Hit by a driverless BMW

[David]

Has anyone any experience of BMW cars starting without a driver? I know it an odd question but my daughters car was crashed into by a driver-less BMW. She was in a parking space in a perfectly flat Tesco car park and the BMW parked up couple of spaces behind her, the driver got out and went shopping, leaving a passenger in the passenger seat. A few moments later the car appeared to engage the starter and moved forward and collided with my daughter's car. I'm not sure if the engine started, but a witness thought that it did.

Now, I did wondered if the passenger has done something, but apparently the ignition fob was not in the car and when we went to separate the two cars, the BMW would not start and the brakes appeared locked on - the ignition would momentarily come on and then then it shut down as though it had entered some sort of fault mode.

All a bit odd, but then I did some googling and found that this is not the first time It seems removing the fob does not deactivate the ignition immediately, and if the radio is switched on, not at all.

Anyone any similar experiences? Turning on the radio, for example, and the engine starting?

[BiggestNizzy]

I can pop my key in, remove it and start the car with the key in my pocket. Not sure how long the ignition stays active after they key is removed though. Also the car won't start without the clutch fully depressed.

[Ferg]

Maybe she left it running with the passenger in it and the passenger knocked it into drive?

You can take the key away from a car with key less ignition and it remains running. But won't restart once stopped.

[ClarkyBoy]

Maybe she left it running with the passenger in it and the passenger knocked it into drive?

You can take the key away from a car with key less ignition and it remains running. But won't restart once stopped.

I would say this is far more likely than any of the other theories.

Even if the key is in the ignition the car wont start (if a manual) unless the clutch is fully down, if its an auto you need to have a foot on the brake to select drive from park (I am not 100% sure on neutral being the same, but id expect so)

Either way, its the responsibility of the owner (or person inside the car). Even if the car became herbie, put the clutch in, selected a gear and took out an entire carpark it would be on the owners insurance (like leaving a handbrake off on a hill)

Also - With the car being immobilised afterwards, if the car thinks it has taken a big enough impact (or the impact has taken out a sensor) then it will do this a safety measure (like a fuel pump cut out / reset on some other cars)

[David]

You can take the key away from a car with key less ignition and it remains running. But won't restart once stopped.

I'm not sure that's totally true - there is a time period when the engine can be restarted without the key (and perhaps without the clutch engaed too). My theory is that the passenger (a young child) may have been messing around and pressed the starter before it timed out.

Demo here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2JTynRmrZQ

[Shug]

Absolutely won't start without the clutch engaged. Unless there is a switch/sensor issue.

[ClarkyBoy]

You can take the key away from a car with key less ignition and it remains running. But won't restart once stopped.

I'm not sure that's totally true - there is a time period when the engine can be restarted without the key (and perhaps without the clutch engaed too). My theory is that the passenger (a young child) may have been messing around and pressed the starter before it timed out.

Demo here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2JTynRmrZQ

Ferg is right - you can drive the car until it runs out of fuel if its been left running and keys taken away. but it will not re-start.

I have however managed to start Claire's old car without the key by frantically pressing the start button in a panic. but as has been said, there is no way that will happen without the clutch in. (unless there is a switch issue - which im sure would disengage something else before it allowed the car to run, otherwise there would be nothing preventing a car's start stop from starting off in gear)

Are you 100% sure the key wasn't in the car? or maybe the spare key somewhere like in a handbag in the back (cant find my key, its probably in my tardis of a handbag, ill just grab the spare as I need to go NOW etc.)

[Dominic]

Possibly could be something to do with "stop start" too. It is easy enough to pull into a parking space, foot on brake, car stops the engine, forget you have not put it into "park" and get out. The stop start may not always keep the engine switched off, so might have restarted the car at some point.... in my merc this is even easier as the foot brake has an auto hold function which means the brakes stay on without your foot on the brake pedal, only releasing the brakes when you nudge the throttle. Having said all that, if I open the driver's door on the merc without putting it in park, it lets me know about it!

[David]

I can only go on what I was told and what I saw a few minutes after it happened.

The driver accepted responsibility so no real issues other than curiosity as to how it happened. When I arrived the owner was trying to start the BMW and had been for quite a while. In the end it took about 10 bystanders to manhandle the BMW away, and it still didn't start although the brake did seem to release after some time. I've no idea if there is a mechanism to apply brakes during accidents or if it was some sort of fault.

Just felt that something really strange was going on with the way the car was behaving, and felt the driver was being honest, if not more confused than me.

[alicrozier]

Stop start shouldn't (normally) work without drivers seatbelt on, door shut etc. All very strange and could be a fault of some kind although I'm sure BMW will have tested to massively to prevent such an occurrence.

Glad you're getting sorted anyway.

[ClarkyBoy]

I can only go on what I was told and what I saw a few minutes after it happened.

The driver accepted responsibility so no real issues other than curiosity as to how it happened. When I arrived the owner was trying to start the BMW and had been for quite a while. In the end it took about 10 bystanders to manhandle the BMW away, and it still didn't start although the brake did seem to release after some time. I've no idea if there is a mechanism to apply brakes during accidents or if it was some sort of fault.

Just felt that something really strange was going on with the way the car was behaving, and felt the driver was being honest, if not more confused than me.

I wouldn't be surprised if driver error was what was going on post crash, certainly when it comes to the brakes - I would be pretty confident that the electronic brake was on and hadn't been released properly.

anyway - all these things are the reason why cars shouldn't be so bloody techy nowadays!

[rawsco]

I'm gonna go with passenger was the driver, buggered it up and stuffed it into the parked car, jumped into the passenger seat and said "wisnae me, car did it"

[Ferg]

Watch on YouTube

[ClarkyBoy]

I'm gonna go with passenger was the driver, buggered it up and stuffed it into the parked car, jumped into the passenger seat and said "wisnae me, car did it"

My thoughts also.

[rawsco]

Ask tesco for CCTV footage?