This is the MDM Mode Indicator (M Dynamic Mode) text symbol. Quite simply, it refers to a drive mode available in one model, the M, from one Manufacturer, BMW. M Dynamic Mode makes it possible to “drive on a dry roadway with high longitudinal and transverse acceleration but with limited driving stability”. This is automotive tech speak for transferring near full control to the driver.
Before continuing, is this truly your symbol?? If yes, then read on below.
Otherwise, you can return to our main Text Symbols page and scan again!
M Dynamic Mode is activated by pressing the stability control off button. This results in the illumination of both the MDM and the stability control OFF symbols. The use of MDM actually shuts off the stability control system. According to BMW, stability control will only be activated when the absolute limit of stability is reached. This is pretty much impossible to define.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
So, what is that light on your dashboard? What follows is easily the most complete list available of symbols and warnings that may appear in and on your car’s dashboard or instrument cluster.
The following are warning lights and indicators found in vehicles built by BMW. Click the link to the right of each one to learn more.
How They Are Presented
They are ordered primarily by color and roughly by importance. First up are red, followed by red with yellow/amber/orange options, strictly yellow/amber/orange, then blue and green symbols and finally white and gray scale symbols. There are over 80 of them, so search carefully!
Need the symbols for another manufacturer? Click here!
Models examined include the M4, Z4, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7- Series sedans, the X1, X3, X4, X5, and X6 SUVs and iX and i4 EVs.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
If you’ve ever walked out to your car and found all the windows open, this is our subject. We’re going to discuss a feature found in cars from a number of manufacturers that catches people with their pants down. Or their windows down. This is not about a fault or a system failure or a warning light, but about something working exactly as it is supposed to, but doing it seemingly at random on its own.
Vehicles made by BMW and Mini, Honda and Acura, Ford and Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes, Toyota and Lexus and Volkswagen Group, include what is called a convenience feature, which opens all the windows for ventilation when the unlock button is pressed and held. The sunroof will be open as well and the car unlocked.
From what we’ve discovered only Mercedes and some vehicles made by the Volkswagen Group offers the option to close everything again using the lock button. The Honda we have here does not.
Its An Accident!
So, what is causing the surprise window openings can be explained by accidental button pushes. Whether carried in a bag or in a pocket, something pressing on the unlock button for an extended period can and will activate the feature, if the key fob is within 50 feet or so. Remember that while the key fob’s keyless access can only operate within 18 to 24 inches of the vehicle, the buttons on the fob will work from a much greater distance.
For a fob carried in a pocket, preventing this may be a simple as turning the fob over on the key ring. The buttons will face the other way, if like me, your keys rest in the pocket the same way each time.
If it is carried in a bag, the nature of keyless open and start can easily lead to the fob migrating to the bottom of the bag. In this case, you might try using a device like this carabiner or snap hook. It can be hooked to a strap like on this computer bag and still actually be closed into the bag. But it won’t work its way to the bottom. The devices come in many different sizes and colors so you can be a stylish as you’d like and they can be found online or at most hardware stores.
To finish off the functions of the actual convenience feature, the windows will stop short if the button is released, and will continue down if it is pressed and held yet again. Some vehicles require the unlock button to be pressed and released once before the convenience feature will work. In Honda and Acura vehicles, the feature will work by holding the mechanical key turned to the right in the key cylinder, but this will not happen accidently. Also, turning and holding the key back to the left will close the windows and sunroof.
The feature can be disabled in Ford Motor Co and Toyota and Lexus vehicles, but you’ll need your dealer. In fact, the feature in a Toyota and Lexus must have first been activated in this way.
So, if ever you find your windows wide open one day, don’t panic — find a new way to carry your key fob.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
We’ve done a couple of owner’s manual rants and got to thinking about where the average driver might look in their respective manual if they ran into trouble, specifically with dead or dying key fobs.
