[RobinLegin]

I took my car to our local garage yesterday to have the wheels changed over to winter wheels with winter tyres. I got a call to say they could not start the car and there was a message telling them to use the manual system.
I had no idea what that was but fortunately I had a spare key which worked and enabled me to collect the car. I have since found out how to get home in an emergency 🆘 should the battery fail again. I have replaced the dead battery with new and bought another spare.

Might I recommend to all that they check this out on YouTube? There’s a key at the end of the fob which pulls out. This can be inserted under the fixed part of the door handle on driver’s side. Remove the plastic cover and you can insert the key to gain access.

Once in you can start the car by placing fob with dead battery next to an area on the steering column casing marked with a key, and pushing the start button in the usual way.

I also discovered that I can close the boot / trunk with my key fob.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by RobinLegin

I took my car to our local garage yesterday to have the wheels changed over to winter wheels with winter tyres. I got a call to say they could not start the car and there was a message telling them to use the manual system.
I had no idea what that was but fortunately I had a spare key which worked and enabled me to collect the car. I have since found out how to get home in an emergency 🆘 should the battery fail again. I have replaced the dead battery with new and bought another spare.

Might I recommend to all that they check this out on YouTube? There’s a key at the end of the fob which pulls out. This can be inserted under the fixed part of the door handle on driver’s side. Remove the plastic cover and you can insert the key to gain access.

Once in you can start the car by placing fob with dead battery next to an area on the steering column casing marked with a key, and pushing the start button in the usual way.

I also discovered that I can close the boot / trunk with my key fob.

Yes, it is in the manual but I wonder how many have read it. A useful post.

[Glen e]

Bmw should put a neon yellow card on top of the owners manual that has information like this. Possibly like where the battery is, where the spare tire is (if there is one) and this stuff. And yes we know your salesman should go over this on delivery, but we all know that’s not gonna happen 100% of the time. Or even make it a hang tag that’s in the car when it’s delivered.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by glenersly@mac.com

Bmw should put a neon yellow card on top of the owners manual that has information like this. Possibly like where the battery is, where the spare tire is (if there is one) and this stuff. And yes we know your salesman should go over this on delivery, but we all know that’s not gonna happen 100% of the time. Or even make it a hang tag that’s in the car when it’s delivered.

Disagree with the statement that the salesman should go over this on delivery. Also, then you are now into having a yellow card for everything. As we say in the UK "RFM".

Originally Posted by MJE60

Yes, it is in the manual but I wonder how many have read it. A useful post.

Yes.

[Glen e]

Yeah well I totally disagree with you. There are certain safety aspects that should be stated right up front, somewhere… On every car…The salesman should do it for his own self preservation to avoid getting bad CSI. At least in the United States 30% of their salary based on CSI, I wouldn’t take the chance if I was a salesman, Which I was.

[SDriver18i]

Originally Posted by RobinLegin

Might I recommend to all that they check this out on YouTube? There’s a key at the end of the fob which pulls out. This can be inserted under the fixed part of the door handle on driver’s side. Remove the plastic cover and you can insert the key to gain access.
:

My dealer went over this when I first got the car and again when I went to see them 1 year after AND again went I recently went to update the software. Kinda weird to see that people didn't know this.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by glenersly@mac.com

Bmw should put a neon yellow card on top of the owners manual that has information like this. Possibly like where the battery is, where the spare tire is (if there is one) and this stuff. And yes we know your salesman should go over this on delivery, but we all know that’s not gonna happen 100% of the time. Or even make it a hang tag that’s in the car when it’s delivered.

So based on your opinion something as small as the battery key requires a yellow card at the front of the manual? What about driving with flat tyres, amongst a myriad of other equally important things? Please give over and read on...

Originally Posted by glenersly@mac.com

Yeah well I totally disagree with you. There are certain safety aspects that should be stated right up front, somewhere… On every car…The salesman should do it for his own self preservation to avoid getting bad CSI. At least in the United States 30% of their salary based on CSI, I wouldn’t take the chance if I was a salesman, Which I was.

Disagree all you like. That is what forums are all about. Every person who purchases a car be it a BMW or any other car, and, as you know over the years, this runs into millions has an opinion (just as yours is) on what is important to them and what is not. This also applies to the salesmen.
All manufacturers including BMW give this information in the manual and highlight when it is in their opinion safety-critical or important or whatever it is in the manual. I have seen people say on this forum that something is not safety-critical when it clearly is and stated as such in the manual.
If you are what you claim to be (was a salesman) you would know all this and not make a statement about your self-preservation being a factor in what you did when you handed over a car to a customer.

Statement over except to say "READ the F*****G Manual".

