Recently I had my 2005 545 into the dealer to have the software updated. I told them that the CD tracks skipped when the car was turned off but what I really wanted was to get the Nav updated so I could search by name. Now that I have the car back, I have noticed that the iDrive main display looks a lot brighter and the colors look a little different too. Driving at night, the brightness is almost blinding. I don't want to have to turn it down every time I drive at night. Any suggestions?

 

Sure you know there's an option in iDrive to adjust it?

 

I know I can adjust it, but if I turn it down it is too dark during daylight. This wasn't a problem before the software was updated.

 

Simply, adjust the brightness through the iDrive!

 

rtfm

 

pwrsqr12,

Even though the last two posters were very much less than helpful, I can't be much help either!!
The brightness should be controlled automatically, but it obviously doesn't do a particularly good job. Mine is the same, although it doesn't really bother me. If I am doing a long night trip, then I may turn it down through iDrive, but otherwise I leave it alone. I don't have BMV Nav, so I tend to have the Radio settings screen on all the time - which screen do you have up mostly? the "home page" or something else. The home page isn't particularly bright, so try that for a while. Maybe if there has been a change since the software update, then take it back to the $tealers. They will either say that "they all do it" or "there's nothing wrong with it" as to sort out a problem like this, they would have to think, and there are rarely any staff at $tealers capable of ding such a thing. Cynical I know, but that is the truth of it from my experience.

Mike

 

Do you have your lights on all the time? Or in automatic mode in the bright sun go out and check and see if your headlights are on if so then that may be the problem as the back light would be adjusted because of that some times updateing the software defaults other things back to base.

Also if the lights are on in the day time you can adjust thru idrive and also fine tune with the knob that controls the dash lights that will also adjust the idrive to at the same time find the happy medium and you are off

 

It's disappointing to hear that BMW doesn't have this refined better.... my garmin nuvi seems pretty smart in this regard (switching to black back at night) and my blackberry pearl adjusts three levels of brightness pretty effectively. Maybe this problem is mitigated if you order night vision?! Cal

 

having the nav switch to night mode (black fields rather than coloured) while having daylight headlights ON would be a smart solution. unfortunately, it's usually connected to the headlamps and assumes that you use those only during night conditions.

The i-drive screen is stupid when it comes to it's lighting: even when 'off' it's not black dark. It's all rather b?ta phase stuff: needs a lot to improve even though it is already a big differentiator when it comes to choosing this car or another. Where it used to be engine/handling/looks only, now the electronics control is added in similar weight - even though that part is not nearly as developed as the engine/handling.

 

. . . . . . and, of course, what it DOESN'T say in the manual, is that you can adjust the iDrive brightness with the instrument panel dimmer!!

Mike