Daytime driving lights

[rtastad]

Does anyone know if I nee to go to a bmw dealer to get my daytime lights turned ON

[GeorgeT]

Yes. Dealer has to reprogram the computer.

GT

[jragan]

Most independent shops can also do the work for much cheaper than the dealer will charge.

[gearl]

One of BMW little secrects buy a car with daytime running lights but know one ask you even when purchased new if you would like that feature turned on. I wonder how many other companies charge you to turn on a feature you paid for to have on your car? Whats next would you like the radio enabled? I just traded in my 2006 z4 3.0i for a 2006 3.0si and made dam sure as part of my trade that all these features you can have preprogrammed into your car activated they way i wanted them so that i did not get charged for a seconde trip back. Love my car but sometimes the things the dealer charges for are insane. How about charging you to rotate your tires even after buying a replacement set from the dealer how many tire companies charge to rotate your tires none that i know. They will not even do it when it is part of the service such as checking your brakes. This is when i had a 2002 z3 of course the current car you cannot rotate the tires anyway.

[MinneapolisJeff]

I remember going through a checklist when I bought my E46 brand new...daytime running lights, door locks, etc. were all on the list

I think they wanted $50 or $75 to reprogram?

[scottyD]

My dealer wanted to charge me $60 to change a few settings. They changed stuff on my car without asking at a previous service (daytime running lights) and they never asked me when I bought the car what settings I wanted. Just tell them that you know other dealers give you at least one free change, and you would hope your dealer would, too. They won't want to lose a customer complaining about such a minuscule amount.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by rtastad

Does anyone know if I nee to go to a bmw dealer to get my daytime lights turned ON

Did you buy the car in the US? On Canadian cars you can't turn the daytime running lights off, so if they are off you should have them fixed under warranty. The Canadian Z4s use the headlights themselves for daytime lights, not the halo rings used on the US cars.

[Shipkiller]

When I get around to it, I want to turn my DRL's OFF. I hate them....

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

When I get around to it, I want to turn my DRL's OFF. I hate them....

+1, not a fan of them either, had those disabled and the triple turn enabled when I purchased, they didn't charge me but mentioned that subsequent changes would be $60 per visit.

[Matty C]

It should have been set up when you picked up the car. My experience is that the dealer will change settings with no charge at all.

[Modad]

I called 3 dealers to check charges for turning on the DRL's. Prices were $55, $105 and $160! The $55 quote is 200 miles away. I'll look for an independent, thank you....

[chickdr]

I just had mine in for a service and changed a few settings- added the 3 blink signal and auto locking at 7mph. It cost me 57.00 I believe. I also think dealers should do one for free when the car is purchased. My dealer had no idea the 3 blink option existed. Why it wouldn't be a standard setting is beyond me.

[gearl]

Originally Posted by chickdr

I just had mine in for a service and changed a few settings- added the 3 blink signal and auto locking at 7mph. It cost me 57.00 I believe. I also think dealers should do one for free when the car is purchased. My dealer had no idea the 3 blink option existed. Why it wouldn't be a standard setting is beyond me.

It is also amazing to me that the sales people act like they do not know anything about having to setup certain features on your brand new car. Give me a break just like buying a fifty thousand dollar car or more and then they ask you oh would you like floor mats Oh they are they are not included. Yeh two floor mats are going to kill BMW.

[MinneapolisJeff]

Originally Posted by Modad

I called 3 dealers to check charges for turning on the DRL's. Prices were $55, $105 and $160! The $55 quote is 200 miles away. I'll look for an independent, thank you....

$160?!? Holy crap, that is extortion...then again, I just bought a front license plate bracket this weekend for $50

[BlackSapphireZ]

"Free" if you talk to them right.

[jojodivo]

Dealers are full of it. It seems that the service advisors come preprogrammed to maximize profits for the dealership regardless of any sort of ethical concern for fairness or desire to be helpful, i.e. price variances like $55, $105, $160. BMW NA probably cant help with this one but the dealerships seem to respond totally differently when they are having to explain their unnecessary charges to a relatively independent insider.

[jragan]

Capitalism is the American way.

[scottyD]

"Free" if you talk to them right.

I agree.

[Modad]

I think the prices reflect the competetive nature of the market: The $160 quote was from a Little Rock dealer, so pay it or drive 2 hrs to Memphis. The $105 was from Northwest Arkansas dealer; a little closer to the Tulsa dealer that priced it at $55. And Tulsa has to compete with the Ok City market.
Larger metro dealers know better than to price themselves "out"!

[gizmo83]

Is there a list somewhere of what can be programmed. So if I go to get something programmed I can get it all done in one shot?

[jragan]

Originally Posted by gizmo83

Is there a list somewhere of what can be programmed. So if I go to get something programmed I can get it all done in one shot?

Did you notice we have this fancy FAQ section?

[jragan]

Originally Posted by jragan

Did you notice we have this fancy FAQ section?

Sorry, I bounce back and forth between different Zed-related forums and posted on zpost like I was on bimmerfest. You should be able to find an appropriate FAQ here: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7 .