My First BMW and after a month, I have a few QUIRKS to share?

Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

So if some moron with a cigarette in his mouth tells you not to smoke because it's dangerous, does that negate the message?

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Actually, yes, it does.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Actually, yes, it does.

Then your sense of logic leaves a great deal to be desired.

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Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

Yeah, you're so right. Who needs those damn polar ice caps, all those species that I can't hunt or eat or clean air or clean water? That's all crap. Dow Chemical is my lord and master. If I want to run my car at WOT in neutral all day and muck up the air, that's exactly what I'm gonna do and I don't need no pinko, commy enviromental freak telling me different. Oil spills? What do I care? What are those water fowl doing for me anyway? Screw them and the clean air they rode in on. If I want to see nature I'll turn on the Discovery channel.

Enlightened attitudes like these are so refreshing.

Gotta love your moniker, GARBAJ. Kind of like the whole world is your personal GARBAJ heap, huh?

Liberals make me laugh.

Originally Posted by MSgtMel

And then there's the latest data from the new NASA satellite that shows even the environmental radical's most conservative global warming model is so far off it's a joke. That's why Gore went apoplectic in CO just the other week. There's some more smoke for your mirrors. Glass house and all that.

Have been looking for this information, any chance you could provide a link? I know that the first Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission failed to reach orbit back in '09 and the second is not due until '13. Is the data you are referring to from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft? I have seen some reports relating back from the early measurements, but could find nothing specific to CO2. Thanks.

The charming thing about the double push of the Start/Stop button is this: if you happen to have the brake (or on a manual car, the clutch) pedal pressed--and why wouldn't you, as you've just come to a stop -- the second press restarts the engine. There is something fundamentally wrong with a design that makes a control's operation depend on the state of something else that the operator controls at the same time for an unrelated purpose. In this case it makes the operator feel stupid or inept when in fact it is the design that's at fault.

Very true. I re-started my 528i several times in the first week I owned it. I've got the hang of it now.

Originally Posted by raleedy

The charming thing about the double push of the Start/Stop button is this: if you happen to have the brake (or on a manual car, the clutch) pedal pressed--and why wouldn't you, as you've just come to a stop -- the second press restarts the engine. There is something fundamentally wrong with a design that makes a control's operation depend on the state of something else that the operator controls at the same time for an unrelated purpose. In this case it makes the operator feel stupid or inept when in fact it is the design that's at fault.

But the brake interface isn't for an unrelated purpose. The purpose is to not allow the accidental starting of the vehicle. I'm on my 2nd BMW with push-button start, and yes, I made the mistake a few times. But generally speaking, how many people keep their foot on the service brake once they (supposedly) apply the parking brake, put the car in Park, and then shut off the engine?

One could argue that key-start ignitions don't have a brake pedal interlock. Yes, true. However, I think it's "too easy" to push the start button, maybe even a passenger (child in the car with the key-holding parent, etc.), so an interlock was deemed necessary for safety. It doesn't bother me.

Originally Posted by BobRBob

Thanks for the Earth Day rant Psych but I'm with Garbaj on this one.
Get the government out of my face.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like government building roads and highways, the heavily government-subsidized electricity grid for signals, government regulations for auto quality, government-designed rules for traffic and all the other things government has done to make cars and roadways possible,

you can always walk.

Neocons love to bitch and moan about "the government" but they love telling women what they can do with their bodies and heaven help anyone who even suggests taking away their Medicare or Social Security.

I think the term here is "cherry picking."

Or maybe it's just "hypocrisy."

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Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

Then your sense of logic leaves a great deal to be desired.

***Sent from the interwebs on technology that's way beyond my pay grade***

So says you. But you're fooling yourself if you believe otherwise. Tell me you would buy a diet product with an ad campaign featuring a person who's still overweight. Or a beauty product featuring an ugly person.

Sorry, that's just reality.

Originally Posted by L1Trauma

Driving is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like government building roads and highways, the heavily government-subsidized electricity grid for signals, government regulations for auto quality, government-designed rules for traffic and all the other things government has done to make cars and roadways possible,

you can always walk.

