JohanDC

Hey skidster, just try to relax, I am pretty sure that your issues will get resolved if you have some patience.

TMC - I guess that cidair has this function working because he has the BusNav with prep. for the ProNav (retrofit kit) because this wasn't available yet when his car was built. So you could say that his Nav system is not entirely the same as yours. I also believe that there are some problems with the TMC function of BusNav and that this is the reason why it is currently not yet working. In the past only ProNav systems had the TMC function, so implementing this for the BusNav is something new and as seen before with new stuff, BMW fails to get them right the first time.

Autostore - Why do you believe that this function was promised to you, did someone told you that it was available, or did you read about it somewhere? If so, please tell me where, I've never heard/read anything about this. I also do believe that the All Station function that you have is basically a far more superior version than the autostore function, have you give it a try yet, I think you will be hooked up to it in no time and will wonder why you ever wanted an autostore function.

One/Two Tuners - Your system has two tuners, no doubt about it! All Nav systems in the E60 will come with the Pro radio, which means two tuners & MP3 decoder. Just to come back to the autostore function, I believe (never verified this) that when you get the All Stations function then you have two tuners, and the autostore function when you only have one tuner (the All Stations function does not work with one tuner, because you need one to listen to the station that you selected & one that will scan the FM band constantly to update the All Stations list).

MP3 Support - No E60 that is currently on the road can play MP3 CD's. This function is currently disabled and will be activated by a future software update. Please note that you need the Pro radio for this to work. I also heard that when this function will be available that only the front CD will be able to play MP3 files, and no avail. for the CD changer.

I know you are frustrated by all of this, but just try to relax, I am pretty sure that within this and 6 months your problems will be solved (the software update that should address most issues should become available around September), and for some of the answers that your dealer gave you, ask them to double check what they said, I am pretty sure that they will be surprised!

skidster

spend the money
buy the car
get what i expected.

happened EXACTLY that way, every time in my life since i bought my first brand new car in 1983

and, amazingly enough, every dealer with whom i have dealt has actually had correct information something like 90% of the time - BMW so far is ranging more 'round the 10%

not quite certain why i should have expected this to be any different
esp. when i am buying a BMW

this is not a random flame, these are legitimate complaints from someone who has been at best misled and, at worst, lied to from BMW from pre-delivery onwards === mayhaps you'll feel different when the issues, small as they may seem, start to pile up

and don't get me wrong - i've clearly said before that i love the car, but simply put, i am frustrated not only by BMWs inability to get it right prior to delivery but also by their apparent inability to communicate effectively internally and within their dealer network, and that doesn't even begin to cover the regular dealer response that "you'll have to talk to BMW about that".

never happened with my hondas. or my lexus. or my nissan. or my acura. or even that horrible two years with a ford... are you telling me that this is acceptable quality and acceptable customer relationship management?

and don't be telling me to relax. that is rude.

skidster

and as for all stations v. auto-store, again, i didn't expect it to be either/or...
the convenience of autostore is it is a short list of strong signals unlikely to fade away, for a time at least -- you see, a SHORT list, as opposed to the entire list of ALL stations available, some of which may well be out of antennae range in a matter of a few miles.

this may well be my misunderstanding - btw i read about it in the US owners manual, which does not show all stations so it would seem that you are correct...

i still think that both would have been nice but i see the difference


i do hope that it is a two-tuner deal: it was, to my understanding just as you said (as i said before) but, again as i said above, the production records available to my dealer shows my car as having a single tuner - the tech, who has taken all the e60 courses has been checking his course notes -- and again, as above, nothing in the idrive menus (inside) shows that two tuners are present: it shows a single strength only on the tuner test submenu, for example...

the tmc diff may be related to his proNav prefit. but my busNav should still have it and my tech here in London would benefit from talking to his in Sweden

cheers

JohanDC

Skidster, I didn't wanted to be (or to sound) rude, I just hope you didn't take my post offensive.

I know you have some valid issues with your car and that it is hard to get correct information from your dealer but I am very confident that your dealer will try to work these issues out (after all who wants an unhappy customer). I know that BMW dealers are most of the time the last person to know about something but I guess that's how it goes at BMW, I only bought BMW's in the past so I cannot compare this to other brands, but I just try to be as much informed as possible before buying a car, mostly by reading these message boards and by double checking everything with my dealer before finalizing my order (just to be on the safe side, especially with BMW), so just call me paranoid if you will.

JohanDC

If you have the All Stations function you will also have two tuners, otherwise you wouldn't be able to use the All Stations function at all (you need two tuners for this to work)! Isn't this evidence enough?

skidster

fair enough, empirically speaking, yes...
so it is good that i do

but a little worrying that they don't seem to know as much

Guest_guest

I have decided against this car, at least, for this year and probably next, because of these and other issues like this. Looking forward to the time when the BMW name can once again inspire confidence in the customer. True luxury and driving pleasure have to include ease of operation, freedom from technology failures, and good old mechanical reliability. If the car doesn't have that, then it doesn't matter if it takes you to driving nirvana. You have to be able to get back again.

Rudy

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees that the "all stations" function is really an improved autostore.

Skidster, my (somewhat limited) experiences with "all stations" is that it only really finds the stronger stations (listenable stations). Depending on where you are, it might only find four stations or it might find twelve.

My (extensive) experience with autostore on my E39s was that it HAD TO find six stations (your "short list") and usually only the first two or three were strong enough to be listenable if you were driving somewhere rural. With this new system, only the first two or three will be stored because they would meet the definition of "all stations".

Add to that the waiting time experienced as autostore scanned the dial for the six stations (single tuner) and you'll see why we are saying give "all stations" a try before you wish you had autostore. (Note that on the AM band here in the US (same as LW?), autostore is the only option -- must not have two AM tuners installed -- just two FM tuners.)

Again, that's the humble opinion of this Yank! Hope I helped you somehow -- I certainly didn't mean to cause you any more anguish!!

Good luck with your new car -- I'm sure you'll get all your frustrations worked out and truly enjoy it for what it is -- a well engineered, "ultimate driving machine"!!

skidster

anguish would be a tad strong...

ok, re autostore/all stations, i get the difference now...

and yes the autostore bit is in AM (must be one tuner) and allstations in FM (by defintion 2 tuners)

wouldn't you think that BMW should know that too?




as for the guest who says he's decided against the car, please note that NOBODY seems to have much in the way of mechanical and performance or comfort issues: these are a few software glitches in which BMW got ahead of themselves and forgot the fundamental problems inherent in any such massive systems integration task as they had with the 5.... BUT wasn't it the same deal with the new 7s although they did not to my recollection experience such a multitude of little aggregating errors - anyway, the car is brilliant, in general, and i still prefer it over the merc e's and the lexii i tested.

Guest_guest

skidster, you are right and I agree it was by far the best test drive I had...and I had many. Absolutely thrilling. However, I have read other threads about rough idles, active steering that goes out, and engine warning lights, overheats, etc. Any car can do this, but I would hope brand new expensive autos would fare a bit better. I WANT to buy this car, but will hold off for 1-2 years. Good luck with your issues, I am sure they will be resolved.