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      02-20-2012, 02:39 PM   #23
erv.walter
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
So it supposed to hook up to your GPS too and know which post codes are safe? What about if you park in a dark car park late at night? What about if you live in a dodgy area? Not sure how strangers are more likely to jump in when on the road driving than they are when parking somewhere. Much better and safer to let the driver decide whether it's safe to unlock IMO
I sort of understand your point, but I still don't agree with it. Sure, I don't think it would be good to unlock when the car goes into park, but that isn't the only option some have been talking about.

In my last car and in my wife's current car), the doors unlocked when I opened my door (and I didn't have to pull twice to to that, btw--not sure the point of that). In that circumstance, I don't understand the extra security risk of unlocking the doors. I just opened my door, so bad people can get me if they are lurking.

And the argument that we should all train ourselves with the muscle memory to just push the central locking button every time we stop the car also defeats the point of them not being automatic. Either I do it every time out of habit (in which case, it may as well have been automatic), or I have to think about it every time and it is an extra cognitive step that is frustrating to some of us.

All we are asking for is an option. It doesn't have to be the default behavior.

Last edited by erv.walter; 02-20-2012 at 02:49 PM..
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      02-20-2012, 02:45 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
Much better and safer to let the driver decide whether it's safe to unlock IMO
Safer, there's no question. Better, I'm not sure I understand.

I'll admit, this is one of those nit-picky things that bugs me (and I think I've quoted a short list some time ago, but I digress), but it's sorta stupid that this option isn't available. I guess Germans are hoping we never want to leave our cars? I can't come up with a good reason to leave the option out, honestly.

That said, it's becoming a muscle memory thing to unlock after parking. I would be nice to have one less step to think about when getting out of the car.
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      02-20-2012, 03:01 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by erv.walter View Post
I sort of understand your point, but I still don't agree with it. Sure, I don't think it would be good to unlock when the car goes into park, but that isn't the only option some have been talking about.

In my last car and in my wife's current car), the doors unlocked when I opened my door (and I didn't have to pull twice to to that, btw--not sure the point of that). In that circumstance, I don't understand the extra security risk of unlocking the doors. I just opened my door, so bad people can get me if they are lurking.

And the argument that we should all train ourselves with the muscle memory to just push the central locking button every time we stop the car also defeats the point of them not being automatic. Either I do it every time out of habit (in which case, it may as well have been automatic), or I have to think about it every time and it is an extra cognitive step that is frustrating to some of us.

All we are asking for is an option. It doesn't have to be the default behavior.
Fair point. I agree and I've changed my mind a bit. The car knows when the door is being opened from the inside so this action could be deemed enough for the driver to know it's safe and it's distinctly different to someone pulling the door handle from the outside. I was talking more about people saying it should automatically unlock when in park. The double pull is because the first pull unlocks and the second pull opens but if it's the driver's door being opened by the driver, there's an argument for one pull unlocking and opening together and if you could set this in iDrive this would be a good bit of functionality.

It would be good if there was the equivalent of a BMW suggestion box for this kind of thing. I have a long list of improvements for the iDrive interface...
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      02-20-2012, 03:05 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by roundtree View Post
Safer, there's no question. Better, I'm not sure I understand.

I'll admit, this is one of those nit-picky things that bugs me (and I think I've quoted a short list some time ago, but I digress), but it's sorta stupid that this option isn't available. I guess Germans are hoping we never want to leave our cars? I can't come up with a good reason to leave the option out, honestly.

That said, it's becoming a muscle memory thing to unlock after parking. I would be nice to have one less step to think about when getting out of the car.
Agree it should be customisable. The more customisations the better IMO. I still think the default mode should be the safest and you can then customise to change the behaviour to suit
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      02-20-2012, 03:48 PM   #27
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My other car is a 2010 Audi A4, and it unlocks all the doors when I open the driver's door. I didn't realize how convenient that had become until I got the X3. That the X3 is incapable of doing this has been a continual irritant, and evidence that it's not as much a German thing as a BMW thing.

