I have just collected my 2014 i3 and I'm using the supplied 3-pin charging cable until my home charger is installed.

The cable reaches the outhouse where it's plugged in, but the box in the middle (with the LEDs) is outside. Is this waterproof?

Simon

Not in my opinion.....stand it on a brick and place a bucket over it with a few bricks on top. Or place it on top of the rear tyre if you have enough cable.

 

.stand it on a brick and place a bucket over it with a few bricks on top.

That's exactly what I did !

It doesn't appear to warm up. Encase it in loose polythene??

 

I've had mine screwed vertically to a fence for the last 2 years with no problems! I don't use the removable cap, as it traps moisture inside. I just ensure the connector is hanging downwards when the cable is wound round the charger.

 

Should be at least IP44 rated (it'll say on the rear label if you want to check its rating). There is no commentary in the manual about not using the charger outdoors.

IP44 in relation to water - "Water splashed from any direction shall have no harmful effect." The test for that water suppression level is

Test duration: 5 minutes
Water volume: 10 litres per minute
Pressure: 80–100 kN/m²

which is more than rainfall.

That standard does not include water under pressure or immersion so you're not going to want to leave it plugged in and charging whilst you hit the car cleaning with a pressure washer or similar and you don't want to put it in the fish pond to hide it.

And the IP44 rating does not apply to the 3pin plug end of the appliance obviously, that needs to be either indoors or encased in a similarly IP rated socket enclosure if it is outdoors.

 

The problem is with these chargers that the cable actually comes out slightly where it enters the charger (under strain I guess) and the internal wiring has sometimes shown. in this case it definitely won't be waterproof and a new charger is expensive.....very expensive.

Although there are people on here (well one person who has never had a problem) and another who believes it must be IP44 rated and therefore it's all good.....it's your charger and if I were you...I'd try and prevent it getting wet, or sitting in a puddle, IP44 rated or not.

After all, it's you who will have to pay for another one!

 

I have wall charger so don't use the brick much, but I've read that a common trick is to put the brick on top of one of the front wheels, under the arch, so it is off the ground and out of direct weather.

 

Yes, unfortunately it won't reach - I have 3 weeks of this before the proper charger is fitted.

But if the public chargers used to be covered 3 pin sockets, the block (mid-cable) must have been out in the open most of the time, or was everyone carrying around a bucket and a couple of bricks?

 

If it's IP44 rated and fails I'd be taking it back to BMW for a replacement as it's clearly not fit for purpose. And if it's not to standard and electrocutes somebody, it's gonna cost them more than a replacement charger. If of course people are mistreating them and hanging them or throwing them around by their cables, then that's a different user problem altogether.