Unintended acceleration

[SocialCat50]

100% of my mystery-pedal-applications, after detailed forensic analysis, were determined to have stemmed from 13EEE interference. I think it's the Russkies...

Apparently computer and battery burned It couldn’t be downloaded Mechanic said Toyota had similar problems Don’t know if the battery burned first causing the accident Trying to find others with the same experience

 

[eNate]

You lost me. What do you mean "burned?"

 

[Whereitis]

I remember an incident in my car (actually an X1/9, but that's not really relevant) from a lot of years ago:

I stopped in a sloping petrol station, pulled on the handbrake and started to get out - and suddenly realised that the car was gliding forward into the car in front. So I pulled myself back in and stamped on the footbrake, which went to the floor. And then, even after I understood that my foot must actually be on the clutch, I could not make my brain allow me to take my foot off the clutch and back onto the brake!

Luckily the handbrake was within easy reach, and I yanked it on harder - the car then of course stopped.

It made me realise that the way the brain works when under sudden stress is not always as you think it should be...

Kudos for thinking of the brake lever. That's one more reason why every car should have one

 

[SocialCat50]

Apparently computer and battery burned It couldn’t be downloaded Mechanic said Toyota had similar problems Don’t know if the battery burned first causing the accident Trying to find others with the same experience

You lost me. What do you mean "burned?"

As in a fire there was a fire ?! Mechanic could not download from computer due to burning and battery also was on fire

 

[eNate]

As in a fire there was a fire ?!

As in you're asking me or telling me ?!

You've totally lost me. You're 12 posts in. How do you go from "Brakes failed Car accelerated until it crashed" / "crashed into a parked truck" to "my battery burned?"

Who tows a burned-out car to the dealer? Was the fire all-consuming? How was it put out? Like, I don't know if you're here to legitimately engage in a conversation, or just to troll us.

You register to this site I assume looking for answers or to relate a story about a terrible experience but don't bother with any of the details.

Best of luck.

 

[eNate]

Kudos for thinking of the brake lever. That's one more reason why every car should have one

Yeah, you're right! I'm guessing electric parking brakes don't work when the battery is aflame. smh

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

A UK study pegs 65 as the average age for pedal misapplication. A NHTSA / North Carolina study says a significant factor is the different in height between the brake and accelerator pedals, where pedals on an even plane are more likely to be confused than a slightly higher (within reason) brake pedal. The study combines this aspect with driver age to develop a more complex model.

Hopefully my car is reliably and safely self-driving me before this befalls me.

Well, yesterday, I (age 77) experienced "unintended acceleration". Just after I left Cardio Rehab, I slowly pulled in to park in a marked spot at a shop one mile away. (identified by a 5-gallon plastic bucket filled with concrete to hold the sign just behind a standard concrete wheel stop.
As I went to apply the brake. My wet shoe slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator pedal, and before I could react, I hit and climbed over the stopper and the bucket, damaging the plastic front under-tray. I will need a new front bumper cover, and it is uncertain if the radiator will be all right; I could see some damage, though. It is not leaking, and it has yet to throw a code.

This was 100% my fault. My main excuse is that. I had just finished a tough one-hour cardiac rehabilitation workout and was a bit shakey and tired; I should have waited to rest before leaving the hospital rehab building.

This was my first accident in more than 20 years, and it had me shaking for a while.
So, $1000 deductible plus the need for a rental car for who knows how long as I wait for parts from BMW.

So, beware of slush on your shoes. If your foot is not centred over the brake, it can slide right off it onto the accelerator, and the instant power/torque will climb over anything, given half a chance.

As I age, I must increase my vigilance to try to compensate for my slowed reflexes

 

[eNate]

So sorry to hear that!

Remind me to be cautious when I have helium-filled legs after a tough bike ride or a day skiing (though not likely driving the i3 to Tahoe).

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

As I age, I must increase my vigilance to try to compensate for my slowed reflexes

From the photos, it does not look good. I am frankly amazed that it runs and drives as if nothing is wrong. I hope the insurance company does not try to total it with the subframe wrecked like that. I meet with my agent tomorrow and drop it off at the body shop. (I think my tired and shaky legs from the workout played a big part in this.)

