engine BMW I8 2014 I12 User Guide
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DrivingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
Start/Stop button, drive
readiness
The concept The following ready states can
be attained by pressing the
Start/Stop button:▷Radio ready state on/off.▷Operating readiness on/off.▷Activating/deactivating drive readiness.
To activate drive readiness, press the brake
pedal.
Switching radio-ready state on/off
The radio-ready state is activated by pressing
the Start/Stop button in the following situa‐
tions:
▷When the engine is running.▷When drive readiness is activated.
Some electronic systems/power consumers
remain ready for operation.
The radio-ready state is switched off automati‐
cally:
▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the cen‐
tral locking system.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that drive readiness is
maintained.
The radio-ready state remains active if, e.g.,
the operating readiness is automatically
switched off for the following reasons:
▷Opening or closing the driver's door.▷Unfastening of the driver's safety belt.▷When automatically switching from low
beams to parking lights.
Operating readiness on
The switched on operating readiness corre‐
sponds to the switched on ignition for conven‐
tional vehicles.
Press the Start/Stop button, and do not press
on the brake pedal at the same time.
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Most of the indicator and warning lights in the
instrument cluster light up for a varied length
of time.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
reel off operating readiness and any unneces‐
sary electronic systems/power consumers.
Operating readiness is switched off automati‐
cally in the following situations:
▷When locking the vehicle, even if the low
beams are activated.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that drive readiness is
maintained.
Note
If the engine is switched off and operating
readiness is switched on, the system automati‐
cally switches to the radio-ready state when
the door is opened if the lights are turned off
or, if correspondingly equipped, the daytime
running lights are activated.
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Operating readiness offPress the Start/Stop button again, and do not
press on the brake pedal at the same time.
All indicator lights in the instrument cluster go
out.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
reel off operating readiness and any unneces‐
sary electronic systems/power consumers.
Operating readiness is switched off automati‐
cally in the following situations while the vehi‐
cle is stationary and the engine is off:▷When locking the vehicle, and when the
low beams are activated.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that drive readiness is
maintained. This function is only available
when the low beams are turned off.▷When opening or closing the driver door, if
the driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the low beams are turned off.▷While the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
with driver's door open and low beams off.
The low beams reel to parking lights after ap‐
prox. 15 minutes of no use.
Selector lever position P is automatically en‐
gaged when operating readiness is switched
off. In order for the vehicle to be able to roll,
e.g. into a car wash, heed the information re‐
garding washing in automatic car washes, refer
to page 180.
Drive readiness
When drive readiness is activated, the vehicle
is operational. Activated drive readiness is the
equivalent of a running engine in conventional
vehicles. Deactivated engine readiness is
equivalent to switching the ignition off.
Selector lever position P is automatically en‐
gaged when drive readiness is switched off. In
order for the vehicle to be able to roll, e.g. into
a car wash, heed the information regarding
washing in automatic car washes, refer to
page 180.
Drive readiness in detail
The concept The following are the different drive readiness
variants:▷Electric drive readiness, Silent Start, refer
to page 60.
The vehicle is powered by the electric mo‐
tor.▷Starting the combustion engine, refer to
page 60.
The vehicle is powered by the combustion
engine.
Hints
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
drive readiness active; otherwise, it may pose a
risk.◀
Awareness of vehicle reduced when
driven in electric mode
When driving in electric mode, note that due to
the lack of engine noise pedestrians and other traffic might pay less attention to the vehicle
due to missing engine noises. Please take spe‐
cial care when parking or leaving a parking
space.◀
Display on the Start/Stop buttonGeneral information Drive readiness is also displayed
through light indicators on the
Start/Stop button.
Lighting pulses orange
▷After unlocking and opening the door.▷After switching off drive readiness.
When the brake pedal is depressed, the light‐
ing becomes more intense.
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Lighting lights up steady blue
After drive readiness is switched on, light turns
blue. The vehicle is ready to drive. The READY
indicator lights up in the instrument cluster. In
addition, a signal sounds.
