alohalc

thx johandc. that's what i thought about the software update, too. plus i don't think they are willing to use their expensive labor to do something that's not neccessary to fix if no one brings up the issue. but do you think i should go back and ask for it (software update), maybe after 6 months or so, even i can't find any problem? just in case my current software is outdated.

i don't think it's my tires. my girlfriend wouldn't let me drive the car hard. she's just like a recording tape, "drive slowly, drive slowly, drive slowly,......" ! i think rollee shouldn't whine about the passenger air bag light if he has a girlfriend like mine . i wish someone can come up with something like a eject button. then i can press that button whenever she says anything about my driving ! anyway, i think it isn't my tires. i just opened the hood and it's very clean (duh! gotta be!). so i think it's probably from the cleaner or conditioner or whatever they use to wipe under the hood. so the smell will go away after all those stuff "evaporated", maybe a week or so. what do you think? by the way, i'm not sure about the engine stays hot for a very long time. i just go straight home after i turn off the engine and won't touch the car again till the next morning.

JohanDC

alohalc - If your dealer is reasonable I do not think that he would say no as long as you do not abuse it, like requesting a software update every x couple of weeks. If he however does reject your request then I think you can always come up with a software glitch that is hard to reproduce. On the other hand I am also convinced that there are still a lot of small bugs present in the current version so reporting one of those shouldn't be hard to do.

About the engine staying warm, I've noticed this when I am washing my car which takes a least two hours. One of the last things that I do is opening the hood to clean out all residual water, when doing this, there is still a lot of heat coming from the motor itself (this really surprised me the first time that I noticed this).

And about the girlfriend, if she keeps making noise then just turn the volume of the radio up until she gives up, should be a lot cheaper than having to replace the passenger seat when using the eject button. Also if she's a blond you can always try to convince her that the SOS button, in fact is, a passenger eject button, shouldn't be too hard to do.

alohalc

johandc, i agree with you and i'm not the type of person who likes to take advantage for some unneccesary services.

couple hours isn't too long. i think it's quite normal. unless it stays as hot as you first turn off the engine. then that's different story. my previous e39's engine stayed a little warm after 5-6 hours.

turn up the volume? i tried and failed . she'll turn it down right away or say something like, "man, are you crazy or are you deaf?" trust me, i tried many things including ignored her but none of them worked except one - threat her by telling her i'll drive a lot faster if she doesn't shut up. it worked for me couple times . the blonde thing is very funny but first she is not blonde and second i don't want to make fun of the blondes who are reading this forum now . if one day i have question about my car, maybe they'll tell me all the wrong info and eventually i'll screw up my car .

squadri

Johan, I think the burning smell is due to the greased oil under the car (seen on new BMW'S applied at the factory). The smell disappears after a few months.
Have any one replaced the cigarette lighter and cup holders. I already broke my cigarette lighter when I tried to insert my rader plug. The cup holder got stuck and after I pulled it out it refuses to go in.

545i manual, Saphire black/black, PDC, L7

alohalc

squadri, i think you are right about the smell since i didn't drive hard and i don't think the smell is coming from the tires.

i also have the same problem with the lighter. seems like they are smaller than usual. i inserted the very same ionizer in my e39 and it fitted ok but not for my new e60. do you have similar problem?

my salesperson told me the cup holders are suck (i think that's the only time he's being honest)! he told me try not to use them that often coz they do break easily. my problem was opposite as yours. mine didn't come out properly even during the salesperson doing his orientation. but i kept doing it over 10 times and now it works fine. you have to be quite gentle with those cup holders.

rollee

hi alohalc, i guess the priviledge of driving alone taking those bends and sharp corners while blasting the stereo away when i approach red line from 2nd to 3rd and hearing my car scream is an experience i tend to forget, cause i don't have a co-pilot telling me to hold it off. hahaha!! not to mention the directive xenons...
i think i can live with the annoying light on top.

