2021 BMW i3 Owners Manual - Lights

Lights

Overview

Switches in the vehicle

1- Light switch element

Light functions

Parking lights, low beams and roadside parking lights

General information

Position of switch:,,

If the driver's door is opened when standby state is switched off, the exterior lighting is automatically switched off.

Parking lights

Position of switch:

The vehicle is illuminated on all sides.

Do not use the parking lights for extended periods; otherwise, they might drain the battery and it would then be impossible to switch on drive-ready state.

When parking, switch on the one-sided roadside parking light.

Low beams

Position of switch:

The low beams illuminate when standby state is switched on.

Roadside parking light

Concept

The vehicle can be illuminated on one side.

Switching on

With standby state switched off, press the lever either up or down past the resistance point for approx. 2 seconds.

Switching off

Briefly press the lever to the resistance point in the opposite direction.

Welcome lights and pathway lighting

Welcome lights

General information

Depending on the vehicle equipment and the ambient brightness, individual light functions may be switched on briefly when the vehicle is unlocked.

Activating/deactivating

Position of switch:,

Via iDrive:

1. "My Vehicle"
2. "Vehicle settings"
3. "Lighting"
4. "Exterior lighting"
5. "Welcome lights"

The setting is stored for the driver profile currently used.

Pathway lighting

General information

The low beams stay lit for a short while if the headlight flasher is switched on after the radio-ready state is switched off.

Setting the duration

Via iDrive:

1. "My Vehicle"
2. "Vehicle settings"
3. "Lighting"
4. "Exterior lighting"
5. "Pathway lighting"
6. Set length of time.

The setting is stored for the driver profile currently used.

Automatic headlight control

Concept

The low beams are switched on and off automatically depending on the ambient brightness, for example in tunnels, in twilight or if there is precipitation.

General information

A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can cause the lights to be switched on.

Activating

Position of switch:

The indicator light in the instrument cluster is illuminated when the low beams are switched on.

System limits

The automatic headlight control cannot serve as a substitute for your personal judgment of lighting conditions.

For example, the sensors are unable to detect fog or hazy weather. In these situations, switch the lights on manually.

Daytime running lights

General information

Position of switch:,,

The daytime running lights light up when standby state is switched on. After standby state is switched off, the parking lights light up in position.

Activating/deactivating

In some countries, daytime running lights are mandatory, so it may not be possible to deactivate the daytime running lights.

Via iDrive:

1. "My Vehicle"
2. "Vehicle settings"
3. "Lighting"
4. "Exterior lighting"
5. Select the desired setting.

Settings are stored for the profile currently used.

Cornering light

General information

Position of switch:

In tight curves, for instance on mountainous roads or when turning, an additional, cornering light is switched on that lights up the inside of the curve when the vehicle is moving below a certain speed.

The cornering light is automatically switched on depending on the steering angle or, where applicable, the use of turn signals.

When driving in reverse, the cornering lights may be automatically switched on regardless of the steering angle.

Adaptive headlight range control

The adaptive headlight range control feature balances out acceleration and braking processes as well as the vehicle load conditions in order to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. Illumination of the road is optimized.

High-beam Assistant

Concept

The high-beam Assistant detects other traffic participants early on and automatically switches the high beams on or off depending on the traffic situation.

General information

The high-beam Assistant ensures that the high beams are switched on, whenever the traffic situation allows. In the low speed range, the high beams are not switched on by the system.

The system responds to light from oncoming traffic and traffic driving ahead of you, and to ambient lighting, for instance in towns and cities.

The high beams can be switched on and off manually at any time.

Activating/deactivating

Position of switch, depending on the vehicle equipment:,

Press the button on the turn signal lever.

The indicator light in the instrument cluster is illuminated when the low beams are switched on.

The headlights are automatically switched between low beams and high beams.

The blue indicator light in the instrument cluster lights up when the system switches on the high beams.

The high-beam Assistant is deactivated when manually switching the high beams on and off.

To reactivate the high-beam Assistant, press the button on the turn signal lever.

System limits

The high-beam Assistant cannot serve as a substitute for the driver's personal judgment of when to use the high beams. In situation that require this, therefore switch off manually.

The system is not fully functional in the following situations, and driver intervention may be necessary:

In very unfavorable weather conditions, such as fog or heavy precipitation.

When detecting poorly-lit road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and wagons; when driving close to train or ship traffic; and at animal crossings.

In tight curves, on hilltops or in depressions, in crossing traffic or half-obscured oncoming traffic on highways.

In poorly-lit towns and cities and in the presence of highly reflective signs.

When the windshield in front of the interior mirror is fogged over, dirty or covered with stickers, etc.

Instrument lighting

Overview

1-Light switch element

Functional requirement

The parking lights or low beams must be switched on to set the brightness.

Adjusting

Adjust the brightness with the thumbwheel.

Interior lights

General information

Depending on the equipment, the interior lights, footwell lights, entry lights, and courtesy lights are controlled automatically.

The thumbwheel for the instrument lighting controls brightness of some of these features.

Overview

1-Reading light

2-Interior lights

3-Reading light

Switching the interior lights on/off

Press the button.

To switch off permanently: press the button and hold for approx. 3 seconds.

Switching the reading lights on/off

Press the button.

Reading lights are located in the front next to the interior light.

Ambient light

General information

Depending on the equipment version, lighting can be adjusted for some lights in the car's interior.

Selecting the color scheme

Via iDrive:

1. "My Vehicle"
2. "Vehicle settings"
3. "Lighting"
4. "Interior lighting"
5. "Ambient lighting"
6. Select the desired setting.

To deactivate the ambient light: "Off".

With a color scheme selected and welcome lights activated they illuminate in blue when vehicle is unlocked.

Setting the brightness

Depending on the equipment, the brightness of the ambient light can be adjusted via the thumbwheel for the instrument lighting or on the Control Display.

Via iDrive:

1. "My Vehicle"
2. "Vehicle settings"
3. "Lighting"
4. "Interior lighting"
5. "Brightness"
6. Adjust the brightness.