[BellasBmw]

Maybe im a little slow- or wasnt paying attention .. But i have a valet key? What/where is it? How does it work? Thanks!

[Amil]

you drive a freakin 3 series..not a lambo calm down people

[Armen52]

Uhhhh, I wouldn't valet my Integra let alone this baby.

Its not the case that all valets are bad or will screw with your car. But I've had an experience like jetmech's and its just a bitch to go through. I just avoid the hassle.

Maybe one day when I'm so filthy rich I don't care about my... no, I don't think that will happen. I like to take care of all my things, doesn't matter how rich or not I get, that's just in me.

Just one time you have an experience like jetmech's and the convenience of all the other times you used valet go down the tube. I don't need the hassle. I can park my cars just fine thanks.

[Amil]

its embarressing, go take a hot date and have her walk....thats ubberghey


whatever maybe i just dont take care of my car, my guess is the valet guy drives it better then i do....

[ssangjune]

I heard a story on the radio that one parking attendant was confessing about it in NYC that they would TEACH other guys who can't drive stick on nice expensive cars. imagine someone who is driving stick for the first or second time sitting in your brand new car and grinding up the gears... breaks your heart.

[CC 330i]

Unless you valet park every day, you have much more chance of some fool running into your car on the road than you have of a valet damaging your car.

I think it's hit or miss as far as good or bad valets. I had one steal all the change out of my ashtray once, that was cool. (In San Francisco). I always drop them a $5 at least, and sometimes more depending on the place when I drop off the car, and another $5 when I give them the slip to go get the car, depending on who actually goes for the car, of course. Then if you haven't already, tip the person arriving with the car. It's all you can really do.

[agarbati]

Originally Posted by jetmechG550

I valet parked my e46 last year for the first time. I was out with some business associates for dinner and some drinks to follow. End of the evening, they pull my car up I get in and go. I've got 17% tint and this was late in the evening mind you but I get down the block, check my mirror to change lanes to my right, and double take, look again, there's no frickin mirror. I drive around the block cause it's all one way streets and there's no manager there cause it's so late and the valet company is an ind contractor to the hotel I my friend's were staying at. I talked to a manager the next day and he said he would try to do something but was unable to cause I had left the premesis. Needless to say, that was the last time I valeted. It's too bad they couldn't give you that valet key and when in use it would disable most of the features of the car and prevent from going over 20mph.

I went back to a valet several hours after I got home because there was a 6"ding in my fender that obviously resulted from a door being slammed into it. They accepted the fault and their insurance paid for it. It was a coupe so the entire rear fender had to be re-painted.

[Hunter399]

Tip well, the valet will take care of you.

[jetmechG550]

Originally Posted by Amil

you drive a freakin 3 series..not a lambo calm down people

Ok, let take your $40K car out, not going to tell you what I am going to do, just give it to me and I'll bring it back to you after you and your g/f have dinner. You either have too much money or as you say you simply don't care about your car.

Maybe im a little slow- or wasnt paying attention .. But i have a valet key? What/where is it? How does it work? Thanks!

Sorry you may not, the e46 (what I still have) has a valet key that will only open the drivers door and work in the ignition. It will not unlock the glovebox or trunk. I forgot about the new key with the e90 until after I posted that.

[deutschmann59]

I don't know...I can honestly say that if I was working as a vallet and it was my job to park all these expensive cars, there is no way I'm going to sit here and tell you I'm not going to play with them a little...especially when my boss or whoever isn't looking. Everyone here makes a good point. Who's really ever going to find out unless there is some kind of incident where evidence is left, like a ding or a missing mirror.

I think it's like putting a kid all alone in a candy store and telling him not to eat anything.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by jetmechG550

Sorry you may not, the e46 (what I still have) has a valet key that will only open the drivers door and work in the ignition. It will not unlock the glovebox or trunk. I forgot about the new key with the e90 until after I posted that.

Yes the E90 has a valet key. You use the black, thin plastic key that came with the car and insert it in the fob sleeve that is in your glove compartment.

Full steps:

1) Take out the fob sleeve from your glove compartment
2) Turn the trunk lock switch in your glove compartment to the lock position
3) Lock your glove compartment with the regular key.
4) insert the small, black key in the fob sleeve and give it to the valet.

The sleeve/black key combo can start the engine and the small, black key can only unlock the doors, not the trunk or the glove box.

Very easy process, isn't it?

[Amil]

Originally Posted by jetmechG550

Ok, let take your $40K car out, not going to tell you what I am going to do, just give it to me and I'll bring it back to you after you and your g/f have dinner. You either have too much money or as you say you simply don't care about your car.


Sorry you may not, the e46 (what I still have) has a valet key that will only open the drivers door and work in the ignition. It will not unlock the glovebox or trunk. I forgot about the new key with the e90 until after I posted that.

you can be paranoid all ur life, but a valet guy is the least of your worries, its like saying dont drive past 8 beacuse its more likely a drunk driver will crash into you.....you only live once, bought a freakin 40k car go drive it and enjoy your time instead of walking 10 blocks away just so the mexican doesnt punch your car for the two blocks that he's going....ive valeted all my life and nothing has gone wrong (knock on wood)

[CALIF65GM]

I'll valet my car. I know they'll drive it like shi*, but a 330 is not usually the best car at the place usually. There are Ferrari's, Lambo, 6 or 7 series, MB 500 and so forth.

