330i Suddenly Lunges Forward?

FieldingMellish · 10-05-2015, 04:18 AM

Hello, BMW people. So, my beloved 330i E90 saloon is pretty much dead. Wife crashed it in Aldi car park yesterday. Front is a mess, grill smashed bonnet crumpled etc.

Now, she says she started the car and moved it forward to access the boot and put shopping in, then as she was getting back into teh car (half way in, door still open), the car, unbidden, suddenly lunged violently forwards, raced 20 feet across the car park, and collided with the back of a Nissan Quashi.

Anybody heard of this happening before? Sudden surges, I mean, not wives crashing...

Phil325i · 10-05-2015, 04:25 AM

I'm sure if you Googled it you'd find loads of examples of autos allegedly leaping forward without driver involvement (particularly in the US). Pretty sure it's across several manufacturers too...

Sparky68 · 10-05-2015, 04:26 AM

Ouch not a good day i'm pretty sure mine wont open with the engine running, were you with her at the time ?

FieldingMellish · 10-05-2015, 04:32 AM

No I was at home, doing my son's homework with him, after which I was due for some chilling time. Then the phone rang...

In my view, the most likely scenarios are:

a) She left the car in Drive by mistake, it rolled, she panicked, and hit the accelerator instead of the brake;

0r

b) A freak car fault.

I'll take the key fob to BMW and see what they say. Just had the car MOT'd (at a local, private garage) on Friday, two new tyres put on etc. Nice timing.

Sparky68 · 10-05-2015, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

No I was at home, doing my son's homework with him, after which I was due for some chilling time. Then the phone rang...

In my view, the most likely scenarios are:

a) She left the car in Drive by mistake, it rolled, she panicked, and hit the accelerator instead of the brake;

0r

b) A freak car fault.

I'll take the key fob to BMW and see what they say. Just had the car MOT'd (at a local, private garage) on Friday, two new tyres put on etc. Nice timing.

Bloody hell what a wounder.

djgandy · 10-05-2015, 04:49 AM

Usually the handbrake will stop the car going, even in drive.

FieldingMellish · 10-05-2015, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djgandy

Usually the handbrake will stop the car going, even in drive.

You joking? On a BMW? I could drive round the M60 with the hand brake on.

Aragorn30d · 10-05-2015, 05:06 AM

At a guess i'd say shes left it in drive with the handbrake on, and the handbrakes not been strong enough to hold the car against the engine. Its maybe even held initially, then let go a short time later.

If the box was in neutral or park i dont see how it could set off across the car park.

FieldingMellish · 10-05-2015, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn30d

At a guess i'd say shes left it in drive with the handbrake on, and the handbrakes not been strong enough to hold the car against the engine. Its maybe even held initially, then let go a short time later.

If the box was in neutral or park i dont see how it could set off across the car park.

Yeah, seems most likely. However, she must have gathered quite a bit of speed, the grill of my car is completely smashed, bonnet is crumpled, etc. Maybe she jammed her foot down so hard on what she thought was the brake, that she engaged kick down (it's an automatic)?

djgandy · 10-05-2015, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

You joking? On a BMW? I could drive round the M60 with the hand brake on.

Without throttle. The same was that the car doesn't move with the brakes on. If the hand brake is half on though, it will go pretty easily.

Aragorn30d · 10-05-2015, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

Yeah, seems most likely. However, she must have gathered quite a bit of speed, the grill of my car is completely smashed, bonnet is crumpled, etc. Maybe she jammed her foot down so hard on what she thought was the brake, that she engaged kick down (it's an automatic)?

She said she wasnt in the car though and had just opened the door?

Did the airbags deploy, if not it likely wasnt that fast at all, bear in mind the front of modern cars are specifically designed to crumple for pedestrian safety.

FieldingMellish · 10-05-2015, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn30d

She said she wasnt in the car though and had just opened the door?

Did the airbags deploy, if not it likely wasn't that fast at all, bear in mind the front of modern cars are specifically designed to crumple for pedestrian safety.

