# 3-Series Easter Eggs



## 325xi_dc (Nov 24, 2002)

I pored over the owner's manual during a Thanksgiving roadtrip with my wife, and think I've discovered them all save two--an apparent pinhole sensor on the headlamp switch and an oddly shaped, black plastic object on the hat rack (next to the three child-seat latches). Any ideas what these are?

What about other easter eggs? I'm sure I missed some things.

Thanks.

<<10/02 build--no nav or sport option--otherwise loaded>>


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## geomax (Dec 22, 2001)

I'm pretty sure the pin-hole by the headlamp switch is a light sensor that auto dims the interior lighting. As for the other, no idea. :dunno:


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

Here is a good thread about E46 Easter Eggs.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44922&highlight=easter+eggs


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## paul330ci (Apr 26, 2002)

They are not easter eggs if they are documented. Most of the ones he mentioned are.


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

I had to post in that thread since there was a WSU fan


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

geomax said:


> *I'm pretty sure the pin-hole by the headlamp switch is a light sensor that auto dims the interior lighting. As for the other, no idea. :dunno: *


Actually this only works on the dash lights that are lit all the time (like the odo and radio).

At night, start the car in a dark place. Then grab the flashlight in the glovebox and shine it onto the 'dot.' You'll see the dash displays go full bright.


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## beauport (Jul 2, 2002)

geomax said:


> *I'm pretty sure the pin-hole by the headlamp switch is a light sensor that auto dims the interior lighting. As for the other, no idea. :dunno: *


Where is the headlight sensor that turns them on automatically when its dark outside (premium package equipped)?


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## Mystikal (Dec 20, 2001)

beauport said:


> *Where is the headlight sensor that turns them on automatically when its dark outside (premium package equipped)? *


The back of the rear-view mirror if I recall correctly.


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## visor (Sep 7, 2002)

There is one easter egg not mentioned in that list above:

Just before you gas up at the station, leave the key at "Acc" position, and toggle the OBC to "miles/km left to empty". Then watch the computer increment upwards as you fill up the tank.

:thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

visor said:


> *There is one easter egg not mentioned in that list above:
> 
> Just before you gas up at the station, leave the key at "Acc" position, and toggle the OBC to "miles/km left to empty". Then watch the computer increment upwards as you fill up the tank.
> 
> :thumbup: :thumbup: *


Actually its even more fun to put the instrument cluster into diag mode and watch the liter count of the 2 halves of the tank go up.


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## RKT BMR (Sep 7, 2002)

Not in the manual anywhere, and not really an Easter Egg, but a neat aspect of the climate system that I confirmed yesterday.

This is with the auto climate system, not the manual one. There's that warmer/cooler knob in the middle of the center vents that allows you to further tune the air coming out of those vents, providing a fine-tuning adjustment in addition to the temp setting on the system.

I always wondered if this was mechanical (i.e. simply adjusting a flap between heater core and A/C evaporator paths), or if it was a potentiometer providing a parameter signal to the IHKA system. In the 1.5 years I've had the car, the only action changing this dial has had is to make the air coming out of these two vents warmer or cooler. This would be the effect of a simple mechanical flap.

Yesterday, immediately after getting in the car, it was quite warm inside from sitting in the sun (even covered). The IHKA did it's normal thing to try and cool the car off. However, because the outside temp was around 60, and the sun was not particularly intense, I really didn't want to have all that cold air blasting in. So, I turn the adjuster knob to full warm (three red dots), expecting warm air to start coming out. Note that the engine was already warm from my drive to work just 2 hours earlier.

Didn't happen. In fact, what did happen surprised (and delighted) me: Adjusting the knob caused the amount of _airflow_ coming out of the center vents to vary! Full cold, they were blasting. Full hot, they were just blowing very gently. The air, however, stayed cold regardless.

So, the system did the right thing, based on the conditions of the car: I had the temp set to 68, and the actual interior temp was probably more like 80. The IHKA was trying to get to the setpoint, and wasn't going to blow any *warm* air into the cabin until it got close enough. But, in response to my demands about how I wanted to adjust what was coming at me above the waist for comfort, it had the right strategy to deal with the conflicting demands I was presenting through the various inputs to the system (comfort dial, temp setting, etc.).