[rice_rocket88]

I think what is more surprising is that the place changing your tires didn't know this. With almost all keyless fob cars there is a similar backup system with an physical key and you can either hold the dead fob near the ignition and in some cases there's even a place to insert it. Well now you know, so keep it in mind!

[RobinLegin]

When I bought my Mercedes-Benz E320 cdi estate in 2006, the salesman did talk me through what was what before I drove away. I was only given limited information when I took delivery of my BMW. Certainly not what to do about a failed fob.
I know it’s in the manual but in an emergency does one really have time to read it? I did read the manual 3 years ago but frankly forgot. I also now know the fob battery should be changed every two years. M-B used to do it whenever the car went in. My BMW only saw the dealer for a failed interior LED bulb a week into ownership, and then again this last December for a fluid change. The dealer did not suggest changing the battery fob or ask if it might need changing. Hey ho.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by RobinLegin

The dealer did not suggest changing the battery fob or ask if it might need changing. Hey ho.

Perhaps he expected you to read the manual? The same as you would for keeping the tyres inflated and resetting the low-pressure warnings! Also, of course, there is the reading about the washer, brake and coolant fluid levels and so on and so forth.
No, I am not being facetious, just being pragmatic when it comes to owning and running a car. To my mind and I passed my test in July 1960, the first thing you do when you purchase a car is to read as much of the manual as you can when you can. Then at least you have a chance of operating it correctly.
Enough said and I will repeat it again. Read the F*****g Manual.

[ttimbo]

Calm down, Peter_R ! RTFM is a rather impatient, trite piece of advice regarding the operation of motor vehicles in 2021.
For many people new to BMWs (or, indeed, similar marques), there are significant differences in features, functions and complexity, as well as differences in process flows relative to, for example, VWs, Nissans, Hyundais or Renaults.

As for the dealership experience, well as they so often say "your mileage may vary". When we took delivery of our X1 in early 2016, the sales person knew my wife would mostly drive it, and arranged for the "BMW Genius" to give us both a 90 minute introduction to the car. It was very good — yes, I knew much of what was explained — but for my wife, many of the complexities of the car were explained and demonstrated, such as collision warning and lane-keeping, as well as to always run the a/c and climate control to avoid musty smells. And, yes, that the "key" is mostly a "remote", the battery of which would run down, but not to worry because "this" (explanation followed) is the emergency procedure to unlock and start. And so-on. I was very grateful for this, because I knew my wife — a highly intelligent scientist — will NOT read a car manual (it should "just work, like the appliance it is" &#128580 and would call me when something doesn't work 😩

Yes, everything comes with a manual. And "it's all common sense". But car manuals are rarely great literary works; they're not an easy read; and often, they are organised with different system thinking in mind to that of many drivers, it seems.

For this reason, manufacturers in many fields are now implementing "customer experience" processes alongside design, engineering and other technical processes. This ensures outcomes more closely meet design objectives from the perspective of the user. A simple change is the production of the "Read Me First" sub manual, or a "Before You Start" guide.

BMW and other marques now have online manual, which — of course — can quickly identify what to do in particular circumstances — except where you cannot access them, due to be locked out of the vehicle (and unable even to read the printed manual). So, I reckon there's a very solid case for better "handover" instructions — maybe not 90 minutes — but at least the salient points around critical elements such as the keys, tyre changing ("call road service" is all I'll tell my wife), warning lights and so-on.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by ttimbo

Calm down, Peter_R ! RTFM is a rather impatient, trite piece of advice regarding the operation of motor vehicles in 2021.
For many people new to BMWs (or, indeed, similar marques), there are significant differences in features, functions and complexity, as well as differences in process flows relative to, for example, VWs, Nissans, Hyundais or Renaults.

As for the dealership experience, well as they so often say "your mileage may vary". When we took delivery of our X1 in early 2016, the sales person knew my wife would mostly drive it, and arranged for the "BMW Genius" to give us both a 90 minute introduction to the car. It was very good — yes, I knew much of what was explained — but for my wife, many of the complexities of the car were explained and demonstrated, such as collision warning and lane-keeping, as well as to always run the a/c and climate control to avoid musty smells. And, yes, that the "key" is mostly a "remote", the battery of which would run down, but not to worry because "this" (explanation followed) is the emergency procedure to unlock and start. And so-on. I was very grateful for this, because I knew my wife — a highly intelligent scientist — will NOT read a car manual (it should "just work, like the appliance it is" ��) and would call me when something doesn't work ��

Yes, everything comes with a manual. And "it's all common sense". But car manuals are rarely great literary works; they're not an easy read; and often, they are organised with different system thinking in mind to that of many drivers, it seems.

