[Jon D]

Originally Posted by crowdedhouse

Can you not unlock the transmission ? I thought I saw something about it in an online manual.....a tool that you stick in under the cup holders

Only on earlier models, this function was discontinued in Sep10.
If you have an engine failure, but still have electrical power, you can select neutral whilst cranking the engine, but that's about it.
I'm surprised this got through EU regulations. Worst case scenarios would be breaking down in hazardous locations such as halfway round a blind corner and being unable to move the car - in this situation the rear wheels have to be lifted off the ground.

[crowdedhouse]

Thanks for the info Jon D

(awaiting F10....!)

[BobRBob]

I think we may be over-analyzing this. I'm going to repeat what I said earlier. Take your car in and have it checked for a malfunction. It should NOT behave the way you described. Again, I would never coast in N in any car but that should not cause the whole car to shut down. There is probably something wrong with it, either a class problem which needs to be identified, or something specifically wrong with your vehicle. Either way, it's not good.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by BobRBob

I think we may be over-analyzing this. I'm going to repeat what I said earlier. Take your car in and have it checked for a malfunction. It should NOT behave the way you described. Again, I would never coast in N in any car but that should not cause the whole car to shut down. There is probably something wrong with it, either a class problem which needs to be identified, or something specifically wrong with your vehicle. Either way, it's not good.

You're quite right, ok it's a bit daft to shift into neutral whilst rolling, but essential services like power steering and brake servo, should be maintained as long as the engine is running.
OP, are you absolutely certain you didn't shut the engine down as well? That would account for your problem.
Either way, I think you should follow 'BobRBob's' advice and get it checked - as I said earlier, it's not the coasting in neutral that causes damage, but the re-engaging of drive on the move.

[grimlock]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Yes, gone are the days of reversing into a tight parking space whilst leaning out of the door, this car is sometimes just a bit too clever. The rearward vision through the back window is particularly bad, and, yes I know there's the camera, but I'd still sometimes prefer the old fashioned way.
Having said all that, I do recall once getting out of my old E92 to remonstrate with a completely moronic f**kwit who, despite my signalling, wouldn't let me reverse into a parking space. In my frustration I forgot that I was still in reverse and as soon as my foot was off the brake the car started moving backwards with me, by now, standing outside the vehicle listening to the increasing beep of the parking sensors . I've never moved so quickly in all my life and I still don't know how I managed to throw myself back inside and hit the brake pedal instead of the accelerator . So, on balance, I guess this smart tranny isn't such a bad thing .

BMW must have heard about your case, and decided to implement it on the f10.
Now we know who to thank when the car won't let us do something (crazy) that we want to do..

[texasKA]

Originally Posted by tallshorty

This has only happened once so far, but scared the crap out of me:

I was going down a hill and shifted the gears to N and halfway down the hill I shifted gears back to D but the accelerator did not respond and my steering wheel became quite stiff (although I still can turn if I forced the wheel). Shifting back and forth between N and D didn't resolve the issue. Luckily, the brakes still worked and I pulled to the shoulder at the bottom of the hill, turned off the engine, turned the car back on, and everything was working again.

Anyone had this happen to them? I don't know much about cars. Can anyone speculate what happened?

I own a 535xi October 2010 build.

why are you putting the car in neutral going down a hill? maybe u shouldn't do that.

[grimlock]

Don't know if this helps: I was on the highway at 70kpm, somehow I hit the shifter, and the car went in to 'N' and the revs soared, but everything else with the car was fine. I quickly put it back into 'D' (I don't even remember how, either pushed it up or down, but it was intuitive, and an automatic response) and it was as if nothing had happened..
So strange, I am having doubts if I imagined the whole thing ...
Any possible explanations?

[cmk227]

And this is why I love a manual transmission.

[mlai]

So that you can put the car into neutral or disengage the clutch going downhill? There are easier and more comfortable way to kill yourself.....

