Hello! We just purchased a 2006 325xi as my wife's main car. She really loves the car, so much so that her Cadillac CTS is rarely missed. Not a trivial thing! We have a driveway full of cars, all of which I maintain. This BMW has me puzzled about a few things, so I'm hoping that someone out there will be wiling to get us going in the right direction. First, when the car is first stated, we get a red "service" indicator. Going through the menus, I see a "car on a lift" graphic in red that indicates overdue. All of the sub-indicators are current, though. What is it trying to tell me? Next, the service engine soon light will come on for a day or so every now and then, then go out. Are these cars more sensitive to fuel variations / temp, etc than less engineered cars? This leads to... Third, it's clear that I'm going to need a code reader / reset tool. Near as I can tell, the Peake units are nice but won't reset the CBS system in this car. It looks like the Bavarian unit is the best overall choice, but at $287 would like to solicit others' experiences. Fourth, we live near Wichita, KS. We use Eurotech for the other cars for repairs with good results. There is a Bimmer only shop in town that has a good reputation. The dealer in Wichita does not have a good rep. If anyone out there has any experiences that would be helpful. Finally, I used to live in Germany and understand their pragmatic approach to everything, but no dipstick?!? How is that helpful? All kidding aside, I'm really pleased with this club and am always happy to be among car people. Regards, Frank White
Hi Frank- welcome aboard- I'm pretty new here myself...as to your dipstick question, that befuddled me also with my first BMW, an '08 328i. Growing up under the "shade tree mechanics" school, I missed the stick ALOT. Sure, there was a "high tech" electronic graduated gauge that would come up on the info display telling me about the oil. I still missed the stick. But when I traded in the 328 for my new 335(d), there it was! And man, does that diesel crankcase oil look black. Oh well, that's for the other forum. I'm sure you'll like your new car, dipstick or not. Welcome again.. rr-der
Oh my God!!! Not the CAR ON THE LIFT graphic!!!! Oh you poor guy..... Did you get the dollar sign graphic too? It looks like this: $$
No $$ yet. Probably soon... Oddly enough, your comments aren't comforting. Suppose we'll see how this plays out.
Diesel Yep. My 2009 {expletive deleted} TDI Sportwagen oil looks hideous after about 2500 miles, with 7500 to go. Forget what you know about gassers and let it look hideous...it's working fine. That's why it's $8 a quart!
Welcome to the funhouse! Hmmm: I wish I knew more about the service lights in modern BMWs! Try sending a query to Mike Miller at Tech Talk (click here). Meanwhile, I agree that there seems to be a certain amount of sarcasm that isn't exactly solving your problem, now, is it?! Generally, we're a pretty friendly, helpful bunch---and glad to have you among us!
got manuals? If your car didn't come with manuals, check out www.bmwusa.com, go to Owners at the top of the page, and click on Owner's Manuals - they have manuals and videos of info. I know that in my '08 manual there is a pretty good explanation of all the lights and icons.
I have a Bavarian Technic code reader - I bought the 'enthusiast version,' with only one VIN - It cost me $99. It allows for code reading, as well as resetting the CBS data. It has proven itself invaluable.
Another highly recommended purchase, if you even think about doing DIY work Purchase a Bentley repair manual for your car. It explains nearly everything you could possibly want to know about servicing your vehicle. These manuals are not cheap, but they easily pay for themselves typically with the money saved from your first repair. http://www.bentleypublishing.com
Thanks for that. I'm guessing the single VIN choice is buried on their website somewhere. I only found a three VIN version for $287. They must figure they're worth about $100 per VIN? Thanks!
We do have all the books. I finally figured out that the light in question was the general service, which seems to have a similar icon (car on a lift, says 'service' underneath) to a severe error. In any event, I was able to reset it and all is well. Near as I can tell, everything on the list was inspected when I had our regular import car mechanic go over the car pre-purchase. In general, I'm starting to get used to the BMW method of informing the owner of it's condition. Sure is different from...well...everything else I've owned thus far. Thanks!
