AWR-Fix: E70 LCI Emergency Neutral

[andrewwynn]

BMW decided to remove the neutral override (that you need to use if you have no power or have a malfunction in the gear selector) that was in the cabin.

The new process involves jacking up the car, removing six screws that hold the protection plate under the transmission pan then turn the manual screw that engages neutral.



Just to the right of center is that screw. Shown here with the protection plate installed but the plastic cover under the front propeller shaft removed.

I've been planning for months to determine where to drill a hole though that plate to access the neutral override through it and keep a 5mm hex key in the car in case it's ever needed.


"X marks the spot"


You will not have to remove the plate. The main point of this thread is to show people the magic location to drill a hole to access the screw.

4 ³/₈" aft of the vent hole and 4 ³/₄" inboard from the port/left side of the plate. (driver's side USA).

I made a ¹/₂" hole it might be nicer if slightly smaller like ³/₈" or 10mm (to help you find the head of the screw: it's quite a ways up).



The writing is upside down because when laying on back it's right-reading.



This shows how the hex key fits into the screw through the hole. I plan to get a T handle 5mm hex to keep in both mine and wife's E70.

Hope this helps people out: the access hole is within arms' reach; no jacking up the car just need to know roughly where to feel around blindly for the hole and the screw up in the hole.

It looks like about 10-12mm so maybe 10-12 turns to fully engage and I don't suspect it's a captive screw so count when disengaging so you don't remove the screw.