Another Update, BMW Pedestrian Protection System

sars

sars

Awesome
 East Yorkshire
Site Supporter
So unless you have been unlucky enough to actually hit someone you are probably not aware of this system lurking in the back ground of modern BMW's. The system is designed such that when it detects you've hit someone, two pyrotechnic actuators deploy, one either side of the bonnet near the windscreen, to lift the back of the bonnet to give them something cushioned to land on, a truly marvellous concept, like an airbag for pedestrians.

That is unless you are tootling along at 07:10 in the morning through a village, enjoying the open top vista when suddenly there is a very loud bang, your vision is obscured by the bonnet, you've wet yourself and then subjected to a relentless bing bong warnings that you've had an accident, the bonnet is open and pull over as quickly as possible. This is of course what I did, checked the bonnet at the front, still latched, so undid the latch, opened the bonnet and tried to close it, nope not having it and then I noticed the two bolts sticking out stopping the bonnet from closing, WTF! Drove back home to mums and called BMW assist.

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So that was my Wednesday, BMW assist were very good, communicative, concerned, did everything they could to help and they even rang me to ask if I was okay after my accident. Except I had no accident, my pride and joy is completely undamaged apart the bonnet pyrotechnic squibs, which need replacing.

I now have a Mini Countrymen for a week or two while the fault is diagnosed and rectified, as for the Mini, you can see a picture of it in the dictionary under fugly! Honestly why would anyone buy this vehicle, it's not a Mini, its a Mini addicted to steroids and hit with the ugly stick repeatedly
:poke: 🤮
 
To me this is a good example of why nothing gets done anymore and everything is unaffordable. Having caught all the low hanging fruit that makes a difference, people who don't go to the pub enough start dicking about with the edge cases and suggesting things that while on paper and squinted at from the next room might make a smidge of sense but don't really do anything much in the real world apart from add a big cost. This is an automotive HS2 bat tunnel. A pyrotechnic Welsh 20 zone. A £7 pint in a smoke free pub.

Seatbelts. Yep, keep you in the seat for the cost of a 3/4 inch ball bearing. Great. Airbags. Tick. You've driven into something and get launched at the steering wheel but the accelerometer has you covered and it knows without doubt that the brakes aren't good for four G. Wheel out the bang, boys. But $deity knows what hair trigger sensor they've got for this, the world's least comfortable bouncy castle. A snow globe with a light sensor? A piece of hair taped across the bonnet opening like in that Connery bond film? Was that a pedestrian or a change of wind? I wouldn't like to slam the bonnet with the ignition on. I bet a good pothole would set it off. Oh, wait...
 
@smorris_12, BMW have had this system for a while, the e89 has and so if it was that sensitive, the hoards on here would be complaining about it, seeing that the squibs need replacing after activation.

I have no idea how it works, only that there are sensors in the front bumper that can detect a pedestrian impact.
 
Has it damaged the bonnet at all with the upward sudden movement?

I bet you had some brown adrenaline: I know I would have
 
We are all of course assuming that you weren't actually half asleep and did, in fact, hit a pedestrian.
On here moaning about unwanted tech whilst some poor old biddy lies in a ditch, wrapped up in her zimmer frame! :rofl:
 
When I picked up my G29 I was driving back home
enuff_zed said:
We are all of course assuming that you weren't actually half asleep and did, in fact, hit a pedestrian.
On here moaning about unwanted tech whilst some poor old biddy lies in a ditch, wrapped up in her zimmer frame! :rofl:
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or is hanging from a tree by said zimmer frame as she was launched 30ft up in the air 🙀... Talking about unwanted tech, when I picked up my G29 I was driving back home and then suddenly the car violently pulled to one side as though a poltergeist 👻 had taken control of the steering wheel, this was shortly followed by the brakes slamming on for no reason at all, maybe a butterfly 🦋fluttered too close to the front, I turned all that tech off!
 
Wow, that would have got your attention!

Makes me glad my cars are too old to have that sort of cr*p. Pedestrians will just have to take their chances. :LOL:
 
@bigwinn, no damage at all as far as I could tell, there are pads that the bolts hits, pushing the bonnet up, releasing a latch that extends the bonnet arms and enables some movement.

@enuff_zed, no old biddies, infants or bunnies were hurt during my sedate 30 mph jaunt through Wraxall on the way to work
:poke:
 
The car has been at BMW Bristol for over a week, just had a call from the BMW after sales manager to discus the current status of my beloved Z4. So, on Wednesday spoke to service and they stated that the diagnosis was that I'd hit something and this had caused the activation of the bonnet squibs, I then explained again what had happened, the EDR will have recorded that I was doing 30 mph. there was no activation of the emergency breaking system and there is no physical damage to the front of the car. On Thursday I was informed that BMW Germany had requested the logged data and not to worry.

