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BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing)
The following letter published in the July ‘07 Car & Driver pretty well sums up my adverse feelings towards BMW's engineering "refinements." Your readers should be aware that the refinement of BMW now includes only speedo, tach, gas, and mpg gauges for instruments. All other [calculations aren’t shown.] During my time with a 328i, an oil can dripping into what looked like water flashed on the screen several times. I learned this was the “add oil” indication. Unable to find the dipstick to check, I went to the dealer. They advised me there is no longer any dipstick in the BMW 3-series except the M3 and that the transition started in 2006. There have been a few hiccups with this new engineering breakthrough. The sensors occasionally malfunction, and customers have added oil when they shouldn’t have. I was told the proper way to check the oil is to return the car to your BMW dealership and it will put the vehicle on a rack, drain the oil, measure it, and then reinstall the oil in the car. Two dealers have told me BMW doesn’t want customers monkeying around under the hood. In my judgment, this new technology paradigm by BMW electrical engineers surpasses iDrive for idiocy.
Richard A. Wittenburg
N. Syracuse, New York So now BMW wants us to make an appointment with the dealer in order to confirm the oil level if we doubt the sensor. They’ve got to be kidding. Sensors go bad a lot. Not having a backup dipstick for an engine's life blood is asking for trouble. I love my BMW but I cannot see a new BMW in my future unless they bring back necessary items such as temperature gauge, oil dipstick, spare tire, etc. BMW: Are you listening? Do you care? | | Reply » BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing) |
e46 ftw
| | Reply » BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing) |
I love how the Germans trust electronics so much. I wonder if BMW buyers in Germany accept this new lack of instrumentation and self-diagnosis stuff.
| | Reply » BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing) |
Be thankful it is'nt Lucas Electrics you need to "rely on".
| | Reply » BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing) |
Quote: | Be thankful it is'nt Lucas Electrics you need to "rely on". | 
| | Reply » BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing) |
There was a thread related to this on the E90 board a couple days ago, here: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=207152
My contribution:
Quote: Anybody who has owned any sort of recent BMW long-term (I'm talking at least a couple years beyond warranty expiration) knows that one of the most common problems you can expect on ANY model or ANY engine is a sensor failure. O2 sensors, exhaust cam sensors, thermostats and the like are liable to go out on you at any time. Actually, it's fairly common to have at least a handful of sensor failures while still under warranty. Replacement sensors generally cost between $60 and $100 apiece, though they can be installed fairly easily by a half-competent DIYer.
With this knowledge in mind, how can anybody support the wisdom of replacing a simple and effective physical dipstick with yet another sensor? As a convenience feature it only works on paper and it is certainly NOT any more reliable or accurate - and thus introduces further complexity for no good reason whatsoever. Quite frankly, I have no desire to spend $60+ to check my oil levels when the sensor inevitably fails. | One particular response which openly reflected what many on the E90 board seem to think (though many others, thankfully, think otherwise):
Quote: | Only the mentally challenged would complain about the lack of a dipstick. 30K here and no issues with the e-sensor. RTFM. | Let them have their sensors. They'll learn soon enough - or they'll keep buying into the marketing line, convinced that the company always has their best interests in mind. I know of some who have begrudgingly accepted some of the "progress" made on the E90, but even they are nearing wit's end with BMW's recent push to "rethink" automotive design. I'm sure there are some out there who think that reinventing the wheel (i.e. turn signal stalk) was a brilliant idea. I'm sure the guy behind me on the A3 outside Frankfurt am Main while I was "experimenting" with this "feature" on my rented 1 series thought otherwise.
I know it's hard to criticize a new car you've just purchased, because cars (especially with those who tend to populate boards such as this) are just as much of an emotional investment as a financial one, but it's far better to keep an open mind and take the good with the bad. It's almost too easy for me, because my BMW honeymoon has been over for years.
I also pointed out in the same thread my opinion that these recent decisions are largely marketing influenced: it's almost impossible to imagine tradition-minded Germans completely re-thinking the way they do things just for the hell of it.
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BMW's engineering refinements (not always a good thing)