Well, she said she was halfway in, door still open. Airbag didn't deploy. It's subjective, and of course she was shaken etc. but she said the car 'shot across the car park', fast, travelled maybe 20 feet then hit a Nissan Quashi.

RajB · 10-05-2015, 06:00 AM

Thankfully no one hurt as could have been quite bad if she was half in/half out the car. I've never had experience of this happening or heard of it on any of the auto's I've had or know of. Does sound like maybe accidently left in D though because if it was in P or neutral then nothing is engaged to allow it to shoot forward.

Aragorn30d · 10-05-2015, 06:04 AM

Any sort of unexpected movement is going to be perceived as "fast" in a situation like that i'd have thaught, but yeh who knows.

Perhaps she left it in drive with the handbrake on, then accidentally pressed the throttle when shes got in.

No airbags indicates it was a pretty low speed impact, but then i'm not sure how fast the car would have got to with 20feet of full throttle anyway.

Theres been a few youtube videos of crazy carpark collisions and a theme in a few of them is the car going backwards and forwards smashing into stuff. I think it must start out with the person pressing the throttle by accident, then somehow instead of lifting off the throttle they instead yank the shifter into reverse, then when it shoots back, yank it back into drive again, so the car ends up pinballing off about 5 different cars :P

I guess if your panicking and your brain thinks your foots on the brake, it'll just keep mashing it down rather than releasing it and reapplying the proper pedal. Theres an amusing track day video where the same thing happens with an instructor in the car and the guy barrels off the track with the throttle floored as he thinks his foots on the brake :P

pmmcbl · 10-05-2015, 12:59 PM

I feel sorry for your partner. I wouldn't try and push for more information from her. My partner once damaged my car and I got the hint she wasn't happy due the fact she could t answer what happen.
Whatever happened it wouldn't fix the accident. I left it go and never asked her what happen. After all is just a car and I made her pay for everything.

djgandy · 10-06-2015, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmmcbl

I made her pay for everything.

lol

FieldingMellish · 10-06-2015, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmmcbl

I feel sorry for your partner. I wouldn't try and push for more information from her. My partner once damaged my car and I got the hint she wasn't happy due the fact she could t answer what happen.
Whatever happened it wouldn't fix the accident. I left it go and never asked her what happen. After all is just a car and I made her pay for everything.

Oh yeah, absolutely agree. Knowing exactly what happened won't change the fact that it happened. And at the end of the day, after much ballache and expense, the likelihood is that I'll end up getting a new car. Either the insurance will write my 330i off, or I'll sell it once it's repaired.

vegnomeat · 10-06-2015, 07:59 AM

My wife returned from a shopping trip with my mother in law in my car, she returned with a damaged front end, she said it was fine when it was parked and when she returned later the damage had been done. I said no more at the time. 25 years later her mother reminisced about the day and I was within earshot, apparently my wife just drove in to a wall in a car park. I never liked the mother in law.

FieldingMellish · 10-06-2015, 12:09 PM

Just got the call from the garage: £6k repair bill (and it's not a BMW body shop). If the insurance company agree to pay, rather than write the car off, I think I'll be selling it.

Aragorn30d · 10-06-2015, 12:29 PM

Selling it due to the accident, or for some other reason?

FieldingMellish · 10-06-2015, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn30d

Selling it due to the accident, or for some other reason?

Well, partly due to the accident, partly because I'm sick of having to keep putting petrol in it. It's been fun, having a nice six cylinder petrol, but to be honest I don't really use the power any more and I'd swap it for something more economical if I could.

A few years ago, somebody in a van ran into the back of my car, which resulted in about £5k of repairs (done by BMW). Now it's had a front-end crash too, I just think enough's enough. Structurally, the car is fine, but I just feel it's time for a change.

The garage that's fixing it say the book price is around £11k, which seems high to me. But we shall see.

