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Dead X5, Can't Tow
Hello Gents,
So my mothers 2011 X5 3.5i wont start, battery seems good since everything electronic works, just the car won't start. My father wants to tow it to the shop, but it seems as though the car needs to be running in order for the parking brake to disengage. Does anyone know how to release the brakes manually? |
I would suggest you have it "flatbedded" to the shop. Much cheaper than replacing a tranny or the like if you break it towing.
I know that our 2013 requires you to go up underneath the vehicle to disengage the transmission and the parking brake is released from inside the trunk. Should be instructions in an online manual. |
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Not sure about the parking brake --as the previous response mentioned, there seems to be a release in the trunk but I have never used it-- You need to use a Red "T" shaped tool (in the trunk) to release the Transmission (at least in mine -is below the front cupholder-) . My Alternator gave up so I had to release the transmission -it was still a flat bed but just the few meters to put it up where key to avoid damaging the transmission- Worst case, I have seen tow trucks that can 'lift' each axle with a set of small wheels so the car does not need to move at all. |
+2 use only flatbed. BMW manual states that as well.
As for the red tool, this video shows how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3viS4EcaW3o I don't have the red tool on my 2012 so it may have changed how to release the brake for the 2012 models. If you don't have that tool, I think this video shows you how to do it from underneath the car https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXIH-F-F_fo |
You may have already figured it out, but for the parking break...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LLq2oB2Ovo Edit: Lol +3? :D |
Red tool is only for some E70 models. I asked in the service department and they had a tech pop out the bottom of the left front cup holder and he showed me where the fitting would have been but later models you have to go underneath and screw in or out a screw to free up the tranny.
I thought somebody had stolen my red tool and bought one but the vehicle never came with the tool because it would not work on the tranny. However, it can be used to release the parking brake but using it to pull on the release cable in the back. |
Well, after reading and viewing the video links that you guys posted, I went home and took a look. Turns out, the parking brake isn't stuck, we need the brake for the tranny to unlock in order to move the car. The display says nothing about the brakes being stuck, I just figured that's what needed to be done, but that's not the problem. I think one has to unscrew something from the tranny to free it to be able to tow. I'll have to research some more. Thanks guys.
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Can't stress enough how important a flat-bed is to tow it.
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