So, we examined a sampling of owner’s manuals from BMW and Mini, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, including Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac, Honda and Acura, Kia and Hyundai, Land Rover and Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan and Infiniti, Subaru, Toyota and Lexus, Volkswagen and Audi and Volvo. And since we are adding this commentary, you can probably guess the results.
So lets set some parameters. Our first thought is to look for Troubleshooting chapter. So, result #1 is that not a single one of these 25 manufacturers have a chapter with this title. Only 3, Mazda (right), Toyota and Lexus, even use the word Trouble. Emergency, Roadside or Breakdown are most likely to be found, and this is a pretty short hurdle. VW raises the hurdle, with a Do It Yourself chapter that includes flat tires and dead batteries, etc. that tend to be found in the Breakdown chapters from other manufacturers.
To Index or Not to Index
Next, we looked to see if there was an index to resort to. Several, BMW, Land Rover, and Ford, for instance, have no indexes at all. So if someone out there is from these companies, please consider adding that in. On the other hand, the indexes we did find were no help at all with dead key fobs.
So, back to the our troubleshooting-like chapters. Once inside, only Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Subaru got this right! Setting aside for a moment the fact that the owner’s manual is most likely inside the car and the driver locked outside, at least if the driver manages to get the car open, he or she will be able to get started.
The Honda and Acura chapters point to an issue with the key fob being weak. This may not be immediately obvious to the operator, but it would be a likely spot to check out if the car wasn’t responding.
Subaru (right), Lexus and Toyota chapters point directly to pages with solutions to issues with the electronic keys. Again, it may not be obvious to the driver that the key fob is the problem, but these manufacturers come the closest to nailing the problem. Titling the sections using something like what to do if the car does not respond to the electronic key would come closest to replicating exactly what the driver is experiencing.
Absolutely none of the other manufacturers point directly to the electronic keys in anything remotely like a troubleshooting chapter. To be clear, they all have the solutions shown, but the driver is left to contend with 400, 500 or 600 pages of information to get to what they need.
So for all of them, walk a mile in your customers shoes and try to think like someone who simply doesn’t understand what is wrong. Then make a Troubleshooting chapter and forget the clever titles like Handling the Unexpected or Volkswagens do it yourself chapter, which is where they keep breakdown assistance.
The closer your cars get to being rolling computers, the more relevant an actual Troubleshooting chapter will be to your customers.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Finally, if you need another manufacturer, click here.
Some BMW and Mini models already require that the key fob be inserted into the dashboard next to the Start/Stop button. If the key fob battery is dead, the vehicle will recognize the fob when inserted. In “Comfort Access” models, the slot is only needed if the fob’s battery dies, or if electrical interference interrupts the fob’s signal. Insert the fob into the slot and use the Start/Stop button as normal.
For other BMW or Mini models, hold the remote control against the marked area on the steering column and press the Start/Stop button within 10 seconds while depressing the brake.
The process remains the same in the new EV line from BMW, starting with the i4 and iX. However, there are now two additional back up start methods available in these vehicles.
The smart phone recharge pads also act as new start points. A properly connected key card or a smart phone holding the proper BMW app touched to the pads will allow the car to start. The pad is found in front of the cup holders in the i4 (first image) and on the lower level of the iX console (second image).
Note: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.
In an automotive first, BMW‘s Display Key (right) actually has a rechargeable battery. The display is automatically disabled when the charge is low, which is a major hint that the device needs to be recharged!
The car features a wireless cell phone charging station inside the center console. There is also a bulge into which the Display Key can be slipped, with the lock button up and out. The Key is charged with a micro USB cable, a micro USB port on the Key (see the arrow on the Display Key) and the USB port at the back of the console.
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Here, we discuss a feature found in cars from a number of manufacturers that catches people with their pants down. Or rather with their windows down. So, this is not about a fault or a system failure or a warning light, but about something working exactly as it is supposed to, but doing so seemingly at random on its own.