Jules59 · 10-06-2015, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

Hello, BMW people. So, my beloved 330i E90 saloon is pretty much dead. Wife crashed it in Aldi car park yesterday. Front is a mess, grill smashed bonnet crumpled etc.

Now, she says she started the car and moved it forward to access the boot and put shopping in, then as she was getting back into teh car (half way in, door still open), the car, unbidden, suddenly lunged violently forwards, raced 20 feet across the car park, and collided with the back of a Nissan Quashi.

Anybody heard of this happening before? Sudden surges, I mean, not wives crashing...

I presume she left the engine running whilst she got out the car to chuck the shopping in.

I did something similar - got out after starting the engine to quickly check I had something I needed in my briefcase and after I shut the tailgate the car set off - I'd left it in D with the handbrake just on and the force of shutting the tailgate caused the handbrake to give way and the diesel torque did the rest . Luckily I could ran round to the drivers door, hit the brake with my left foot and cut the ignition before it hit anything. I could have easily hit the accelerator instead and really messed things up.

10-05-2015, 04:18 AM	#1
FieldingMellish Captain 171 Rep 981 Posts Drives: F30 330D M Sport auto Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Manchester iTrader: (0)	330i Suddenly Lunges Forward? Hello, BMW people. So, my beloved 330i E90 saloon is pretty much dead. Wife crashed it in Aldi car park yesterday. Front is a mess, grill smashed bonnet crumpled etc. Now, she says she started the car and moved it forward to access the boot and put shopping in, then as she was getting back into teh car (half way in, door still open), the car, unbidden, suddenly lunged violently forwards, raced 20 feet across the car park, and collided with the back of a Nissan Quashi. Anybody heard of this happening before? Sudden surges, I mean, not wives crashing...
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10-05-2015, 04:25 AM	#2
Phil325i Brigadier General 616 Rep 3,194 Posts Drives: E92 325i MSport Coupe Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK South East iTrader: (1) Garage List 2009 BMW 325i Coupe [6.00]	I'm sure if you Googled it you'd find loads of examples of autos allegedly leaping forward without driver involvement (particularly in the US). Pretty sure it's across several manufacturers too... __________________ E92 pre-LCI 325i - Ohlins R&T; H&R spacers; M3 strut brace; Swift thrust sheets; 3 x chassis braces; diff brace; N53 V-brace; 034 subframe inserts; BMS clutch stop; BMS CDV; RE g/box mounts; Delrin shift bushes; Saikoumichi OCC; Cyba scoops; BMW Perf Exhaust; HEL s/steel brake hoses; M3 rear spoiler; Recaro Sportster CSs; M3 white dash LEDs; LED Angels; LED side repeaters; BMW Perf black grille; CSL reps; SSDD carbon diffuser; Monster Wrap black roof/clear front
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10-05-2015, 04:26 AM	#3
Sparky68 Brigadier General 684 Rep 4,261 Posts Drives: 2016 M2 Alpine White Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Cambs UK iTrader: (11) Garage List 2016 BMW M2 [0.50] 2017 BMW F30 330D [0.00] 2014 M135 [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	Ouch not a good day i'm pretty sure mine wont open with the engine running, were you with her at the time ? __________________ OG M2 7sp DCT Masata FMIC - Masata Boost Pipe - Cobra Catless DP - Powervalve Exhaust - Devilsown Methanol Injection BM3 Stage 2
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10-05-2015, 04:32 AM	#4
FieldingMellish Captain 171 Rep 981 Posts Drives: F30 330D M Sport auto Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Manchester iTrader: (0)	No I was at home, doing my son's homework with him, after which I was due for some chilling time. Then the phone rang... In my view, the most likely scenarios are: a) She left the car in Drive by mistake, it rolled, she panicked, and hit the accelerator instead of the brake; 0r b) A freak car fault. I'll take the key fob to BMW and see what they say. Just had the car MOT'd (at a local, private garage) on Friday, two new tyres put on etc. Nice timing.
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10-05-2015, 04:49 AM	#6
djgandy Colonel 146 Rep 2,337 Posts Drives: E93 M3 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: London iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 M3 [0.00]	Usually the handbrake will stop the car going, even in drive.
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10-05-2015, 05:06 AM	#8