I think this is really cool. The behavior of the system is much more sophisticated that I had originally thought.

Of course, after the interior temp started to get much closer to my setting, the air from the center vents gradually started to get warmer (and blow harder -- more in line with the side vents) -- at that point, turning the dial did the familiar thing of changing the air temperature, but not really seeming to affect the blowing strength.


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

That is pretty cool if that's really how it works. I'm going to look at my Bentley manual and see if I can find some deails about how that dial is wired.


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## RKT BMR (Sep 7, 2002)

robg said:


> *That is pretty cool if that's really how it works. I'm going to look at my Bentley manual and see if I can find some deails about how that dial is wired. *


I couldn't find anything specific in Bentley. Let me know if you do.

Unless I was dreaming, I can assure you that's how it really works. I was at first frustrated because the temp wasn't warming up, so I sat there with the engine running and played around with it for quite a while. There was no question that, in "cool the hot car down" mode, the IHKA was (significantly) varying the airflow through the center vents rather than the air temp when I adjusted the comfort dial.

Also, it wasn't modifying the blower speed -- that was staying constant. It was adjusting the servo controlling the flaps to those vents, which IIRC from Bentley, have 5 positions. I did notice that the airflow coming out of the side vents varied inversely to what was happening to the center vents (as you would expect, when you choke off airflow in one place, while keeping the overall CFM constant with the blower).


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## 325xi_dc (Nov 24, 2002)

I've learned a lot from the links and advice mentioned in this thread. Thanks much. But I still can't figure out what the plastic thing is on the hat rack, so, hopefully, you can see the attached photo of it. I looked in the trunk, and the mysterious object appears to be mounted above one of the Harman Kardon subwoofers. Perhaps it's a component of the sound system. Any ideas? Thanks.


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## AG (Apr 24, 2002)

325xi_dc said:


> *I've learned a lot from the links and advice mentioned in this thread. Thanks much. But I still can't figure out what the plastic thing is on the hat rack, so, hopefully, you can see the attached photo of it. I looked in the trunk, and the mysterious object appears to be mounted above one of the Harman Kardon subwoofers. Perhaps it's a component of the sound system. Any ideas? Thanks. *


Haven't seen that one before, but it looks like it lines up exactly with the shoulder strap of the middle seat belt, so I would assume its a mounting point for it.


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## paul330ci (Apr 26, 2002)

Bimmers have had that thing in the middle for a long time. It's whrere one slides the buckle from the middle seat belt when not in use. 

That way the belt doesn't flop around.


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## gray330 (Feb 21, 2002)

Anyone now what the round hole in the ashtray is for? It looks like a pen or pencil holder.


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## ruteger (Dec 31, 2001)

gray330 said:


> *Anyone now what the round hole in the ashtray is for? It looks like a pen or pencil holder. *


It's for snuffing out a cigarette.

FWIW, there are storage trays available from BMW that replace the ashtrays. However, they also eliminate the little red lights.

As a compromise, it's possible to remove the little 'cigarette snuffers' out of the ashtrays. The ashtray is made of plastic and the snuffers are made of metal. This gives about 1/2" extra space in the ashtray and also retains the red lights.

I guess removing the 'cigarette snuffers' is kind of an 'Easter Egg'...:dunno:


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## geomax (Dec 22, 2001)

About the vent control - very handy. But I just wish it were illuminated. At night, it's very difficult to see where it's set after you move it. 

I wonder if this is intentional. The less interior lighting at night - the better your night vision. In my former Audi A4, every switch, knob and button was illuminated. At night, the dash was lit up like a Xmas tree. Great for finding stuff, but also a little distracting.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

geomax said:


> *
> I wonder if this is intentional. The less interior lighting at night - the better your night vision. In my former Audi A4, every switch, knob and button was illuminated. At night, the dash was lit up like a Xmas tree. Great for finding stuff, but also a little distracting. *


With the dash dimmer turned up, its way too bright. I always drive with the dimmer turned all the way down, and I still think the gauges are too bright.


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