As someone with a heavy Civil construction background, the amount of waste spent in heavy Civil projects done by the government, not to mention the waste of government maintenance entities (State and local departments of transportation) is disgusting and greatly saddens me. And I have seen these first hand, both in working for and working with these entities.

There is a reason our infrastructure is crumbling and that new roads and highways are being built by private entities or public-private partnerships.

Originally Posted by markl53

But the brake interface isn't for an unrelated purpose. The purpose is to not allow the accidental starting of the vehicle. I'm on my 2nd BMW with push-button start, and yes, I made the mistake a few times. But generally speaking, how many people keep their foot on the service brake once they (supposedly) apply the parking brake, put the car in Park, and then shut off the engine?

One could argue that key-start ignitions don't have a brake pedal interlock. Yes, true. However, I think it's "too easy" to push the start button, maybe even a passenger (child in the car with the key-holding parent, etc.), so an interlock was deemed necessary for safety. It doesn't bother me.

It is a little cumbersome. When I'm stopped and turning the car off, I'm always conditioned to have my foot on the brake until the engine is no longer running (just in case). With this system, I have to press once, remove my foot from the brake and press again. Having owned the car for 7 months now, it doesn't happen often, but it does at times. I wish the E60's "long press" worked in the F10.

Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

Neocons love to bitch and moan about "the government" but they love telling women what they can do with their bodies and heaven help anyone who even suggests taking away their Medicare or Social Security.

I think the term here is "cherry picking."

Or maybe it's just "hypocrisy."

***Sent from the inerwebs using technology that's way above my pay grade***

This exactly proves my point above as to why parties need to be abolished. Anyone else hear "party" and think back to Communist Russia? Just saying.

In any event, I love how anyone who has anything bad to say about the government is automatically labeled a neocon. Pretty much the same as anyone who's pro government is automatically labeled a bleeding heart liberal.

There are shades of gray in life, even in politics, but the "parties" don't seem to allow that any more. If you watch Faux News you're a neocon. If you watch MSNBC you must be a flaming liberal hippie. Or so people would have you believe.

Please, give me a break. Apparently these people who believe these stereotypes think that you can't be pro-business and pro-life. That you can't agree with welfare but favor lower taxes. Just because one set of beliefs aligns with the "party" view of one party doesn't mean they all have to. The term is not cherry picking, it's called balance. You can not operate an entire program at the extreme. Life just doesn't work that way. At least not that well or for long.

Please tell me there's not plenty to bitch about in the government. That there's no need for reform. Because you know, last time I checked, the economy wasn't firing on all cylinders. But just because I believe that, does that mean that I think the government is failing? No.

And if you want me to believe otherwise, it's not hypocrisy. It's brainwashing.

Originally Posted by L1Trauma

Driving is a privilege, not a right. If you don't like government building roads and highways, the heavily government-subsidized electricity grid for signals, government regulations for auto quality, government-designed rules for traffic and all the other things government has done to make cars and roadways possible,

you can always walk.

Government has grown too big in both of our countries. That is my opinion. That doesn't make me an anarchist. Where did I say I didn't want government building and maintaining the roads? Hell, our grandparents built them and we can't even maintain them properly at tax levels unheard of in their day. Where is the money going? Much of it is wasted or used to create government dependency in huge swaths of the population.

As for AGW, there's precious little science in any of it, junk or otherwise. The scientific method is incompatible with government funding which always comes with an agenda. A politician in a lab coat is still a politician.

This is a BMW forum. I'm back to posting about BMWs.

By the way, where's GARBAJ when we need him?

He seems to have left the building.

Originally Posted by BobRBob

...This is (a) BMW forum. I'm back to posting about BMWs.

Agreed!

...But I would lastly like to say that good stewardship of the planet we inhabit is not a liberal agenda item. In fact, it's the most "conservative" thing we can do.

I'm unsubscribing from this thread now.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

As someone with a heavy Civil construction background, the amount of waste spent in heavy Civil projects done by the government, not to mention the waste of government maintenance entities (State and local departments of transportation) is disgusting and greatly saddens me. And I have seen these first hand, both in working for and working with these entities.

There is a reason our infrastructure is crumbling and that new roads and highways are being built by private entities or public-private partnerships.

That reason is that half of our government doesn't believe that government can do anything.