If you’ve ever walked out to your car and found all the windows open, this is the subject. Keyless start vehicles made by BMW and Mini, Honda and Acura, Ford and Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes, Toyota and Lexus and Volkswagen Group, include what is called a convenience feature, which opens all the windows for ventilation when the unlock button is pressed and held. The sunroof will be open as well if there is one and the car unlocked.
Can it be Shut Down?
From what we’ve discovered only Mercedes and some vehicles made by the Volkswagen Group offer the option to close everything again using the lock button. The Honda we had for demonstration (below) did not.
So, what is causing the surprise window openings can be explained by accidental button presses. Whether carried in a bag or in a pocket, something pressing on the unlock button for an extended period can and will activate the feature, if the key fob is within 50 feet or so. Remember that while the fob’s keyless access can only operate within 18 to 24 inches of the vehicle’s door handle, the buttons on the key fob will work from a much greater distance.
For a fob carried in a pocket, preventing this may be a simple as turning the fob over on the key ring. The buttons will face the other way if your keys tend to rest in the pocket the same way each time.
If it is carried in a bag, the nature of keyless open and start can easily lead to the fob migrating to the bottom of the bag. Anything and everything sitting on top of the fob can and will activate the feature.
In this case, you might try using a device like a carabiner or snap hook. It can be hooked to a strap and still actually be closed into the bag. But it won’t work its way to the bottom. The devices come in many different sizes and colors so you can be a stylish as you’d like and they can be found online or at most hardware stores.
To finish the discussion of the functions of the actual convenience feature, the windows will stop short if the button is released, and will continue down if it is pressed and held again. Some vehicles require the unlock button to be pressed and released once before the convenience feature will work.
In Honda and Acura vehicles, the feature can also be activated by holding the mechanical key turned to the right in the key cylinder, but this will not happen accidently. Also, turning and holding the key back to the left will close the windows and sunroof.
The feature can be disabled in Ford, Lincoln, Toyota and Lexus vehicles, but you’ll need your dealer. In fact, the feature in a Toyota and Lexus must have first been activated in this way.
So, if ever you find your windows wide open one day, don’t panic — find a new way to carry your key fob.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Yet another cringe worthy headline showed up on Twitter recently (September 2018). A man trapped in his car because the battery was dead. And for 14 hours. He was very, very lucky that the car wasn’t outside in the sun, or the outcome would have been very, very different.
This one hits home for us because of another incident several years ago that prompted this article on this site, but in this case, a man lost his life. So, all this needs a more thorough examination.
The problem is finding oneself locked in a car that has lost its power. It is a direct result of the move to all electronic everything, right down to the door latches. It is also the result of very, very poor design.
Both of the incidents involve GM Coupes: a Chevrolet Corvette and a Cadillac XLR. They feature these flush door handles with a electronic button inside this opening that unlocks and opens the door if the key fob is present. If the power is lost when inside the car, the electronic button on the armrest no longer works, and while there is a back up option, it is not remotely obvious and effectively not intuitive.
Where’s the Release?
The back up option is a mechanical release handle on the floor below the door, not on the door where any typical human would think to look. In the most recent episode, the owners manual was missing from the 12 year old XLR, which is all too common in older vehicles. And he didn’t have a cell phone with him, or he surely would have been out of his car much sooner.
In the previous incident, the gentleman had gone to the car to check on his dog, leaving his cell phone behind. Relatives reported that there was evidence that the man was looking through the manual for help when he succumbed to the heat. He and dog passed away.
It is far too easy to blame the victim here. It is true that they were not familiar with the feature. Both cars were bought used, so expecting the seller to go over more obscure features is wishful thinking.
Age Again?
It is also way too easy to blame age — the men were 75 and 72, respectively. This is when I point to an incident relayed by 20 year olds. Their friend had bought a new BMW. He then let them in the car to check it out and locked the car from the outside.
