Description & Operation

Beginning with the 2002 model year, a new era in on-board electronics began with the new BMW flagship - The E65. Although there were significant cosmetic changes between the last generation 7-series and the new 7, the major advances were "under the skin".

Fig 1: Identifying 7-Series Car

Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Some of the most obvious changes were in the cockpit area. The E65 no longer used a conventional key to start the vehicle, instead a remote key fob is used in conjunction with a start/stop button. Entertainment and communications are now accessed via a single controller, which is a part of the new iDrive System.

Fig 2: Identifying iDrive

Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Some of the design objectives on the E65/E66 included an overall reduction in control knobs and switches. This is the objective of the iDrive system, to simplify the control of the various vehicle functions.

To make these changes possible, new bus networks were created. For the first time, fiber optic networks were used on BMW vehicles. The 2 new bus networks are the MOST bus and the new byteflight bus.  In addition to the DISplus and GT-1, there are some new tools for diagnosing system using fiber optic technology.

As with previous 7 series introductions, the E65 platform initiated a new wave of technological advances which were subsequently carried over to the rest of the model line.

From the 2004 model year, the E60 also integrates many of the new innovations from the E65.

Fig 3: Identifying E60 Platform

Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.

The MOST and byteflight  networks are still used, but modified slightly. The iDrive controller is also carried over, with less overall features and an added menu button to simply operation.

Fig 4: Identifying iDrive Controller Screen

Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Fig 5: Identifying Car Computer Control (CCC)

Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.

To continue with the advances in technology, the new E63 and E64 were introduced with some new features such as Car Computer Control (CCC) and the new Head-up Display (HUD). These 2 new features will be seen on other models as well in the near future.

In this article, the latest in BMW electronics technology will be covered. This article will focus on the new 5, 6 and 7 series models. This includes the following vehicle systems:

• Power (energy) management
• Driver information systems (Instrument cluster, iDrive etc.)
• Vehicle lighting systems (including LWR, AHL etc.)
• Body Electronics (Power locks, windows, wipers etc.)
• Vehicle warning systems (PDC, DWA and ACC)
• Entertainment and Communication Systems
• Seat, mirror and steering wheel functions
• Head-up Display
• Bus Systems
• Fiber Optic technology

Systems such as Passive Safety and Climate Control will be covered in their respective courses.