Early Build 06 car settings - anyone know them?

[Kirkvw72]

So, I have an early build 06 e90, that you cannot change the car's settings on like you can in later cars. For example, auto locking, DRL's, etc.

The dealer quoted $60 to change as many settings as I want.

I said "no thanks" and got a quick glimse of the settings sheet he had.

I was able to get into the car's menu by bringing up the "Service info" menu and holding down the trip reset button.

There are many options from here and a numbered list which I think is the settings menu.

Anyone out there have access to this list or know the settings?

[Kirkvw72]

No BMW service guys out there? No one has done this on their own?

[Kredithai]

Dealer was jerking your chain. Mine was built in '05 and I am able to do those things on my own.

[bluskye]

Dealer was jerking your chain. Mine was built in '05 and I am able to do those things on my own.

Could you point to instructions on how to do this? I would also like to change some settings.

[Kredithai]

The manual will do a better job of guiding you through than I ever could.

[Kirkvw72]

Yes...the manual tells you what to do....IF you have the NAVI! No Navi, no car system changes.

You should have seen the look on the techs face when I had him try to change the settings. The menus do not exist in the early build cars. I have one. Trust me. I can not change things like....locks...DRLs...locking settings, etc.

[Kredithai]

You don't need to have Idrive to change such settings. Once again, my car is quite old, no Idrive, and I can manipulate those options to my liking!

Start up your car, scroll down twice with the left stalk until you see SET, push the button on the left stalk, then scroll down again.

One more time, Idrive is NOT necessary, nor a helping hand of a service adviser, to change those settings.

[beef1020]

there are two manuals, one for cars with idrive and one without, get the manual for non-idrive and it should explain. go to bmwusa.com to get the manual...

In a nutshell push the toggle switch on your headlight switch down until you see a key type thing which says set in the display. Then push the button on the end of said stalk in to select. You should see sub menus with icons to change the things you want, but again you really need the manual to understand which icons do what.

[Kirkvw72]

Listen carefully (and thanks for the reply) - the menu to change certain items does not exist on my car. It does on the majority of all of your cars. My car was made in 06 of 2005!

My choices are as follows:
Gas pump - mpg, etc
msl, etc.
clock - 12h, etc
clock - mm/tt, etc
temp - F or C
reset

That's it. I've read all the manuals. I've talked to BMW. Only the dealer has the "key" to decode the settings menu that is only accessable by holding down the trip reset on the correct screen. The service manager SHOWED IT TO ME.

[beef1020]

I've read all the manuals. I've talked to BMW.

I read very carefully, sorry could not hear you so did not listen, and you did not mention reading the non-i drive manual. You did however mention the manual with i drive instructions so that is what i assumed you read.

If you have read that manual for non-i drive and could not follow the instructions then i guess your car can't do it. But if you have not read the non-i drive manual i sincerely suggest you get it and read it and then complain about not being able to adjust your settings.

[Kredithai]

I guess the problem here is that some cars only came with 1 programmable SET when many others came with two. Odd.

[M3 In PA]

My wife's 330 also does not have the ability to turn a few options on or off (like auto door locking after 5mph etc). There was a date in '06 that started to give those features to the owner to enable/disable.

The only way to have them done is to take it to the dealer to have enabled through the computer connection. If you need a service where the car is connected to the computer then they WILL do it for free since they are already in there. $60 is not bad to have them enabled really. Pay it and be done.

[Kirkvw72]

I read very carefully, sorry could not hear you so did not listen, and you did not mention reading the non-i drive manual. You did however mention the manual with i drive instructions so that is what i assumed you read.

If you have read that manual for non-i drive and could not follow the instructions then i guess your car can't do it. But if you have not read the non-i drive manual i sincerely suggest you get it and read it and then complain about not being able to adjust your settings.

Dear Beef,

There is a saying that goes as follows: "Those who throw stones, should not live in glass houses."

You are criticizing my informal usage of "listen" opposed to using the word "read;" consequently, you then proceed to write both a comma-spliced, fragment/run-on sentence that lacks proper subject/verb agreement.

Furthermore, you then proceed to insult my intelligence by implying that I can not understand the diction composed in the manual.

Additionally, you start a sentence with the conjunction "but," which is improper English.

Also, you frequently fail to capitalize the proper noun "I."

Strangely, you claim I am complaining when the purpose of a board like this is to find answers to people's questions.

I apologize that my simple question caused you to be incorrect and assumptive; and therefore, you felt the need to be critical in an attempt to rectify your misunderstanding and lack of knowledge pertaining to an early build E90.

M3 in PA - I think I agree with you that for $60, it is done and over with. Thanks for the reply.

[beef1020]

Sorry for getting my panties in a bunch. Answer this question, when you toggle through the menus do you have two menus with a key icon, one that has a thermometer type thing underneath and one with a check mark underneath?

The options you listed:

My choices are as follows:
Gas pump - mpg, etc
msl, etc.
clock - 12h, etc
clock - mm/tt, etc
temp - F or C
reset

are for the 'Setting formats and units of measure, resetting to factory settings', the one with the thermometer. This menu does not have the options to set the things you want too on anyone's car, it is simply the wrong menu.

You are looking for the menu with the key and check mark underneath. Check out page 63, number 11 in the non-i drive manual from the following website:

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Owner/dgh.aspx

Scroll down to your car and you should get some options pop out, one of them is non-i drive manual.

I am not trying to pick a fight with you, but unless you can say you have actually looked for the menu I described, and have read the correct manual, which you still have not said you read, then we really can't help you much. So when you say 'listen carefully' it gets under my skin. You are the one that is not reading carefully and responding to what I wrote. Just try what I am suggesting and if you still can't do it then that sucks, but otherwise you are being a little obstinate.