iDrive update question
 

i have an '08 E70 and i have 2 questions:

1. has anyone had their iDrive updated from the brown colored motif to the newer blue colored menu screen/ motifs? (see pictures below) and if so does the menu architecture change?

2. what is the best complaint to give my service guy so that he would do the upgrade? are there any Service Bulletins specific to any known problems?

thanks

The newer iDrive came from a different supplier, with all new hardware, and a new controller.

Any software updates were only to fix bugs, not to add features.

You would have to tell your service guy you want to buy a 2010 model.

1) I'm pretty sure mine is blue but as you can see from picture 2 that is the upgraded I-Drive so the upgraded I-Drive may be the only one with the better graphics

2) When they updated mine it was due to freezing issues

Hang on a moment. He's not talking about the CCC to CIC update.

The CCC idrive had several 'updates' during it's life. One did include a overhaul of the user interface. In a effort to improve performance the color pallet used was reduced ... Hence menus got a new color amongst other stuff.

Tell your service advisor that your display brightness setting doesn't get remembered if it's set to something else from default. Or say idrive reboots itself at random times ... Just make anything up.

well i did what you guys said and my service manager is said he'd update all the electronics in the car tomorrow, iDrive, transmission and a bunch of other stuff which i didnt know could be updated.

what else can be updated through software?

i will report the changes.

How does the look of the updated CCC iDrive look compared to the original one? I mean, how can you tell?

Should notice the main menu changes from brown color to more a grey-ish. Less colors are used throughout all the displays.

I'm not convinced this update ever applied to the E70 though since it came out after this update was done to the CCC idrive across the other models. But maybe early 07 got the older style interface.

This might help

Getting my I-drive upgrade - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum - E90Post.com

Cool, thanks. I just want to know what to look out for when I get my 2008 E70. I can't remember what background colour it had but I'm pretty sure it was grey. :-)

ok i took my 08 E70 4.8i in today and had the software updated and here's what I learned.

1. BMW software updates apply to the entire car's software not a particular system individually ie. iDrive, transmission, etc. when the software update is applied, it changes all the software components of the vehicle to the most up to date version.

i had originally complained of a jerky transmission and when i received the update for my transmission, all other systems were updated as well.

2. there was no change to my iDrive's appearance. the color scheme was brown and it still is brown. I never had any issues with my iDrive so i havent noticed any appreciable functional difference.

the only difference i did discover was that my navigation has changed. the perspective view now displays more information and has an "updated" appearance ie. roads of different size appear differently, etc. it's hard to describe it but the nav definitely has changed.

3. my "adaptation" was reset. apparently the software has a capability to adapt the transmission to the drivers driving style. resetting the adaptation allows the car to re-learn your driving style and that apparently can improve transmission response.

this is especially helpful if you've purchased the car used and hence are a completely different driver with possible different driving style/ aggressiveness.

i do notice the transmission to be a bit smoother but it's not a big change.

--- i have no real complaints with the car except for the transmission. the 4.8 V8 has a lot of torque and it's my opinion that the transmission is not successful at making gear changes seamlessly, especially at low speeds.

this is most evident in coming to a stop. at below 5 mph the transmission shifts into 1st gear which i think is the problem. the brakes have difficulty stopping without a jolt and subsequent sending the car in a forward to back rocking motion.

i believe when the transmission is in "D" the car should only downshift into 2nd gear at the lowest. this would allow less torque to be delivered to the wheels and thus both a smoother stop and a more gentle launch when the brake is released.

perhaps downshifting into 1st gear could be reserved for "SD".

this problem seems to be addressed however not by transmission software updates, but by the fact that the 2011 models have a 7 speed transmission as oposed to my vehicle which has 6 speed.

anyway, my two cents.