BMW 3-Series 2006

snsn

I do have a question about the Bluetooth. Previous threads indicate that if your car has the Premium Pkg, you automatically get BMW Assist. When I purchased my car, I did get the Premium Pkg. I was told that the BMW Assist was only prepaid for one year. Do I have to renew my subscription to BMW Assist in order to continue to use the Bluetooth feature after the first year?

barry626

Same here!
My car says 1 year from date I bought it, June 2005 or 19000.
I decided @ 5,000 miles to pay the $75.00 & have first change done.
Now instead of 19000 dumb thing says 3900 miles till next change.
Since I drove 1000 miles my next change is @ 2900 miles.
Talked to service guy & has no clue.
He says when cars says so bring it in for free oil change!

nearlydad

Camaught,
I am very happy to hear you got flawlessly paring by bluetooth. Is there any way to confirm if my bmw got CIP20. My car was checked twice by dealer for the issue of bluetooth.
------
I wonder if BMW officially announced the current status of the trouble on Bluetooth connectivity and how they deal with the serious trouble. Bluetooth is one of the technology to ensure safety drive. Rack of connectivity may result in unsafe drive. Hey BMW, take action!

dl7265

Either that or 1 year. Im also estimating about 18K. I'll defiantly drop one on my own dime before going that long.

On another note I Finally received my oil analysis kit from Blackstone. Took a long time. So if any one is planning on ordering one before a service allow yourself a few months...

ckm1515

Bluetooth is separate from assist. I confirmed this with BMW Assist rep last week as I have a 2006 330xi and am unsure if I want to pay $240.00 every year although the lojack type of device does lower my comprehensive insurance.

screwbluetooth

It's been 48 hours since I received the Software Programming and 15-20 times I've turned my 2006 325i off and on. Everytime it has worked (paired up) flawlessly. Very happy now. I'm not sure if it's called CIP20 or something else, but that's what solved my problem. Recapping, my problem was the car would pair up randomly and only 30% of the time.

carnaught

It's been 48 hours since I received the Software Programming and 15-20 times I've turned my 2006 325i off and on. Everytime it has worked (paired up) flawlessly. Very happy now.

Well, if that's the case you'll have to change your name (LOL).

kyfdx

Even though the Bluetooth function is included with the BMW Assist option, if you don't re-subscribe to BMW Assist, the Bluetooth will still work..

BMW Assist is very expensive...

toons

Hey screwbluetooth,

Can you tell where did you get the software updates or can you pass on more information? I would like to show it to the dealership that I bought the car from so that they can take action.

You mentioned CIP20?

Thanks,

amir

i just got my 330i 2 months ago and i noticed that the adaptive lights do move towards the right but only a litle on the left. is it normal or should i take it to the dealership.

kyfdx

That is normal... movement to the left is restricted to a smaller arc, as that is the direction of oncoming traffic..

regards,
kyfdx

pegasus4

Hello All ~
Really enjoy all the lively discussions! Find it useful for my new 330i! I have the "step" transmission and want to know If I should be at a stop when shifting from "D" to sport mode or just slow enough rpm's to be easier/safer for engine. The car is "way fun" for spirited driving. And really whether at slower speeds or faster.. the precision of the overall design is great. I smile often !
Appreciate your input.
pegasus4

bmq

I opted for CA with my new 330i and absolutley love the feature. I also want to get my windows tinted (not too dark). Is it correct that any kind of tinting will mess up the CA antenna?

I had heard that non-metallic tint may be the way to go, but when I asked a service advisor from the dealership where I bought the car, he advised against any tinting...said he has yet to see a kind of tint that did not mess up the CA in some way.

What is your experience out there? Is tint possible without messing up CA?

corvette

You can shift from D to Sport/Steptronic mode at any time.

kdshapiro

Just be sure to observe the break-in period guidelines. You can shift from D to sport to manual at any time. Don't use the manual mode for engine braking at high speed/high rpm.

wally27

Could someone with a 2006 wagon measure the rear cargo area for me? None of the docs I've found list it and I'll probably be ordering the car sight unseen. Of particular interest is the narrow width between the wheel well covers, and the total length when the seats are folded down. Thanks a lot. Jack.

bmwdoug

Congratulations on your E90, it certainly is one awesome looking car. My head turns every time I see one. I love all the BMW's in the current lineup, but in my opinion, the E90 is the BEST and most SPORTY looking. I love the look!

I have a few questions: How is the rear seat leg room? It is hard to tell by just sitting in one at a Dealership. I have only sat in an E90 in a lot, not on an extended trip. I did sit in the back of an Acura TL for a two hour drive, and it was okay. But, I believe it might be a lot bigger than the 3 series???

I keep hearing that the E90 is not that bad in the back seat. Just how bad or good is not bad? Have you had any adult passengers in your back on an extended trip? If so, how was their comfort?

Also, how is the ride comfort? I know it handles well, actually it is the BEST. But, how is the comfort of the ride? Do you feel all the bumps? Is there a lot of road noise? For example in the 5 Series E60, the handling is incredible, yet the road bumps are pretty much absorbed, so it is a sporty ride, yet a smooth sporty luxury ride, and there is very little road noise, if at all.

Thank you.

davidd3

Space and comfort of the rear seats are fine for 2 adults but not 3 adults. The middle rear seat is pretty much for kids only, or for a not so large adult in a pinch for a short ride only. Not only is there a hump where your feet would go, but there's also the rear heating/A/C unit jutting out. That said, the rear seats are very firm. Some people may find them to be uncomfortable for this reason.

To put my remarks into better perspective for you, I have the 330i without the Sports Package. I would describe the ride of my car just as you described the ride of the E60 - handling is incredible, yet the road bumps are pretty much absorbed, so it is a sporty ride, yet a smooth sporty luxury ride, and there is very little road noise.

rats13

Typically what do people do for Alarm systems on the BMW 3 series. I see the car comes with pre-wiring standard. Are alarms typically done at dealer or is it something most people get easily after market?

Also how does comfort access effect the use of an alarm system?

Thanks

adolf2

I have a 325i 2006. Ride comfort is good for a sports sedan. You can feel bumps. My only complaint are the RFT tires.
They are to noisy for my Taste. I, m an older guy and tire
noise is important to me.I'm not the only guy, others have complaint also. Check tirerack.Tirerack list Bridgestone
as the only RFT tire for the E90.Myself I'm a michelin man.
Otherwise I can recommend the car highly.

calif65gm

On factory alarm, it works seamlessly with CA. When you pull on the door handles to unlock, it deactivates the alarm. Touch the groves to lock and activate the alarm.

No idea about after-market.

corvette

No idea about after-market.

There aren't too many E90s in the wild as of right now. I would be very leery of an aftermarket alarm/remote-starter--don't want to be a guinea pig.

chrisnj1

Hi amir, I have the same thing. I was alos told that they limit the swing to the left because of oncoming traffic receiving the lights in their eyes.

adolf2

Correction on my statement in regards to tire noise.
It is the lack of tire noise that is important to me.

cdnpinhead

This is for the E46, but still quite interesting, I thought. It runs 22 minutes (forget about dialup) and shows the building of a 3-series:

link title

dhanno

Is lojack/theft protection service a part of BMW Assist? I thought it came standard with the car.

kyfdx

It is part of BMW Assist... If you don't continue the subscription, you lose access to the tracking service..

regards,
kyfdx
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dhanno

I got CIP20 software upgrade in the car yesterday, and have had no problems with bluetooth since then. I had the problem where my Razr phone would connect only sometimes with the car. Check my earlier posting for details.

ckm1515

I recently purchased a Motorola RAZR from Verizon and it paired up without any problems. I have had the phone and car for about 2 months. I do find it annoying that I have to recreate voice entries via car in order for the voice activation to work. It does not recognize the name associated with the entry in your phone. Overall, a very positive experience. I'm constantly amazed at the technology i.e. no wires to upload phone into car and it updates everytime you turn on the vehicle with new phone book entries entered/deleted.

amir

i know the 06 330i plays cd-r, mp3.wma but i wana know if it plays cd-rw?

benschoen

AHA! I knew it. I have a Motorola E815 bluetooth phone (Verizon) and a 2006 3 Series BMW. The phone initially synched, and I see on my audio template Motorola... and all the listings and info from my phone. HOWEVER, it is very tempermental. The car is usually "searching for paired devices". I have Bluetooth on (as a setting) on the phone, I can even use the "Find me" feature on the phone, where it makes itself super discoverable. But 4 times out of 5, I get in the car and it can't find my phone. I stop at the ATM, get back in the car with the phone in my pocket, start the car and it sees it...no rhyme or reason. I'm going to the dealer, there must be a firmware update or something, this is maddening.

erickpl

Check in your car settings and see if multiple phones are listed. If so, make sure your desired phone is on top of the list.

If you have Bluetooth on and you properly synched it up the first time (using the 'password' method and entered it properly on the phone AND the BMW), it should work fine.

If not, try deleting your phone choices in the Bluetooth configurations and trying it again. I suspect something about your initial config didn't work properly. I'm not saying you messed something up, but it is possible.

-Paul

rhmass

I have the exact Motorola phone and the same car 06 330i and had never experienced your problem. The only time the phone was disconnected was when I took the car in for the transmission software update and afterward the phone wouldn't connect. The technician told me when they downloaded the software, they couldn't isolate it to the transmission software, but the whole set-up for the car. After they "reinitiated" the phone connection, it has worked flawlessly since.

bdkinnh

cdnpinhead,

The link appears to be incomplete (shows as "www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=...rsfo&search=BMW"). Going to the site and searching for "BMW" finds it, though.

cdnpinhead

Yeah, sorry about that. I tried it after I posted, but had waited long enough that I couldn't delete it. The complete URL, which works fine for me is:

making BMW 3 series video (long & in german)
http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=...rsfo&search=BMW

I tried highlighting the whole thing and using the Url button below, which obviously didn't work.

Edit -- well, now I'm even more mystified. The URL in this message doesn't work, but the same URL (copied & pasted) in an Outlook message works fine. Maybe there's a poster more computer-literate than me (wouldn't be hard) who can fix this.

Sorry for the confusion. If you can get to the video, I think you'll find it interesting.

max_anderson

Someone else asked the same question, but I thought I'd give it a shot. How much cargo space is there in the 325 ix wagon? Is it extremely tight? I love this car, but I have a large dog and a soon-to-arrive baby. I'm fighting the need for a wagon, I don't want another SUV, and refuse to succomb to a Volvo grocery-getter.

Unfortunately, no dealership within 50 miles of Chicago seems to have one in stock so I have to rely on owners for their impressions.

pat

Is this it: Making of an BMW E43 (sic)?

I think Microsoft is biting you; you are using IE, yes? Somebody (it ain't us, I assure you - I copied the URL and used the URL button below the post box and came up with that working link) is truncating the link - see the ellipsis in the middle of it? - and the fact that it works in an Outlook message means Microsoft can interpret it which means Microsoft has to be who mangled it. :mad:

Firefox works great.

cdnpinhead

Thanks for coming to the rescue, Pat. Bill & the boys have done it to us again. Even at that, I carefully looked at both of the URL's in two separate windows (at work--can't check again until tomorrow), and I could have sworn they were 100% identical. I'll check again when I get a chance.

Either way, watching a 3-series being bult was interesting to me. Now that the link works, it may be to others.

pat

The two links you saw may very well be identical - what I'm saying is that I think Outlook is able to translate the ellipsis into what it needs to be because IE is the one who truncated it, replacing the missing characters with the ellipsis. It's just a theory, but I didn't get an ellipsis when I did what I did without involving anything Bill has touched. The truncation that created the ellipsis is what broke the links you posted.

Firefox - you have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.

benschoen

I posted earlier, and for more on this topic see posts #s 3898, 5388, 5394, 5395, 5415, 5461, 5463, 5466, 5467, 5468, 5502, 5503, 5505, 5507. Some people has already been upgraded/fixed. Others are having to wait, including me. I called BMW today, I got an appointment next week, but they told me they have to get info and approval from east coast, so not to expect the problem to be fixed for a month! In summary: the phone (Motorola E815) works SOMETIMES -- most times, it gets stuck "searching for paired devices". I talked to the dealer's cell phone wireless expert, and he confirmed "premium package 2006 3-series without i-drive" have "bad bluetooth modules". There are more specifics in the posts above. Thanks to everyone who participated, and I hope this is a help to someone.

toons

I am one of many who are having bluetooth problem with 325i no i drive. My schedule is this Saturday 14. I'll post the result if this will confirm problem solving with the software upgrades.