For this reason, manufacturers in many fields are now implementing "customer experience" processes alongside design, engineering and other technical processes. This ensures outcomes more closely meet design objectives from the perspective of the user. A simple change is the production of the "Read Me First" sub manual, or a "Before You Start" guide.

BMW and other marques now have online manual, which — of course — can quickly identify what to do in particular circumstances — except where you cannot access them, due to be locked out of the vehicle (and unable even to read the printed manual). So, I reckon there's a very solid case for better "handover" instructions — maybe not 90 minutes — but at least the salient points around critical elements such as the keys, tyre changing ("call road service" is all I'll tell my wife), warning lights and so-on.

Calm down What are you on about? I am not wound up and it is not in your remit to tell me what to do. I am just stating the obvious what the majority of people need to do with a new/replacement car. You have chimed in with yet another opinion and said nothing new. In fact you have said what is obvious and is exactly the same as I said without a long diatribe, also you seemed to have spent a long time trying to be the authority on everything that is obvious. The answer still is....

Procedures and items that are simple and obvious and important to one person are totally unimportant and irrelevant to another. Along with that each salesperson has a different opinion. That is the same for the average BMW Geniuses in garages. Many BMW garages have stopped using them because they just cannot digest and cover many of the different models that are available anywhere. Added to that, each one has an opinion on what they think people need to know on vehicle handover.

So I repeat....

[ttimbo]

@Peter_R, I'm suggesting you calm down because the dull essence of all your posts in this thread has been to imply people are somewhat self-deficient because they've failed to read the manual. As far as additional evidence, I pointed out that in some cases — especially that of the OP — it is not always possible to RTFM because it is simply not accessible, physically or via iDrive.

May I suggest also you do some reading on "cognitive biases"; there are other perspective, you know.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by ttimbo

@Peter_R, I'm suggesting you calm down because the dull essence of all your posts in this thread has been to imply people are somewhat self-deficient because they've failed to read the manual. As far as additional evidence, I pointed out that in some cases — especially that of the OP — it is not always possible to RTFM because it is simply not accessible, physically or via iDrive.

May I suggest also you do some reading on "cognitive biases"; there are other perspective, you know.

@ttimbo
I would suggest you stop making inappropriate comments about my replies and stick to the facts of the thread that people need to read the manual. As I stated previously, it is not in your remit to comment about me and what you wrongly interpret about my response, so please resist your urge to comment on such things.

If people operating modern cars do not have a manual, then they should take all steps to obtain one, because that is where all manufacturers promulgate the information to operate their vehicles.

Thank you

[ttimbo]

@Peter_R — you make a good point — apologies for any offence.

Now, please keep your own words above firmly in mind for future posts, and perhaps reread some of your earlier contributions, to which you've received adverse reactions.

These forums should always be civil places, addressing issues not people. Because of the textual basis, this requires a heightened sense of awareness and deeper sensitivity to the implications of any thread response to ensure it is neither unintended arrogance nor implicit criticism of a participant, rather than merely a factual assessment of the issue. Move on.

[AUS_Tin_Pusher]

Well said.

Arrogance and criticism we don't need; it discourages people from posting.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by ttimbo

These forums should always be civil places, addressing issues not people.

Exactly. Please take a page out of your own book. It would not have reached this stage if you had not openly criticized me by name and my wording! Naturally, I responded back, because up to this point I had NOT criticized you or any other poster by name. I even agreed with a previous poster that we all had opinions. Please note. My wording of RTFM is NOT being impatient, whatever you say. It is used frequently in many forms on other forums, and not just where cars are discussed.
Anyway, all forums are rife with misunderstandings especially because the same words have different meanings across continents. Such as pissed in the UK means drunk but the same word in the US has a totally different meaning. Also, you cannot see the inflections/moods of the poster. I also think it is best to ignore something you do not like as long as they do not openly attack you. @ttimbo. Now let's move on.

[RobinLegin]

All,
I was only sharing my experience as I thought it might be helpful to others. And not all manuals are easy to understand. It took me a whole day to understand all the info for my wife’s Golf SV.
The manual for my Triumph Stag is much shorter and simpler, but then again there’s a lot less sophistication in everything.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by RobinLegin

All,
I was only sharing my experience as I thought it might be helpful to others. And not all manuals are easy to understand. It took me a whole day to understand all the info for my wife’s Golf SV.
The manual for my Triumph Stag is much shorter and simpler, but then again there’s a lot less sophistication in everything.

It was a helpful/useful post, many people may have forgotten the detail or not rtfm and those that already knew get the warm glow of superiority (joke, no rants please), well done and thanks.