Today's call is a shocker, BMW Germany have evaluated the data and cannot find any fault with the system or components, ergo this isn't a warranty claim and so I am responsible/claim on my insurance for any work to rectify, the cost to rectify is just under £1,700 :headbang: This includes, new squibs, hinges, front sensor and of course labour.

I might be able to claim on my insurance, though technically I have not had an accident, I have +18 years NCB, and thus reluctant to make a claim. As one can imagine, I am rather incensed by this and have have explained the situation with the vehicle again, and they have admitted that they can find no physical damage to the vehicle.

They have agreed to go back to BMW UK, and try and come to some agreement to reduce the costs, split it 50:50, otherwise I shall have to either contact my insurance or pay the full amount and try to take legal recourse through the small claims court.

To say that I am shocked, incensed and frustrated is an understatement. I can make a complaint to BMW UK, but it will just go back to the dealer or go through the ombudsmen route.
 
sars said:
The car has been at BMW Bristol for over a week, just had a call from the BMW after sales manager to discus the current status of my beloved Z4. So, on Wednesday spoke to service and they stated that the diagnosis was that I'd hit something and this had caused the activation of the bonnet squibs, I then explained again what had happened, the EDR will have recorded that I was doing 30 mph. there was no activation of the emergency breaking system and there is no physical damage to the front of the car. On Thursday I was informed that BMW Germany had requested the logged data and not to worry.

Today's call is a shocker, BMW Germany have evaluated the data and cannot find any fault with the system or components, ergo this isn't a warranty claim and so I am responsible/claim on my insurance for any work to rectify, the cost to rectify is just under £1,700 :headbang: This includes, new squibs, hinges, front sensor and of course labour.

I might be able to claim on my insurance, though technically I have not had an accident, I have +18 years NCB, and thus reluctant to make a claim. As one can imagine, I am rather incensed by this and have have explained the situation with the vehicle again, and they have admitted that they can find no physical damage to the vehicle.

They have agreed to go back to BMW UK, and try and come to some agreement to reduce the costs, split it 50:50, otherwise I shall have to either contact my insurance or pay the full amount and try to take legal recourse through the small claims court.

To say that I am shocked, incensed and frustrated is an understatement. I can make a complaint to BMW UK, but it will just go back to the dealer or go through the ombudsmen route.
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Woah

I’d be digging right in for a battle on that one!

Have you had a google to see if anyone else has experienced similar and what precedent was set with them?
 
Put it down to technology that's far from perfect..my Volvo XC60 used to panic brake itself on left hand bends if the sun was at 9 o clock and a white van came the opposite way..

Neighbour's 5 day old Macan did a right turn into a brick wall when a car came the opposite way down a narrow walled road.

In both cases no faults found..

Fortunately pre 2012 E89s don't have PPS and even those that have don't have the bumper sensor / camera system..
 
I would think plastering it all over social media and speaking to a few of the car magazines may get you a galvanised response.
 
bigwinn said:
Woah

I’d be digging right in for a battle on that one!
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Me too mate.
If they admit there are absolutely no signs of physical damage anywhere, how the hell can they just make a decision from the car's 'data'.
That's nuts.

If there is no sign whatsoever of damage, surely they should be questioning the 'data'? Cos it's obviously wrong.
 
sars said:
otherwise I shall have to either contact my insurance or pay the full amount and try to take legal recourse through the small claims court.
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If you do either, you won't have a leg to stand on (maybe not the best phrase) later. You will only have BMW's word against yours and they have will have their 'proof' that the system wasn't faulty. So surely you will lose?

I would also be going down the route of the bonnet firing up in the air could have caused a serious accident if you were barreling down the motorway at the time. The fact you weren't was very fortunate.
 
It gets you nowhere with BMW UK. A person came to me (a member of Stereophonics actually) with a problem with his i8. Even though BMW NA had issued a recall for the component that had fried in his car BMW UK failed to recognise an issue even though I passed all the info to Car magazine. BMW UK said that the cost to repair would be £25k. They would not budge. In the end we got it fixed for half that ….
 
It seems a little odd that they’re not willing to contribute given there was no evidence of anything going wrong. By the very fact that your pedestrian system activated with no logged reason would suggest there very much was a problem!
 
sars said:
To say that I am shocked, incensed and frustrated is an understatement. I can make a complaint to BMW UK, but it will just go back to the dealer or go through the ombudsmen route.
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That's appalling. :mad:

I wouldn't be letting them get away with that!
 
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