caf

Took a gander at the E60 today. I'd driven one previously when it first came out, and I'm looking for something to drive on days when I need more room or the weather isn't conducive to seriously sporting driving. I guess I'm a pretty harsh critic; but also a good BMW customer: I've bought 6 new cars from the same sales guy over the years.

I'm OK with the styling, but I can't get over the total lack of instrumentation in this car. Just for comparison, even my last two SUV's have an oil pressure gauge, a temp. gauge, a voltmeter. My Porsche, of course, has all of the above. And I've noticed even a freakin Chrysler mini-van has a temp gauge. But most new BMW's have nada, zilch, in the instrumentation department. I'm well aware that the temp gauge in recent BMW's was an electronically buffered unit, but at least it showed which direction the temp was headed, and could alert a driver to an impending overheating condition before it actually was in the "red" and risking cylinder head damage. I know this, by the way, because two out of my last three BMW's had overheating spells due to parts failures, so overheating is hardly something from a bygone era.

Anyway, I hope someone from BMW listens on this issue. I'm probably overly sensitive on this issue, as I work as a physician who does critical care. I can't imagine taking care of a patient where instead of seeing the blood pressure, I would simply have a red light come on indicating something was wrong, yet not telling me the blood pressure, or even whether the problem was that it was too high or too low!

I'm sure this is not an issue to some of you, and that's cool, but maybe if enough of us BMW-philes press the issue, BMW will at least consider offering a software based virtual gauge package. It wouldn't be that difficult, and would cost virtually nothing.
Thoughts?

(By the way, I know about the warm up dial feature on the tach, but that really doesn't cut it)

stream

I couldn't agree more. Why don't they get rid of the useless MPG gauge and replace it with a temp gauge?

I wouldn't expect the E60 to have all the gauges one comes to expect in a Porsche, but a temp gauge seems like the bare minimum.

Having said that, I wouldn't let it get in the way of purchasing this fine auto.

ZinMe

Sounds like a legitimate gripe to me. Are we sure that I-Drive doesn't alert the driver when the temperature is rising with a temperature scale of some kind? If they only provide a warning light, that is pretty pathetic. Considering how expensive an engine replacement could be and the fact that 545s run hot, I might consider having a guage installed at some point. I didn't even notice or look for this when I was shopping for my 545.

300TTto545

Gosh, I just don't care. I have always cared before but I just don't anymore. Maybe it is the warranty thing....

555

I also TOTALLY agree. Get rid of the dumb MPG gauge and add a temp. gauge. I have also had an overheating spell in my last 3 series and the car died on the side of the road. Good ole AAA had to be called and the car was towed.

TitaniumGray5

[/quote]

BMW water temp guages have been nothing more than glorified idiot lights for years. You may notice that they never move from dead center...its programmed that way--to stay in the middle unless there is a serious temperature issue then it moves. Basically an idiot light. A set of real guages in the I-drive display would be welcomed.

Rudy

I agree with both sides -- as I've said in the past, I'd like to see a "vital signs" screen in iDrive that has indications of all critical information. Oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, volts, etc.

Since the temp gauge in the older cars really didn't do anything except stay in the middle or go full red on overheat, you have to agree that taking it away on the E60 didn't really take anything away. I also have to assume that there are meaningful iDrive warnings when something starts to go wrong. Considering all of the specific warnings we've seen on our CID's and HUD's, just a simple red light probably isn't what we have on our cars...

BMW, please add a software vitals screen that gives us accurate information. The information is already present with the various sensors, etc. so how hard can it be?

sg530

From the beginning we complained about this. It would be so much more useful to see a set of vitual dials instead of iDrive menu while driving. Even make it a menu choice as option for those who can't be bothered. I am quite upset about this because the engine has the sensors and the OBC knows the numbers, so why can't WE see them....are they a secret?

And why can't the FTM show the suspected tire? I had a slow leak and FTM says stop driving...ignored its warnings because handling was unchanged; pumped up tires and guess what? no flat!

Maybe I should call BMW and say I can't drive the car because the iDrive screen didn't come on today; so take it away, it's defective, I want a new one.

BurgessMW

That would be EXCELLENT!

hinckley

caf, my other car is also a Porsche, and with all the E60's faults, there simply is no other car on the market for those times when you want/need a 4-door. The instrumentation is disappointing as are several other features (or lack thereof), but what else are you going to buy - a lexus, infiniti, MB??

There's no sense fighting it . . . there's only one choice for people like us.