XSeries-forum

Having googled i get patchy responses and info which i know is wrong. My reason for wanting to check is, my E71 has voice command from the audio button on the steering wheel. The 'new' E70 has the same steering wheel of course, but it seems no voice commands. I tried to speak a phone number for the first time only yesterday, and realised the button didnt activate anything. If its not equiped so be it, but if it is and not working, I'd like to investigate why.

FWIW several decoders suggest the car has the 286 hp motor which it doesn't and headlight washers, which it equally doesn't have.

I used to use decoder.bvzine.com but it says vin not recognised.

vinspy.eu says it found the vin, but doesn't actually deliver any info at all.

Mdecoder should work.

Ah, thanks. Ironically, that's the second one i stumbled onto, and some of the info is incorrect. It shows power of 210kw/286hp. It's a 30d with power rated at 173kw on the V5, which i believe it is. It also shows the car has headlight washers and whilst the flaps are present theres no wash facility on any halogen bulb car afaik?

I now wonder whether the spec was modified part build, if thats even possible?

Do you happen to know the code for a vehicle equiped with voice command, or what it was part of?. It has Bluetooth phone and all the phone features my E71 has, but not voice command input. Its not crucial but i am intrigued now. Add to this the local dealership saying only recently it was a US spec car. My interest is growing

Voice Control is S620A on my E71 and I would assume is the same in the E70.

Headlight washers were option S502A and were mandatory in Europe with Xenon/HID lighting. If the lights were ordered, the washers came too. The front wing has a different part number for non-headlight washer system cars. It’s possible your car was ordered with the option anyway. They do have a habit of sticking! No easy way to check as the tank is in the wing making counting pumps a little difficult! I think there would be 3. Windscreen; Rear screen and headlight system.

Mdecoder is usually (but not always) right as it pulls data directly from the BMW system. I’ve not known a spec change mid-build as all the components arrive in a ‘just in time’ basis as the car goes down the line. They’re all built in the US anyway, but the build sheet should state documentation country and S230A should be present along with something like L812A (National Version - England / Ireland).

There was an issue with diesel engines in the US with most not being offered. US Diesel fuel was high sulphur at the time, unlike most of the world, and few BMW engines of that era won’t run on it. What’s the engine code? M57?? The N57 engine never got offered (as far as I know) there as it needed different approvals at State level. Too expensive so BMW stopped at the M57.

A US spec car would be LHD as well. The only way to be certain is to go to a main dealer or call BMW UK.

Well the US spec LHD comment from the dealership did make me smile, misinformation at its best.

I didn't think to compare both build specs and unsurprisingly, the E71 has voice command.
The E70 as I've said previously is basically poverty spec. The inaccuracies on the E70's build confuses me though, but for sure S620 is absent. Engine code is M57N2
At least i wont have to go fault finding for something that isnt there at all.

That’s a strange set of options to be sure. I still suspect it’s either a cancelled order and had almost everything removed, or someone looking for a company car went for what they could afford and had to be careful with options due to the tax implications.

I know when I cancelled my M340d order in 2021 (they couldn’t get the options due to supply chain problems) the ‘system’ stripped almost everything off but the dealer still had to take the car so needed to reduce their liability. In that case, someone else bought the slot and re-specced the car - though not to the level I had.

I am scratching my head now in relation to headlamp washing. I've activated the screen washer countless times to properly set up a replacement jet. At no point did the headlights get wet. I wonder if the bumper jet covers can be lifted manually, just to see what, if anything, lurks underneath them. If there's a buggered motor, it will stay that way. Having had the E71s washer tank investigated at a main dealer, I'm in no rush to invite another £300 + bill for the ridiculous strip down required to access the water tank

And confirmation that headlight washers are shown on the build.

[attachment=0]Screenshot_20250702_205617_Gallery.jpg[/attachment]

The engine you have is going to be the M57D30TÜ2 to give it the full code, and yes it’s 173kW / 232bhp. The 210kW / 282bhp engine (adds code TOP at the end) is the twin turbo 30SD or 35D before the N57 series lumps came along in 2010.

You should be able to very gently pry the covers up - the retraction spring is quite strong so beware! Often owners use the wrong fluid and they jam. Algal growth from wrong fluid is also the cause of trouble.They’re powered by water pressure, so closed by a spring. You could have a blocked or u/s pump. No pump means no pressure so nothing happens.

If I remember correctly the blasted tank is in the wing behind the arch liner.

The headlights will need to be on to operate the headlamp wash , goes 1st time then every so many goes after that, I always turned my headlights off if on to avoid operating the washers .you should hear the motor operate .

Leslie wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 10:36 pm The headlights will need to be on to operate the headlamp wash , goes 1st time then every so many goes after that, I always turned my headlights off if on to avoid operating them .you should hear the motor operate .

Agreed. With my E71 ownership experience i have heard the additional motor kick in, i also know it cyclical, is it every fifth or sixth pull on the washer stalk? I think its something like that. I'll try it again but not tonight.

X5Sport wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 9:14 pm The engine you have is going to be the M57D30TÜ2 to give it the full code, and yes it’s 173kW / 232bhp. The 210kW / 282bhp engine (adds code TOP at the end) is the twin turbo 30SD or 35D before the N57 series lumps came along in 2010.

You should be able to very gently pry the covers up - the retraction spring is quite strong so beware! Often owners use the wrong fluid and they jam. Algal growth from wrong fluid is also the cause of trouble.They’re powered by water pressure, so closed by a spring. You could have a blocked or u/s pump. No pump means no pressure so nothing happens.

If I remember correctly the blasted tank is in the wing behind the arch liner.

I have posted on this subject previously. Yes the tank is a bizarre shape, designed by a computer to fit into a cavity void in the osf wing. To access it, its wheel off, arch trim off, slacken the sill trim then the arch liner. About as ludicrous as accessing the DRL lightbulb.

The washer bottle motors had a blue/white gel fouling them. I only use BMW fluid as past experience dictates its use. So why this blockage occurred, i dont know. This car has only one previous monied owner. All its maintenance was the supplying main dealership

I had my pumps out before for the same blockages and my tank or more likely the rear pump is leaking as its not working now and 3/4 of the tank runs out on the street over a day or so . Its on the list lol

It is a ridiculous place to postion a servicable item as i said. Just like the DRL bulbs on halogen headlights.

Not all CAD is good, despite it being clever.