a tip: take your g/f home earlier and go nuts, or if i would do, change g/fs.
my buddy's wife cannot get enough of his 'crazy' driving style (daily red line) in his m5, so those women are out there.
it has become a habit of mine to close the roof, windows, power off systems, rearrange my briefcase, pack my ipod and stuff after i switch off the engine. therefore to restart the car to close the roof is a big hassle.
since my last bmw i have not put the key into any 'slot' other than the ignition, in other words the door keyhole is still a virgin and i do not intend to break its virginity.
i also feel the lighter is quite tight, and i also notice the cup holders are wobbly. i place my garmin street pilot gps system on it, i am very careful with it now.
i didn't notice the smell from the engine bay, but i believe they are the new undercoating on the car. it should last no more than a few weeks. i like the tire burn cause you know you've got it made well.
i think all bmw engines are made to preserve engine heat, one reason is to enable the engine to operate at its optimum sooner regardless of weather conditions.
engine + low temperature= no no

gdavis

rollee,

by the way, Toronto is one of the places in north america where one can do a reasonable bit of speeding! I was there driving on the Queensway (I think) and people we nearly all going way beyond the limit to around 160kmh or more if I remember.....

We can't do that around here so easily

alohalc

rollee, the passenger airbag light is just a light and it won't talk back. you don't have to look at it if you don't want to and you can completely ignore it. now do you think the light is such a sweet little cutie sitting inside your car ?

change gf is a little extreme...at least for me. she's good at almost everything except always grumbling about my driving <_<. "we're not in a rush. don't drive too fast. it's still early, let them go first...etc." those are the things that keep coming out from her mouth almost every single time she sits in my car !

hey, your keyhold won't be a virgin for long if you leave it to a valet. so it's your baby and you better be her first one .

the lighter is too tight and i can't even put my ionizer in there. for now is ok since the new car smell is still around. but not sure about couple months later.

oh, talk about the cupholders. my car's interior is black. i see fingerprints all over (cupholders, door handles, glovebox, steering wheel, etc.). what's the best and easier way to remove them? don't tell me spit on a kleenex and wipe them .

i'll wait at least another couple weeks before i ask the people in bmw regarding the smell from the hood. so far none of them seems nice in the dealer. even the receptionists .

ok, here is my question again, does anyone annoy by the adjustable armrest? that thing keeps sliding back and forth. i've already pushed it all the way toward the front and passed that "clicking" point but still moves. it's killing me!

rollee

even receptionists are not nice is no good. don't know what to say, not only are they nice here in toronto but also very 'hot' and dress marvelous.
i will stay away from valets and friends for a while, no formals to attend lately. keyhole gets to keep its virginity.
use a soft dry cloth the clean out finger prints, wipe in a gentle circular motion. since i am alone in the car most of the time there's no finger print problems for me. maybe your g/f should keep her hands on you while you drive. hahaha!!
the armrests don't bother me, as a matter of fact i don't even notice they are there, especially i drive stick (not a habit to rest my right arm-not a dirty joke).
ususally they remain in the closed position, on the other hand when i extend it, the action till click is firm and solid. if you don't experience this perhaps your dealer can have it tighten or changed?
gdavis, you are correct on driving the queen elizabeth way, but recently the government sees so much money in speeding that there are now cops all over 24/7, those glorified days are kind of over. i am a better boy now, but whenever an occasion presents itself, i'll...
rollee

JohanDC

alohalc - No problems with the armrest. I've put it in the most frontal position (after feeling the click) and it never slides back. Are you sure that you do not put your arm to much on the front side pushing it backwards? If not then I would suggest getting it replaced. Just another thought do you always slide it backwards when the car is parked to use the hand brake? I never slide it back because I got the steptronic, maybe the resistance point gets easier to pass the more you move it back and forward?

And about the finger prints, just use a small towel to wipe them off. Even if it's a dry one you should be able to clean it. If not just put some water on the towel, this should do it. No need to use any cleaning products as they might damage things in the long run, especially if you use them frequently.