March 2011

Tech Talk

Technical Managers, Shop Foremen and Service Consultants field phone calls and countless questions every day that can inevitably be answered by just referencing the owner’s manual. Some things are more complex and not actually in the owner’s manual but can be found at www.bmwusa.com.
I know that you’re on your PC right now reading this, so if you click on the previously mentioned link we can do a virtual tour of BMWUSA.com.
When the screen comes up, hover your cursor over the “Owners” tab at the top of the page. The dropdown menu has a lot of information. Let’s click on the Owner’s Manuals entry. You will see just about every BMW here back through 2004. Just pretend that you have a 2007 550i sedan. Click on the 2007 tab, then hover over the 550i sedan selection. You will see in the dropdown menu that there are downloadable pdf files for the Owner’s Manual, Service and Warranty Manual, and the original Overview Brochure. There are also videos here……forty four of them to be exact. They cover everything from your remote keys to voice commands, tire monitoring systems, I Drive basics and even how to clean brake dust from the wheels. The most important one here (as I am asked so often) is “How to Pair your Bluetooth Phone”. This is an incredible amount of information at your fingertips. Very cool! There are also links to BMW Center Services and the one we use most often “Bluetooth Technology”. This link provides information on all currently tested phones by simply inputting the preferred carrier and brand of phone. There’s even information on connecting music devices to your vehicle.
Would you like some information on the older vehicles and BMW history? Move back to the top of the page and highlight the “Uniquely BMW” tab. Drop down to BMW Heritage and you will find links to just about everything to do with the history of BMW.
Now for my favorite tab…”Experience”. This is where the Media Gallery and Library of facts reside. There are a lot of neat and informative videos here, and even a direct link to the BMW Magazine. The latest news on BMW Racing and other BMW sponsored sporting events can be seen here as well. If you’ve ever considered visiting Germany and picking up your new BMW there, please have a look at the European Delivery link. Many of our customers have done this and it’s truly an experience of a lifetime.
So there you have it. www.bmwusa.com is a wonderfully helpful web site for owner’s information and for the enthusiast’s entertainment and knowledge. As always we are always here to assist your needs and questions so don’t hesitate to give us a call. Next month we are going to explore the advances of what we now refer to as Efficient Dynamics and how this works in the newer model BMWs.
Regards to all, Dr. Robert