Another Update, BMW Pedestrian Protection System

It may be a bitter pill to swallow, however is does not diminish my love for the car, it remains the best drivers car I've owned or driven and I really can't wait to get back in.

As an aside, who on earth would buy a Mini countryman, just why, it had no redeeming qualities (apologies if you purchased one). The funny thing is, fuel economy wise, it is not that much better than my zed :poke:
 
I know my humour is often misplaced but it did make me chuckle (just a tiny bit) when this thread popped up right next to the one that says 'Hit a nice milestone today'.
Sorry.
 
And yes woohoo, I've so missed my black beauty, it's fixed and I'm £1,682 poorer. Car arrived back yesterday on the back of a flatbed, straight from Bristol, all shiny and clean. Today, top down for a quick scoot and all the time wondering if it's going to happen again :headbang:

They've replaced quite a few items, hinges, gas struts, squibs, front latches (why???) and of course the sensors, which is actually one big sensor that goes around the bumper.

Next step, contact the ombudsman
 
Well, I've now got the old hinges and the spent squibs. I wonder why they replaced the front latches?
 
The fault Is likely in the sensor, it is supposed to trigger on impact, what is the mechanism that does that. I damaged the sensor on my Jag, it was a long tube and I had dented it which caused a fault, no idea what BMW use.
 
This is awful from BMW. I am shocked. Surely a bird strike would leave damage. Travelling at 30mph………even hitting the smallest of birds would massively dent the car.

And it would need to be a significant hit to activate the crash bar.
Wouldn’t that set off the airbags too?

Personally, I would be filling a small claims court. I’m actually furious for you.
 
Hi @ori, the anger has subsided a little, it helps being absolutely besotted with the car :love: Will be trying the ombudsman first, but don't have high hopes, but it's worth a try. I've thought of the small claims court, but as BMW stated, damage or the lack thereof, does not rule out that I didn't hit something and their system states that there was no malfunction. There are four sensors distributed around the bumper in a tube, when the bumper flexes and compresses the sensors their resistance changes and the ECU detects these changes along with other inputs, two of the sensors were reporting a high resistance. My only real argument is that the calibration or sensitivity of the system is at fault.
 
sars said:
Hi @ori, the anger has subsided a little, it helps being absolutely besotted with the car :love: Will be trying the ombudsman first, but don't have high hopes, but it's worth a try. I've thought of the small claims court, but as BMW stated, damage or the lack thereof, does not rule out that I didn't hit something and their system states that there was no malfunction. There are four sensors distributed around the bumper in a tube, when the bumper flexes and compresses the sensors their resistance changes and the ECU detects these changes along with other inputs, two of the sensors were reporting a high resistance. My only real argument is that the calibration or sensitivity of the system is at fault.
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And I would argue that what can you hit at 30mph that would set off the sensors but not leave a mark on the car?
Something doesn’t add up.
 
ori said:
And I would argue that what can you hit at 30mph that would set off the sensors but not leave a mark on the car?
Something doesn’t add up.
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Her word against BMW, though. BMW have a load of 'data' which they can provide to any court which 'proves' they are correct. Sars just has her version of events, which has no evidence at all to back it up, unfortunately.

The only way I can see a good outcome to this, is if BMW decide to settle the claim as a PR exercise without admitting guilt..
 
I had a pigeon go square through a grill on my E85 and I was cleaning feathers out for a week. Broke the grill (or it pinged off, I forget) and dented the rad. I can't imagine an impact that's enough to trigger a system to save pedestrians not leaving a mark of some sort. That there's no mark is only a philosophical victory as BMW only have to argue that it was buffed out and a fast one is being pulled to disguise things.

The ombudsmen is the best bet. After that pestering, pleading and, if all else fails, sulking are all that's left. It's pointless trying courts - car dealers have good solicitors to deflect things and the cost of escalating it becomes too painful too quickly. If it was me, I'd pay the bill, get drunk and then code out the bloody thing!
 
Or you could strap the dealer principle face down on the bonnet and drive the same road…
 
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Sorry, but I would still argue the case in court. BMW would have to assume that a 30mph strike left no damage at all or that SAR was able to replace the bumper, have it sprayed and blended all in the space of half a day? At a cost that would exceed the original repair?
I reckon I would stand a good chance.
 
ori said:
Sorry, but I would still argue the case in court. BMW would have to assume that a 30mph strike left no damage at all or that SAR was able to replace the bumper, have it sprayed and blended all in the space of half a day? At a cost that would exceed the original repair?
I reckon I would stand a good chance.
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I reckon you would stand virtually no chance. The '30mph' thing is only your (her) word. BMW would argue a bird strike at 5mph would cause the same. There is no evidence of the speed. There is no evidence of anything, except the evidence that BMW have the data they took from the car. And according to them, the system was functioning as it should with no faults.

If there was a common issue with the G29 pedestrian safety system firing for no reason, then OK. But there doesn't seem to be, so there is no precedent.

I remember when I was a kid getting a 'glancing blow' from a pigeon on my motorbike crash helmet at 70mph. It gave me a very sore neck for weeks but there was no damage to the crash hat. Just a bit of 'grease' from the bird's feathers. Easily wiped off.

BMW would argue that a glancing blow from a bird would be enough to fire the bonnet, at any speed, with little or no sign of it happening.
 
I get your point, but I believe that bmw would have the speed it happened in their data?
A glancing blow would be a good argument I guess, but it would still need to bend the bumped in order to activate as it’s not a vibration system….its similar to the crash bar sensor which requires it to be compressed and that requires force.
 
ori said:
I get your point, but I believe that bmw would have the speed it happened in their data?
A glancing blow would be a good argument I guess, but it would still need to bend the bumped in order to activate as it’s not a vibration system….its similar to the crash bar sensor which requires it to be compressed and that requires force.
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We can all discuss it until we're blue in the face, but only @sars will know what the outcome will be when she pursues it.

I really hope it is a good outcome for her, I just can't see how it can be TBH.
 
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