how to put gear in N without running engine

[Roadster]

My garage has a light slope.
In my previous cars, I used to put gear in N, let go of the brakes and the car reversed slowly out of the garage without running engine.
In the X5 it seems I have to start the engine, put the gear in N, shut down the engine and let it roll if I want to let gravity do its job...
Pretty useless as I try to avoid starting the engine just to drive out of my garage (high wear and tear on a cold start)...
I can't believe that you can not engage N without running engine... I wonder how you p.ex. tow the vehicle with an engine failure...?
What am I missing here?

[Flowerfred]

RTM, the procedure is described as an example of using an automated car wash...

[Roadster]

Originally Posted by Flowerfred

RTM, the procedure is described as an example of using an automated car wash...

yep, I've read TFM but here it is assumed that you arrive at the carwash with your engine running...
my question is: how can you engage N without starting the engine
(I don't have comfort access)

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by Roadster

My garage has a light slope.
In my previous cars, I used to put gear in N, let go of the brakes and the car reversed slowly out of the garage without running engine.
In the X5 it seems I have to start the engine, put the gear in N, shut down the engine and let it roll if I want to let gravity do its job...
Pretty useless as I try to avoid starting the engine just to drive out of my garage (high wear and tear on a cold start)...
I can't believe that you can not engage N without running engine... I wonder how you p.ex. tow the vehicle with an engine failure...?
What am I missing here?

BMW (well, actually any modern car in the last 30 years or so) was well engineered to back out of a garage with a cold engine. Have you ever seen how many cold starts car manufacturers perform when designing and testing cars? This is especially true of ALL German cars, as they do extensive testing in the very, very bitter cold of Northern Sweden! Trust me, it is fine to start your car, use the engine and Reverese gear to pull your car out of the driveway. Not to sound like a jerk, or rude, but trying to roll your expensive BMW out of the garage, because you are afraid to start a cold engine is kinda weird!

[Roadster]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

BMW (well, actually any modern car in the last 30 years or so) was well engineered to back out of a garage with a cold engine. Have you ever seen how many cold starts car manufacturers perform when designing and testing cars? This is especially true of ALL German cars, as they do extensive testing in the very, very bitter cold of Northern Sweden! Trust me, it is fine to start your car, use the engine and Reverese gear to pull your car out of the driveway. Not to sound like a jerk, or rude, but trying to roll your expensive BMW out of the garage, because you are afraid to start a cold engine is kinda weird!

I am not afraid to start the engine and drive out of the driveway, but sometimes I have to take the car out of the garage and leave it in the driveway, so I don't like starting the engine, reverse a few feet and shut it off again. I'm a mechanical Engineer, so I know what kind of stress the engine is put through at every cold start... The car is leased so I shouldn't have to worry about this, but my passion for mechanics makes me care for it...

but nevermind the reason of my question, I can't believe that it is impossible to put he car in N without starting the engine...

[rh71]

I've rolled my other vehicle out of the garage a few times and the biggest problem is the lack of power-assist braking (pressure build-up makes it really hard to depress the brake pedal)... it was nearly dangerous one time (good thing there were no cars directly across the way). Is a BMW somehow different in this scenario? That would be one expensive lesson if it's the same...

[Roadster]

Originally Posted by rh71

I've rolled my other vehicle out of the garage a few times and the biggest problem is the lack of power-assist braking (pressure build-up makes it really hard to depress the brake pedal)... it was nearly dangerous one time (good thing there were no cars directly across the way). Is a BMW somehow different in this scenario? That would be one expensive lesson if it's the same...

no, BMW is not different here, power steering and power brakes get their power from the running engine: no running engine = no power steering/brakes

[Wagner]

Originally Posted by Roadster

no, BMW is not different here, power steering and power brakes get their power from the running engine: no running engine = no power steering/brakes

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by Roadster

I am not afraid to start the engine and drive out of the driveway, but sometimes I have to take the car out of the garage and leave it in the driveway, so I don't like starting the engine, reverse a few feet and shut it off again. I'm a mechanical Engineer, so I know what kind of stress the engine is put through at every cold start... The car is leased so I shouldn't have to worry about this, but my passion for mechanics makes me care for it...

but nevermind the reason of my question, I can't believe that it is impossible to put he car in N without starting the engine...

I get the fears, or truths about starting a cold engine, and only moving a few feet. The car was made for this though, as it happens dozens of times (and usually much more) during engine testing, transporting, delivery, time on the lot, test drives, service visits, etc, etc!! We lease the majority of our cars too, and we take VERY good care (treat them the same as financed or purchased cars). Honestly, you need to just relax, and realize that as a mechanical engineer, car components and manufacturing has improved drastically over the last 3-4 decades. It is FINE to start and stop the car once in a while, in fact it is ok to do this daily. Relax, enjoy the car and if you need to pull out of the driveway & then stop the E70...start the bloody engine, put it in R, and then turn it off. See...earth still rotating and E70 still in one piece!!!

[M6X]

strange thing. on my retired e53. on two occasions when i cold started the car and backed it out the driveway then shut it off, the next morning i started it there's white smoke coming out of the exhausts and engine ran rough. i immediately shut it off, waited a few minutes, turned it back on and everything's fine again. i stopped cold starts like that ever since.