 

[808Pants]

From the photos, it does not look good. I am frankly amazed that it runs and drives as if nothing is wrong. I hope the insurance company does not try to total it with the subframe wrecked like that. I meet with my agent tomorrow and drop it off at the body shop. (I think my tired and shaky legs from the workout played a big part in this.)

Ouch. My non-authoritative experience at insurance auto auctions is that there is little rhyme or reason to what gets branded as a "total" with the added badge of shame of a "salvage title" which requires reconstruction inspection that isn't a walk in the park. In your case, the appearance is that the aluminum frame is damaged - albeit not in a way that looks at all structurally compromising - just below the radiator. An insurance adjuster might well have been taught that this is an automatic fail.

Could also be that the simple tally of the required replacement parts, plus the book rate to remove and replace those parts, exceeds what they deem the value of the vehicle. Not sure about Maine, but here, you have the option to keep the car and get a payout from the insurance company ($ value is just their repair estimate)... but if they've branded it as a "salvage" then it's likely going to be really hard to re-register it for street use.

Let us know how it plays out - sorry about the incident.

 

[alohart]

As in a fire there was a fire ?! Mechanic could not download from computer due to burning and battery also was on fire

Which battery? If the high-voltage battery pack catches fire, the entire car would be burned to the ground with nothing left to tow to the dealer.

The 12 V battery doesn't contain much flammable material. When one is failing, flammable hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide gasses could be emitted, but they'd be vented into the front right fender well and into the air. It would be extremely unusual for these gasses to catch fire after they're vented. If a failing 12 V battery got very hot, its case might melt. However, it would be really unusual for a 12 V battery catch fire on its own. If it did, it's not close to an electronic module that might contain the data record that you want to download.

Your refusal to provide a complete description of what happened and finally claiming that some battery burned is making it very difficult for me to believe anything you've written.

 

[Simbou]

Apparently computer and battery burned It couldn’t be downloaded Mechanic said Toyota had similar problems Don’t know if the battery burned first causing the accident Trying to find others with the same experience

13EEE for sure

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Let us know how it plays out - sorry about the incident.

Thanks. I will know a bit more tomorrow. I also have to contact Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which means a large car that I doubt will fit in my heated basement garage. That means my unheated barn that won't be fun when we get more snow.

On my side, the collision repair shop is considered one of the best in Maine. When I stopped in to have them look to see if I could drive it safely, they said the suspension was okay, and it was not leaking, but I should not drive it until the adjuster had seen it, and I should get a rental.

Hillside Collision Center is just 5 miles from home. They emphasize having their people trained to a high standard. (When Ford started with their aluminium F-100 trucks, they sent their people to be trained to repair them...)

13EEE for sure

??? 13EEE What does that mean?

 

[Mondomensch]

??? 13EEE What does that mean?

Big a** shoe I think. Not an IEEE standard just yet.

Best of luck with your car! I am waiting for the online New England osprey cams to show the birds rebuilding their nests as a sign of spring.

 

[Gonville]

I encourage any i3 driver reading this to try the following experiment: on an appropriately vacant road, drive at a suitable rate of speed and while maintaining that speed with the accelerator pedal, use your left foot to lightly brake, then moderately brake, then heavily brake.

You'll easily identify the braking force (possibly pedal position) threshold where power is cut to the motor, no matter how hard you stomp on the accelerator pedal.

I don't know what level of system failure would be necessary for an unintended acceleration event to occur simultaneously to the motor cut-off function also failing, but that's a basic level of prevention that is designed to prevent this from happening. Definitely a step up from a stuck throttle condition in an ICE vehicle

Just shift the i3 into neutral and then brake. Maybe use handbrake if the braking system has failed. Same as any car. The engine won’t blow in our case. Always worth doing this just so you know what it feels like - basically nothing happens.

 

[808Pants]

I also have to contact Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which means a large car that I doubt will fit in my heated basement garage.

Maybe you've done this already, but at least in these parts (Hawaii) subcompact rentals proliferate. Not my fave, but they're there, in numbers, anytime you sort "Price: lowest to highest..."

