[128Guy]

Originally Posted by Dechy

...
The way I somewhat fixed it, was make sure each profile had the "load profile menu on startup" (or whatever it's called), it's a wee bit annoying at first, but we got used to it, it's just an extra push of the iDrive knob (I don't like waiting for the "Accept" crap from the splash screen to go away on its own...)
...

The problem I had with this approach is that you need to get into the car and start it up before your settings go into effect. My wife is fairly short so her profle has the driver's seat up as high as it will go and almost as far forward as it will go, so it's very hard for me to even get in to turn the car on (my head hits the ceiling and I'm right up against the steering wheel).

Originally Posted by Dechy

...
Sad that nearly all my other cars did this with so much ease & never, ever got mixed up...

Yes, I really like the way BMWs drive - that's why I've owned so many over the last 20 years; but BMW really needs to hire some competent human factors engineers. Their navigation system is another example of poor ergonomics - the $200 portable Garmin GPS that I put in my GMC pickup truck is way easier to use than BMW's $2,000 system.

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by Zoo54924

I must be missing something. I have CA and profiles set on the iDRIVE as well. Lets say my wife was the last to drive the car. When I approach the car the next day, touch the handle to unlock, my seat position doesnt move. I would have to go into my "profile" on the idrive, select that, then I press 1 to get my seat position. What am i missing here? is there a simpler way?

Did you change the door lock settings to automatically revert to last seat setting?

[caesardog]

Originally Posted by Zoo54924

I must be missing something. I have CA and profiles set on the iDRIVE as well. Lets say my wife was the last to drive the car. When I approach the car the next day, touch the handle to unlock, my seat position doesnt move. I would have to go into my "profile" on the idrive, select that, then I press 1 to get my seat position. What am i missing here? is there a simpler way?

Yes. There is a setting in iDrive you may have to set (unlock -- last seat position or something like that).

[sfax]

Originally Posted by 128Guy

Like others who have participated in this thread, my wife and I have been struggling with this as well. She is much shorter than I am; so, of course, she needs different seat and mirror settings than me. Our objective is to have the driver's seat and the outside rear-view mirrors automatically set correctly for the person who is about to start driving the X3. When everything is set up as I describe below, the individual settings for a driver will go into effect when the unlock button is pressed on that person's (key) remote.

First, as others have indicated, the functioning of the seat memory buttons "[M] [1] and [2]" is completely independent of what BMW calls "personal profiles". Here I will only talk about how the "profiles" feature appears to behave in our 2012 X3 28i. (Note: You can set up three different personal profiles. There is also a "Guest" profile that I do not discuss here.)

After considerable experimentation, I concluded that various different answers in this thread each have pieces of the correct answer; but those pieces are context-dependent - hence the apparent contradictions in some of the replies. These context dependencies can be a bit tricky. There's certainly more to it than first met my eye. In my opinion the Owner's Manual is very incomplete and confusing; so let me take a stab at explaining how I think this system works.

First I'll explain how I set up two driver profiles, one for myself ("Jack"), and one for my wife, "Dee". In order for all of this to work, you must first associate each physical key (remote) with a separate profile.

Step 1. I took my key (making sure that Dee's key was not also in the car), got into the X3, and started it up.

Step 2. Using the iDrive, I selected "Settings", then "Door locks", and made sure that the "Last seat position is automatic" item was checked.

Step 3. Using the iDrive, I selected "Settings", then "Profiles". On the right-hand side I saw a list of three profiles each currently named "(-----)", followed by a profile named "Guest". You will see a check mark next to one of the "(-----)" profiles - that is the "current profile", i.e., the one that is presently "active" in the vehicle and that is associated with the key presently located inside the vehicle (in this example mine).

Step 4. I made sure the current profile (the checked one) was highlighed, then pressed the "Option" button. Then I selected "Rename current profile", and entered "Jack", then selected [Ok].

Step 5. I put the seat and mirrors in my preferred positions, and turned the engine off; then I got out of the car and used my remote to lock it. (I realize many other things are saved with each profile, but I'm only concerned with the seats and exterior mirrors here.) Note: Each time you lock the car, the states of the various settings, as they exist at that moment, are re-saved in the current profile (the one that is associated with the remote key in use.)

Step 6. I took my key into the house, left it there, brought Dee's key out to the car, and started the engine.

Step 7. Using the iDrive, I selected "Settings", then "Door locks", and made sure that the "Last seat position is automatic" item was checked. (Note: This setting, alomg with others, is saved with each profile, so you need to do this for each profile.)

Step 8. Using the iDrive, I selected "Settings", then "Profiles". On the right-hand side I made sure that the current profile (the one with the check mark by it) was one of the two remaining profiles still named "(-----)".

Step 9. I made sure the current profile was highlighed, then pressed the "Option" button. Then I selected "Rename current profile", and entered "Dee", then selected [Ok].

Step 10. With the engine still running, I had my wife sit in the car, and she put the seat and mirrors in her preferred positions. She then turned the engine off, got out of the car, and used her remote to lock it. This saved the X3's present state settings into her profile.

That's it - everything is now set up.

Our 2012 X3 does not have comfort access; and, at least without CA, you must start the change-to-a-different-driver process with the car actually locked, in order for the unlock button on the new driver's remote to invoke that new driver's profile.

So from now on (at least on cars without CA), if you want to maintain marital bliss, make sure that each driver locks the car each time after driving it - even if it's parked in a locked garage.

I hope others will add clarifications and make any necesary corrections to my explanations.