Lighting off
Drive readiness, operating readiness and
radio-ready state are turned off. The vehicle is
in the idle state. The charging cable may be
connected.
Activating drive readiness1.Close the driver's door.2.Depress the brake pedal.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Drive readiness is active, electric driving, Silent
Start or Start of the combustion engine.
Electric drive readiness, Silent Start
The vehicle is ready for driving without starting
the combustion engine.
Silent Start is possible if the requirements for
Electric driving, refer to page 61, are met.
Display READY indicates drive readi‐
ness.
Starting the combustion engine Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
engine running or drive readiness switched on;
otherwise, it may pose a risk.
Before leaving the vehicle, engage lever in po‐
sition P P, and set the parking brake; other‐
wise, the vehicle is not secured against rolling
away.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.◀
The combustion engine is started with Acti‐
vate drive, refer to page 60, readiness under
the following conditions:▷The temperature of the hybrid system is
too high.▷The charge level or temperature of the
high-voltage battery is too low.
Driving away
1.Activate drive readiness.2.Apply the brake and engage lever in posi‐
tion P D, SPORT or R.3.Release the parking brake.4.Drive away.
Deactivating drive readiness
After parking the vehicle, you may hear noises due to operation of the hybrid system, such as
for cooling of the high-voltage battery.
After stopping the vehicle:
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Set the parking brake.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The READY indicator goes out and a signal
sounds. In case of longer idle times, follow the
instructions in the Care chapter, refer to
page 183.
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Before driving into a car wash
So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 180.
Electric driving: ePOWER
Note Awareness of vehicle reduced when
driven in electric mode
When driving in electric mode, note that, due
to the lack of engine noise, pedestrians and
other traffic might pay less attention to the ve‐
hicle due to missing engine noises. Please
take special care when parking or leaving a
parking space.◀
General information
In ePOWER, the vehicle is driven exclusively
electrically. ePOWER works automatically.
Depending on the charging state of the high-
voltage battery, maximum speed and range
achieved can vary.
For electrical driving, certain Conditions, refer
to page 61, must be satisfied.
Requirements▷State of charge and temperature of the
high-voltage battery is sufficient.▷Selector lever position D or R engaged.▷The accelerator pedal is only slightly de‐
pressed.▷The possible maximum speed for electric
driving is not exceeded.▷The driver's door is closed.
Auto eDRIVE
General information
With each starting operation, Auto eDRIVE is
activated using the Start/Stop button.
In Auto eDRIVE, the vehicle is driven in hybrid
mode corresponding to the various driving sit‐
uations, i.e. the drive alternates between the
combustion engine and electric motor.
SAVE Battery, maintaining charging
state
Should it be necessary, e.g., to conserve the
electrical range for a later point in time on the
trip, the current charging state of the high-volt‐
age battery can be maintained with this func‐
tion.
The function is possible under the following
conditions:▷The fuel fill level is sufficient.▷Engaged selector lever position D▷Drive mode Auto eDrive
Switching on/off
1."Settings"2."Auto eDRIVE"3."Hold state of charge"
MAX eDRIVE
General information Max eDRIVE forces electric driv‐
ing.
With Max eDRIVE, a speed of
approx. 75 mph, approx.
120 km/h is possible.
In special situations, the speed limit can con‐
sciously be exceeded by applying the acceler‐
ator pedal beyond the full throttle point, kick‐
down. The combustion engine is automatically
activated and switched into AUTO eDRIVE
mode.
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At a glance
Activating Max eDRIVEPress button.
▷LED lights up: max eDRIVE is activated.▷LED goes out: max eDRIVE is deactivated.
Artificial engine noise
During electric driving up to approx.
20 mph/30 km/h, the engine can produce an
artificial engine noise.
Speakers transmit the noise to the surround‐
ing environment.
As a result, other traffic participants, e.g., pe‐
destrians, can better perceive the vehicle.