What's more irritating is that this isn't a mechanical issue, but a programming issue. Every one of the different options which everyone here has mentioned could be a configuration option in iDrive. That's what iDrive is all about: options. It should be completely up to the driver.

One other thing which annoys me is the double-pull to open the driver's door. This is my first BMW, so I don't know if all BMW's have been like this for a long time, but I think it's utterly unnecessary. At the very least, there should be a switch to make it a single or double pull. Please don't tell me it's a "safety issue." That's absurd. I'm the driver. If I'm so impaired or incompetent that I'm accidentally opening the driver's door, then there are a lot bigger safety issues than the door.
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      02-20-2012, 04:01 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by caz681 View Post

One other thing which annoys me is the double-pull to open the driver's door. This is my first BMW, so I don't know if all BMW's have been like this for a long time, but I think it's utterly unnecessary. At the very least, there should be a switch to make it a single or double pull. Please don't tell me it's a "safety issue." That's absurd. I'm the driver. If I'm so impaired or incompetent that I'm accidentally opening the driver's door, then there are a lot bigger safety issues than the door.
The first pull unlocks the door, the second opens it. This is configurable, in a backwards sort of way. In iDrive, if you disable the setting that automatically locks the doors when you drive off, then the doors will open with a single pull - unless you manually lock them with the dash button.
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      02-20-2012, 04:02 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by caz681 View Post
My other car is a 2010 Audi A4, and it unlocks all the doors when I open the driver's door. I didn't realize how convenient that had become until I got the X3. That the X3 is incapable of doing this has been a continual irritant, and evidence that it's not as much a German thing as a BMW thing.

What's more irritating is that this isn't a mechanical issue, but a programming issue. Every one of the different options which everyone here has mentioned could be a configuration option in iDrive. That's what iDrive is all about: options. It should be completely up to the driver.

One other thing which annoys me is the double-pull to open the driver's door. This is my first BMW, so I don't know if all BMW's have been like this for a long time, but I think it's utterly unnecessary. At the very least, there should be a switch to make it a single or double pull. Please don't tell me it's a "safety issue." That's absurd. I'm the driver. If I'm so impaired or incompetent that I'm accidentally opening the driver's door, then there are a lot bigger safety issues than the door.
I agree re. making more things options in iDrive but the double pull thing does make sense if you consider the first pull is an unlock and the second an open. You only need one pull if the door isn't locked in the first place. I'm not sure why one pull on a locked door should open it. How is it locked if that is the case? I guess it's then locked only to people opening from the outside and this could be customisable. I've had my X3 for a year now and got used to it but I can see why it's annoying to some
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      02-20-2012, 04:21 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by caz681 View Post
My other car is a 2010 Audi A4, and it unlocks all the doors when I open the driver's door. I didn't realize how convenient that had become until I got the X3. That the X3 is incapable of doing this has been a continual irritant, and evidence that it's not as much a German thing as a BMW thing.

What's more irritating is that this isn't a mechanical issue, but a programming issue. Every one of the different options which everyone here has mentioned could be a configuration option in iDrive. That's what iDrive is all about: options. It should be completely up to the driver.

One other thing which annoys me is the double-pull to open the driver's door. This is my first BMW, so I don't know if all BMW's have been like this for a long time, but I think it's utterly unnecessary. At the very least, there should be a switch to make it a single or double pull. Please don't tell me it's a "safety issue." That's absurd. I'm the driver. If I'm so impaired or incompetent that I'm accidentally opening the driver's door, then there are a lot bigger safety issues than the door.
I think it is a safety issue. It's that way on all the doors, not just the driver's and I think it's a good feature. They've been this way on BMW's since at least 2003, dunno how much farther back.

