"Neat tricks" thread!
#121
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My Ride: E90 330i + E60 550i
Originally Posted by hinckley' post='484558' date='Oct 22 2007, 11:40 AM
FWIW, that nice little cubby is not in US models. i think it has something to do with additional knee-padding.
#122
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My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Here's a little trick with the USB port on the LCI cars that I've mentioned in other threads but just now realized it might be good to repost it here...
When a USB music source is plugged in, when you first start the car you might see a message about how the car is "loading data" (or something to that effect). Depending on how many files are on the device, this process sometimes takes a long time to complete. The trick I found is that pressing the volume/mute knob three times will make the screen go away and allow you to hear the music right away.
I have no idea if this affects iPods since I don't use one...
When a USB music source is plugged in, when you first start the car you might see a message about how the car is "loading data" (or something to that effect). Depending on how many files are on the device, this process sometimes takes a long time to complete. The trick I found is that pressing the volume/mute knob three times will make the screen go away and allow you to hear the music right away.
I have no idea if this affects iPods since I don't use one...
#123
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My Ride: 535D M Sport
Space Grey, Comfort Seat, full leather, iPod, climate pack, comms pack, heated seats, tinted windows, sports gearbox + paddle shift, 19" wheels
Originally Posted by hinckley' post='484558' date='Oct 22 2007, 04:40 PM
FWIW, that nice little cubby is not in US models. i think it has something to do with additional knee-padding.
We may pay twice as much as you guys, but at least we get a small cubby hole in the deal
#124
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My Ride: 2008 535i Sport, Premium, space gray metallic
With the car running and in "drive", pushing the start/stop engine button automatically puts the transmission in "park". I'd been stopping, putting it in park with the button on top of the shifter and then turning it off.
... Tom
... Tom
#125
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My Ride: 2008 535i w/ Sports & Permium Pkg. Silv/Blk
2008 VW R32 w/Nav.
1992 VW Corrado Silv/Blk-retired
2001 530i Sports/Premium-retired
So, I'm in the garage scrolling through the i-Drive menu trying to answer a new member's question about his 08 535xi when I notice that the icon for my cellphone is on the screen and showing a full signal strength. My first thought was that my 3 y/o was in the car playing around & had my cellphone with him. But no, he hates the E60....the E39 was his car & he never asks to play in the new car. So I go back to the kitchen & there is the phone on the counter!!.....what the hell...., I run back to the car & it's still there, so I figure, let's make a call & it worked!!!........so tomorrow I'll see if it will work with the car outside.
#127
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The effective range for standard bluetooth is around 10 metres / 32 feet. Walls/etc don't make too much of a difference. Newer technologies can reach about 100 metres.
#128
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My Ride: 525d E60
maybe not 'tricks' as intended by the topic starter but learned during usage:
- the park distance continuous 'beep' allows for 15 cm of safe space but when you look back it seems a lot less. Test and lear with something soft behind the car.
- drive hard and brake hard with the selector in 'S' and you'll notice a difference in downshift: it engine-breaks too (braking because the gearbox does not shift up and keeps the engine connected to the wheels to help brake)
- when driving in busy traffic, it's often more comfy to put the automatic in 'S' and then shift up to '6' to keep it in that gear rather than have it downshift each time you accellerate. There's enough torque to not shift.
- the navigation DVD (business nav, see other post too) and perhaps also the professional navi, has difficulty in handling copied dvd's when temperature between drive and interior is not equal. (my experience, not sure if this is a repeatable error and if this is also valid for original nav DVD's)
- making the automatic change (or not) when you want is possible by gas-pedal. Easier in 'S' mode than in 'D' but with some exercise it's quite possible to keep it from shifting up in corners.
- the gearbox reset by keeping foot down on gaspedal for 25secs + is difficult to prove true. Do this in the middle of a longer trip. I wish for a switch to turn off this 'learning mode'. too microsoft thinking style for me....
- the hood has TWO places where it's held to the car. You need to drop the hood from fairly high and CHECK if they BOTH are hooked into position. I've often noticed a 'flapping hood' when one of the two is not locked into position.
- the engine temperature is indicated at the top end of the rev meter. it's in the manual but often overlooked.
- keeping the heating system in the OFF position untill the abovementioned meter indicates a warm engine does not help in the diesel cars. The diesel engine does not warm up the coolant enough for the interior heating so it's (as I read elsewhere) electrically heated. I'm not sure about this though, because if this were true, why on earth did they not include a timer to start this electrical heater a bit earlier than engine start (standheizung simple style) as they do have an interior ventilation timer.