Jack.

Thanks for posting and I'm sure some people will find this very helpful but this is incorrect. You don't need to lock the car (or get out) in order to switch profiles. Just switch off the ignition and then press unlock on the other key fob. If you have lock settings set to last seat position automatic, switching the profile like this will immediately move the seat and mirrors

[128Guy]

Originally Posted by sfax

Thanks for posting and I'm sure some people will find this very helpful but this is incorrect. You don't need to lock the car (or get out) in order to switch profiles. Just switch off the ignition and then press unlock on the other key fob. If you have lock settings set to last seat position automatic, switching the profile like this will immediately move the seat and mirrors

Good catch. You are correct; it is not necessary for the car to actually be locked. When I tested this before I wrote my post, I somehow came to the wrong conlusion - must have been pushing the wrong button?

[Rodion]

Regarding profiles issue:

I do not have CA.

I do not have electric seats.

But I do have automatic dimming and folding side mirrors.

Now, with two different profiles I have created, the mirror position is not changed when opening with different FOBs and hence using different profile.

Or do I have to leave mirror adjustment selector to certain position? I have noticed that if it is on "left" position, my right hand mirror flips down when reversing.

Or is it, sadly, so, that mirror settings are not memorized in my set-up (no electric seats and no CA)?

[bluedevils]

even if the car is unlocked, when holding the handle to open the door changes profiles for me.

I manually set it to guest when I valet park. The profile is automatically linked to that key when they park it. When the valet gives me the car, I manually switch it to my profile and then my profile is linked to that key when I park it later. My idrive is setup to show profiles on start. This makes it easier to track what is going on.

We do lock the car most of the time and we do have the comfort access. I do not know if you have to lock the car for the profile and settings to be stored or just turn off the motor.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by Rodion

Regarding profiles issue:

I do not have CA.

I do not have electric seats.

But I do have automatic dimming and folding side mirrors.

Now, with two different profiles I have created, the mirror position is not changed when opening with different FOBs and hence using different profile.

Or do I have to leave mirror adjustment selector to certain position? I have noticed that if it is on "left" position, my right hand mirror flips down when reversing.

Or is it, sadly, so, that mirror settings are not memorized in my set-up (no electric seats and no CA)?

I thought that the mirror memory was packaged with the seat memory in the electric seat package so you wouldn't get it without electric seats - but hopefully someone else with no CA and no elec seats can confirm

[StepfordBMW]

I know this has been talked to death.

I understand what the profiles do, and what they store...but I have a few more questions to beat this dead horse.

1) Does each KEY have (3) profiles you can select from, or the CAR just has (3) you can select from?

2) Does each PROFILE have (2) different seat (MEMORY) settings; and to that end, does each KEY have (2) different seat memory settings? OR is it just (2) keys, with (3) profiles total, and no matter how many drivers, just (2) seat memory positions to choose from?

Our was ordered last week - it's in production, due to complete on 5/15, down from 5/16 yesterday. Premium, Tech, Premium Sound, Convenience, Activity, Cold I, HUD.

New here- thanks!

[sfax]

Originally Posted by StepfordBMW

I know this has been talked to death.

I understand what the profiles do, and what they store...but I have a few more questions to beat this dead horse.

1) Does each KEY have (3) profiles you can select from, or the CAR just has (3) you can select from?

2) Does each PROFILE have (2) different seat (MEMORY) settings; and to that end, does each KEY have (2) different seat memory settings? OR is it just (2) keys, with (3) profiles total, and no matter how many drivers, just (2) seat memory positions to choose from?

Our was ordered last week - it's in production, due to complete on 5/15, down from 5/16 yesterday. Premium, Tech, Premium Sound, Convenience, Activity, Cold I, HUD.

New here- thanks!

Each key fob has 2 saved setups (part of user profile): position 1 and position 2, as per the 1 and 2 buttons on the side of the driver's seat but it also remembers your last seat and mirror position too (so effectively 3 saved positions per key: 1; 2; and last) - there is also a guest profile in addition to this but I don't use it much so not sure on details

[StepfordBMW]

So if I use my partners key - and I select my profile from idrive- the buttons 1 and 2 are "my" 2 driving positions, correct?

Then he could use his key again an select his profile so 1&2 could be his?

Just asking because we carpool and usually don't take both keys with us. One stay locked up at home and then we usually just have one on the hook that one driver grabs on way out.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by StepfordBMW

So if I use my partners key - and I select my profile from idrive- the buttons 1 and 2 are "my" 2 driving positions, correct?

Then he could use his key again an select his profile so 1&2 could be his?

Just asking because we carpool and usually don't take both keys with us. One stay locked up at home and then we usually just have one on the hook that one driver grabs on way out.

I think so although I never switch profiles using iDrive because all you need to do is press "unlock" on the key with the profile that you want to switch to (when the ignition is off). In my case it's easy to see which profile is currently selected and if switching profiles is working because mrs sfax isn't 6'3" ;-)

[dudley07726]

I followed 128Guy's instructions in a earlier post. I have 1 profile for my wife and 1 profile for me. I made sure that the last seat position is automatic. She drives the car to the bus stop in the morning and locks it. I am the first one to pick it up from the parking lot in the afternoon. Opening it with my fob, shouldn't the seat go to my preferred position automatically? It stays in the position (closer to the steering wheel) that it was when she last used it and locked it. I have to press seat memory button #1 (which is my mine) to return it to my position. Am I doing anything wrong?