BMW Accelerator jam car hits 135mph

"Derek Hornby" > wrote in message
...
> Accelerator jam car hits 135mph
> A motorist drives for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator
> on
> his BMW car jams.
> Full story:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/england/4796264.stm
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> If the driver had turned the engine off, surly that would have
> slowed down the car.
> Derek

He He! What a load of ******** ;-) Even if true he must have being over the
speed limit at the time! Probably traveling at 135mph.

I'll wait, and find out the true facts. Probably an ass hole who thinks he's
above he law.

JS

John Smith wrote:

>
> "Emperor's New Widescreen" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> >"John Smith" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> >>"chippy" > wrote in message
> > > ...
> >>> Bozo wrote:
> > > >
> >>>> Derek Potter wrote:
> >>>> > > If the driver had turned the engine off, surly that would
> have >>>> > > slowed down the car.
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > I expect there's a lock to stop you doing that. Might get some
> >>>> > backfiring or summat - safety regs y'know.
> > > > >
> >>>> Either turn off the engine (not a good idea to turn it so far
> that >>>> you lock the steering) or clutch in and select N. Engine
> will go to >>>> the red line and make a lot of noise. Better than
> crashing though.
> > > >
> >>> is there a clutch on an auto?
> > >
> > > No
> >
> > Oh yes there is!!
>
> Not on the on's I drive! Where?

In the engine, the correct question would be, "does it have a clutch
pedal".

--
wigwambam

"John Smith" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Emperor's New Widescreen" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "John Smith" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >>
> >> "chippy" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > Bozo wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Derek Potter wrote:
> >> >> > > If the driver had turned the engine off, surly that would have
> >> >> > > slowed down the car.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I expect there's a lock to stop you doing that. Might get some
> >> >> > backfiring or summat - safety regs y'know.
> >> >>
> >> >> Either turn off the engine (not a good idea to turn it so far that
> >> >> you lock the steering) or clutch in and select N. Engine will go to
> >> >> the red line and make a lot of noise. Better than crashing though.
> >> >
> >> > is there a clutch on an auto?
> >>
> >> No
> >
> > Oh yes there is!!
>
> Not on the on's I drive! Where?

Between the engine and the gearbox.

>
> JS
>
>

"Emperor's New Widescreen" > wrote in message
...
>
> "John Smith" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Emperor's New Widescreen" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> > "John Smith" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >>
>> >> "chippy" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> > Bozo wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> Derek Potter wrote:
>> >> >> > > If the driver had turned the engine off, surly that would have
>> >> >> > > slowed down the car.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > I expect there's a lock to stop you doing that. Might get some
>> >> >> > backfiring or summat - safety regs y'know.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Either turn off the engine (not a good idea to turn it so far that
>> >> >> you lock the steering) or clutch in and select N. Engine will go
>> >> >> to
>> >> >> the red line and make a lot of noise. Better than crashing though.
>> >> >
>> >> > is there a clutch on an auto?
>> >>
>> >> No
>> >
>> > Oh yes there is!!
>>
>> Not on the on's I drive! Where?
>
> Between the engine and the gearbox.
>
>>
>> JS
>>

Good Lord there is some crap on Usenet.
There is a torque converter between the engine and 'box on conventional
automatics which may have a lock-up clutch to give a direct drive without
slip above a certain speed which may vary. However there are a number of
multi-plate clutch packs inside these gearboxes which are engaged and
disengaged hydraulically and, these days, controlled electronically.
None of these clutches are directly controlled by the driver.

Now it seems to me that the only plausible cause of this 'accident' is if
the cruise control malfunctioned. He could still have knocked the auto into
neutral or switched the engine off though.

Huw

In article .com>,
Clark Spyendchipz > writes
>Allegedly, he thought doing so would disable the vehicle's power
>steering.
>
>Funny how he broke down in tears though, beer belly, bleached blond
>hair, ear-ring, BMW driver, I bet he used to be a proper Jack-The-Lad at
>his local pub.
>
>These young boys certainly are in touch with their feminine side these
>days.

