[EddieL]

A little information please.

My friend has recieved his new car before me and has been messing around with it a little. He was saying he was finding it hard to operate the voice control on the car. I was suprised because neither of us included this as an extra. He says the button is there and when he presses it there are audible instuction to follow from the ladies voice.

The question is. Does the car have voice control if it has the button and you can hear the lady? If the answer is no, then obviously a fair amount of the 'Gubbins' are in place. How easy is it to get it operational retrospectively?

Look forward to your knowledgeable answers.

[doughboy]

What does she say?

"I'm sorry sir but you didn't order this option so I'm not going to take any notice of you"

[toxicnerve]

If it has the button it should work. Try pressing the button and saying "Navigation"

If the iDrive screen jumps over to the nav then you're good to go. There's a chunk in the manual about it.

[Mr.N]

Just because the button's there doesnt mean you have voice control. I have the button on my steering wheel but no voice control. The courtesy car I've got at the moment has voice control however -

If you press the button "she" says something like "Say a command" or similar, you say "Radio 2" and then she confirms with "Radio set to radio2" or something like that.

Have fun!

[EddieL]

Originally Posted by Mr88.N

Just because the button's there doesnt mean you have voice control. I have the button on my steering wheel but no voice control. The courtesy car I've got at the moment has voice control however -

If you press the button "she" says something like "Say a command" or similar, you say "Radio 2" and then she confirms with "Radio set to radio2" or something like that.

Have fun!

If you have the button and you press it does she talk? If she doesn't I would then surmise my friend has scored free voice control which I'm hoping I will have too. I didn't know it done the radio and sat nav till today.

I collect my car on Monday coming so I won't be able to enlighten you good people till then.

Originally Posted by toxicnerve

If it has the button it should work. Try pressing the button and saying "Navigation"

If the iDrive screen jumps over to the nav then you're good to go. There's a chunk in the manual about it.

I'm going to assume that it needs set up to your own voice before it's functional and that is what my friend is struggling with. He is a bit of a technophobe.

Originally Posted by doughboy

What does she say?

"I'm sorry sir but you didn't order this option so I'm not going to take any notice of you"

I'm not taking any notice of YOU!

[toxicnerve]

Originally Posted by EddieL

I'm going to assume that it needs set up to your own voice before it's functional and that is what my friend is struggling with. He is a bit of a technophobe.

Nope, not at all. At least it didn't in mine.

You just mash the button, wait for her to say something and then go ahead and make your request.

If only wives operated in such a simple manner! Having said that both the car and wives tend to suffer from misunderstanding you/being incapable of carrying out your commands correctly!

I know, I know. I'm a sexist pig!

[EddieL]

Probably his Glasgow accent then or he will be speaking to it like some Jonny Foreigner.

[Mr.N]

Originally Posted by EddieL

If you have the button and you press it does she talk?

Nope, she's not the chatty type

[EddieL]

Originally Posted by Mr.N

Nope, she's not the chatty type

Then, he has free voice control....right?

I hope I'm that lucky. I have voice control in my own car just now, but I wouldn't pay £345 for it. I wonder if they have fitted Pro Nav which adds voice control. It's murder quizing him as he doesn't really bother about things like this. Lucky I have you guys!

[Mr.N]

Erm, maybe? I don't think I could say he has definitely got Free Voice Control.

I know the loaner car I've got right now is the "Business Edition" and that gives you some of the toys (inc. Voice Control) in a bundle - I suppose if you ordered a Business spec one it would come with Voice Control without having to actually tick the Voice Control box on the order?

Dunno!

[Mr.N]

ah bollocks, just noticed what you "Drive" under your name on the left - Business!!

[EddieL]

Originally Posted by Mr.N

Erm, maybe? I don't think I could say he has definitely got Free Voice Control.

I know the loaner car I've got right now is the "Business Edition" and that gives you some of the toys (inc. Voice Control) in a bundle - I suppose if you ordered a Business spec one it would come with Voice Control without having to actually tick the Voice Control box on the order?

Dunno!

Thanks MrN,

I won't have my car till Monday and, when spec-ing the car, voice control was a cost option. I bet BMW would have took my money. I wonder what else is on it that I don't know about. Better not be anything I've paid extra for. That's why it's good my friend has the same car with no extras added. I'll know what he got for 'Free'.

[Estoril Sport]

I have voice control on the B3 BT but I don't used it, I tried but found it quicker just to use the iDrive manually and the programmable buttons. The dealer want £150 to get the update which came included on the 2010 spec cars.

[mowflow]

Originally Posted by EddieL

Probably his Glasgow accent then or he will be speaking to it like some Jonny Foreigner.

Yeah, it's the Glasgow accent as mine didn't understand me. I started trying some other accents and i've found she responds quite well to a Sean Connery impression complete with 1 raised eyebrow.

[xenon]

Also if you have Bluetooth fitted then you get the voice control for that, if not the whole car.

[BanziBarn]

It works ok ish for me, but when using it to dial a number I get all the way to the point where I have to say 'yes' or 'no' to finally make the call and it doesn't understand!!

So, it understands Telephone, phone book, peoples names but not the flipping word 'yes'! poop

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by EddieL

when he presses it there are audible instuction to follow from the ladies voice.

If she speaks, then the car has voice controls.

You don't need to 'teach' it your voice, just speak the queens english avoiding strong accents.

If you say 'options' she will read out all the relevant commands to you.

You get voice with bluetooth which I'm sure you would have ordered these days?

EDIT - Voice is an option on your 320i Msport edition. It used to be free when you had bluetooth..

[creepy coupe]

On the subject of business navigation, is there a way to get the map screen to fill the whole screen, or is it always shared with arrow view?

[shane55]

Chaps I think its called SA3 pricing rule or something like that! When you order Professional Navigation and Bluetooth you automatically get voice control...for free!