 

[alohart]

Maybe you've done this already, but at least in these parts (Hawaii) subcompact rentals proliferate. Not my fave, but they're there, in numbers, anytime you sort "Price: lowest to highest..."

<off-topic>We were carless in Honolulu for 3 years after we shipped our 2000 Honda Insight to our apartment in Sweden. An Enterprise store was across the street from our Honolulu apartment, so it was convenient to rent a car on Saturday for weekly shopping and hiking trips. I always requested the least expensive subcompact car but almost always was "upgraded" to a larger car. They thought that this was a bonus, but I don't like driving large vehicles. For some reason, they didn't have enough subcompact cars, and those they had were rented for longer periods so weren't available to me.</off-topic>

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

<off-topic>We were carless in Honolulu for 3 years after we shipped our 2000 Honda Insight to our apartment in Sweden. An Enterprise store was across the street from our Honolulu apartment, so it was convenient to rent a car on Saturday for weekly shopping and hiking trips. I always requested the least expensive subcompact car but almost always was "upgraded" to a larger car. They thought that this was a bonus, but I don't like driving large vehicles. For some reason, they didn't have enough subcompact cars, and those they had were rented for longer periods so weren't available to me.</off-topic>

Exactly. I have had a Buick Large SUV for a week come Monday, and they hoped to have a small car for me this coming Monday. I hope for a Nissan Versa or something smaller, such as a Mitsubishi Mirage.
Back on topic, does anyone know what the proper part name/number for the bent lower cross member and dented radiator would be? Also the plastic belly pan, as it was shattered into several pieces?

 

[Mondomensch]

You might find this useful - seems to be gray market catalog only extending to production in end of 2019:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgrp?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah

Here for example is the radiator:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah&diagId=17_0763

And here is the front trim:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah&diagId=51_8866

It has some body repair info as well.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

You might find this useful - seems to be gray market catalog only extending to production in end of 2019:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgrp?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah

Here for example is the radiator:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah&diagId=17_0763

And here is the front trim:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=8P23-USA-11-2019-I01N-BMW_i-i3_120Ah&diagId=51_8866

It has some body repair info as well.

Thanks that gives me the part number for the "front axel as

31106857710​

Front axle support​

From:09/02/2013To:-Weight:8.857 kg Price:
Part 31106857710 was found on the following vehicles:

• i3 I01   (01/2013 — 10/2017)
• i3 I01 LCI   (01/2017 — 12/2019)
• There is nothing I can find for the part number of the Front axle itself.
• 
  
• 
  
• As for the Radiator, it is also without a price, but it seems to be used in many BMWs going back to 2010

• 17117600511​

  Radiator​

  From:07/01/2011To:-Weight:2.243 kg
• Price:
  Part 17117600511 was found on the following vehicles:
  • 1' F20   (07/2010 — 02/2015)
  • 1' F20 LCI   (05/2014 — 06/2019)
  • 1' F21   (07/2010 — 02/2015)
  • 1' F21 LCI   (05/2014 — 06/2019)
  • 2' F22   (10/2012 — 06/2017)
  • 2' F22 LCI   (09/2016 — 12/2019)
  • 2' F23   (10/2014 — 06/2017)
  • 2' F23 LCI   (11/2016 — 12/2019)
  • 3' F30   (03/2011 — 07/2015)
  • 3' F30 LCI   (10/2014 — 10/2018)
  • 3' F31   (07/2011 — 07/2015)
  • 3' F31 LCI   (09/2014 — 06/2019)
  • 3' F34 GT   (07/2012 — 06/2016)
  • 3' F34 GT LCI   (01/2016 — 12/2019)
  • 3' F35   (10/2013 — 07/2015)
  • 3' F35 LCI   (01/2015 — 08/2016)
  • 4' F32   (11/2012 — 02/2017)
  • 4' F32 LCI   (05/2016 — 10/2017)
  • 4' F33   (03/2013 — 06/2015)
  • 4' F36 Gran Coupé   (07/2013 — 02/2017)
  • 4' F36 Gran Coupé LCI   (07/2016 — 12/2019)
  • i3 I01   (01/2013 — 10/2017)
  • i3 I01 LCI   (01/2017 — 12/2019)