I had an auto gearbox Cavalier once where the auto choke jammed on
resulting in very high revs, not 135 mph I admit but, pulled to side of
road, engaged neutral, switched off engine, called garage, problem
solved.

Mike

--
Michael Swift We do not regard Englishmen as foreigners.
Kirkheaton We look on them only as rather mad Norwegians.
Yorkshire Halvard Lange

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 23:12:13 -0000, "Huw"
> wrote:


>Now it seems to me that the only plausible cause of this 'accident' is if
>the cruise control malfunctioned.

Well, let's get this back on course. Has the car definitely got a
neutral. I think I know the answer to that one, but let's hear it from
someone who does know about cars and this one in particular.

> He could still have knocked the auto into
>neutral or switched the engine off though.

The report said the gears had jammed so one would assume that amongst
the other disasters to have struck this rolling pile of crap, neutral
wasn't an option... As for switching the engine off, presumably his
hands were already full what with phoning the AA, the Police, Mum and
the RSPCA.

Alan LeHun > wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
> >
> > The report said the gears had jammed so one would assume that amongst
> > the other disasters to have struck this rolling pile of crap, neutral
> > wasn't an option...
> >
>
> I'm thinking that the electronics wouldn't let him deselect 5th if going
> into 4th would put the engine past redline. I didn't think beemer box's
> did that though.

It's a 4 speed old-tech slushomatic box.

Whatever really happened, we'll never know, but the story being spouted
by said chav is obviously bull****.
--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Fiat Marea 20v HLX - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

"Alan LeHun" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> The report said the gears had jammed so one would assume that amongst
>> the other disasters to have struck this rolling pile of crap, neutral
>> wasn't an option...
>>
>
> I'm thinking that the electronics wouldn't let him deselect 5th if going
> into 4th would put the engine past redline. I didn't think beemer box's
> did that though.
>

These things let the driver select neutral from drive at any speed. There is
no facility for blocking neutral from either drive or reverse. If you have
any idea of how the shifter works you would know that either it has a
staggered gate or a tiptronic type, most likely the latter.

The man is either a bull****ter or a mental defective of some kind. Quite
possibly both.

Huw

On 11 Mar 2006 11:57:06 -0600, Mr X > wrote:

>In article >, Derek
>Hornby > writes
>
>> Accelerator jam car hits 135mph
>>A motorist drives for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator on
>>his BMW car jams.
>
>"I was in tears most of the time on the phone to the police..."
>
>So he was on a mobile phone, in tears, and driving at 135mph?
>

It was a hands free phone.

And *he* called the police to say he was out of control, rather than
them chasing him because he was speeding.

He claims he couldn't get into neutral, which sounds quite likely
given it was an auto, and he thought he would lose the steering if he
turned off the ignition.

He managed to keep the speed down to about 70 for quite a few miles,
by using the brakes, but eventually they faded.

To me, the most surprising thing is that he survived the eventual
crash virtually unscathed.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

"Alex Heney" > wrote
>
> He claims he couldn't get into neutral, which sounds quite likely
> given it was an auto,

How do you figure this?

and he thought he would lose the steering if he
> turned off the ignition.
>
> He managed to keep the speed down to about 70 for quite a few miles,
> by using the brakes, but eventually they faded.

If he kept it to 70 for a few miles he could have easily stalled it in the
first few minutes just by stomping suddenly and sharply on the brakes unless
the cruise control was deffective in which case it would have been diabled
by switching it off manually or switching the ignition off.


>
> To me, the most surprising thing is that he survived the eventual
> crash virtually unscathed.


To me the most surprising thing is that so many people think the guy is
genuine. That there are so many gullible people out there that take things
at face value. The man is either retarded or a bull****ter. It is that
simple. Even if the car was defective that does not alter anything.

Huw