BMW and M Power Owners

Caporegime
Joined
20 Jan 2005
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45,621
Location
Co Durham
Are you sure? I've only used it once (On a 2020 G30) and I'm pretty sure I was able to select the option using the iDrive controller.



This would seriously annoy me as well, one of the few reasons I'd spec a new car instead of used is that its often hard to find the trim you want in a used car. Can they not swap for another available option, ie wood or something?

Too late to change it now they have said, its almost built. Now if they had been proactive and contacted when they first knew and offered alternatives then that would have been okay but nobody at BMW thought of that.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
Pretty illogical - how can real time traffic help you on a long-journey, when you won't be anywhere near the end of that journey for real time to be of any use?

Because a prediction is only useful if the prediction is right. It often is - especially for normal traffic patterns. Google knows exactly how busy the M6 will be around Birmingham on a normal Friday afternoon because it has years and years of data to use to calculate that. It knows that if its 5pm and you're 2 hours from Birmingham, that by the time you get there the delay will be different. For this sort of thing it's really useful.

But when you get an abnormal incident like a motorway closure by police, the duration and effect of this cannot be predicted. It's just shut and will be for a number of hours - often considerable. In my experience Google often assumes everything will be fine by the time you get there, or in some cases doesn't report the closure at all. I gave two examples further up of how this has affected me - once when a Google map declared 8 minute delay on the A303 turned into a 45 minute standstill and once when everything being freeflowing and clear turned out to be a scheduled closure of the M4 for roadworks. On both occasions RTTI informed me that the road was impassable and on both occasions for whatever reason I went with Google Maps instead.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
Hate to hear this. I have been spoilt by VW. My last two cars has google maps with satellite view with roads and routes superimposed on it and its being brilliant.

Never expected moving to BMW would be a massive step down :(

I only really wanted the HUD so it showed the route but thats gone if I use google maps.

Hmmmm

Should have researched more rather than assumed an £80k vehicle would have a decent satnav

I really don't understand why it's being made out to be such a big deal. The only OEM system I've used that was genuinely poor was the SD based system in the pre MBUX Mercedes. The rest of them have all been so good that I've never considered using Carplay instead. They've all got pros and cons, but none of them are deal breakers. I'd be amazed if you really did find the system in a brand new X5 to be a 'massive step down' from anything.

The way your new X5 will seamlessly integrate directions, mapping etc with the HUD, your instrument panel and the main screen is brilliant and I'm sure you'll be more than happy.

Infact really the only thing about the Audi system I prefer over the BMW system is that the integration of mapping into the instrument cluster on the Audi system is really excellent - the BMW system is useful and clear but the full colour on the Audi is very nice.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
21,950
But when you get an abnormal incident like a motorway closure by police, the duration and effect of this cannot be predicted. It's just shut and will be for a number of hours - often considerable.
Literally Waze allows you to notify other drivers on severity and cause of incident, including tagging stranded vehicles, emergency services, road works, road closures etc.

I really don't understand why it's being made out to be such a big deal. <snip>
You remind me of a chap I was talking to about the Jaguar XF infotainment and how garbage it was. He got properly triggered, as it happened, his brother-in-law was head of User Interface.

You either haven't used many Sat Navs, don't drive to different places too often, or work for BMW :cry:
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,300
So DAB. It seems to have less channels than the DAB in my Merc, not least Chill which is my station of choice and nowhere to be seen on my BM. How do I solve this?
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
21,950
Housey said:
So DAB. It seems to have less channels than the DAB in my Merc, not least Chill which is my station of choice and nowhere to be seen on my BM. How do I solve this?
I'll answer on behalf of one of our members: you don't need Chill. what's wrong with all the other stations? I can't remember a single time when I listened to Chill. :p

Seriously though I've found just tuning the radio in a different location helps.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Posts
10,646
The service schedule for the F10 is variable. Servicing will take place with an oil service every 15-22k miles depending on the cars usage. There is a time limit of 24 months, so it's whichever happens first - mileage countdown or time.

