ntocamping

My '08 only allows 6. If someone knows how to store more on the buttons let me know. It is frustrating as all my other cars lets me store based on the source being used, i.e. 6 FM1 presets, 6 FM 2 presets, 6 Satellite presets, 6 AM presets all using the buttons below the radio. Hard to believe this technologically advanced e60 only allows 6 whatever presets using the buttons.

cpo

The buttons aren't really "presets" for the radio as much as shortcuts to all kinds of things. I have some set for FM some for SAT and some for phone.

The actual SAT presets are controlled via the iDrive interface, and there are 12 for SAT. I guess if you wanted to do it, you could probably have 6 shortcuts + 12 presets for a total of 18 SAT selections...but I certainly would never need that many. I do hear your point tho...sorta like dynamic buttons that change based on the source, however, that would remove the function of having shortcuts that go anywhere...regardless of where you are. My prior vehicle had buttons as you describe, and it always took potentially 2 steps to get to a channel I wanted. One to select the source, and another to select the preset that I wanted. At least with the BMW shortcuts...It takes one press to get what I want...but I am limited to only 6 favorites...

bikerdib

Just to clarify, I was talking about the presets you access through idrive not the 6 buttons below the cd drive. As cpo pointed out, the 6 buttons can be set for accessing various things not just radio/satellite presets.

wtlb

i am having the same problem with my 08. I will try these techniques and see what works. Thanks guys. This forum is full of knowledge.

5 series boy

Is it passible to have all stations without Subscribing??

cpo

Only if the car is already subscribed and the original owner didn't cancel the service. It's totally plausible for someone to forget to cancel, or have it set to terminate at the end of a billing cycle, particularly if they didn't change their service to a new vehicle.

bikerdib

The other possibility is that the previous owner did a lifetime subscription. Lifetime subscriptions on OEM (factory installed) radios stay with the radio. There would be no refund available to the previous owner and they can't transfer the subscription to a new radio. It would have been possible for the previous owner to cancel the lifetime subscription but they would have gotten no benefit in doing so. You may have lucked out and now have a lifetime subscription for free. IMO, only do lifetime subscriptions on aftermarket radios. With lifetime on aftermarket you can transfer to a new radio up to 5 times (I believe that is the right amount of times anyway?) but if you use one of those transfers to go to a OEM radio it would then stay with that radio.

You could contact Sirius with the id number of your radio and check if it shows a lifetime subscription, or you could just reap the benefits and enjoy.