Bart001

While it's true that there has to be a "problem" reported to BMW in order for BMW NA to pay for warranty work, I also don't think that customers should "make crap up" just to get a "free" update for a variety of reasons.

bimmerj

I agree you should not make up stuff, but if there are problems with the vehicle that cannot be nailed down to a hardware failure, then you need to have them reload software. There are so many things controlled in this car via the software that even a simple alignment job requires computer interaction.

If there is anything wrong at all, and you are under warranty, then it is bmw's responsibility to do what they can to fix it. If it's not under warranty then that is the luck of the draw, unless of course it is a safety issue - which your active steering problem is.

Every time I have brought my car in I have received full reinstalls, but maybe I am just lucky.

MEX

i've seen them load a sw update, and believe me, it takes a loooong while, i dont think 8 hrs is excesive, its not just a "plug it and that's it" thing, they have to reconfigure a lot of things, and if something goes wrong it starts again.
I think they charge 2 time units (i think its their way of calling 2 hrs) because that's the estimated that the service person will spend in your car, but seriously it takes more than machine hrs to get the full thing done.
YES, i agree it should not be that long, but its just not designed so you get an upgrade every couple of months.