[tony20009]

I did as soon as I got home. Mostly because many of the controls and buttons had changed from my prior 3er and because in the 14 years I drove the car, I never did figure out how to operate some of the functions on the car.

For example, the clock was only correct six months of the year. And I never had any idea what all those buttons down low actually did. That said, it didn't matter all that much either; I didn't buy the car for the buttons and gizmos.

1993 E36 console




E92 Console

[stevers314]

Skimmed it because I didn't expect the user controls to be much different from my E70.


Funny you mention those buttons. There is a woman at work with a E36 328i who asked me about this random beeping sound her car would make. I googled it and it ended up being the memo function. She thought the button stood for "memory".

[AgentAvalos]

nope

[techietaichi]

I sure did! Now ask me if I remember all that stuff.

[DC_Oldboy]

[walmark]

Haha, I know I'm special but I read it BEFORE I got my e93. Actually, I also compared several manuals for different MY to see what features I might be missing if I want to save some dough ;-)

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by techietaichi

I sure did! Now ask me if I remember all that stuff.

I suspect you remember the overwhelming majority of it. If you are like me, what you may not remember is the stuff you don't have to remember:

• Stuff you don't need to know because the folks who work on your car deal with it. Stuff like what oil to put in or how much exactly.
• How to access BMW Roadside assistance's phone number via the radio because there's a button above the mirror that'll do it for you.
• The specific volume of the trunk or gas tank, the exact amount of head or leg room, etc. because now that I own the car, it's irrelevant. Stuff/people fit(s) in there or doesn't fit; me knowing the actual dimensions won't change that fact. LOL

But there's tons of stuff in the manual that I do remember. I remember:

• how to operate the cruise control,
• how to adjust the seats,
• how to set radio stations,
• how to start the car,
• how to set the drive distance to empty warning indicator,
• what he Rest button does,
• where the power outlets are,
• what the various symbols mean when I see them on the computer display between the tach and speedo,
• how to make just the driver's door unlock when I press the roundel on the key fob, or
• how to make the climate control blow warm or cold air.

Odds are you remember how to do those things too. So you did in fact read the manual and probably remember tons of what you read. No need to sell yourself short.


All the best.

[Ninpo1]

I only skimmed the manual, but I did watch most of the videos on the BMW website showing how to operate many of the features in the E90.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by walmark

Haha, I know I'm special but I read it BEFORE I got my e93. Actually, I also compared several manuals for different MY to see what features I might be missing if I want to save some dough ;-)

Wow! I know I'd never have done or will do that. Partly because I just won't take the time to read the manuals that closely to find the small differences among all the stuff that is the same, but also because I am buying a car rather than any specific non-performance features it offers. So long as the driving position isn't just unbearable, I'll get over whatever gizmos aren't there. Suum cuique.

Plus, if you want to buy your car new, you don't always have the option of buying the current or prior year version. I wanted red seats, so I didn't have too much choice in the matter. I might have bought an E46, but when I was buying, there were no E46s available to me with red seats. So it didn't matter too much what other features the E46 had that I might have liked. Truth be told, I still prefer the E46's interior layout, especially that the window controls are in the center and the slight driver centric positioning of the central console.

All the best.

[walmark]

Originally Posted by tony20009

Wow! I know I'd never have done or will do that. Partly because I just won't take the time to read the manuals that closely to find the small differences among all the stuff that is the same, but also because I am buying a car rather than any specific non-performance features it offers. So long as the driving position isn't just unbearable, I'll get over whatever gizmos aren't there. Suum cuique.

Plus, if you want to buy your car new, you don't always have the option of buying the current or prior year version. I wanted red seats, so I didn't have too much choice in the matter. I might have bought an E46, but when I was buying, there were no E46s available to me with red seats. So it didn't matter too much what other features the E46 had that I might have liked. Truth be told, I still prefer the E46's interior layout, especially that the window controls are in the center and the slight driver centric positioning of the central console.

All the best.

Well, the driving position and the seat color are actually not in the manual ;-)

The reason why I did read it is because I actually care a lot about features and "buttons" - 80% of my commute is in heavy traffic where creature comforts matter a lot more than performance. That's why I was looking at BWM/Audi; if I just wanted barebone performance with little comforts I would be looking at an old Lotus or Vette ;-) And yeah, I buy used, so difference in features between MY matters. So I wanted to know what modes are there on ACC, what is the difference between e90 and e93 in speaker distribution, how to tell if the car has Logic7, PDC, etc. Where did the heated seats buttons migrated over the years, and which year stopped offering the REST feature (which I was addicted to after many winters in my Saab 9-5).

The only thing I didn't figure out ahead of time (and I was very disappointed to find that out) is that if you option sport and sport steering wheel, it can no longer be heated, even with the cold weather package Non-sport cars with the standard ugly wheel and cold weather package had a steering wheel heating button on the column - which I missed greatly over the last couple of days

[pk_]

I probably should have, but I googled anything I questioned...