- switching from navigation arrow pane (with traffic info) to something else and back is a pain. So first go to your nav screen (with traffic info) and to go elsewhere keep the i-drive fat button to the side you want to go (example: full up to call someone) to get back to nav (even while in a call) keep the button to the right. Easier than to go through the menu's
- you can choose from what radio channel the nav takes it's TMC info. This may be different as this service is not always the same (may include speed traps from some radio stations)
- push the day-trip-reset (sorry, don't know the real name) during engine off to check km/miles on the meter
- the tyre pressure controlling system is a bit of a misleading thing: it checks relative rotation speeds of the wheels rather than tyre pressure. So if all 4 loose air, you will not be warned (as opposed to some cheap French car that shows each tyre's pressure in a display). In your all-automatic (lights, wipers, transmission, choke, speed, fuel. you name it) car, you need to manually check one of the remaining vital items yourself.
- there is a limit to the abilities of the electronics keeping you from sliding........
- the park distance continuous 'beep' allows for 15 cm of safe space but when you look back it seems a lot less. Test and lear with something soft behind the car.
- drive hard and brake hard with the selector in 'S' and you'll notice a difference in downshift: it engine-breaks too (braking because the gearbox does not shift up and keeps the engine connected to the wheels to help brake)
- when driving in busy traffic, it's often more comfy to put the automatic in 'S' and then shift up to '6' to keep it in that gear rather than have it downshift each time you accellerate. There's enough torque to not shift.
- the navigation DVD (business nav, see other post too) and perhaps also the professional navi, has difficulty in handling copied dvd's when temperature between drive and interior is not equal. (my experience, not sure if this is a repeatable error and if this is also valid for original nav DVD's)
- making the automatic change (or not) when you want is possible by gas-pedal. Easier in 'S' mode than in 'D' but with some exercise it's quite possible to keep it from shifting up in corners.
- the gearbox reset by keeping foot down on gaspedal for 25secs + is difficult to prove true. Do this in the middle of a longer trip. I wish for a switch to turn off this 'learning mode'. too microsoft thinking style for me....
- the hood has TWO places where it's held to the car. You need to drop the hood from fairly high and CHECK if they BOTH are hooked into position. I've often noticed a 'flapping hood' when one of the two is not locked into position.
- the engine temperature is indicated at the top end of the rev meter. it's in the manual but often overlooked.
- keeping the heating system in the OFF position untill the abovementioned meter indicates a warm engine does not help in the diesel cars. The diesel engine does not warm up the coolant enough for the interior heating so it's (as I read elsewhere) electrically heated. I'm not sure about this though, because if this were true, why on earth did they not include a timer to start this electrical heater a bit earlier than engine start (standheizung simple style) as they do have an interior ventilation timer.
- switching from navigation arrow pane (with traffic info) to something else and back is a pain. So first go to your nav screen (with traffic info) and to go elsewhere keep the i-drive fat button to the side you want to go (example: full up to call someone) to get back to nav (even while in a call) keep the button to the right. Easier than to go through the menu's
- you can choose from what radio channel the nav takes it's TMC info. This may be different as this service is not always the same (may include speed traps from some radio stations)
- push the day-trip-reset (sorry, don't know the real name) during engine off to check km/miles on the meter
- the tyre pressure controlling system is a bit of a misleading thing: it checks relative rotation speeds of the wheels rather than tyre pressure. So if all 4 loose air, you will not be warned (as opposed to some cheap French car that shows each tyre's pressure in a display). In your all-automatic (lights, wipers, transmission, choke, speed, fuel. you name it) car, you need to manually check one of the remaining vital items yourself.
- there is a limit to the abilities of the electronics keeping you from sliding........
#129
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My Ride: E61 CarbonBlack 535d, Ventilated and Heated Comfort Seats with Massage in Black Nasca Leather, Dark Poplar Wood, Professional Navi, Folding Rear Seats, Load Through, Advanced Remote, PDC, Bluetooth, Dimming and folding Mirrors, Bi-Xenons, Hi-Fi, Tinted
Thank you great post! I gotta say, I can prove the 25secs reset. It feels smoother and takes about 1l/100Km less but that can be subjective
I like what you said about the S mode ... will definitely try in traffic and during sharper city journeys.
I like what you said about the S mode ... will definitely try in traffic and during sharper city journeys.
#130
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My Ride: 2008 535i w/ Sports & Permium Pkg. Silv/Blk
2008 VW R32 w/Nav.
1992 VW Corrado Silv/Blk-retired
2001 530i Sports/Premium-retired
No new 'Neat Tricks' for awhile so here's a bump.