Adafruit: From Ultimate Driving Machine to Ultimate Rent-Seeking Machine: The BMW Logo Screw Patent.
If you haven’t already heard, BMW’s R&D teams have been busy “innovating.” Unfortunately, they aren’t focusing on the things that actually matter—like stellar engine performance or the legendary driving dynamics that gearheads love. Instead, the C-suite execs decided that the best use of their engineering budget was to design a proprietary security screw specifically intended to prevent BMW drivers from fixing their own cars.
As soon as the rollout for BMW dealers starts, Chinese toolmakers will churn out compatible bits and screwdrivers. They might even be on the market before the BMW dealers have them in the mail.
Unless im missing something about the design, theres a fairly common bit already on the market that works for this, and Id assume most auto shops already have laying around. My dewalt 50 piece came with one…
Bit looks like ( https://share.google/KHdg0HfO6zC9bab9O)
That one of those 2 pin spanner wrencheswith one on an arm that swings to adjust size, as far as asshole design security screws go, im not too mad at this… accomplishes what it needs to (keeping some rando with a screwdriver in his pocket from just deciding to undo some exposed screws for ‘fun’, or stealing your car trim) without being so proprietary pwople who arent preppared can’t undo it with tools at hand (like the apple Pentalobe screws, and various triangle and tritip Philips variants, really anything with an odd number of contact points is immediatly more of a pita)
Ouch with that google share link
Every dollar store has a variety pack of “security screw” drivers
You could almost manufacture it based on this image, granted that’s a 1/4" impact bit. All it would take is one bolt being smuggled to their factory or one photograph of a spec sheet.
that’s not the only issue, it’s also just a plainly worse design that will likely lead to lots of broken screws and bits.
Torqued to spec AND properly aligned.
I’m sure they will but that requires owners to go out and buy a kit of specialty tools for that one job, which may be too much investment. And many people are just not savvy enough to do that, they see “specialty tools” and throw up their hands.
It’s a special bit, that’s it. Do you have any idea how many bits/sockets/adapters I already own that only fit one vehicle? TONS. That’s just the nature of vehicles and maintenance. And I’m pretty sure if you own a BMW, you can afford a $5 bit. This is a nothing burger. It’s just people jumping on the BMW hate, which if you were smart, there’s plenty of actual things they overcharge up the ass for. This isn’t one of them. You might as well complain about locking lug nuts as a whole because that’s really all this is.
More likely it’s a whole set of bits. Why do you think they’re doing this? Apple invented a new screw. Why do you think they did that? None of it is intended to slow down professional repair businesses, it’s to stop DIYers.
LOL locking lugnuts prevent theft. Do you think that’s what the purpose of this is?