Switching on/off
1."Settings"2."Pedestr. Protection"3."Activate"
Driving with the combustion
engine: POWER
Depending on the operating state, the com‐
bustion engine is automatically switched on:
▷Selector lever position Sport is set.▷Speed for electric driving is exceeded.▷The high-voltage battery has an insuffi‐
cient charge.▷High-voltage battery is completely
charged, e.g., when driving downhill.▷For improved traction, e.g., on slippery
roads.▷During intense accelerations or on inclines.▷System-related requirement for hybrid
components.▷Adapting to the course of the road when
destination guidance is activated.
When reducing speed, the combustion engine
is switched off when the conditions for electric
driving, refer to page 61, are met.
Assistance for the
combustion engine
Depending on the operating state, the electric
motor provides assistance with additional pro‐
pulsive power.
ASSIST
During normal vehicle operation, the electric
motor assists the combustion engine, depend‐
ing on the situation.
eBOOST Accelerating quickly, such as when passing,
requires the maximum available power from
the electric motor. To do this, apply extra force
to the accelerator pedal.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The high-voltage battery is recharged in part
through energy recovery. The electric motor
acts as a generator when decelerating and
converts the kinetic energy into electrical en‐
ergy.
Energy can be recovered if the following condi‐
tions are met:
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Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program By activating the Sport program, the vehicle is
tuned for sporty driving.
Press the selector lever to the left out of selec‐
tor lever position D.
The SPORT indication is dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
The sport program of the vehicle
is activated.
Activate manual mode
1.Press the selector lever to the left out of
selector lever position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the selector
lever position is changed.
The engaged selector lever position is dis‐
played in the instrument cluster, for instance
M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, or if
the engine is getting too hot, manual mode is
automatically upshifted as needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.The selector lever position will only be shifted
at appropriate engine and road speeds and
when necessary due to the temperature of the
drivetrain, for example downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the currently se‐
lected gear.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Automatic termination
Pressing the Driving Dynamics Control, refer to
page 107, or the eDRIVE button, refer to
page 62, terminates the Sport program of the
vehicle.
The selector lever automatically tips back into
the original position.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
The shift paddles can be used only when Driv‐
ing with the combustion engine, refer to
page 62.
If Auto eDrive, refer to page 61, is activated,
the combustion engine starts first.
▷Shift up: briefly pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: briefly pull left shift paddle.Seite 69DrivingControls69
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Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
In the manual mode, if there has been no ac‐
celeration or shifting of the shift paddles within
a certain amount of time, the transmission
switches back to automatic mode.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is dis‐played, e.g.: P.
Electronic unlocking of the
transmission lock
General information Electronically unlock the transmission lock to
maneuver vehicle from the danger area.
Engaging selector lever position N1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press and hold the Start/Stop button.3.Press and hold the selector lever into posi‐
tion N, until position N is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
A corresponding Check Control message
is displayed.4.Release Start/Stop button and selector
lever.5.Release brake.6.Maneuver the vehicle from the danger area
and secure it against moving on its own.Launch Control
The concept Launch Control enables optimum accelerationon surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Do not use Launch Control during the break-in,
refer to page 134, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
Requirements Launch Control is available when the combus‐tion engine is warmed up, that is, after uninter‐
rupted driving with the combustion engine of
at least 6 miles/10 km.
To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch control
With the combustion engine running:1. Press button.
TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engage selector lever position S.3.With the left foot, forcefully press down on
the brake.4.Press and hold down the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full
throttle position.
A flag symbol is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster.5.The starting engine speed adjusts. Within
3 seconds, release the brake.Seite 70ControlsDriving70
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Displays of the hybrid
system
Displays in the instrument cluster
The concept The following functions of the hybrid system
are displayed:▷Maintaining charging state, refer to
page 61.▷Electric driving: ePOWER, refer to page 61,
and MAX eDRIVE, refer to page 61.▷Acceleration boost: eBOOST.▷Energy recovery: CHARGE.▷Auto Start/Stop function and active drive
readiness: READY.
The display depends on the system's operat‐
ing condition.