Wish they did allow the "open on Park" option in iDrive for those of you who like that. If you really never drive/park in dodgy places, I can see how that might be tempting to use. Wouldn't ever use it myself, but seems like an easy option to add for those of you who would.
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      02-20-2012, 04:28 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
So it supposed to hook up to your GPS too and know which post codes are safe? What about if you park in a dark car park late at night? What about if you live in a dodgy area? Not sure how strangers are more likely to jump in when on the road driving than they are when parking somewhere. Much better and safer to let the driver decide whether it's safe to unlock IMO

+1

I've been living for years in some pretty high risk areas around the world, so I may have been "over conditioned" on this topic, but it just gives me the willies thinking of people driving along unlocked, or popping into a garage and throwing the locks open, or popping it into park at a light to take a jacket off and forgetting that all the doors will unlock. I like all the fancy features and automated things, but I feel like control over the locks should be more of a positive kind of thing. Configurable for those who see it differently or live in different circumstances, absolutely.
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      02-20-2012, 04:53 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahoa View Post
+1

I've been living for years in some pretty high risk areas around the world, so I may have been "over conditioned" on this topic, but it just gives me the willies thinking of people driving along unlocked, or popping into a garage and throwing the locks open, or popping it into park at a light to take a jacket off and forgetting that all the doors will unlock. I like all the fancy features and automated things, but I feel like control over the locks should be more of a positive kind of thing. Configurable for those who see it differently or live in different circumstances, absolutely.
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      02-20-2012, 07:03 PM   #33
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I agree it would be nice to configure that all doors unlock when you go into Park (though I would never set it that way) but I guess I'm having a hard time getting around how big of a nuisance this is when the central locking button is right there in the center console. But yes, having it's configurable would have been key to please all.
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      02-20-2012, 07:08 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahoa View Post
I think it is a safety issue. It's that way on all the doors, not just the driver's and I think it's a good feature. They've been this way on BMW's since at least 2003, dunno how much farther back.

Wish they did allow the "open on Park" option in iDrive for those of you who like that. If you really never drive/park in dodgy places, I can see how that might be tempting to use. Wouldn't ever use it myself, but seems like an easy option to add for those of you who would.
Up until now I've only owned 2-door BMWs. Knowing its been this way for so long is even more depressing, as it means BMW isn't listening to customers. If they did listen, they could certainly add choices in iDrive.

Two Chevys, a Toyota and the Q5 I just sold all had better locking protocols than my X3.
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      02-20-2012, 07:13 PM   #35
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Earlofessex, all those other cars that you owned before had the auto-unlock feature, did they have an option to disable it? If not, I'd hesitate to call the "better" since I don't think it's necessarily a better protocol.
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      02-20-2012, 07:28 PM   #36
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Are BMWs perfect? No, but they are consistently peculiar. Peculiar in how well they drive, how they use technology and how they even go about door locking with their central door lock button. I have heard people want door lock control on the doors and certainly BMW could do it, but then it would not be part of BMW's unique DNA as it exists for now. Personally, I like some of the oddities that I'm sure BMW considers intentional safety / performance features.
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      02-20-2012, 09:41 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earlofessex View Post
Up until now I've only owned 2-door BMWs. Knowing its been this way for so long is even more depressing, as it means BMW isn't listening to customers. If they did listen, they could certainly add choices in iDrive.

Two Chevys, a Toyota and the Q5 I just sold all had better locking protocols than my X3.
You're assuming people tend to agree with you and have been asking for that feature. Might not be the case.
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      02-20-2012, 10:11 PM   #38
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my 2003 audi opened in the same way as my x3. I had to double pull to open a locked door. Personally, I like it this way, but I understand about having the choice.
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      02-20-2012, 10:40 PM   #39
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My 2008 528xi used to perform exactly like the OP has requested. As soon as I opened driver side door all other doors opened. I never had to pull out the fob with the auto locking doors like I do in this car. Very noticeable when I get the kids out.

Mike
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      02-20-2012, 10:48 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by Nahoa View Post
You're assuming people tend to agree with you and have been asking for that feature. Might not be the case.
I'm clearly not the only person with this opinion. C'mon man!
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      02-21-2012, 12:08 AM   #41
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Ok, so you need a situation where the EofE way can defeat tragedy.

First off you've relocated to Los Angeles, CA...
Next, you have grampa and grandma* in the back seat and they're old, really old, maybe even a little cognitively impaired. You're in some bad part of town and someone throws a molotov cocktail at your car. Your X3 is engulfed. Fortunately, you get out on the second pull. Unfortunately, grampa and grandma are still in shock after the fire bomb {who wouldn't be?} and they've never been in a BMW so they struggle with the door handles and can't get out...

Now if BMW implemented your system they would have had a better chance of survival.

Of course, another scenario could happen as well...
You're in this same rough neighborhood {not sure why you're there given the previous story, but whatever} you made a wrong turn coming back from Disneyland, headed back to Cedars Sinai in BH. You're a volunteer for the Starlight foundation. This is the group that grants doable wishes to kids diagnosed with a terminal disease. Anyway you've got little Timmy and his twin sister Taylor in the back seat. Sadly, the docs diagnosed both with a rare stomach cancer**. The kids are really happy and exhausted from the Magic Kingdom and they're super thirsty. You pull over and stop at a Ralph's grocery store to get the kids some Vitamin Water. You put the car in Park, the doors unlock and some crazy lady swings open the rear door and grabs Timmy and runs. Holy sh-t! What are you going to tell their parents?!**

This may not have happened if the doors stayed locked as BMW intended.

So, there you go. Both scenarios have their positives and negatives.

* No worries,these grandparents aren't yours, you were carting a good friend's parents to a Podiatric appt. because you're a good guy. They both had bad feet and likely could not have escaped anyhow.

** Luckily, a good samaritan saw the "Timmy grab" and tackled the crazy woman inches before she reached her Ford Aerostar van. 4 weeks later the kids are found out to only be allergic to gluten and with a change in diet, they're both fine.

Happy endings all around, sort of.

Last edited by torzeck; 02-21-2012 at 12:16 AM.. Reason: spelling
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      02-21-2012, 07:04 PM   #42
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My X3 has been reading this post, and decided to fix itself. My rear driver's side lock stopped working, so now I can remove my jacket and briefcase without having to push the unlock button, and I've got a 75% chance of thwarting a car jacking because three of my doors lock automatically when I start driving. Nice compromise :-)
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      02-21-2012, 10:16 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by torzeck View Post
Ok, so you need a situation where the EofE way can defeat tragedy.

First off you've relocated to Los Angeles, CA...
Next, you have grampa and grandma* in the back seat and they're old, really old, maybe even a little cognitively impaired. You're in some bad part of town and someone throws a molotov cocktail at your car. Your X3 is engulfed. Fortunately, you get out on the second pull. Unfortunately, grampa and grandma are still in shock after the fire bomb {who wouldn't be?} and they've never been in a BMW so they struggle with the door handles and can't get out...

Now if BMW implemented your system they would have had a better chance of survival.

Of course, another scenario could happen as well...
You're in this same rough neighborhood {not sure why you're there given the previous story, but whatever} you made a wrong turn coming back from Disneyland, headed back to Cedars Sinai in BH. You're a volunteer for the Starlight foundation. This is the group that grants doable wishes to kids diagnosed with a terminal disease. Anyway you've got little Timmy and his twin sister Taylor in the back seat. Sadly, the docs diagnosed both with a rare stomach cancer**. The kids are really happy and exhausted from the Magic Kingdom and they're super thirsty. You pull over and stop at a Ralph's grocery store to get the kids some Vitamin Water. You put the car in Park, the doors unlock and some crazy lady swings open the rear door and grabs Timmy and runs. Holy sh-t! What are you going to tell their parents?!**

This may not have happened if the doors stayed locked as BMW intended.

So, there you go. Both scenarios have their positives and negatives.

* No worries,these grandparents aren't yours, you were carting a good friend's parents to a Podiatric appt. because you're a good guy. They both had bad feet and likely could not have escaped anyhow.

** Luckily, a good samaritan saw the "Timmy grab" and tackled the crazy woman inches before she reached her Ford Aerostar van. 4 weeks later the kids are found out to only be allergic to gluten and with a change in diet, they're both fine.

Happy endings all around, sort of.
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      02-22-2012, 04:32 AM   #44
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If it matters,
In the event of an accident I think the doors unlock automatically.
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