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Thread: How to manual override neutral for towing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2011 BMW X3

    How to manual override neutral for towing?

    First time post here:
    I have a 2011 BMW X3 28i (bought used 2.5 years ago, now with 90k miles on it)
    Recently had a break down on the highway. I was in bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic for about 45 minutes then pulled off the off ramp and the acceleration pedal stopped working and once stopped wouldn't turn over again to start. I was able to coast to a safe place and a AAA tow truck was able to get me on a flat bed with wedges but couldn't get it in neutral. There was no red tool in my trunk and the tow truck driver couldn't figure it out underneath the car. It was taken to a AAA garage and put in the parking lot overnight. Next morning no one could figure out how to get it into neutral to bring it into the garage. Based on the ignition sound they thought it was a fuel pump. Luckily my foreign car specialist garage was less than a half mile away (should of had it towed there in the first place).

    Second tow truck that came to move it there couldn't get it in neutral (tried the computer override of holding the shifter in different positions for several seconds, tried under the car, and lifter up the cup holder and entire place cover to the shifter all with no luck)
    He didn't feel comfortable towing it after that (it was also 5 p.m. on Good Friday so the garage it was going to wasn't gonna be open anyways).

    Third tow truck driver hacked it up on wedges and got it to the garage on wedges. Who knows what damage he did but at least got the job done.

    Now before I go into the complications with the actual car in another post. Is there really no way to get this car into neutral for towing?
    If I breakdown again is the only way to get the car in neutral to go under the car with a special allen key?
    Any help with this neutral override concept is appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Bourbonnais, Illinois
    Posts
    64
    My Cars
    1990' 535i


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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    What ever you do don't ever I mean ever look in the owners manual for answers or browse the Internet

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