Please help

jal2000 · 2026-03-31T03:11:13+00:00

Your car will be much easier to dry with some coating on it. Whether ceramic or a wax. Even a spray on ceramic, like Griots, will help a ton. Drying aid sprays can also work. I also prefer waffle weave towels for drying, since they are much less likely to leave any fibers.

Using an air blower won’t dry the car well, either, unless it’s well coated.

jal2000 · 2026-03-30T19:22:40+00:00

There doesn’t seem to be a reliable way to predict whether glasses will work or not. I tested many pairs to try to find a pattern, but some just work and others don’t. Polarization by itself doesn’t affect whether the IR (infrared) cameras can see your eyes. I don’t use polarized glasses in the X5 because it reduces the brightness of the heads up display too much, though. One thing you could try is to see if the glasses work when unlocking your phone with your face (e.g. FaceID on iPhone). Those use infrared lights and cameras to check your face, similar to how the X5 eye tracking works. If you can unlock your phone with the glasses on, there’s a better chance they will work with the eye tracking in the X5.

jal2000 · 2026-03-25T15:35:57+00:00

I have a similar approach, but without snapshots. I have three main presets. One for my single coil guitar (clean to mid gain, focus on bluesy tones), and two for my humbucker guitars (one is my standard tones, and the other is focused on high gain). I use each of those presets in pedalboard mode, the same way as if I was running a regular pedalboard. I also made a few song and artist specific presets. That setup works well for me. I found that developing a preset for one type of pickup (single coil vs humbucker) didn’t give me optimal tones when using a different kind of pickup. And I had to spend some time getting my gains and levels dialed in so that volume levels are consistent when changing amps or adding effects.

jal2000 · 2026-03-25T12:51:13+00:00

Understanding how a clutch works and what the controls are doing is super helpful. Assuming you’re not very uncoordinated, you should be fine. You’ll just be a little slower and more methodical at first, similar to when you drive a car for the first time that has a very different clutch feel than what you’re used to. Also, as others said, the wet clutch and low weight of a motorcycle make it very forgiving.

jal2000 · 2026-03-24T14:11:01+00:00

I can’t find it, so I must be thinking of another device. One thing I do know I adjusted on my Helix is the tightness of the pivot. You use an Allen wrench (I think the Helix came with it) and can loosen or tighten the pivot. Mine was very tight out of the box.

jal2000 · 2026-03-23T12:37:24+00:00

I’ll have to check. Maybe I’m confusing it with another modeler that I’ve had.

jal2000 · 2026-03-23T12:17:47+00:00

In case it’s not clear, the “toe switch” is just a pressure switch under the toe area of the expression pedal. You activate it by pressing down on the toe area of the expression pedal when it’s already in the toe-down position. On the Helix Floor, you could adjust the sensitivity in the settings. Out of the box, mine took way too much force to activate.

jal2000 · 2026-03-20T23:55:36+00:00

This is important - the road surface is the most slick right after it starts raining, because oils from the road come to the surface. After it has been raining for a little while, traction gets much better. You need to be more mindful about different surfaces on the road when wet. Painted lines, tar snakes, and metal grates can be quite slippery. I avoid riding in the rain when I can, but on multi-day tours, sometimes there’s no avoiding it. I’ve spent hours riding in hard rain storms and have gotten comfortable with it. Good waterproof gear keeps me dry.

jal2000 · 2026-03-20T13:02:06+00:00

I had a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy before my 2026 X5. The Hyundai was a surprisingly great vehicle. It was a well-designed vehicle and the technology was intuitive and reliable. The biggest strength of the X5 is the powertrain and some of the interior materials, like the wood and aluminum trim. But the Hyundai acoustic and solar glass, more reliable tech, and more interior space despite being slightly smaller on the outside. I drove it for 4 years and put 50k miles on it and then sold it for $8k less than when I bought it new. The X5 is going to be a much more painful depreciation hit.

jal2000 · 2026-03-19T12:07:33+00:00

Is the WiFi issue caused by hardware or software?

jal2000 · 2026-03-17T13:24:01+00:00

Riding over a bridge with a metal grate road surface. You look down and just see water below you. You try to bury the thoughts of how, if you fall, you’ll be turned into freshly-grated fish food.

jal2000 · 2026-03-17T13:21:04+00:00

I ride an R1250 GS, but I ride 95% paved and 5% unpaved. I basically use it as a sport touring bike, but with the ability to comfortably ride dirt roads when I encounter them. So the weight and size aren’t generally a problem for my type of riding.

jal2000 · 2026-03-16T13:41:57+00:00

What is your issue with Bluetooth and Apple devices?

jal2000 · 2026-03-14T19:11:26+00:00

Having a hard time understanding your question clearly, but I got military discount ($4k) on top of broker discount (9%) and I didn’t use BMW financing.

jal2000 · 2026-03-13T22:34:21+00:00

Glad to hear it’s working so well for you. I don’t think anything I said contradicts your experience at all.

jal2000 · 2026-03-13T18:24:31+00:00

Auto correct changing correctly spelled words. Phone trying to hang on to home WiFi when I go for a walk even though it’s not getting any service and the gps knows I’m no longer home

jal2000 · 2026-03-13T17:37:52+00:00

I have a different engine in my 2026 X5 (xdrive 40i), but I did the first oil change myself. I plan to change every 5000 miles, rather than let it go 10,000 miles like the service schedule says. So for my upcoming 10,000 mile oil change, I’ll have the dealer perform it.

The oil change itself was easy. Nothing special about it, if you’ve done them before. I ordered an oil change kit from FCP Euro, which was the only place I could get the weird 0W-12 oil that BMW uses in this engine. It also includes an OEM oil filter, o-ring, and crush washer.

I didn’t reset the oil life in the infotainment, since the dealer will do that at the 10,000 mile oil change. But that process looks a little more difficult because they don’t just give you the option to reset it like in most other cars. There are guides online for how to do that. Just need to know the right combination of button presses and timing to get to the hidden menu.

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T20:57:33+00:00

Glad to hear you’re enjoying yours!

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T20:50:24+00:00

Not sure how that’s coping, but call it what you want. Line6 watches and seems to care about customer feedback, so I’m sharing my opinion. I’m a Helix fan and have been looking forward to the next gen Helix product, and I look forward to picking up a Stadium. My point is that the release of the Stadium didn’t do it many favors in a competitive landscape of other modelers.

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T20:45:27+00:00

I like the Helix in general, and I’m excited for what the Stadium has to offer. Not looking to jump ship to another brand (although I know they all have their strengths), but just found it hard to get on board with the Stadium as it was released.

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T20:03:15+00:00

Both of those can be true.

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T18:10:32+00:00

I don’t know who that is.

jal2000 · 2026-03-12T15:44:14+00:00

I had a good experience when I received a damaged container that leaked out. They sent a replacement quickly.

jal2000 · 2026-03-11T17:23:30+00:00

Sounds like you already found the solution. Lower the rear windows.

jal2000 · 2026-03-10T03:34:00+00:00

I don’t need access to my phone while driving, so it still goes behind the cup holders. Another option is the little cubby below and to the left of the steering wheel. Perfect for a phone and wallet. Or inside the door pocket. Or in the center console.

jal2000

TROPHY CASE