Every second oil service is a major service with fuel and air filters as well. Every 37k or so is a vehicle check (Which is basically all the inspection elements from the old style servicing system). Brake fluid is 3 years old and then every 2 years.

You'd need to look at the service history of the car - it's on iDrive - to work out whether the history for this one is complete. It is in theory possible for a 2015 car to have had 3 services since it was new if the vehicle check and brake fluid elements had lined up and were done at the same time as the regular servicing.

Got the VIN from a friend so called the £1 a minute BMW line then followed up once I'd found the dealer who serviced it.

It has had two services within BMW

July 2016 17,509 miles oil and microfilter.
March 2018. 33,616 miles major service on time with brake fluid change which was slightly late so that ties in with what you suggested.

The 3rd service would be at latest 55,000 miles or March 2020 and would be due a major service again based on mileage it has at the moment.

I've yet to hear from the seller regarding the history/3rd service on idrive.
 
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Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2011
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21,226
Location
SW3
Is it possible to display Spotify data on the entertainment screen when connected via Bluetooth? It lets me change tracks but doesn’t show the metadata.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Dec 2002
Posts
7,872
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Any E46 owners in here that have replaced head unit with an Android one? I've just had a bad case of nostalga and bought a 2004 330ci....... its a nice spec in great condition few little issues to sort but nothing major, like many the factory sat nav has damaged pixels on the screen, its also got bluetooth which seems faulty so i'm toying with the idea of putting in an xtrons headunit which looks oem'ish but will give me much more features than the original (I will of course keep that should I ever sell it in the future)
 
Associate
Joined
14 Jan 2013
Posts
1,275
Location
Horsham
Any E46 owners in here that have replaced head unit with an Android one? I've just had a bad case of nostalga and bought a 2004 330ci....... its a nice spec in great condition few little issues to sort but nothing major, like many the factory sat nav has damaged pixels on the screen, its also got bluetooth which seems faulty so i'm toying with the idea of putting in an xtrons headunit which looks oem'ish but will give me much more features than the original (I will of course keep that should I ever sell it in the future)

Pics :)
 
Associate
Joined
15 Jan 2005
Posts
2,224
Location
Buckingham
Any E46 owners in here that have replaced head unit with an Android one? I've just had a bad case of nostalga and bought a 2004 330ci....... its a nice spec in great condition few little issues to sort but nothing major, like many the factory sat nav has damaged pixels on the screen, its also got bluetooth which seems faulty so i'm toying with the idea of putting in an xtrons headunit which looks oem'ish but will give me much more features than the original (I will of course keep that should I ever sell it in the future)

@mrk did I believe
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Jul 2004
Posts
9,671
Location
Somerset
GT4 was back into Dick Lovett Swindon to fix the tracker yesterday, and they have a fleet of BMWs for courtesy cars. Given a brand new X3 with reasonable spec I think. The HUD is really amazing now isn't it? Little dissapointed no radar cruise / lane keep on a 71 plate though, I thought that was standard on everything nowadays. Couple observations, sounds silly to point out but BMW are the masters of 'auto' wipers and climate. I know it sounds trivial but the wipers are perfectly aggressive for the conditions and the climate control is perfect all the time. Every other car I've driven even from premium marques you have a journey where you're fiddling with climate between 2 settings as it's not quite right, or seems to fluctuate too much before it catches up. BMW is always perfect, weird.

Also, SUVs give me motion sickness. Even as a driver and with the dampers on hard/seat as low as it goes - an hour of B roads I was feeling a bit squiffy! I think it's the sensation of sitting above the centre of gravity it did not go down well with me.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Feb 2006
Posts
3,919
Location
Lincolnshire
Every car I've owned, from Fords to Audi's now BMW I've never 'fiddled' with the climate. I drive our other car, a fiesta, and the settings are the exact same as my BMW. Under those circumstances the performance from both is the same and they behave as they should
The only time I adjust any settings is when there is ice on the front and rear screens, then I just press the appropriate button. I would say that the fiesta though is clearly superior to the BMW at de-icing...
 
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