[obert]

To be fair I deal with a lot of people that drive fleet vehicles including myself that have issues with driving vehicles they are unfamiliar with. Some can’t find the electronic e-brake, how to shift into reverse and even start the car. Every new vehicle we get I have to familiarize myself with how it all works so I can help people.

Trying to figure out how to get a Chevy bolt into reverse was a challenge. We did a test on a Mitsubishi plug in hybrid suv and they have lots of silly options that no one will ever use but I had to familiarize myself with them all.

[X2 Monstah]

Originally Posted by Celts88

My first car was an Austin Allegro , which me and my brother bought of my Dad

I bought my first car from my Dad as well. 1971 Toyota Corolla. I was in the process of buying a 1969 Dodge Charger and he knew I would kill myself in it. (Sorry for the hijack, OP)

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by obert

To be fair I deal with a lot of people that drive fleet vehicles including myself that have issues with driving vehicles they are unfamiliar with.

It took me at least three months to stop trying to put my bimmer into park by pushing the shift lever forward. Considering that's what I was used to doing with automatics for the previous forty years I think I did OK. Now I usually put it into park by turning off the ignition.

[jh_f30]

: this thread!

My first car: 1984 VW Rabbit GTI. Learned to drive in a Mercury Sable station wagon, it was the "fancier" Ford Taurus.

[luckstr]

Originally Posted by mark1181

Just noticed this dial by the headlights, anyone know what it's for?

OP, don't feel bad. Here's a guck story that should ease the jokes: when I first met my wife in 1992, she had a new Toyota Supra. After we were dating for a while we started swapping cars for short drives. One night I was driving her car and the dash and all interior lights were off. I figured, uh-oh, she blew a fuse. I said to her, " your interior lights are off, haven't you noticed?" Her response was "yes, but I've gotten used to driving in the dark". I then proceeded to locate the "little wheel" that controls interior lights and turned it and surprise, the interior lights (dashboard, etc.) came on. I looked at her and said "all you had to do was turn this little wheel ( rheostat)". She never even knew such a thing existed and she was driving around in the dark for about 9 months. And this was not her first car!!
Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy your car.

[Billfitz]

My wife has been in the dark for 63 years.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

My wife has been in the dark for 63 years.

Sounds like a plan.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It took me at least three months to stop trying to put my bimmer into park by pushing the shift lever forward. Considering that's what I was used to doing with automatics for the previous forty years I think I did OK. Now I usually put it into park by turning off the ignition.

Having muscle memory due to years of habit is not the same as not knowing what the wheel NEXT TO the headlight switch does.

[Gen13 F36]

Also, there only 3 configurations you need to learn, Japanese Car, European Car and American Car....don't bother with Korean they just copy who ever on the top of car chain.

[Wires]

Regardless of vehicle, the symbol on that knob should make it's purpose pretty obvious. Headlight has a matching symbol (so one should deduce "lights"), and it's overplayed on a circle with a pointer that looks strangely like a speedometer/tach.

Now, perhaps if you fiddle with that in the daytime, you see no difference since the dash lights aren't on, and then it's a mystery knob (assuming you didn't do the picture mapping above).

[oregondonor]

Originally Posted by John in VA

Reminds me more of the type of responses from the various Facebook car groups... Granted, the original poster should pull the owner's manual from the glove box & take it in the house for a few days (or sit in the car with the in-car version), but since it's his first BMW let's be helpful vs. humorous.

I spent several hours divided into a few days sitting in the car going through the manual page by page. Just getting the key fob configured how you want it was fun to learn!