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by walmark

Well, the driving position and the seat color are actually not in the manual ;-)

Touche

Originally Posted by walmark

The reason why I did read it is because I actually care a lot about features and "buttons" - 80% of my commute is in heavy traffic where creature comforts matter a lot more than performance. That's why I was looking at BWM/Audi; if I just wanted barebone performance with little comforts I would be looking at an old Lotus or Vette ;-) And yeah, I buy used, so difference in features between MY matters. So I wanted to know what modes are there on ACC, what is the difference between e90 and e93 in speaker distribution, how to tell if the car has Logic7, PDC, etc. Where did the heated seats buttons migrated over the years, and which year stopped offering the REST feature (which I was addicted to after many winters in my Saab 9-5).

The only thing I didn't figure out ahead of time (and I was very disappointed to find that out) is that if you option sport and sport steering wheel, it can no longer be heated, even with the cold weather package Non-sport cars with the standard ugly wheel and cold weather package had a steering wheel heating button on the column - which I missed greatly over the last couple of days

That's all good. Doing it means you'll get pretty much just the car that you want. That's a good thing.

I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I don't care if you did all that research; more props to you for having done so. I just know I wouldn't put that much effort in. You're grown and I figure you know what matters to you and how to go about making sure you buy the right vehicle for you. I respect that. I was just writing to have a dialogue with you. I think we're good; I just wanted to make sure you don't think I was "pokin' " atcha.

(I have a very different viewpoint regarding folks that can't seem to decide for themselves whether to buy style X or style Y of a wheel, or color X or color Y, and who post questions on here as though they can' figure out the pros and cons on their own, or that the choice will make a meaningful difference. I have to say sometimes I wonder how some B-posters manage to get dressed in the mornings. Do they only have one thing to choose? )

Sidebar:
I knew I should have written that reply using an indefinite pronoun instead of a personal pronoun because the instant I don't, folks think I am referring specifically to them rather than just in general. Of course, that is the point of an indefinite pronoun versus a personal one. So it's my fault.

All the best.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by pk_

I probably should have, but I googled anything I questioned...

+1

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Ninpo1

I only skimmed the manual, but I did watch most of the videos on the BMW website showing how to operate many of the features in the E90.

That's cool. I didn't know until your post that those videos exist.

TY for sharing.

All the best.

[upstatedoc]

You know what's funny about the manual is that there is a lot of information about our cars that is not in there. Like when you pull back on the cruise stalk it slows the car down like you are reversing thrusters.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

You know what's funny about the manual is that there is a lot of information about our cars that is not in there. Like when you pull back on the cruise stalk it slows the car down like you are reversing thrusters.

You could well be right that it's not in your manual and you could be right that there are things not noted in the manual. My manual, however, does discuss how one can increase and decrease the speed in one mph increments or in 5 mph increments.

I take it you are one of those folks who only looked at the pictures? (just messin' with you)

All the best.

[Bobby_Sardells]

I have driven E46 (2005-2008), E90 (2008-present)

Surprisingly nothing has really changed. Except the indash computer.

One thing that always baffled me was the secondary thermostat (between two front vents). Found out this just adjusts the face fan temperature. So you can have the car at 22C on a cold day, but have cool air blowing if your girl gets hot flashes

[spicytofu]

Does reading the cover count?

[AS4EX]

Every car from front to back. Don't read it all, but if I see something interesting, I'll read up. Never know what I'll find out about it.

All those button's on the older model, I believe you can pull them up in your e92 too. Just have to click a couple things and you'll have some options. So you haven't done away with them, BMW just hid them for you

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by E90Ryan

Every car from front to back. Don't read it all, but if I see something interesting, I'll read up. Never know what I'll find out about it.

All those button's on the older model, I believe you can pull them up in your e92 too. Just have to click a couple things and you'll have some options. So you haven't done away with them, BMW just hid them for you

That is probably so. Since I don't know what those buttons did on my E36, I can't say one way or the other.

This time round, however, I know how to access the various functions. I prefer the little turn signal push button method of getting to those function. Much better, easier, less intimidating and more intuitive for me than a phalanx of buttons.

On the other hand, my 95 year old father hasn't the first idea of how to access any of the functions (E92) besides the basics of heating and car driving (starting, accelerator, brakes, turn signals, wipers, and such). Even checking the oil is a mystery to him; he's on several occasions spent 20 minutes looking for a dip stick under the hood. Poor old man. LOL. That said, I hardly expect BMW to design for 80+ year old drivers.

All the best.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by spicytofu

Does reading the cover count?

Yes, I guess it does. At the very least it means you looked at one picture.

[GoRomeo]

I did a little and also watched the DVDs that came along with welcome package. Same night I bought it.