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by tallshorty

..I was going down a hill and shifted the gears to N and halfway down the hill I shifted gears back to D but the accelerator did not respond and my steering wheel became quite stiff (although I still can turn if I forced the wheel). Shifting back and forth between N and D didn't resolve the issue. Luckily, the brakes still worked and I pulled to the shoulder at the bottom of the hill, turned off the engine, turned the car back on, and everything was working again.

If I'm reading this correctly, I'm not surprised at the result. Problem as I see it, when we panic we don't always do the right thing, or even what we think we do. Evident by folks pressing the gas pedal instead of brakes, in some panic situations.

Probably never know what happened, particularly to (and within) the electronic systems.

HighlandPete

[radarguy]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Only on earlier models, this function was discontinued in Sep10.
If you have an engine failure, but still have electrical power, you can select neutral whilst cranking the engine, but that's about it.
I'm surprised this got through EU regulations. Worst case scenarios would be breaking down in hazardous locations such as halfway round a blind corner and being unable to move the car - in this situation the rear wheels have to be lifted off the ground.

Or, with X-drive all four wheels must come off the ground!!!! A BMW person told me you have to get under the car and do something with the transmission if you want to tow it after a battery failure.

[kube]

Originally Posted by DChaffins

Needsdecaf,

Like you, I was surprised that I could not drive with my driver's door open. There are times I pick up my newspapers in the morning without getting out of the car.

Try something: I have notice that the car will not shift to Park if I leave my seat belt buckled. If I unbuckle and try to drive the car goes to Park.

I'd have your car checked -- I arrive at my train station, put the car in park before I unbuckle my seatbelt -- can't understand why you would not be able to put your car in park while still buckled up -- like in a traffic jam for instance -- or waiting for a train at a railroad crossing.

[Bimmer535xi]

I too lean out of my car in AM to get paper at end of driveway. As long as your on the brakes, even lightly, the car will not stop when you open door. I have learned to get on the brakes lightly and roll slowly to the paper when I open the door.

Also had my hand on shifter while driving and somehow move the shifter to neutral and it just reved.

[fuddman]

Originally Posted by tallshorty

This has only happened once so far, but scared the crap out of me:

I was going down a hill and shifted the gears to N and halfway down the hill I shifted gears back to D but the accelerator did not respond and my steering wheel became quite stiff (although I still can turn if I forced the wheel). Shifting back and forth between N and D didn't resolve the issue. Luckily, the brakes still worked and I pulled to the shoulder at the bottom of the hill, turned off the engine, turned the car back on, and everything was working again.

Anyone had this happen to them? I don't know much about cars. Can anyone speculate what happened?

I own a 535xi October 2010 build.

Something similar happened to this fellow:http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...911&highlight=

I know one thing that happens to your engine when you coast downhill - it cools off real fast. Probably because of the all that air going through the engine compartment coupled with low engine energy requirements at high speeds.
My tendency would be to believe (as someone else mentioned) the performance monitoring software can be confused by this state causing unwanted results. It seems to me that cars with lots of optional computer controlled conditions would be most susceptible to the problem.
I agree with the responder who suggested you take it in. BMW needs to address the problem.

[fuddman]

BY the way, I'm from California, too and I enjoy letting the car go downhill. Safely, of course, and no highway patrol guys in sight. Hecher pass highway 152. I have a low optioned 6spd.

[DuneMan]

Originally Posted by tallshorty

This has only happened once so far, but scared the crap out of me:

I was going down a hill and shifted the gears to N and halfway down the hill I shifted gears back to D but the accelerator did not respond and my steering wheel became quite stiff (although I still can turn if I forced the wheel). Shifting back and forth between N and D didn't resolve the issue. Luckily, the brakes still worked and I pulled to the shoulder at the bottom of the hill, turned off the engine, turned the car back on, and everything was working again.

Anyone had this happen to them? I don't know much about cars. Can anyone speculate what happened?

I own a 535xi October 2010 build.

I once put it in N by mistake... and for some reason could not get it to go back to D... I stopped on the side of the road and was able to get it back into D.

I tried it another time (just to check it this time) and was able to switch back to D easily. Maybe I dind't press the gear button the first time. Or maybe it's speed sensitive where at higher speed it would not go back to D in fear of damaging the gearbox.