Amazing

[Craig.]

I know what you meant Doug, but my point was, while the car was in motion you could turn it back that click to remove the key. You had to be at a complete stop for it to turn the engine off.
This situation sounds like an electrical fault, so theres nothing to say he could have turned the engine off anyway.

[Hagar]

I know what you meant Doug, but my point was, while the car was in motion you could turn it back that click to remove the key. You had to be at a complete stop for it to turn the engine off.

Ah, I had a Vauxhall like that once but I think it's irrelevant in this case.

I have no idea what switching the ignition off at 70 mph or over would do to an automatic gearbox. I don't think it would do it much good but that's besides the point. If he'd done what I said & switched it off he would still have a car & saved all this bother. IMHO  

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

Great driving

[MWISimmer]

I think, but i'm not sure, if you switch off ignition on an Automatic whilst moving and in any gear except for Neutral the engine will keep running because the wheels will lock up (rear in the case of the BMW).
I used to have an auto Land Rover Discovery, but i never tried turning the ignition off while driving.

[Hagar]

I think, but i'm not sure, if you switch off ignition on an Automatic whilst moving and in any gear except for Neutral the engine will keep running because the wheels will lock up (rear in the case of the BMW).

Not sure what you mean by that. Assuming this is a petrol engine, switching the ignition off would cut the engine. If it's in gear it would obviously keep turning (driven by the transmission) but act like a brake so the vehicle would eventually slow down & stop.

[Saitek]

The gears were jammed on the car and it would not go into neutral. It sounds like a very rare multi-mechanical failure.
I'm not sure on the BMW specifications, but it is a very powerful car and it would be difficult to steer without the computer-aids that the engine activates. I don't think it would be a case of just a stiffening up.

[Hagar]

The gears were jammed on the car and it would not go into neutral. It sounds like a very rare multi-mechanical failure.

You're making assumptions. It's possible he couldn't move the gear selector into neutral because of the speed (safety feature) or it might have been an electrical fault. In either case switching off the ignition would have stopped the car.

I'm not sure on the BMW specifications, but it is a very powerful car and it would be difficult to steer without the computer-aids that the engine activates. I don't think it would be a case of just a stiffening up.

Power steering works on the same principle on any vehicle no matter how powerful it might be. All power assisted systems like steering or brakes have a fail-safe mode just as on aircraft.

[Craig.]

I think you also need to remember until recently power steering was a luxary when it came to cars. I can remember many of our old cars that didn't have it at all. You dont need it, and it isn't a huge differance if you dont have it. Just a little heavier thats all. I am still maintaining it wasn't just as simple as turning the ignition off, there is nothing in this article to suggest he did or didn't try that so who knows right now. We are unlikely to see much of a follow up to find out though. The fact the cars accelerator started to increase the speed of the car by getting stuck or just through an autonamous function suggests its a computer or electrical fault. I also noticed it was suggested he was using the cruise control which further would back that assumption up if there happend to be a fault with that.
4_series might be able to shed some light on this as he has owned a couple of bmw's.

[Hagar]

I think you also need to remember until recently power steering was a luxary when it came to cars. I can remember many of our old cars that didn't have it at all. You dont need it, and it isn't a huge differance if you dont have it. Just a little heavier thats all. I am still maintaining it wasn't just as simple as turning the ignition off, there is nothing in this article to suggest he did or didn't try that so who knows right now. We are unlikely to see much of a follow up to find out though.

The BMW is a heavy car so power steering would definitely be an advantage - although not essential, especially when moving at speed. What this chap & everyone else seems to have been worried about was not the power steering at all but locking the steering column when turning off the ignition. The impression I get from the article & the video is that he didn't dare try it. I'm positive this would not have happened & he was therefore given the wrong advice.

PS. I'm sorry but I think they're talking out of their bottoms. It's a miracle nobody was killed.

[Omag 2.0]

Again! Switching the engine off WITHOUT removing the key will avoid the wheel-lock. Hence It wouldn't be out of control. These cars still use hydraulics to operate the steering colum and brakes. It gets harder, I agree, but they still work. I actually had this once, the powersteering gone I mean. It was a buggar to manouever, but you still could. Besides... in some cars, the amount of power added to the steering depends on the speed... the higher the speed, the less power you need. The power is needed to overcome the friction of the tires on the road. Once they roll, it becomes a lot easier.

All he needed to do was to find a nice stretch of straith road and cut the engine and keep going straith until comming to a full stop.

I think...  :)

[Hagar]

[quote]All he needed to do was to find a nice stretch of straith road and cut the engine and keep going straith until comming to a full stop.

I think...

[Sytse]

I think you're totally right, Doug. A car can continue driving with the engine turned off, without the loss of too much control.

However, there is one other solution. He could have steered into the crash barrier at a slight angle. That would have slowed him down...