By the way, the dealership is in Southern CA, Howthorn Blvd.

gadawg1

Hey All,
Sorry to shift gears (pun intended) a bit, but I found the first pic of the next 330Ci Coupe! I just thought some of y'all out there may be looking for the coupe as well.

The article says they aren't 100% sure if it's unaltered, but I'm sure it's not. I've been holding out for the new coupe, but I'm not totally sold on the proportions. I think the sedan may actually look a little better in this case...I guess I'll have to see it in person.

For what it's worth, wwww.leftlanenews.com is a great site for some of the most up-to-date automotive info around. Here's the link to the coupe's page...enjoy.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/13/2007-bmw-3-series-coupe-caught-with-no-di- - sguise/

GaDawg

jimbres

I can't say for sure because I don't have an E90, but I would guess that the answer to your question would be "no". Most CD players / changers have trouble reading CD-RWs.

Then again, why bother? CD-Rs are so cheap if you wait for sales & buy in bulk that using CD-RWs won't save you much money.

ivan_99

Broken link

here it is again

3 Series coupe

jaxs1

Looks "okay."

I think the new BMW coupe and sedan have less attractive styling than the last ones.
Just like the curent Honda Accord coupe vs the last Accord coupe.
Needs the "right color," sport package and 18" wheels just to look mildly attractive. Otherwise, they look awkwardly styled.
They messed them up. Even the interiors.

ivan_99

I initially thought that as well.

I loved the previous one and didn’t think any thing they, BMW, did could measure up. I compared photos side by side and really appreciate the new design…every time I see one now I crank my neck.

I now think it’s one of the best looking sedans around.

I even like the interior…

benschoen

Please let me know what happens, I'd love to know if they have a fix in "real time" rather than waiting for BMW NA back east to give directions...probably, they want to make sure they get compensated for doing the fix.

screwbluetooth

Sorry, been driving the car. I did 1500 minutes this week. My office is my car. I maybe did 150-200 pair ups that were flawless. The Service writer and tech did not refer it as the CIP20. They ran off a bunch of differnet numbers, but maybe referenced it in a different mode. I know they went to some internal BMW site and "boom" solved it in 2 hours. I didn't care as was very very happy. This is the best safety device in a car since seat belts. I can now function driving vs. fooling around.

screwbluetooth

Maddening is not the word I used and I got kicked off the forum. I've seen people cry on their verbal, (I swore), and you use maddening. I was a cop for 15 years and was the most easy going on the force of 42 officers. So, to tick me off, is extremely tough. I look at the posts and totally relate. I got to the point where I just left the car running (Minnesota in January) so it didn't un-synch. I think, 1 day that I did 5 errands and just left it running. I was to the point, where, take the (opps, can't swear) darn car to the criminals. "Maddening" was a very nice word. I did alot of research, iritated alot of people, called alot of people, complained alot.

My service is T-Mobile with a Razor phone. It would synch with no ryhme no reason.

I got the software upgrade. I talked to the Tech myself, went on the test ride. He said it was some TCU antenna mod issue. It did take 2 hours, but I don't care if it took 2 days as it completely solved my problem. Some people say it was CIP20, but I asked this guy, and he referred to a bunch of different codes. I questioned him, and he was on the ball, but said sometimes depending on if you are a service writer, tech, or sales person - the same thing is different numberwise. I feel for everyone, as I talk 3000+ minutes a month in the car. Hope all goes well.

Sorry, if I offended anyone on Dec 30th, but it irked me.

cdnpinhead

with the fact that the BMW3 is #1 on the list for my next car, at least for now.

Since I possess neither a cell phone nor an I-pod, it appears I'll have no issues whatever with the vehicle.

What's not to like?