A new patent has been filed by BMW regarding proprietary screws for use on their new vehicles. The screw head resembles the propeller logo, and will require special tools for mechanics and DIY grease monkeys. Standard tool sets won’t get the job done, and enthusiast will likely to be forced to return to dealerships rather than taking on repairs themselves.
The patent outlines four different head types, including socket, flat, and rounded styles. Each one is shaped to resemble the BMW emblem, split into four quadrants. Two of the sections are recessed, while the remaining ones are either flat or raised, forming a shape that would require a made-to-fit tool.
There’s no doubt that the hardware looks cool. Certainly better looking that the vehicles the company has come out with lately. Opening up the hood to show off the engine bay to friends will reveal these special screws, boosting inflated egos even further. But preventing mechanics or owners with standard toolkits from working on these cars makes it less than ideal.
Well, that sucks!
Terrible, isn’t it? First BMW charges a $19.99 monthly subscription fee to use the seat heater… now this silliness.
I’d like to think this will backfire horribly on them, but most BMW owners probably go to the dealership for maintenance exclusively anyway…
100% true, and I’m certain they know their target customer. But this is designed to prevent independent shops from getting repair work.
There’s a lot of people who strongly believe in ‘right to repair’ too.
I’m one of them. If I buy it, I bought it. I didn’t lease, rent, or borrow it.
It’s a dirty cash grab and it drives me nuts.
The thing is, they could have done this slightly different, and made it cool.
Like, if the screws were used in cosmetic areas, when you lift the hood, I can see them being a showpiece. But modify that head to fit a regular slot screwdriver.
They didn’t need to make this exclusionary technology.
My wife believes, and I totally agree with her, that very soon, people will start buying 1990s or early 2000s “analogical” cars as daily drivers. They might be slower and less comfortable, but they have zero internet “spying” connection, and they are way easier to fix.
Yout wife may be right! I think the cars of the ’90s ans ’00s were efficient, inexpensive and mechanically simple (simpler).
The notion that one has to use a touchscreen to open a glove box or control wipers is ludicrous.
The spying thing js a while other level (go re-watch Minority Report!).
I like my 50’s-70’s wheels there is no BS when you own these 🙂