Unable to set radio stations, tune radio manually, or delete previous owner's stations

[Whereitis]

I'm becoming very frustrated with the stereo in my 2014 i3 Rex. I've only had the car a couple of weeks, but IMHO it shouldn't be this difficult to adjust the stereo. It seems to be the basic system, with no CD or satellite radio capability, and apparently only FM or AUX input. I plugged a flash drive into the USB port, but it doesn't seem to talk to the stereo. I guess the USB port is only for charging my phone, but it charges so slowly it's a waste of time. So what is it good for, if it will neither charge my phone nor let me play music from it?

My problem now is that the stereo won't even let me tune the radio manually, or set my own presets! I also want to be able to delete the previous owner's saved radio stations, but it won't let me do that either. A search of both Google and this forum for stereo owner's manual (and several variations of same) turns up ZERO and there's nothing in the car's owner's manual about the stereo. Am I supposed to only listen to the previous owner's stored radio stations? It seems like such an obvious and simple thing that anyone who buys a car will want to adjust the stereo, set their own stations, and manually change a station occasionally, yet there seems to be no way to do it. The left/right buttons on the far right end of the radio presets will only scroll between the previous owner's stations. What do I do?

 

[EvanstonI3]

Turn the car ON but don't step on the brake pedal when you do so
Go to iDrive
Choose SETTINGS
Choose OPTIONS
Choose DELETE PERSONAL DATA
Choose CONTINUE
Choose OK

All Personal Data will be deleted from the computer. That includes all Station Pre-sets

 

[Whereitis]

Turn the car ON but don't step on the brake pedal when you do so
Go to iDrive
Choose SETTINGS
Choose OPTIONS
Choose DELETE PERSONAL DATA
Choose CONTINUE
Choose OK

All Personal Data will be deleted from the computer. That includes all Station Pre-sets

Thank you for the quick reply, but there is no SETTINGS button in my i3 iDrive, and pressing OPTIONS does not give me the option you mention (Delete Personal Data). So your reply does not help me. Thanks anyway! Anyone else? Or would you like to try again?

My experience of your reply is a microcosm of my experience with this car in general. I tried to enroll in MyBMW, but the app keeps erroring out and telling me to go to the website. The website keeps asking for an activation ID that it says is in the email I got from BMW, but the email doesn't include any activation ID. I called BMW of N.A. and after some time on hold, someone came back and told me that the MyBMW program is only applicable to cars from the 2016 model year and newer. Which begs the question of why don't they post that information right there on the website so I won't waste my time or theirs trying to register a car that is not compatible?

 

[EvanstonI3]

Thank you for the quick reply, but there is no SETTINGS button in my i3 iDrive, and pressing OPTIONS does not give me the option you mention (Delete Personal Data). So your reply does not help me. Thanks anyway! Anyone else? Or would you like to try again?

That's from the Owner's Manual
You have to be in the Main Menu part of iDrive
When you get to the SETTINGS part of iDrive you click the OPTIONS button which is just below the physical Round iDrive Button.
Then you scroll down to find DELETE PERSONAL DATA
I just went out to my car to test this.

 

[EvanstonI3]

Also- 2014-2016 models are no longer eligible to use the MYBMW app because the 3G modem in the car can no longer connect in the USA as 3G service was discontinued in February 2022. You bought a 10 year old BMW, don't expect it to act like a brand new car.

 

[Whereitis]

That's from the Owner's Manual

In the Owner's Manual provided with my 2014 i3 Rex, I could find no information at all about the stereo. Perhaps you can tell me what page of the Owner's Manual this information is on? In any event, there is no SETTINGS button on my center console, and the OPTIONS button does not offer the menu option you indicated. Just sayin'.

 

[EvanstonI3]

In the Owner's Manual provided with my 2014 i3 Rex, I could find no information at all about the stereo. Perhaps you can tell me what page of the Owner's Manual this information is on? In any event, there is no SETTINGS button on my center console, and the OPTIONS button does not offer the menu option you indicated. Just sayin'.

page 24

 

[Whereitis]

That's good information, and I appreciate your providing it. Now I at least know why I can't connect to their system. If only I could tune the radio manually and set my own presets? I can do that in my 1986 Cadillac, so why not in my 2014 BMW?

 

[EvanstonI3]

From iDrive console choose MENU:


Now you are in the Main Menu and the screen should look like this:


Now click SETTINGS, then you get to another screen of "settings"
Ignore them and click the OPTION button on the Main Console:


Now you get this screen. Scroll down to DELETE PERSONAL DATA:

 

[Dutchi3]

You have to dig deep..... I've never seen those options in 10 years

 

[Whereitis]

From iDrive console choose MENU:
View attachment 1170

Now you are in the Main Menu and the screen should look like this:
View attachment 1171

Now click SETTINGS, then you get to another screen of "settings"
Ignore them and click the OPTION button on the Main Console:
View attachment 1172

Now you get this screen. Scroll down to DELETE PERSONAL DATA:

View attachment 1173

I truly appreciate your making the effort to locate the accurate process. Knowing to press MENU instead of the nonexistent "Operations" button was the key (along with knowing to ignore the second "Settings"). After I completed the process you described, I was able to delete most (but apparently not all) of the previous settings. I also found in "Display Owner's Manual" how to access the MANUAL radio station dial (using the iDrive wheel once you get there) and then (finally!) scroll to each of my preferred stations and long-press each preset while listening to the station I wanted. At long last, I was able to store the 8 FM stations I want in the 8 presets.

