X5 Wrecked - got some questions
 

Wife was on the expressway today and was rear-ended when she slowed down for traffic that was caused by another accident that had just occurred. She is fine - most important thing. Lower part of rear hatch is dented along with rear bumper. Both tail pipes were crushed like soda cans. Hitch was bent down. Tail light was broke.

Ok, first question - once the accident occurred, we were unable to get the X to start. Is this a safety feature activated by the accident or could it have something to do with the tail pipes being CLOSED?? To me it seemed to be a safety thing because it would not even try to crank - everything powered up, but the ignition would not turn over.

Second question. I am thinking about making an opportunity out of this misfortune. Since it is apparent that the mufflers are going to have to be replaced, does anyone know the price difference in the 4.4 muffler vs. the 3.0?? I am thinking that I might go ahead and pay the difference and have the better sounding mufflers put on. Or should I go with a different setup??

Probably going to go ahead and have the sport tail lights (or at least one) put in by the insurance company and then I will spring for the other.

Thanks for any input!!

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Glad everyone is fine. X5 is built like a tank. Yes, BMW has safety feature that disconnects elec. to the fuel pump so you can't restart it just in case there is fuel leaking (last thing u need is an explosion). The 4.4i exhaust will fit fine & it will NOT sound any different from your 3.0i exhaust. I would still do it for the looks alone. Good luck with the repairs.

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Glad everyone is fine. X5 is built like a tank. Yes, BMW has safety feature that disconnects elec. to the fuel pump so you can't restart it just in case there is fuel leaking (last thing u need is an explosion). The 4.4i exhaust will fit fine & it will NOT sound any different from your 3.0i exhaust. I would still do it for the looks alone. Good luck with the repairs.

If you're going to have the mufflers replaced, why not go all the way and replace them with the 4.6iS exhausts? Unless, of course, you don't like the looks of the ovals?

My wife was driving our '04 X5 4.4 two weeks ago and was rear ended by a young woman who had no valid license and, of course, no insurance (got to love SoCal!). She did have a cell phone though and she was probably talking on it when she hit our X (figures). Anyways, the damage sounds exactly like yours...dented lower tailgate, crushed bumper, broken tail light, bent mufflers. Yes, the power cut-off kicked in and my wife couldn't start the engine either. AAA took it away on a flat bed (I always told my wife to ask for a flat bed to risk the least amount of towing damage). We should have ours back next week, and I'm taking it to the dealer to have it checked out afterwards, just in case, to make sure all the electronics, etc. are OK. At least the X did what it was supposed to do and no one was hurt. I told her that she needed the extra safety features of the BMW, and now she really believes me! Good luck w/your repairs.

I was in a similar accident about 6 months ago. My pass and i walked away without a scratch. The X5 is amazing at its ability to prtect its passengers. Im glad your family is ok. and yes my X5 shut off too. It is the BST (Battery safety terminal) that severs itself by using an inertia switch to trigger a tiny explosion of sorts to cut the cable in 2. That cable goes from the battery to the fuel pump only. That what i was told by my dealer.
AQs far as exhaust if your gonna change it go with the 4.6is and get the rear under bumper diffuser whiler your at it. Its like 150 bucks.

SIDE NOTE: the more I hear accident stories with the X, the more I'm impressed. This vehicle just seems so well built when it really counts (meaning if a few blow window regulators equates to you being safe when rear-ended on the highway, I'll take that). BMW needs to get that rep out to the public....come on PR department..do your job.

Okay, now back to the topic at hand. As far as the exhaust...got get a Remus system or something :) I can't imaging the factory exaust from BMW is all that in-expensive ;)

Sorry about the accident but I'm glad your wife is OK. Good luck with the repairs, Dawg.

Good point wagner. BMWs are one of if not the safest vehicles on the road. And actually the X5 got the highest rating of any car or suv ever tested by the nhtsa. which i believe is a federally controled organization.
Not alot of people know this and BMW should get this out more through marketing. BMW safety is probably the main reason i buy M cars instead of porches and corvettes. These cars save lives. I have a few cop friends and they say the only time they ever see survivors in extremely serious accidents is when its a BMW.

examples from experience.
My cousins friend was stopped off the highway in his E39 540 a couple years back and got rearended buy a greyhound type bus doing about 55mph. He had his 1 year old baby in the back seat and they both got out uninjured. The car was obviously totaled. The cop said that car saved your life. Ive never even seen survivors let alone no injuries in this type of accident. He said i hope you know how lucky you are. The bus driver was drinking.

about 3 years ago an Ex best friend of mine was in his E 34 535 and hit a tree doing about 45 mph on a back road. He actually got out and fled the seen of the accident. No injuries. He was high and drunk. Hence the reason why he is my ex best friend. But he would have been dead in any other car.

5 years ago a frien of the family was in his 2000 740 sport stopped at a light and got rear ended by a pickup truck that plowed right into him no brakes doing like 50mph. No 1 scratch on him.

Then my accident about 6 months ago. I was stopped in traffic i got rear ended by a E350 work van. I never even heard it coming because he never touched the brakes. He was doing at least 60mph the cop said. He pushed me into the car in front of me the he got rear end which made him rear end me again and i rear ended the car in front of me again. There was 19 people in all 4 cars involved. I had 3 in my car. Guess who the only people were that just walked away. You got it Me and my passengers. Everyone else left in an ambulance. That was a bad seen. Blood all over the place people unconcious. and we walked away thank GOD. It cost 35k to fix my X5.

I will honestly never drive anything else except BMW.

Does anyone know if the power interruption feature can be reactivated in the field in the event of a minor accident and the need to move the car to a safer location?