[CapnCook]

Hi Guys,

I've had my 2009 LCI E91 Sport Manual for a few months now.

I'm really happy with the car, I love driving it (so much nicer than my E46) but I thought I'd share a few of the 'annoyances' I have found while I'm sitting here with nothing to do! Maybe some of you can offer some suggestions

1) The Start/Stop technology. I briefly had a VW Golf Bluemotion as a company car that had this feature and I almost always had it turned off. Since having it on my own E91 I have been keeping it on to see if I get used to it.

So far I'm not a fan, I can't see it saving me much fuel and it seems more of an inconvenience that a benefit.

For example, I'm taking my son to school this morning and just as I slow down to a stop at the lights, they change to green, so in a split second the car has already started to cut out but I immediately put the clutch back down and it springs back into life, but since the engine hadn't quite cut out; it made a weird noise like if you were to try and start the car with the engine already running. This has happened a couple of times and it was exactly the same in the Golf Bluemotion I drove previously. Surely this can't be doing the engine components any good.

It's also really annoying in stop/start traffic, and this is where you're supposed to benefit from it! At the McDonalds drive through while I'm in a queue of cars, it's constantly cutting out and starting as I edge to the front of the queue which doesn't sound that bad, but its just annoying!

I know I can simply press the button on the dash to turn it off, and I have done on a number of occasions where stop/start isn't appropriate. But the big question is, is it really worth the hassle?

I'd be interested to hear other peoples views on this, maybe its just me?

2) Fast Forwarding Long Audio Tracks. I do a lot of motorway miles and I often listen to a Podcast or Audio Book when I'm in it for the long haul and I'm loving just throwing them onto a USB stick and playing them simply through the I-Drive nav screen. However.... I have been listening to the Steve Jobs Audiobook which is about 14 hours in total split up into a few tracks. I don't plan of listening to the whole 14 hours in one sitting, but if I accidentally change or skip a track, it won't remember my place and will take me back to the beginning of the track. But then when you need to skip 3 hours into the track to get back to where you were, this is almost impossible to do. It skips in 5 second increments. Why is there no way to quickly navigate a track? The wheel on the i-Drive controller would be perfect for this?! It's so frustrating and I end up just writing the audiobook/podcast off rather than hold down the track skip button for 45 minutes!!

I hope someone can correct me and tell me that I'm doing it wrong, but I just cant see a way.

3) Keeping the windscreen clear. In every other car I have owned, you have had the option of blowing air onto the windscreen to stop it steaming up. I know mine has the 'quick demist' button that releases a small but loud typhoon that clears the screen in seconds, and so did all my previous cars. But the E91 has no option to blow normal air onto the windscreen to keep it demisted. For example in my E46/X5/Z4 I could have the 'Footwell', 'Dash' and 'Windscreen' selected, have my blower on setting 2 and it would keep the windscreen clear the entire journey. In my E91 sometimes I'm constanty demisting the windscreen, then 30 seconds later its misted up again. Am I missing something here?

4) Windscreen Wiper Speed. Admittedly I haven't read the manual on this one so I'm sure this is probably an easy one, but I can't work out how to adjust the wipers. For example at the moment my wipers are either off or on. I have messed around with the adjuster wheel on the indicator but it seems to do nothing at all, I just want to put the wipers on intermittent wipe, so it wipes the screen maybe every 15/20 seconds. This was a click of a button on every other car I've had, but on the E91 its either on constant, fast, or really fast.

I admit I'm clutching at straws at the last one just to find something I don't like about the car, because other than the points above I'm absolutely over the moon with the car. The MPG is great, it's quick enough for me, I love the look, the drive, and overall I'd say its best BMW I've owned so far.

Any thoughts/things to add guys?

[DuckySpud]

Point 3, I leave mine on auto with the air con on, that constantly keeps the screen clear. I used to have the same problem as you but this works fine now

Point 4, press the button in on the end of the wiper stalk, the switch that moves up and down controls how often they wipe

[CapnCook]

Ahh

Thanks Ducky, I'll give it a go!

[john-vfr]

+1 with ducky....exact same in mine.

[kayfaz]

1) The Start/Stop technology - I feel your pain, exactly the same issue. I've bought the coding cable of a forum member (which should arrive soon) to get this coded. Basically I want it to remember the setting when I press the 'off' button for when I start the car the next time so that I don't have to press the 'off' button every time I get into the car.

Saying that, it has become a habbit now...as soon as I start the car, first thing I do before setting off is to switch that annoying thing off!

+1 with Ducky on point 3 and 4

[Icekube]

im glad mine doesn't have the stop start

mine has auto wipers, which seem more annoying than just having variable intermittent... wish i could set an intermittent wipe speed!

