What are some cool hidden functions of your BMW?

[nycitysteve]

Um.. I just discovered this today.. AWESOME! Its amazing off the line now.. haha

[Gator325525]

If you have comfort access you can raise the windows and close the sunroof by keeping your finger on the door handle ridges after it locks.

[Andy328is]

Um.. I just discovered this today.. AWESOME! Its amazing off the line now.. haha

It does make the car more responsive, at the cost of gas mileage!

I like to use Sport mode when creeping along in traffic- it makes the tranny shift less, and gives you better engine braking ability.

[andrew b]

Tried the drive window and the sunroof. No dice. How did u do it?

And what rear foglights?

The button under the normal foglight button (outside of the dial selector for headlights) is, in europe, a switch that turns on teh mandatory rear foglights. When depresssed, the 'extra" brake lights that normal show hard braking come on to more brightly illuminate the rear end of the car.

On the US models, the wiring and function is still there, it's just disabled by making the faceplaet of the switch "unpressable" by using a cover that has 4 little molded tabs on it that keep it from being pressed. They also leave out the part inside the switch that goes between the faceplate button and the circuit board.

An easy mod is to remove the switch, open it, trim off the plastic tabs, and use something (anything from a pencil to a piece of pen to a plastic wire nut - I used 3 lego pieces ) to bridge the empty gap between the faceplate and the circuit board. reassemble, reinstall, and voila - rear fog lights. The illumination on the dash shows they are on, and they work.

Alternatively, you can spend about $100 and order the european spec switch and swap them out - but all that gets you over the DIY is the little icon on the switch itself will glow.

If you google you'll find detailed DIY postings on lots of forums.

[faninagyei]

I read the manual but there are things you miss ir forget if you don't use the feature that often. Good thread to remind us of the features.

One of my favorite features is the ability to send an address to the nav system from google maps on my pc.

Justin

How do you do that?

[timothyelkins]

How about one of the coolest old school functions:
You left your windows down and exited the car... You can still take your key out of the fob, insert into the door, hold it in lock position, and your windows roll up

I don't have a key.... I do have comfort access and can raise/lower windows and convertible top with the fob.

[Bavarianbrass]

The need to take the key out of the fob is what ruins it.

It would make more sense if it worked symmetrically with the "open everything" function, i.e. if we could close all windows by pressing and holding the "lock" key on remote.

For some reason, they implemented opening all windows through the remote, but totally forgot about letting us to close all windows through the remote.

Yep its true

[Patrick719]

I don't have a key.... I do have comfort access and can raise/lower windows and convertible top with the fob.

Just an FYI...you can't lock/unlock the glove box with the key fob. You'll need the key INSIDE the key fob for that.

[luckydawg003]

My 07 328i doesn't have the flashlight, just some weird black thing on the left side of glove box that I couldn't pull out.

[cheech1]

I don't have a key.... I do have comfort access and can raise/lower windows and convertible top with the fob.

I think you DO have a key. It's in your fob.

[timothyelkins]

I think you DO have a key. It's in your fob.

Learn something new every day. Consider this the hidden feature. Still can't start the car with the key though, right?
Ps. Car is convertible and I think my glove box locks automatically, I may be wrong though

[kle46]

Just discovered that if the climate control is off, pressing the recirculate air mode button on the steering wheel turns it on. A very handy feature.

[Andy328is]

Just discovered that if the climate control is off, pressing the recirculate air mode button on the steering wheel turns it on. A very handy feature.

Ha! Cool! I didn't know that button on the steering wheel was for the climate control! I thought it was for a CD changer. I guess if you wind up behind a bus, you hit that button before switching to sport mode and blowing by said bus?

[domyalex]

Ha! Cool! I didn't know that button on the steering wheel was for the climate control! I thought it was for a CD changer. I guess if you wind up behind a bus, you hit that button before switching to sport mode and blowing by said bus?

You can do it, but if you leave it on auto (spinning arrows with the "A" in the center), the car can detect "contaminants" (whatever that means) in the external air and engage it automatically for you.

[Andy328is]

You can do it, but if you leave it on auto (spinning arrows with the "A" in the center), the car can detect "contaminants" (whatever that means) in the external air and engage it automatically for you.

I knew that, but since the recycle light always stays on in "auto" mode, I worry that I am always getting recycled air, instead of fresh. Would be better if the light cycled on and off depending on what air is coming in.

Not that I don't trust BMW, of course.

[domyalex]

I knew that, but since the recycle light always stays on in "auto" mode, I worry that I am always getting recycled air, instead of fresh. Would be better if the light cycled on and off depending on what air is coming in.

Not that I don't trust BMW, of course.

Yep, definitely would be nice.

I always have it in auto and I definitely get the "fresh" air, since sometimes I get the bad odors from the outside. Downside is that now that my daughter (9 yrs old) knows about this feature she'll scream "PLEASE! turn the air purifier on! ... you know, the little thingie on the round thingie"

[Andy328is]

Yep, definitely would be nice.

I always have it in auto and I definitely get the "fresh" air, since sometimes I get the bad odors from the outside. Downside is that now that my daughter (9 yrs old) knows about this feature she'll scream "PLEASE! turn the air purifier on! ... you know, the little thingie on the round thingie"

I too have a 9 year old daughter, but she couldn't care less about what goes on on the dash board!

Funny how the manual says to never keep the climate control on recycle for too long - yet in auto mode, you never know how long it stays in recycle. What if the auto feature breaks, and it gets stuck in recycle?

[pwebber37]

Just discovered that if the climate control is off, pressing the recirculate air mode button on the steering wheel turns it on. A very handy feature.

haha i did not know this. It is pretty neat.

[Luvmy08beamer]

Yes!

My favorite feature is taking out the FOB and not opening the door, Pushing the start button again and starting the car,......Or to run the A/C to cool or heat to warm while I am inside

So how exactly can you start it and warm/cool without leaving the key fob in and be able to exit the car without it shutting off when opening the door?

[gliding serpent]

I am guessing that most people know this one, and for that reason I did not see it, but here it goes....

The side view mirror on the passengers side tilting down to help you see the curb when reversing. I find it to be very useful.

I also like the glow in the dark emergency release handle in the trunk.

[mryakan]

I also like the glow in the dark emergency release handle in the trunk.

You got stuck in the trunk once?

[gliding serpent]

You got stuck in the trunk once?

No, but for the longest time I could not figure out how people kept escaping...

[Patrick719]

No, but for the longest time I could not figure out how people kept escaping...

LOL! Best reply ever!

[gliding serpent]

Not a hidden feature, but I love the gas cap holder. I also like the (hidden) foldout rear cup holders.

[molsonmatt]

In a torrential downpour, I had my wipers on full speed. I came to a stop light and the wipers stayed on but slowed to normal speed. As soon as I hit the gas again, they went back to full speed. Wasn't expecting that at all.