Greetings to all. Have been lurking on here for a while (long enough that I had a set of clings waiting in my desk for the car , thanks Lomag ). Finally my 530d arrived yesterday and I'm having a ball. This is my 1st German car, 1st car with more than 4 cylinders, 1st diesel, 1st automatic tranny car and the 1st ever large saloon that is as much fun to drive as my 92 Miata (Thank you active steering and dynamic drive). You'll see the specs in the sig - I have dakota truffle brown leather which I don't believe you can get in the US. On paper and possibly on the photos this doesn't look that great but in real life I'm really happy with the outcome sort of like a chunky piece of metallic milk chocolate Now the questions:

1. Is there a way to get the radio stations to show their names on the main screen. I only get the RDS names in the bottom left hand side of the screen. When I try to memorise them the name briefly flashes on the main screen (the one which shows all the stations staggered one under another) but then reverts back to LOCAL-1, LOCAL-2, LOCAL-3 etc.

2. Can you get the phone address book to stay in the car's memory when you switch phones? I have Blackberry which cannot copy the address book via bluetooth but I have my contacts on a different phone and I would like them to stay in the car.

Here are some pics I took an hour ago. I'll try to take some more exotic Eastern European ones soon. Greetings to all forum members, especially the other Central European ones - ahoj Petr, cześć Lomag - you've been a really valuable source of info. Look forward to bantering with you guys. Now where's that "Chipping a 530d" thread ...

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Przemek (PoleApart)

 

Congrats, welcome and great pics!

You just must love your new car.

The right engine and the right options, enjoy!

 

Welcome & congrats!

 

Congrats and welcome.

Sorry to say that you won't be able to transfer phone books across phones with the car. The car will read the phone book of the paired phone only. In other words, once the paired phone is turned off or far enough away to lose the BT connection, the phone book is not available to you. If another phone is paired, that phone's book will be available to you.

As for the RDS question, the only thing that's clear is that RDS isn't perfect with the E60. Depending on the software level and what type of radio you have, your mileage may vary. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it kind of works, and sometimes it doesn't work at all.

You'll soon learn to ignore those little software issues because you'll be having such a blast driving that it won't matter as much...

 

Thanks

I'm trying to figure out which screen I like to have on while driving so that it's not distracting and semiuseful if I glance at it. The radio one would be tops if it showed all the names of the radio stations. If it doesn't it'll probably be one of the trip computer screens.

As for driving - one of the pluses of this strange country is that there are still very few gatsos, cops with radar guns generally only loiter in places where there are speed restrictions, the population drives like maniacs anyway, fast approaching xenons in rear view mirrors clear the way nicely... so I already know the chocolate beast accelerates nicely up to 210

I'm trying to figure out what the DSC does exactly. In my Miata I know when the rear will step out and know how to catch it. Today I managed to get the rear to step out on a tight freeway entry ramp despite all the DSC, DTC gizmos, which was a surprise. Just as I instinctively started applying opposite lock the systems intervened and brought it all back in line - somehow I thought it would cut in earlier. I'm still trying to figure out the auto box and whether I prefer to keep it in manual shift mode or the dynamic auto mode. I would love it to learn that when I accelerate in 5th I don't want it changing down but just want to savour the torque tsunami I've been driving manual (stick) cars for almost 20 years now and have never really felt the need for an auto box so these sudden down changes when booting it out of a corner and all the driving aids do not a happy bunny make. Love the active steer in town though.

 

Welcome and congrats; I like the interior color a lot.

Phonebook Suggestion: What you might want to try is to verbally record your most-used phone numbers (home, office, whatever, up to 50 I think) in the car's voice activated system. That remains in the car and uses whatever telephone you have paired up (ergo, your BB should work as the phone, despite the lack of phonebook). At least it does with my BTUM add-on kit, but am not familiar with new system.

Good luck and let me know if that works.

Ray Hull

 

Well I still haven't figured out if I have the voice activation I have English menus in the I-Drive screen but my car will only talk to me in German . After pressing the "speak" button on the steering wheel I have tried speaking German and English but we don't seem to understand one another. The Fraulein always asks "Wie bitte?" then encourages me to "bitte, sprechen sie" and after my fialed attempts "tse deh, navigatsyon, save name, etc." says something like "abbruch" and shuts up. Eider ze German I speak to ze fraulein ist scheisse or somesing else is not vorking or my car simply doesn't have voice activation. If I don';t have this and it's not on my cars option list anyone have any hints on why she prompts me to say something to her?

Glad you like the colour.

 

If she wakes up and talks to you, there's a system. You just have to find the right language, etc. Check the iDrive menus, or just scream at her; she loves it.

I think you may have your solution to the phone book, if you can get her to play. I assume your phone system is activated.

Ray Hull