A 330 is a great car, but not exactly at the top of the car chain.

[yetdog]

Just reset your avg speed/trip odometer before handing him the key. Then see if he spun the wheels.

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by CALIF65GM

I'll valet my car. I know they'll drive it like shi*, but a 330 is not usually the best car at the place usually. There are Ferrari's, Lambo, 6 or 7 series, MB 500 and so forth.

A 330 is a great car, but not exactly at the top of the car chain.

I agree..When i used valet on sunday, right next to me was a ferrari waiting to be parked and next to the ferrari was a porsche. Sooo.. i dont think my 325 is exactly their top choice when it comes to taking it out for a spin.

[itznin]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

I agree..When i used valet on sunday, right next to me was a ferrari waiting to be parked and next to the ferrari was a porsche. Sooo.. i dont think my 325 is exactly their top choice when it comes to taking it out for a spin.

Good point!

Especially in San Diego, they got $$ to throw around out there! Rich rich rich

[agarbati]

OK I have to confess. I was a valet for a fancy restaurant when I was in college. Well the parking lot was around the block and during dinner time rush we wouldn't think twice of putting the pedal to the metal to get to the next customer asap. Of course when a Ferrari or Rolls came around the temptation would be more than just for the customer. Never damaged or dinged a car though. Was extra careful when in the lot and while opening the doors. Also, I made a best effort to drive the car without changing owner settings.

[1stTbuyer]

Originally Posted by silverado

Yes the E90 has a valet key. You use the black, thin plastic key that came with the car and insert it in the fob sleeve that is in your glove compartment.

Full steps:

1) Take out the fob sleeve from your glove compartment
2) Turn the trunk lock switch in your glove compartment to the lock position
3) Lock your glove compartment with the regular key.
4) insert the small, black key in the fob sleeve and give it to the valet.

The sleeve/black key combo can start the engine and the small, black key can only unlock the doors, not the trunk or the glove box.

Very easy process, isn't it?

What's the point of step 2 if you have folding rear seats? It doesn't take much to access the trunk by means of the through-pass. It's a stupid design. I woudn't mind so much it if the fold down seats were a free option as they are in much less expensive cars, but when you pay $475 for the freakin option, you'd expect they spent a bit more time in thinking it through (either remove the pass through from the trunk, or better, add an extra lock like the glove box to the pass through). I hope they at least fix this in future models so that E90's trunk dont' get a reputation that they're extremely easy to break into (although with the current design, I'd hardly call it a break-in, anymore than opening the center counsel bin).

[jetmechG550]

Originally Posted by Amil

you can be paranoid all ur life, but a valet guy is the least of your worries, its like saying dont drive past 8 beacuse its more likely a drunk driver will crash into you.....you only live once, bought a freakin 40k car go drive it and enjoy your time instead of walking 10 blocks away just so the mexican doesnt punch your car for the two blocks that he's going....ive valeted all my life and nothing has gone wrong (knock on wood)

I'm not paranoid, I just worked hard for what I have and I'm not going to let some schmuck making $5/hr beat the hell out of my shit and pay him to do it.
AND WATCH THE MEXICAN COMMENT! NOT ALL VALET'S ARE MEXICAN, I CAN ATTEST SINCE I AM ONE AND NEVER WORKED AS A VALET. I find your comment to be pushing the racial boundaries.

[PhilS]

I haven't any significant experience of active steering, but I wonder if the variable gearing might prove tricky for someone used to normal steering when manoeuvring an E90 in a confined space?

A rapid turn of the wheel might result in a much tighter turn than expected.

[CC 330i]

Hey all. I have been thinking about this a lot. Let me tell you a story about a guy I work with named Fred. Fred got a brand new Infiniti FX35 SUV. He paid about $40K for it.

He started taking up 2 or 3 parking spaces at work (parking at an angle) so that no one would damage his precious car. We got a chuckle out of it, and no big deal because there is plenty of parking at our office.

But then Fred parked his SUV like this at the local airport when he went on a flight for a week. The parking lot is very crowded, and someone apparently was very upset because they kicked huge dents in his doors. He paid a lot of money to get them fixed.

Then he parked like that a second time at the airport, and guess what? Someone kicked dents in his doors again. It really sucked, and I felt terrible for him.

The moral of this story is: It's OK to be careful with your car, but there is only so much you can do. If you can't afford the car, don't drive it.

Sometimes when you go out of your way to protect your car, you make it worse. If you can afford a BMW, and can afford to go to establishments with Valet parking (and don't decide to self-park), then part of "affording" this car is the ability not to stress about valets unnecessarily. If it gets damaged, then that is part of the price of car ownership. Ask anyone who has had their car damaged in an accident that wasn't their fault. Sometimes this can't be avoided. You have to relax about it or it will make you crazy.

If given a choice, I would self park and walk, and that's about all you can do.

[Kao BMW]

Originally Posted by yetdog

Just reset your avg speed/trip odometer before handing him the key. Then see if he spun the wheels.

We tried that trick on my brother's further suped up C32 (Dyno at 433 HP). Sorry, just bragging a little... Anyway, we set the trip meter to zero before handing to the valet guy. Guess what? We got it with the trip meter set back to zero. We asked him why he resetted it. He shrugged and said nothing. After we drove off, we realized that the gas tank was 1/4 empty... we had a feeling he went crazy with his buddies.