Aragorn30d Lieutenant Colonel 175 Rep 1,596 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fife iTrader: (0)	At a guess i'd say shes left it in drive with the handbrake on, and the handbrakes not been strong enough to hold the car against the engine. Its maybe even held initially, then let go a short time later. If the box was in neutral or park i dont see how it could set off across the car park.
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10-05-2015, 06:00 AM	#13
RajB Brigadier General 448 Rep 3,312 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Midlands iTrader: (4)	Thankfully no one hurt as could have been quite bad if she was half in/half out the car. I've never had experience of this happening or heard of it on any of the auto's I've had or know of. Does sound like maybe accidently left in D though because if it was in P or neutral then nothing is engaged to allow it to shoot forward. __________________ E92 335i / M3 Hybrid - The Build
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10-05-2015, 06:04 AM	#14
Aragorn30d Lieutenant Colonel 175 Rep 1,596 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fife iTrader: (0)	Any sort of unexpected movement is going to be perceived as "fast" in a situation like that i'd have thaught, but yeh who knows. Perhaps she left it in drive with the handbrake on, then accidentally pressed the throttle when shes got in. No airbags indicates it was a pretty low speed impact, but then i'm not sure how fast the car would have got to with 20feet of full throttle anyway. Theres been a few youtube videos of crazy carpark collisions and a theme in a few of them is the car going backwards and forwards smashing into stuff. I think it must start out with the person pressing the throttle by accident, then somehow instead of lifting off the throttle they instead yank the shifter into reverse, then when it shoots back, yank it back into drive again, so the car ends up pinballing off about 5 different cars :P I guess if your panicking and your brain thinks your foots on the brake, it'll just keep mashing it down rather than releasing it and reapplying the proper pedal. Theres an amusing track day video where the same thing happens with an instructor in the car and the guy barrels off the track with the throttle floored as he thinks his foots on the brake :P
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10-05-2015, 12:59 PM	#15
pmmcbl Lieutenant 35 Rep 435 Posts Drives: E91 335i M-Sport Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Berkshire iTrader: (0)	I feel sorry for your partner. I wouldn't try and push for more information from her. My partner once damaged my car and I got the hint she wasn't happy due the fact she could t answer what happen. Whatever happened it wouldn't fix the accident. I left it go and never asked her what happen. After all is just a car and I made her pay for everything.
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10-06-2015, 07:59 AM	#18
vegnomeat Private First Class 18 Rep 135 Posts Drives: BMW M3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Worcestershire iTrader: (0)	My wife returned from a shopping trip with my mother in law in my car, she returned with a damaged front end, she said it was fine when it was parked and when she returned later the damage had been done. I said no more at the time. 25 years later her mother reminisced about the day and I was within earshot, apparently my wife just drove in to a wall in a car park. I never liked the mother in law. __________________ Current; M3 2011. Previous; Audi A3 184 Quattro, Jaguar XKR, BMW 335i coupe, Mercedes SL500, BMW 330ci, Jaguar XK8, Jaguar XK8, BMW325i, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 944 Turbo, Porsche 928 GT, Porsche 928 S4, Porsche 928 S2, Ford Cosworth Sapphire, Audi UR Quattro, Audi Quattro, Capri 2.8, Singer Vogue.
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10-06-2015, 12:09 PM	#19
FieldingMellish Captain 171 Rep 981 Posts Drives: F30 330D M Sport auto Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Manchester iTrader: (0)	Just got the call from the garage: £6k repair bill (and it's not a BMW body shop). If the insurance company agree to pay, rather than write the car off, I think I'll be selling it.
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10-06-2015, 12:29 PM	#20
Aragorn30d Lieutenant Colonel 175 Rep 1,596 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fife iTrader: (0)	Selling it due to the accident, or for some other reason?
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