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Shifting to neutral

4K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  04prox2 
#1 ·
Hypothetically. You break down. Tow truck comes. Engine does not start. Car is in park. How do you shift to neutral if you can't start the engine?
 
#2 ·
Typically, you don't. You have your X3 winched onto a flatbed, cringing the entire time. I can pretty much guarantee you that whomever is providing BMW Roadside Assistance in your area knows nothing about the procedure for forcing your X3 into Neutral.

Got power? Engine cranks but doesn't start? I haven't tried it because I've never been in a condition where my engine won't start, but this is the alleged procedure:

1. Depress brake pedal
2. Press start stop button...engine won't start but will crank
3. Press shifter release button on side of shifter and hold it
4. Move shifter forward one step-hold it there for 2 secs....exactly
5. Release side switch and repeat. N should be displayed in instrument panel...trans unlocks


Got no power, engine won't crank? Now it becomes a bit of a problem.

Got a wheel chock, a jack, a jack pad, and a jack stand? Got tools? If not, you don't have a way to safely shift into neutral.
 
#11 ·
Typically, you don't. You have your X3 winched onto a flatbed, cringing the entire time. I can pretty much guarantee you that whomever is providing BMW Roadside Assistance in your area knows nothing about the procedure for forcing your X3 into Neutral.

Got power? Engine cranks but doesn't start? I haven't tried it because I've never been in a condition where my engine won't start, but this is the alleged procedure:

1. Depress brake pedal
2. Press start stop button...engine won't start but will crank
3. Press shifter release button on side of shifter and hold it
4. Move shifter forward one step-hold it there for 2 secs....exactly
5. Release side switch and repeat. N should be displayed in instrument panel...trans unlocks

tried several times doesn't work. The only way for sure is to jack car up crawl under, there is a silver bolt on the side of tranny you screw it upwards, it pushes a lever up and puts tranny in neutral, I have personally tried this and it works. The older x5's had a cable attached witch you could activate in the rear compartment. Was going to build similar device but it takes a lot of effort to push up lever.
 
#3 ·
Unbelievable. I've never seen car company complicate the obvious as BMW does. All I wanted to do was push the X3 a few inches forward, without starting, in order to get my lawn tractor out of the garage. Wow.

No spare, no oil dipstick. that stupid auto shut off at the traffic light. Yeah, save some gas but wear but wear out the starter. I miss my old Jeep.

Thanks for the reply.
 
#7 ·
In a few years I'm sure more manufacturers will be the same. I've never read about people complaining on the Benz forums but their shifters are electronic and column mounted...

Lincoln has recently introduced a transmission that uses buttons mounted on the dash... Jaguar is on their rising knob thing... I think my next vehicle will be manual transmission not for performance but for maintenance...
 
#10 ·
Almost all shifters are electronic now, or at least they do not have a direct mechanical link to the transmission like the old days. The problem with BMW's shifter is that the mechanical shift lock release is under the car, not somewhere that is easily accessible like it should be.
 
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