storage compartment) is a fabric screen held down by velcro. Use the finger lift molded into the front right corner to reveal the brake fluid and coolant reservoirs, 12-volt battery, and other bits not intended to be serviced by the owner.

    I'd say the lack of routine maintenance is one huge EV advantage that's not mentioned nearly enough by reviewers.
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