Second Hand BMW i3 Fuel Tank

The BMW i3 ran from 2013 through to the end of UK sales, with a significant facelift arriving in 2017 that brought battery and range-extender updates alongside some structural changes. Parts within the pre-facelift (2013–2016) and post-facelift (2017-on) generations are more likely to cross over within their own period, but whether a tank crosses that 2017 boundary should be confirmed with the breaker against your registration, as mounting points and ancillary connections can vary. Always quote your full registration so the breaker can verify against the exact build.

No — the standard BMW i3 BEV has no internal combustion engine and therefore carries no petrol fuel tank at all, whereas the i3 REx variant uses a small two-cylinder range-extender engine and does have a fuel tank. These are fundamentally different vehicle configurations, so a REx fuel tank is only relevant to another REx-equipped car. Always confirm with the breaker that the donor vehicle is also a REx model before purchasing.

No — trim levels such as Lodge, Loft, Suite, and Atelier are purely interior and cosmetic packages and have no bearing on the fuel tank fitted. The critical detail is that the donor car is also an i3 REx (range-extender), shares the same engine code, and is from the same production era as your vehicle. You may find cosmetic differences on other stripped parts from a different trim, but the fuel tank itself is unaffected by trim choice.

The single most useful thing you can supply is your engine code, which you can find on your V5C logbook or via a VIN check, alongside your full registration number. You should also confirm the model year and whether your car is the pre-facelift (2013–2016) or post-facelift (2017-on) version. The breaker will use these details to identify a compatible donor car and can then advise on whether any ancillary fittings or sender units are included.

A 2016 car is pre-facelift and a 2018 car sits in the post-facelift generation that arrived in 2017, so these two vehicles sit on opposite sides of a known production boundary. The tank itself may appear similar, but whether it physically interchanges across that 2017 facelift line — including mounting hardware and fuel sender connections — is something you must confirm with the breaker against both registrations rather than assume. Do not purchase on the basis of year alone.

The fuel tank itself is a mechanical component and does not require ECU coding or immobiliser pairing in the way that some electronic modules do. However, if the donor tank comes with an attached fuel pump, sender unit, or any associated control wiring, whether those ancillaries pair directly to your car without further configuration is something you should confirm with the breaker or your workshop before buying. Never assume a used assembly is fully plug-and-play without checking first.