Defeating the charging lock on the BMW i3 Electric Car

[@mustafaramahi4428]

And this is how I ruined my charger port lock. There is an emergency reales for this thing right under the suicide door. DO NOT USE THIS WAY.

[@diaryofageek]

Yes thank you, now I know to install a piece of plastic at the top there so you can’t stick your key in my $60k cars charging port. Really though BMW uses that lock and a little internal switch as a safety feature for level 3 charging so you cant pull the plug under load and cause an arc flash accident. Let's not damage this pin and hurt someone. Plus pushing the pin puts a lot of load on the internal plastic gears, which can strip them out pretty easily, the gears are made to be driven by the motor not the pin.

[@BrandonReitzRealtor]

It will not allow you to charge via a DC charging station if the port lock is not functional......ask me how I know!

[@TrainKungFu]

This video saved me! Went to get in my i3 this morning and the plug wouldn’t release! Easy to release once I saw this vid.

[@GaryKetchum808]

Wow. It actually worked. I was stuck at the same charger for 30 minutes on two separate occasions because of this shit. Thanks for the tip.

[@angelitocheer01]

IT WOOOOORKS ! !!! Yeyyyyy! Your awesome

[@gulfcoastbeemer]

Just stick a metal key into the electrical receptacle-hey, what could possibly go wrong?

[@alsavage1]

I have one of these early BMW i3 charge inlet assys. on my floor today, and where the white plastic actuator resides is not an electrical receptacle, but thanks for trying.

[@yewang2361]

Hey buddy! Apparently, all the newer i3 models manufactured after March 2015 has the new firmware update to automatically unlock plug from charge port once it's 100% charged. Additionally, there is this trick you can try on i3s with older firmware: holding down the plug release button while locking the car and the charger port locking lug would not engage (courtesy of Mary from i3 group).

[@fred_e]

Mine just keeps trying to lock until it succeeds. It won't charge until it locks.

[@linyixiao123]

So smart to use a metal object and use it to push parts near the charging pins!

[@Sasquads]

make this video again!! I couldn't see what you did! I'm a visual person I need to see it happen to know how to do it so I can take the chargers away from the BMW and plug my volt in.

[@alsavage1]

See kzbin.info/www/bejne/epa9d6FrhslqrMk She has a better camera angle of what is being depressed, in that vid.

[@davidmoffitt981]

Except most plugs now have a part which covers that - specifically to prevent people from doing what you suggest.

[@fred_e]

Das me

[@alsavage1]

Yup, apparently since late 2015, the design was changed.

[@thomaspowell3739]

Great 👍 plug for your video

[@angelitocheer01]

Omg I almost try it ! But the owner arrived ! LOL !!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@voolare]

Doesn’t work on European models, of course.

[@jborrego2406]

Like how u take a key someone car I guess they need make better lock so ppl like u don’t unplug ppl

[@_loci1_avoidkv28]

Anybody from Top Gear?

[@Dylan_Sterling]

Very good, so I can now unplug people’s cars when they’re at the shopping mall, so when they come back after a fun day of shopping, they’ll find that the range just says 2 miles.

[@moezillamoe]

Don't do this!!! You will cause major $$damage. See comments below for the various alternatives.

[@nosoupforyou425]

A whole video with the subject not filmed because you are unable to hold your phone properly. Good lord give it a proper try !

[@fred_e]

That's nice. Thanks for sharing. Now, if only I had enough space around my plug (on the eGolf) to do that.