During my recent ED, I saw firsthand how infrastructure depends directly on the government giving a crap. German roads put ours to shame, and it's not because of private investment.

On topic, if you don't like pushing the button twice to turn off the car, push it once, get out of the car to the sound of your favorite music, and when you lock the car... it turns off.

Originally Posted by L1Trauma

On topic, if you don't like pushing the button twice to turn off the car, push it once, get out of the car to the sound of your favorite music, and when you lock the car... it turns off.

yeah, except why would I lock my car inside my garage? I don't do that, and besides, what's the big deal about double-push anyways?!

Originally Posted by gr8nrg

yeah, except why would I lock my car inside my garage? I don't do that, and besides, what's the big deal about double-push anyways?!

See my post above regarding foot on the brake and the possibility of re-starting the car.

Not a biggie, but just a quirk as noted by the OP.

Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

So if some moron with a cigarette in his mouth tells you not to smoke because it's dangerous, does that negate the message?

***Sent from the interwebs on technology that's way beyond my pay grade***

That's a fallacious argument and you know it.

In the case of the cigarette smoker, they know they made a mistake, and they are telling you from experience that it is the wrong thing to do. There is also years of solid science that proves that cigarette smoking is bad for you.

Al Gore and his ilk want you to follow a way of life that they feel is right. But unlike an addiction like smoking, he can easily choose to live a more meager life with a lower carbon footprint. While I don't expect him to live like a pauper in a box, I do expect someone in that position to not have a heated pool (in TN of all places), or fly on private jets. It would be nice of him to spend less than 30K/year on electricity. It would be easier to believe him that he still means well and believe the theories about AGW if there was science behind what he says that weren't totally negated by the improprieties unearthed in the ClimateGate e-mails. The science is NOT settled.

Well, let's get back to BMW. My 550 is waiting in Spartanburg for me to pick her up.

Originally Posted by Saberwalk

Have been looking for this information, any chance you could provide a link? I know that the first Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission failed to reach orbit back in '09 and the second is not due until '13. Is the data you are referring to from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft? I have seen some reports relating back from the early measurements, but could find nothing specific to CO2. Thanks.

Don't have a link off hand. Believe it was the CALIPSO bird that just sent the data back a couple/few months ago. If I recall correctly the first and best article I saw about this was at KurzweilAI.

Originally Posted by gr8nrg

yeah, except why would I lock my car inside my garage? I don't do that, and besides, what's the big deal about double-push anyways?!

Um, I've been doing it since several cars in my neighborhood were "violated" while unlocked in their garages. I have a side door to my garage which I suppose someone could get into easier than trying to raise the garage door itself. If they get in, I want it to be as difficult as possible to get into my car. That alarm is pretty loud.

I wouldn't leave my car unlocked in the garage. In fact, the garage is alarmed and so is the car when locked so it's double safe. It's so easy and fast to lock the car why wouldn't you?

Originally Posted by TOPVIEW

I have had my 535i about a month now. It is my first BMW and I am really begining to get used to it and LOVE IT! So dont misinterpret this post

A few quirks still have me miffed; compared to my 2088 Cadillac CTS I had previous

-no automatic door locks when I get out of the car

Turn off auto door locks in the iDrive

-putting a remote starter in is a nightmare and not advised (WInters are pretty cold in Germany, not sure how they missed this one?)

Blame the advanced BMW electrical system. The amount of wiring in these cars is staggering

-gearshift gets pushes up to go into reverse

I, too, was annoyed at first. Not the case anymore. It's second nature after 4 months

-rear view mirrors dont tilt down when in reverse, I have the camera package but cant see my wheels near the curb and I dont want curb rash!

Use top view and put mirror selector to the left. It will tilt down on reverse

-have to unlock my doors to get out of the car or else pull the handle twice

set it in the iDrive

-have to shut off my car twice for the radio to go off

No you don't. Hold down power button and it will shut off. If not, push it once, then push in key to eject. Radio turns off

-cant scroll through my radio pre set stations unless I click on them with the I drive knob and no controls on the steering wheel for stations

Set them to your 8 preset buttons. Scroll thru them by resting your hand on top of it

-Air Conditioning / heat always comes on when I start my car even though it was off when I parked

this annoys me too