Joy stick question

[X5_ATLAST]

I have the habit of resting my right hand on shifter while driving. I think many others do too. So with x5, park button on top of joystick, what happens if that button gets pressed at high speed? Thanks

[Penguin]

An interlock is suppose to prevent engagement at speeds greater than 2 kph; however, the manual clearly states "select only with the vehicle stationary," and I would not want to count on the interlock being 100% reliable. I'd try to change my habit if I were you, but it is very unlikely anything bad will happen if it is accidentally pushed.

[X5_ATLAST]

Originally Posted by Penguin

An interlock is suppose to prevent engagement at speeds greater than 2 kph; however, the manual clearly states "select only with the vehicle stationary," and I would not want to count on the interlock being 100% reliable. I'd try to change my habit if I were you, but it is very unlikely anything bad will happen if it is accidentally pushed.

Wow, I got to be REALLY careful for first couple of weeks. Thank you for the answer.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by X5_ATLAST

Wow, I got to be REALLY careful for first couple of weeks.

Well, maybe I should have said "very, very, very unlikely anything bad will happen if it is pressed accidentally." A failure of the interlock that prevents engagement while in motion is very, very, very unlikely, but pressing the button while moving is still a bad practice, sorta like "why go looking for trouble."

I wouldn't worry about it. I had/have the same habit, but after a couple of months with the X5 I'm mostly over doing it.

[ABMW]

While we're on this topic, here's a bit of off-topic info regarding the transmission that I've discovered on my own:

To test the vehicle's safety, due to the recent "run-away" Toyotas that refused to turn off, I conducted a test in a parking lot.

I wanted to make sure that if the vehicle accelerated in an uncommanded manner, I'd be able to shut the vehicle off.

In doing so, you can turn the vehicle off at speed by pressing the "start" button. This will shut the vehicle off.

You can also switch the vehicle into neutral, but after a few feet of neutral it will automatically shift into park.

The best bet, if your BMW ever accelerates on its own is to press the start button, slam on the brakes, and disengage the key (if you don't have comfort access) Next, I'd try switching the vehicle into neutral, and lastly I'd try park.

The Toyota issues are due to floormats becoming jammed into accelerator pedals. But, with drive by wire technology, anything is possible.

So, if you have some time, I'd recommend becoming familiar with how to perform an emergency shutdown of your vehicle.

This is my over cautious pilot background coming into play, but nonetheless, I think it's wise to know how to instantly prepare for an eventuality, given the electronic complexity of our vehicles.

One thing I want to caution against in a VERY CLEAR MANNER: if you pull the key out of the ignition and you do not have comfort access, be aware your STEERING COULD LOCK! ONLY pull the key out as a last ditch effort. It's far safer to total your X5 at 50 miles per hours, than it is at 120 miles per hour, under full acceleration. Worse yet, imagine an uncommanded acceleration on a downhill curvy road. You'll have seconds to respond, so please do yourself a favor and experiment on your own to become familiar with shutting down your X5 in the event of a malfunction.

Although it's highly unlikely to occur, it's possible nonetheless.

[rh71]

Originally Posted by ABMW

In doing so, you can turn the vehicle off at speed by pressing the "start" button. This will shut the vehicle off.

You can also switch the vehicle into neutral, but after a few feet of neutral it will automatically shift into park.

I had wondered about the start button... do you have to keep it down for any length of time or is it just a quick push? Also, what do you mean by neutral then it automatically shifts into park? Wouldn't that be an extremely sudden stop causing some damage?

[ABMW]

Originally Posted by rh71

I had wondered about the start button... do you have to keep it down for any length of time or is it just a quick push? Also, what do you mean by neutral then it automatically shifts into park? Wouldn't that be an extremely sudden stop causing some damage?

A normal push of the starter was required. A longer push or a holding of the start/stop button was not required.

I did not expect the vehicle to automatically switch into park, when I switched the vehicle into neutral. I performed all tests at low speeds.

It switched into park at probably 2 miles per hour, so yes it was an abrupt stop.

At a higher speed, it could have damaged the transmission. But, in an emergency, the viability of the vehicle is not a concern of mine. Shutting down the vehicle safely is. If that means destroying the engine or the transmission in the process, than so be it.

This all begs the question: will the vehicle shut off at freeway speeds? I do not know, but to me it's important to find out.

The latest fatality with the Toyota (I believe it was actually a Lexus, involved a family of four, with an off-duty highway patrolman at the controls. One family member called 911 in vain, as the car sped toward 120 miles per hour, before approaching a curve, and subsequently off a cliff killing all aboard. Apparently they were unable to stop the vehicle using the brakes, or any other options.)

I'm unsure as to whether they attempted to press the off button, switch the car into park/neutral, or take any other emergency steps, but one would assume they tried those things given the experience of the driver and the time they had to make 911 calls, etc.

So, in closing, I want to make sure that I'm able to shut off my vehicle at any speed, should an uncommanded acceleration take place.

I may contact BMWNA and see if I can get in touch with some of their engineers to see if they can provide me with some information.

I'm a bit hesitant to head onto a quiet highway, accelerate up to 70 mph. and then put it into neutral, given that it automatically switched into park. It could certainly be an ugly day for my transmission, in that case.

On the other hand, it's extraordinarily important to me personally, that I know that I'm able to shut down my vehicle in an emergency, at any speed, should there be a software glitch within the throttle control system.

Perhaps others can chime in here, but so far this is what I've discovered.

One other last ditch technique I discovered, is that opening the door and decreasing all pressure/weight on the seat turns the vehicle off/puts it into park. But, doing so at 80 mph. is not realistic.

One would think that simply applying the brakes at 90 mph. should slow the vehicle down, to a reasonable speed, but at full throttle, it's hard to say. I'd guess that you could probably wrestle the car down to 30 or 40 mph. using brakes alone, even at full throttle. At that speed, I'd feel comfortable (kind of), plowing the vehicle into a soft stationary barrier, in a last ditch effort. But, again, if it took place on a mountainous descent, it could still be a deadly proposition.

Given the speed at which the X5 accelerates, one really only has seconds to react in such a hypothetical situation, so again, I'd very much like to continue my experimenting and come to a conclusion one way or the other.

If there is not a way to cut the engine at speed, I'll likely install some sort of kill switch that will allow me to manually cut power to the fuel pump or to the ignition, as I'm just not a fan of any system that can malfunction to the point that I'm unable to manually override it, especially a throttle-by-wire system with an electronic start/stop switch.

[e92law]

I have a e92 and I can shut the engine down and re-start at highway speeds....but that is with a manual trans. Holding down the start button for a few seconds turns off the engine. Start is exactly the same as normal, just obviously in neutral with the clutch engaged. I do notice that it will start, but give me a DSP error as well. Interesting.

[ABMW]

Yes, manual transmissions are far safer in this regard. If ever there's an issue, you can just manually shit it into neutral.

Those of us with autos are at the mercy of a number of electronic systems.

[Armand]

ABMW, The scenario you are trying to avoid (stopping when the car is accelerating uncontrollably) is due to the Lexus/Toyota driver side mat. What happens is that if you purchase a non-standard mat or stack two of them on the driver side (of certain Lexus/Toyota car), it is possible for the mat to skid forward over the gas pedal and push the pedal down, creating the unfortunate effect that you described. This has never happened to a BMW and in fact I have tried very hard to replicate it on my x5 and it won't happen. So, I believe you are safe there thanks to BMW's safety record. But I can't blame you for wanting to be absolutely sure about this. I personally am more worried about a bottle of water rolling under the brake pedal and causing the opposite effect.