s4iscool

you are right, same as the E90, i really with the cars had it like the euro models. The lack of storage space on these cars is amazingly poor

Rudy

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...

mogsyman

Well there we go........

We may pay twice as much as you guys, but at least we get a small cubby hole in the deal

ValkF6

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

MiamiPhill

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.

Rudy

Yup, my home office is located above my garage and if my car is on, the phone will pair even while it's upstairs...

Russ1974

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.

BMDiesel

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........

hondik

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.

MiamiPhill

No new 'Neat Tricks' for awhile so here's a bump.