High-voltage battery charge indicator
High voltage
Even if no bars are displayed in the bat‐
tery symbol, the high-voltage system is still
under high voltage.◀
The fill level bars indicate the available charg‐
ing state of the high-voltage battery when op‐
erating readiness and drive readiness are
switched on.
In addition, the range for electric driving is dis‐
played.
Maintaining charging state
In the Maintaining charging state mode, the
arrow indicates the charging state of the high-
voltage battery that should be conserved for a
later point in the trip.
▷Gray arrow: maintaining charging state
mode deactivated.▷Orange arrow: maintaining charging state
mode activated.
Activating/deactivating the Maintaining charg‐
ing state mode, refer to page 61.
Electric driving: ePOWER
The inner narrow blue stripe, arrow 1, marks
the range for electric driving.
If a white mark is located in the range after the
stripe, arrow 2, the combustion engine is
switched on.
In COMFORT and ECO PRO driving mode, the
specified power of the electric motor and the
internal combustion engine is indicated by a
white mark, arrow 3.
In ECO PRO mode, the range for efficient driv‐
ing style is colored blue, arrow 4.
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Acceleration boost: eBOOST
Five bars indicate the available output of the
electric motor for the eBOOST acceleration
boost. Depending on the available output of
the high-voltage battery, there could be more
or less eBOOST available. If the high-voltage
battery is completely discharged, all five bars
are grayed-out.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The energy recovered is indicated in the COM‐
FORT and ECO PRO modes by four bars in the
CHARGE range. The high-voltage battery is
being charged. Depending on the available
output of the high-voltage battery, more or
less eBOOST could be recovered. If the high-
voltage battery is completely charged, no en‐
ergy can be recovered. The four bars are
grayed-out.
Auto Start/Stop function: READY
READY indicates drive readi‐
ness.
Indications on the Control Display Displaying the hybrid system
utilization1."Vehicle info"2."eDRIVE"3. "Consumption history"
Hybrid system utilization
Gray bars indicate the fuel consumption of the
combustion engine, arrow 1. Blue bars indicate
the percentage utilization of the functions of
the hybrid system, arrow 2.
One bar indicates one minute.
The combustion engine's average fuel con‐
sumption is indicated by a line above the bar
display and as a value to the right of the graph.
Displaying the energy flow
1."Vehicle info"2."eDRIVE"3. "Energy flow"Seite 75DisplaysControls75
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Steering systemSteering system in some cases defec‐tive.
Have the steering system checked by
the service center.
Engine functions Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐ice center.
For additional information, refer to On-
board Diagnostics socket, refer to page 171.
Acoustic pedestrian protection inactive Acoustic pedestrian protection possi‐
bly defective.
Have the system checked by the serv‐
ice center.
Green lights Turn signal Turn signal on.
Unusually rapid flashing of the indicator
lamp indicates that a turn signal bulb
has failed.
For additional information, refer to Turn signal, refer to page 64.
Parking lights, headlight control Parking lights or headlights are acti‐
vated.
For additional information, refer to
Parking lights/low beams, headlight control, re‐
fer to page 89.
High-beam Assistant High-beam Assistant is switched on.High beams are activated and off automatically
as a function of the traffic situation.
For additional information, refer to High-beam
Assistant, refer to page 91.
Cruise control The system is switched on. It maintains
the speed that was set using the con‐
trol elements on the steering wheel.
Blue lights
High beams High beams are activated.
For additional information, refer to High
beams, refer to page 65.
General lamps
Check Control At least one Check Control message is
displayed or is stored (symbol in dis‐
play).
Text messages Text messages in combination with a symbol
in the instrument cluster explain a Check Con‐
trol message and the meaning of the indicator
and warning lights.
Supplementary text messages
Additional information, such as on the cause of an error or the required action, can be called upvia Check Control.
With urgent messages the added text will be
automatically displayed on the Control Display.
Symbols
Depending on the Check Control message, the
following functions can be selected.▷ "Owner's Manual"Seite 78ControlsDisplays78
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