Figuring out how to correct other settings (such as how to get the LEFT/RIGHT arrows on the button to the right of preset #8 to tune to what I want, not to stations that are STILL present in some undeleted setting even after performing the "Delete Personal Data" operation as you described), and how to get the mirrors to reliably stay where I put them, can all wait for a different day. Learning how to configure a Profile for myself, Save it, and make sure any others are gone for good will probably take a third day. And so it goes. I'm old and cranky. Thanks again!

 

[Dutchi3]

At long last, I was able to store the 8 FM stations I want in the 8 presets.

You can also use the right scrollwheel on the steering wheel to scroll through the stations, then press it to activate. You will see the names of the stations in the front display.

 

[EvanstonI3]

If you have 2 key fobs, each will store different "profiles" that will cause confusion. Try and use the same key fob

 

[eNate]

If you have 2 key fobs, each will store different "profiles" that will cause confusion. Try and use the same key fob

^^This advice is KEY (pun intended) ^^ User Profile 1 is assigned to key #1 and Profile #2 to key #2, and this will cause presets, destinations, and mirrors to change.

also...

At long last, I was able to store the 8 FM stations I want in the 8 presets.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the 8 preset buttons are not just for radio stations but for oh so much more! They can represent favorite destinations to navigate to, they can cause "next turn" or "current track" to pop up on the side-by-side display, they can get you quick access to your tire pressure screen, they can dial a preferred contact, they can switch to Bluetooth source input, and yes, they can select radio stations as well. They're very versatile buttons.

In fact, rather than assigning each to a radio preset, you can assign one to bring up a list of presets and then use the scroll wheel to select, leaving the other 7 buttons free to assign to other tasks.

 

[Mondomensch]

Isn't there a separate "navigation entertainment and communications" manual? Looking at the i3 parts lists on BMW parts web sites, there's an owners manual and then that second manual.

 

[Whereitis]

^^This advice is KEY (pun intended) ^^ User Profile 1 is assigned to key #1 and Profile #2 to key #2, and this will cause presets, destinations, and mirrors to change.

also...


I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the 8 preset buttons are not just for radio stations but for oh so much more! They can represent favorite destinations to navigate to, they can cause "next turn" or "current track" to pop up on the side-by-side display, they can get you quick access to your tire pressure screen, they can dial a preferred contact, they can switch to Bluetooth source input, and yes, they can select radio stations as well. They're very versatile butto

In fact, rather than assigning each to a radio preset, you can assign one to bring up a list of presets and then use the scroll wheel to select, leaving the other 7 buttons free to assign to other tasks.

That sounds great, now if only I could figure out how to set up the buttons to do all those things

 

[eNate]

It's actually remarkably straight forward.

After you manually "do a thing," then simply hold down the button you'd like to assign it to and it will capture it as a macro.

So for instance, dive into your menu > vehicle > settings and find tire pressure (I don't remember exactly where it's buried). Select it so your tire pressures display. Next hold down the 7 button and tire pressures will be stored and come up whenever you press 7.

 

[JohnnyCakes]

^^This advice is KEY (pun intended) ^^ User Profile 1 is assigned to key #1 and Profile #2 to key #2, and this will cause presets, destinations, and mirrors to change.

Is there any way of telling the system "copy key 1 profile to key 2" or must you go through all settings with each key?

 

[JohnnyCakes]

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the 8 preset buttons are not just for radio stations but for oh so much more! They can represent favorite destinations to navigate to, they can cause "next turn" or "current track" to pop up on the side-by-side display, they can get you quick access to your tire pressure screen, they can dial a preferred contact, they can switch to Bluetooth source input, and yes, they can select radio stations as well. They're very versatile buttons.

And if you have a REX, the all important "Hold State of Charge."
For reasons unknown, it seems like almost everyone coincidentally programs this to button #8.

 

[robthebold]

And if you have a REX, the all important "Hold State of Charge."
For reasons unknown, it seems like almost everyone coincidentally programs this to button #8.

#8 for me is go home. (Maybe because coding is a PITA without a normie device so I don't have that feature. . .) #1 is call wife, and #5 is the traction control menu so I can more quickly get ready for my driveway in winter.

I thought I was really smart when I first got the car by making buttons bring up some online stuff like charging station info . . . Nope. Gotta still go thru eleventy-hundred confirmations no matter what.