BMW and M Power Owners

[GravyMonster]

MK is Stratstone, assume your warning still stands?

Yeah you're right my bad, I meant Stratstone BMW Milton Keynes. Knew it started with an 'S'

But yeah, warning still stands. You have to chase for updates for work being done, they never return calls or respond to emails. Booking the car in for work to be done means a 2-3 month wait, although this seems almost standard now for all dealers. Work being done isn't to a very good standard, for example they replaced one of my headlights as it kept fogging up and when I got the car back they'd obviously not aligned the light or bumper properly and the panel gaps were ridiculous. I took it back in for them to address that and even then it was still visibly off from what it was from the factory. I gave up trying after that. And now I've been waiting 8 weeks for them to get ahold of some new rear shocks as they need replacing on my G42 240i, and have been fed line after line after line. 'They're on order from Germany, should be 2 weeks'. 'Still on order, it'll be another 2 weeks'. 'I've escalated to our customer service manager, she'll call you' - which she never did, when I chased 'CSM only works until 3pm'. Then when I got ahold of her, 'I can see the order here but no delivery yet, *probably* still another 2 weeks'. I understand supply chain problems, but the lack of open communication, or even ownership of the issue from the CSM, and feeling like I'm being tugged along, is getting to me.

That turned in to a bit of a rant didn't it.

 

[ChrisD.]

Ask for Niall if you do speak to them. I found him really helpful

Cheers, I'm already dealing with Oskar and he's been great. I guess I'm a little bit more nit picky than the average customer, and I have a few contacts that can do a lot of digging on a car's history.

 

[LiE]

@GravyMonster thanks for the heads up.

 

[Shadowness]

Does anyone know if I can improve BT experience in a 2019 1 series?

This has been happening for a while, but I've only just got around to asking here.

It seems now that every time I select a song (using Apple Music on iPhone 15 Pro) it seems to refresh the whole list each time. A while ago I could just select the next track and it would play straight away. Not sure if this is Apple updates changing things, or BMW not keeping up? or not optimising for the new updates?

(and no I don't have Car Play but would love it )

 

[jpaul]

Does anyone know if I can improve BT experience in a 2019 1 series?

no usb install where you can plug it in - tested that for music on 2018 3er I drove with iphone, although I don't know if BT handsfree calls then go via that too.

e: looking back at notes twas option 6ns enhanced bluetooth prep with usb audio interface and voice control

 

[Shadowness]

I do have a USB cable in the car (only really use it for charging if phone needs it). I could try to see if it's better than BT. But presumably there is nothing to update in terms of software? There was a point the car notified me of updates, but not anymore. Of course that could be because there aren't any anymore, not sure.

 

[matt100]

I do have a USB cable in the car (only really use it for charging if phone needs it). I could try to see if it's better than BT. But presumably there is nothing to update in terms of software? There was a point the car notified me of updates, but not anymore. Of course that could be because there aren't any anymore, not sure.

Does it have a screen?

Can you not get one of the boxes that adds carplay/android auto? I retrofitted one to my 2017 3 series, works great and not crazy money or hard to fit.

 

[MarkeR]

I do have a USB cable in the car (only really use it for charging if phone needs it). I could try to see if it's better than BT. But presumably there is nothing to update in terms of software? There was a point the car notified me of updates, but not anymore. Of course that could be because there aren't any anymore, not sure.

I put one of these, well a very similar model into my 2014 4 series when I had it. Took me 40 mins, and it worked perfectly with carplay, android auto and bluetooth voice etc..

It was a very worthwhile upgrade for the £200 or so I spent then.

Road Top Wireless CarPlay for BMW 1 2 Series F20 F21 F22 F23 F45 2011-2020 NBT EVO with Mirror Link AirPlay Car Play Functions - AliExpress 34

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[MrRockliffe]

I put one of these, well a very similar model into my 2014 4 series when I had it. Took me 40 mins, and it worked perfectly with carplay, android auto and bluetooth voice etc..

It was a very worthwhile upgrade for the £200 or so I spent then.

Road Top Wireless CarPlay for BMW 1 2 Series F20 F21 F22 F23 F45 2011-2020 NBT EVO with Mirror Link AirPlay Car Play Functions - AliExpress 34

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I’d probably look at a Linux display instead, as it’ll allow for touch input as well.

 

[matt100]

I put one of these, well a very similar model into my 2014 4 series when I had it. Took me 40 mins, and it worked perfectly with carplay, android auto and bluetooth voice etc..

It was a very worthwhile upgrade for the £200 or so I spent then.

Road Top Wireless CarPlay for BMW 1 2 Series F20 F21 F22 F23 F45 2011-2020 NBT EVO with Mirror Link AirPlay Car Play Functions - AliExpress 34

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Yep, roadtop is the one I bought. Love it.

I’d probably look at a Linux display instead, as it’ll allow for touch input as well.

IMO this is a terrible idea.. touchscreen in a car with idrive? Why?! The fingerprints..

A new screen in a car that's already got a screen? Much xzibit.

 

[MrRockliffe]

IMO this is a terrible idea.. touchscreen in a car with idrive? Why?! The fingerprints..

A new screen in a car that's already got a screen? Much xzibit.

CarPlay works much better with touch input for some functions.

 

[jpaul]

I could try to see if it's better than BT. But presumably there is nothing to update in terms of software?

if the car has the 6ns enhanced bluetooth prep with usb audio interface and voice control
option as most of the sport(non-M) ones I test drove, just plug in the phone this worked with standard/free spotify and vlc player on iphone,
audio is much better quality than bluetooth and equivalent to using wired car-play (16bit 48Khz) without phone needing to do any wireless car-play encoding/processing.

I have phone mounted so I can use it when driving, since, although I have car play, the interface on the iphone for audio players like vlc/foobar which I use for my ripped stuff has more functionality than their car-play interfaces.

 

[mjt]

CarPlay works much better with touch input for some functions.

Google Maps, for example. Maybe because it's a smaller car and I'm sitting quite close to the display, but since using CarPlay in the M2, I rarely use the iDrive wheel..
Shortcut buttons for non-carplay features, otherwise smeary smeary on the screen

 

[matt100]

The horror

To be fair I've only used android auto but with my 335 and my other halfs GLA it's never occured to me that touching the screen would be necessary or preferable

 

[jpaul]

if you are right handed - efficiency/safety with an idrive wheel, with left, often better than using touch screen (like using a knife, safety stuff, mouse ..)
sure I've lost some 10's of ms off of shift speed since going RHD

 

[GravyMonster]

Sounds like you're granny shifting.

 

[matt100]

I appear to have a wastegate actuator issue on one of the turbos on my '17 F31 335d...

It's only throwing codes at the minute (292100 charging pressure controller for high stage turbo electrical, mechanical or excessive temperature) , no physical symptoms etc.

According to my BMW specialist (Lee Shannon, if you're in hampshire/surrey I cannot recommend enough) he can only see replacement parts as a complete turbo at c£2k which is bonkers.

Actuators are available for roughly £100 - the question is does anyone have any idea how to work out which one I have/what a proper replacement would be?

 

[Rimsy]

What's with these fugly winged wing mirrors that the chav contingent are slapping on their lowered 318i's ? Seem like they are an essential addition to go with their retrofitted scrolling indicators and 3D number plates...

 

[ChrisD.]

M3 sold. Kinda sad, but also looking forward to trying something new.

 

[Armageus]

What's with these fugly winged wing mirrors that the chav contingent are slapping on their lowered 318i's ? Seem like they are an essential addition to go with their retrofitted scrolling indicators and 3D number plates...

Are they not just M3 F80 knock offs?