The joke was that there was no way to unlock the doors from the inside. I immediately pointed out that there IS a way out — just not where you would expect to look. The unlock button is placed in the middle of the dashboard, and the entire group was clearly unfamiliar with this quirk in a BMW. And it belongs exclusively to BMW.
Age is NOT the issue. Expectation and intuition is. Where did these 20-somethings look for an unlock button?
Back to technology and design, Tesla’s vehicles all feature electronic latches. As to getting out, the rear doors in the Model S require pulling a cable located under each rear seat. The front doors are released mechanically from the inside.
The Model X front doors are all mechanically released from the inside. Perfect.
The Model 3 has a mechanical handle exactly where you would hope. On the armrest pretty much where a hand would actually be while using the armrest. It was tempting to simply open the door with it each time. A superior design.
The latest Lincoln Continental also has electronic door latches. A back up release is just below the armrest but still on the door, and only the driver’s door. However, Lincoln says that the doors will not remain latched if the power goes out.
The last two examples are far better thought out. And before anyone else finds themselves trapped in a GM Coupe, irrespective of age, we think a new way to open the doors from the inside must be devised and the cars recalled.
In our last show, we talked about changing the behavior of the one vs the behavior of the millions. And this is yet another example.
Changing the one, the manufacturer, eliminates the need for millions drivers to read, and frankly memorize, crucial new features or the entire owner’s manual. It also eliminates the need for millions of salespeople to somehow suddenly become effective teachers. Someone else’s dad, mom, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband or wife should not have to die or nearly die over poorly thought out designs.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Can Your Car Windows Open on Their Own??
Why Are My Windows Open?
If you’ve ever walked out to your car and found all the windows open, this is our subject. We’re going to discuss a feature found in cars from a number of manufacturers that catches people with their pants down. Or their windows down. This is not about a fault or a system failure or a warning light, but about something working exactly as it is supposed to, but doing it seemingly at random on its own.
Vehicles made by BMW and Mini, Honda and Acura, Ford and Lincoln, Maserati, Mercedes, Toyota and Lexus and Volkswagen Group, include what is called a convenience feature, which opens all the windows for ventilation when the unlock button is pressed and held. The sunroof will be open as well and the car unlocked.
From what we’ve discovered only Mercedes and some vehicles made by the Volkswagen Group offers the option to close everything again using the lock button. The Honda we have here does not.
Its An Accident!
So, what is causing the surprise window openings can be explained by accidental button pushes. Whether carried in a bag or in a pocket, something pressing on the unlock button for an extended period can and will activate the feature, if the key fob is within 50 feet or so. Remember that while the key fob’s keyless access can only operate within 18 to 24 inches of the vehicle, the buttons on the fob will work from a much greater distance.
For a fob carried in a pocket, preventing this may be a simple as turning the fob over on the key ring. The buttons will face the other way, if like me, your keys rest in the pocket the same way each time.
If it is carried in a bag, the nature of keyless open and start can easily lead to the fob migrating to the bottom of the bag. In this case, you might try using a device like this carabiner or snap hook. It can be hooked to a strap like on this computer bag and still actually be closed into the bag. But it won’t work its way to the bottom. The devices come in many different sizes and colors so you can be a stylish as you’d like and they can be found online or at most hardware stores.
To finish off the functions of the actual convenience feature, the windows will stop short if the button is released, and will continue down if it is pressed and held yet again. Some vehicles require the unlock button to be pressed and released once before the convenience feature will work. In Honda and Acura vehicles, the feature will work by holding the mechanical key turned to the right in the key cylinder, but this will not happen accidently. Also, turning and holding the key back to the left will close the windows and sunroof.
The feature can be disabled in Ford Motor Co and Toyota and Lexus vehicles, but you’ll need your dealer. In fact, the feature in a Toyota and Lexus must have first been activated in this way.
So, if ever you find your windows wide open one day, don’t panic — find a new way to carry your key fob.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY