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Screenshots of the hidden/secret menu [access to GPS speed too]

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99K views 46 replies 16 participants last post by  kendall993  
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#1 · (Edited)
To be honest even though there was one on my old E39, I always thought people talking about the hidden menu on the E60 M5 were being sarcastic.

But i decided to humor them and follow the instructions:
- choose main menu i-drive
- hold controller about 15 sec and than remove
- Turn the controller at 3 clicks on the right [rotate clockwise 3 clicks]
- Turn the controller at 3 clicks on the left [rotate anti-clockwise 3 clicks]
- Turn the controller at 1 click on the right [rotate clockwise 1 click]
- Turn the controller at 1 click on the left [rotate anti-clockwise 1 click]
- Turn the controller at 1 click on the right [rotate clockwise 1 click]
- Press the controller

Since it worked I thought I'd post some photos of information displayed on each screen, the POSITION screen allows you to click the "next 'button to see a few sub-screens showing satellite status etc. I know most of you have probably seen these screens but this is for the benefit of those who either didn't know it existed, didn't believe it was real (me) or don't have an E60 and are just curious.

Please note that nothing can be changed/enabled/activated/reset/etc in this menu it's purely informational unlike the one on the E39's that let you enable 3-D nav view etc.

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#6 ·
You can only access them on the POSITION screen, all other screens are one pagers. When viewing the position screen you push the i-drive controller to the right as if you were trying to access the Assistance window and that will highlight the next button in red as per the image then click the i-dive controller down.
 
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#8 ·
kees said:
Have you had the dealer do any software upgrades since delivery?

Quite possibly this could the software version loaded on your car...
Click to expand...

I skimmed through mine out of curiosity and it showed version number 2.6.6.

FWIW, I recently had a Progman upgrade to V25.
 
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#10 ·
Scoopz

do you mean "move" the button to left and right or just turn it ( like cycling through letters for input of destination) ?
 
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#11 ·
Sebring_NL I am assuming you are asking about how to access the next and previous buttons once you are in the hidden menu in which case just to clarify i mean MOVE it to the right not rotate it.

[If you were in the main i-drive home screen and wanted to access navigation you would MOVE it to the right, push it eastwards, etc this is what you need to do to jump to the Next button]
 
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#12 · (Edited)
Sorry Sebring_NL just re-read your post and I think you are talking about the initial steps to access the hidden menu:

- choose main menu i-drive
- hold controller [press it down as in towards the ground] about 15 sec and than remove
- Turn [rotate clockwise as if scrolling through letters] the controller at 3 clicks on the right
- Turn [rotate anti-clockwise as if scrolling through letters]the controller at 3 clicks on the left
- Turn [rotate clockwise as if scrolling through letters]the controller at 1 click on the right
- Turn [rotate anti-clockwise as if scrolling through letters]the controller at 1 click on the left
- Turn [rotate clockwise as if scrolling through letters]the controller at 1 click on the right
- Press the controller [press it down as in towards the ground]

Also note, if after holding it down for 15 seconds you come to rotate 3-clicks right and it offers resistance and doesn't "click" as if you are scrolling though letters then it has gone wrong, press menu, go back to the
main i-drive screen and start again.
 
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#13 ·
ok mate thanks

wout
 
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#14 ·
Thanks for the tip. It works exactly as you said.
 
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#15 ·
I tried the GPS today. I have V25 and it does not give real time value for speed. It can be obrained by changing windows, going to next and again to prev. AT one of these two points the measurement is recorded and shown.

As a side note, very likely just coincidence, the indicator light for automatic wipers died so did my i-pod nano which is no onger to play, even if disconnected from the car.
 
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#16 ·
Just tried this this afternoon..

Nice to know..Although not very useful..

BTW it does not work that way with the 7-series I-drive, it gives a menu ( that looks like a normal I-drive menu) with some settings for TV reception etc..

Wout
 
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#31 ·
Neil

It appears that the GPS readout of speed in the "white" screen mentioned in the first post of this thread does a sort of reset when one switched from "next" to "prev"...

All in all, not very useful, but I'll try the new method for GPS speed ASAP..Also nice if the revs show!

Funny that BMW continues to do these things, ever since the E34 M5, these hidden functions are there.

There are a lot of other shortcuts in other car manufacturers products, in order to for instance kill not-wearing-a-seatbelt reminders etc. Ford has a secret built in procedure in many cars to switch that off!

Thanks again for the great input mate, and BTW, did the thing with the rearend respray last year work out?

Wout
 
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#32 ·
You're right the speed does change:M5rev: when you flick between next and previous buttons but now we've got the new navigation hidden menu up and running this hidden section i-drive section seems useless, I would like it if it showed the software version but unless it's hidden amongst all those numbers I guess not.

I remember having to access a similar hidden menu on my E39 and friends E46 in order to enable "birds-eye view" for sat nav after updating to a more recent software version...yup you could update the software version by putting the update CD into the navigation slot and waiting a few minutes then simply inserting an unlock CD and away you go with the latest software including the radio, tv, bc screens, etc.

Why they can't put hidden gems in the BMW software to eradicate the seat-belt warning I do not know, but if anybody finds it I guarantee we'll be the first to know.

Oh by the way, the display of revs, etc is in yet another hidden menu :2: to which I will post instructions and photos tomorrow. Slightly more complex but I'll make an idiot-proofouich guide if possible.

Oh and the respray, I had a bump in the car park the other week which scuffed my bumper so I decided to ask the bodyshop to re-spray the work I wasn't happy with last week for free of course. I got it back a few days later without the dark lines and without the scuff (done as a gesture of goodwill) so my car is back in pristine condition! They even sent a flat bed to pick it up and take it away.
 
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#36 ·
scoopz said:
Why they can't put hidden gems in the BMW software to eradicate the seat-belt warning I do not know, but if anybody finds it I guarantee we'll be the first to know.
Click to expand...
I completely agree with you. I had mine eradicated in service area .
 
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#33 ·
Ok, just got back from trying your method.
Do I read the speed from the "GPS" menu or the "Position" menu? Both have live speeds, "GPS" shows a little slower than my speedo. "Position" shows dead on with the speedo.
"GPS" speed reading alternates speed with like 193m, which I assume is my position above sea level.
 
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