seventhirteen

I started lurking in this forum a few months back and then ordered a 2008 535xi which I will take delivery of tomorrow morning. Just wanted to say thanks to all those who frequently post here. It has been very informative. Does anyone have a recommended checklist for taking delivery?

2008 535xi
Platinum Gray Metallic
Black Dakota Leather
Light Poplar wood trim
Cold Weather Package
Premium Package
Sport Package
STEPTRONIC automatic transmission
Fold down rear seats
Head-up Display
Heated rear seats
Navigation system
Power rear sunshade with rear manual side window shades
HD radio
iPod and USB adapter
Logic7 sound system with Surround Sound and Digital Sound Processing
Night Vision
Park Distance Control
+ Anthracite headliner

Rudy

Give this a lurk:
http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=2117

Congratulations on the car!

seventhirteen

Thanks for the link. So I see you have Night Vision on your 550. It's the one option I wasn't sure about, does it work well? I commute in the early am on a dark winding highway and figured it may or may not help me avoid critters.

Rudy

Here's the deal on Night Vision...

In short, the key to using Night Vision is to use the screen like you do a mirror. In order to do this, you need to practice and sort of "train your brain" and eyes a bit so it takes some time to finally reap the benefits of the system.

When you first use NV, you sort of find yourself mesmerized by the images on the screen. You'll find yourself sort of "watching" the screen and/or staring at it to try to figure out what all the hot spots are, etc. If you continue to look at the screen this way, you'll soon find that NV isn't worth the money. What you need to do, and you will be able to only by practice, is begin to look at the screen the same way you look at your rearview mirror. (Think about it, when you glance at the rearview mirror, you don't even think about it, your brain just processes whatever image you see.)

What I find myself doing now is thinking about what I'm looking for before I take my eyes off the road. For example, say you're driving down a dark, residential street where people may be walking dogs, etc. As you drive down the road, you get a mental picture of where your car is heading then when you look at the NV display, you'll concentrate on the area where the car will be in the next few seconds. You'll learn to ignore hotspots from people's lights, recently parked cars, electrical transformers, etc. and you'll soon realize that there's quite a difference between what those things look like and what people, deer, etc., look like.

Another thing that you'll begin to start processing is where the road goes beyond where the headlights are shining (if you're in an unfamiliar place, etc.) Again, you glance at the screen and only look at the area you need to see -- you can't let yourself be distracted by stray objects that aren't a safety threat. You'll also learn that since the camera is mounted lower to the ground than your eyes, the system can see further than you can as you begin to go up a hill. You'll also learn that it's not worth looking at (as much) when you're cresting a hill since your eyes are at a better angle to see past the crest than the camera.

It's funny because when I first got the car, I assumed that NV would be helpful on the highway more than around town. Now I think the opposite is true. On the highway, unless you're on some long straightaway, it's not as useful (and your not as likely to see anything) but around town, on back roads, etc., it's really great!

I imagine I'm not yet fully "trained" since I haven't had tons of time using the system. What I do know is that I went from thinking it was a cool gadget to now thinking that it's a great option. I'm already missing it now when I drive other cars and I assume that after more time, I'll get even better at processing the information with very quick glances.

One tip -- program the steering wheel button to toggle the display on and off. It makes it really easy to flip back and forth on the fly...

seventhirteen

Thanks Rudy. I've read somewhere else that I'll have to train myself. One certainly doesn't want to be staring at the NV while rounding a corner at 65. I'll report on how useful it is during my morning commutes on the highway.

pukka

Getting NV installed in your car: $2,200

Spotting a deer's heat signature when driving down a dark country road before you can see it with your headlights:
PRICELESS

DynaSpy

NV was the only option I decided to leave out. Then again, I live in NY so there's not many areas that aren't lit up like a Christmas tree. I would definitely have ordered it if I lived in a rural area. I also figured that since I sell night vision cameras I could hook one up to the car myself somehow for a lot less than $2,200

seventhirteen

Very true! deer, elk, coyote, wolf, bear. I've seen it all on my commute and would like to continue to avoid them.

C's Bimmer

Congrats on the car! Can't wait to see pix. Welcome to the xi family!

Og Oggilby

+1

Enjoy your new xi! Can't wait for mine to arrive - but I guess I'll have to...