[Jamie_E92]

agree with the above about the stop start.

cant say i've had an issue with skipping long tracks.

the ^ arrow on the left of the climate panel seems to keep my screen clear?

again, wipers, never had an issue.

------------------

My pet hate with the e92 is the fact you just can't sit 'low enough' as daft as it sounds i like to be sat on the floor, with the armrest actually resting the majority of my arm, not just the ball of my elbow. Had a courtesy F30 & sat noticably lower in that. Can't say its gonna make me wanna change the car but i do find it a bit of a let down i can't 'pimp' haha!

[AlwynMike]

Originally Posted by Icekube

im glad mine doesn't have the stop start

mine has auto wipers, which seem more annoying than just having variable intermittent... wish i could set an intermittent wipe speed!

You can - on mine anyway.
Just rotate the wheel on the stalk - the Auto program uses it as a basis when doing intermittent wipes (as well as being speed dependant too).

Heater: As on my previous E60, the BMW heating system is comprehensive and you can adjust it to do almost anything, so what do I do - it's in Auto all the time!

[makkan00]

I thought that this topic was specifically for E91 Annoyances.....

As I am in the market for E91. Bit disappointed to see that OP has mentioned annoyances to E9x family

[CapnCook]

Sorry Sam!

Although...You should be pleased to see that there are no E91 specific annoyances

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by CapnCook

Sorry Sam!

Although...You should be pleased to see that there are no E91 specific annoyances

Good to hear that mate. Thanks.

[Alex.J]

Originally Posted by makkan00

I thought that this topic was specifically for E91 Annoyances.....

As I am in the market for E91. Bit disappointed to see that OP has mentioned annoyances to E9x family

Yay e91 friend!!

Will we be welcoming you to the club soon?!

335d e91?!

[Digitalize]

If you're misting up after its cleared, might be worth putting a dehumidifying bag in the car, might be a lot of moisture in there.

Why not just split the book in to 30 min segments?

Don't have stop start.

Wiper, as said, although I wish you could do a custom time like you could in my old Fiesta.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Alex.J

Yay e91 friend!!

Will we be welcoming you to the club soon?!

335d e91?!

Alex
That was the plan. But been advised to go for 330d.
Difference b/w 335d and 330d 0-60mph is 0.1 sec. That is relevant to me as that is the speed where most of us drive.

Awaiting for some projects to finish and then based on the job, it will be 320d or 330d.

[Not a Diesel!!!]

[QUOTE=Jay325i;15285488]the ^ arrow on the left of the climate panel seems to keep my screen clear?

+1 this blows a air on the screen at whatever its set at without using AC. Couple of bars keeps it clear.

[m20b25]

Has the car had a replacement windscreen that's not 100% sealed?

Mine only fogs up a bit if it's belting it down and I've been out in it for a while. Keep the vents on auto but the fan speed manual.

My auto wipers are better now I reset the adaption. Hold the auto button in or the wiper stalk done for 10 seconds (can't remember which).

[CapnCook]

Originally Posted by m20b25

Has the car had a replacement windscreen that's not 100% sealed?

No it's still on the original screen, it's only bad when it's chucking down of rain, but in the last month that's been pretty much every day!!

Thanks for all the replies guys!

[330ray]

Number 3 is the top left hand button on the unit select auto and then push that and your away!

[parapaul]

Just a question re: no. 3.. Do you have your aircon on? You should. Apart from the first few seconds on a cold morning when I use the demist button, my climate controls sit on Auto everything. I never get steamed up, not even with a carful of kids straight out of the swimming pool or a wet dog in the boot.

If you have the AC on and you're still getting steamed up, then you have a problem!

[hey joe]

Like the OP says in 3), the front screen de-mist puts my fan on Full Blast. But I can then turn it down to a more sensible airflow on the usual fan speed switch.

What I don't know is this. In another diesel I drive (Toyota Rav4), the screen de-mist setting incorporates an electrical heating element to aid clearing the screen before the engine gets up to temperature. Does anyone know if BMW diesels have this feature ??

[CapnCook]

Originally Posted by parapaul

Just a question re: no. 3.. Do you have your aircon on? You should. Apart from the first few seconds on a cold morning when I use the demist button, my climate controls sit on Auto everything. I never get steamed up, not even with a carful of kids straight out of the swimming pool or a wet dog in the boot.

If you have the AC on and you're still getting steamed up, then you have a problem!

I don't have the AC on when it was misting up, but I did try the Auto Climate last night and it worked a treat. Admittedly I hadn't used the auto climate before. Usually my AC button doesn't get touched till summer!

I just love it toasty with the heaters turned up to max!

[m20b25]

My heater gets so hot it's almost too got to put your hand by the vent! Anyone else get that?!