Turning the X5 off in an Emergency

[ABMW]

All,

I brought this up earlier, prior to the massive Toyota recall, and many complained I was misinformed in that the stuck throttle was the result of floor mats.

We all now know that is not the case, and has resulted in numerous accidents when vehicles have accelerated due drive-by-wire malfunctions and owners who have been too fearful to take action or without knowledge as to how to turn their car off while moving.

Given that our X5s are Drive-by-Wire vehicles and there is a tremendous amount of technology sharing that takes place within the industry, I think it's prudent that each BMW owner knows how to shut his or her vehicle off in an emergency.

There is no official protocol for this, that I've found, so I've experimented on my own.

A) The car can be put into neutral while moving. When I did so, at very slow speed it automatically put itself into park (this was at 1 mph) in a parking lot.

B) I've put the vehicle into neutral at 20 mph. and it has not shifted into park.

C) The X5 will shut off at speed by pressing the start/stop button for the normal amount of time needed to start or stop it. I've attempted this at speeds of 30 to 40 mph. Keep in mind you will quickly lose brake pressure, and power steering with quickly fade.

E) Applying the brakes and the throttle at the same time, will not cut the throttle and the brakes will operate to the point in which they will stop the car (seemingly). I have NOT tested this at any magnitude of speed.

Point being, I recommend everyone at the VERY least practice a shutdown while the car is moving in a parking lot or on a zero-traffic road or industrial park on the weekend.

Things do happen, and malfunctions do take place. This issue with Toyotas and Lexus Brands has been a known problem since 2004. I've followed it for some time. It's not ONLY mechanical in nature, but also electrical.

Toyota has indicated that gas pedals will become stiff over time, or slow to rebound. That may take place, but it appears to be only part of the cause.

Back in 2003 some of us with Nissan 350zs experienced issues that were similar to what's taking place with Toyotas now, but those cars were equipped with keys, that could be manually shut off.

The point is, knowing your vehicle and making sure each person who drives your vehicle is aware of what each switch operates, and specifically how to turn off the vehicle in an emergency is imperative.

One can not assume that an unintended acceleration could only take place on a straight highway. It has, and can, also take place on a windy road. So, please make sure you're aware of how to shut your BMW off, and until BMW releases official guidelines, I'd suggest you all experiment with your own vehicles to make sure they operate in manners that are consistent with what I've found.

It would not surprise me if BMW built in some sort of feature that prevents the vehicle from shutting off at a certain speed, without using some sort of specific combination of ignition switch "pushing," so please take what I've written above with a MAJOR grain of salt and realize that I've only experimented at speeds of 30 miles per hour max, and never to the detriment of the vehicle. Thus, be aware.

And please, let's not turn this into "this will never happen to BMW type of discussion." If you're familiar with servos, servo speed controllers, you'll know that errors can occur, do occur, and just because we haven't heard of them occurring doesn't mean they haven't. It's better to be error on the side of caution, given this new technology that we're seeing in cars.

[London Lad]

Good subject to keep in mind.

If you use the stop button is there any danger of the steering lock being accidentally activated. For that matter has the car even got a steering lock ?

[ABMW]

Originally Posted by London Lad

Good subject to keep in mind.

If you use the stop button is there any danger of the steering lock being accidentally activated. For that matter has the car even got a steering lock ?

The car does have steering lock. This is why my testing has been limited to straight-line driving and abandoned parking lots.

I do not know if the steering wheel lock activates as a result of removing the key, physically from the console or if it is a function of the start/stop button.

It also may work differently for those who have comfort access vs. those who do not.

Thus, it's imperative to act quickly in if you notice an uncontrolled acceleration taking place. Immediately press the stop button and put the vehicle in neutral, and apply the brakes as appropriate.

[London Lad]

I have comfort access and I guess the lock must be activated by the stop button, I'll check later and post.

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by ABMW

Immediately press the stop button and put the vehicle in neutral, and apply the brakes as appropriate.

Still waiting for mine (now on truck) so I have no way of testing. Please correct me if wrong, given the electronics involved in the shifter - wouldn't we need to neutral 1st then off switch?

BTW, I applaud your post and admire your "guts" trying "B" given "A"

ABMW - PM me with a way to contact you, may have some cell phone info for you.

[nom3rcy]

I highly doubt the steering wheel would lock simply from turning off the engine. It may be worth a call to BMW NA or maybe a search through your owner's manuals to see at which point it does occur.

[motordavid]

Good advice I suppose, but from my memory, no one has reported a stuck gas pedal or, unintended acceleration on this,
or any BMW oriented board.

Imo, people ought to practice hard, hard controlled braking, and avoidance steering. Flying floor mats, faulty accelerator
linkages and drive by wire, seem to be all consuming, these days.

Maybe we have all become overly cautious in our approach to living.

[ChuckG]

I think it is best to do it in this order.

1. Apply the brakes.
2. Shift to neutral.
3. Pull over to the side of the road where it is safe and stop.
4. Turn off engine.

This way you have power steering and brakes until you stop. The engine in a modern car will not blow when you shift to neutral because they all have rev limiters. It will however make a lot of noise until you shut the engine off.

Chuck

[ard]

And if that fails, or you are in a rental car, or loaner and cannot figure it out: drive the car into the rear of a semi trailer, off the shoulder into the center divider, up against and into a guardrail, into a field....

People panic and do not react appropriately. I heard a program in which they cited statistics: 80% of the people freeze. 10% act immediately in a way that leads to self-preservation...and 10% do exactly the wrong thing.

[ard]

Originally Posted by motordavid

Maybe we have all become overly cautious in our approach to living.

Bingo