m3racr

Just received 05 545i and it definitely is a sweet ride!

This is my first post even though I have been keeping up
for past couple of weeks, I must say the board is great
reading up and learning as much as possible.

I was able to figure out most of the iDrive functions and
I think it isn't as bad as what people talked about. My one
suggestion for iDrive is that we can benefit having an additional
button next to it which does the "one level back" operation. That
way we can navigate things quicker back and forth.

The active steering good, but haven't tried in a "spirited" driving
(the car is still in the break in period) to see if it alters your
"natural" input. Since I have a dedicated track car, I am not
planning on taking new 545i to track and wear out as much tires
and brakes, but I can see myself taking the car once or twice
to see what it could do. My concern is that, the active steering
wheel changes your turning radious based on speed, I am not sure
how "accelerating through turn/decelerating through turn" would
work...

Now, the car does not full to a side, but I see that my steering wheel is
off centered to the right in order for me to drive straight. Is this something
common to our 5? The alignment being off by little from the factory?

I will talk to the dealer and see if they can check it out.

DXXXi

Welcome. I think mine is off to the left a bit. FOrgot to mention when I had it in last week. Quite common and relatively easy to fix.

Rudy

The alignment problem is easily fixed without actually doing any alignment -- the technician simply needs to reset Active Steering.

I believe this is done pretty routinely when the car is connected to the computer at the dealership.

mlahti

Don't have Active Steering, but the last two cars from BMW first a X5 and then a 530 bot went back tot he dealer for allignment right after delivery, both had the wheel a bit off center.

m3racr

Alright!

I guess "having the active steering reset" is nothing new to the dealer then.

robg

I found the steering on BMW's to be more precise and sensitive than on any of my previous cars. When I got my first BMW, I though the alignment was off, but it was not.

If your steering wheel is off to the right to drive straight, then the car is pulling left. If you drive in the left lane (and don't we all), it may be a result of the ptich of the road. The left lane slopes down to the left so rain will drain.

Try this. Dirve a stretch of road in the left lane. See if the car pulls to the left. Drive the same stretch in the right lane. See if the car now pulls to the right. If so, you are just sensing the sensitivity of the handling responding to the raod. If you pull to the left in both lanes, then you need an alignment.

subterFUSE

You will NEVER find a car by any company which has a perfectly centered steering wheel. They are always off slightly.


I got my 545 and it was off about 15 degrees to the left.
I had the dealer service it and fix the alignment in the first week.... it is much straighter now, but slightly off to the right now. But much better than it was before.

jefferysf

Mine was also mis aligned and the dealer refused to fix it. It was only after replacing the tires at an independent shop that it was fixed.
The promotional DVD I got before the New 5 was released emphasized the precise alignment of the steering wheel and chassis. A tech was shown using an elaborate alignment device attached to the steering wheel. This was obviously only done on that one car!

I think any new car should probably have a fresh alignment and wheel balance as part of the pre delivery service.

subterFUSE

It doesn't matter HOW you align a car..... the steering wheel will not be absolutely straight. It is just impossible.

Rudy

Not true. It's clearly possible. Mine was off by a millimeter or so and they reset the Active Steering and now it is dead on...