[435toM3]

Went for a weekend trip and got back home from flight 1 am in the morning and noticed my car was towed. The part concerned me is that, since I live in an apartment complex , and base on the garage height, there is no way the tow truck driver could just flatbed and tow my car. So I have no idea how they towed my car. And now I’m concerned about potential differential or transmission damage.

From what I observed so far, the driver definitely entered my car. Not sure how he got in to a locked car but can confirm that he definitely entered. Base on the Mpg, it looks that somehow he started the car , and the car might be running for a while. I couldn’t find trip catalog on the BMW apps though. I didn’t notice any scratch on the bottom of the bumpers.

Do any of you guy here know how to safely tow a xdrive g80 without transmission or differential damage? Should I worried about potential damages? Any advice ?

Thanks

[Needsdecaf]

You, uh, sure it was towed? Sounds more like someone tried to steal it. Why start the car? If it was in your apartment complex, why are they trying to tow it? How would they even enter and start it without your keys? Can’t you just ask them how it was towed? And if they had no bus8ness towing it, file a police report, take it in for a check and present them a bill.



So many questions…

[435toM3]

Yah, I retrieved the vehicle 1 am in the morning from the towing company yard… I had an expired parking permit on my front windshield and they took that and gave it to my apartments office. So that how I’m pretty sure they entered my car and took stuff without me noticing.


The apartment management company had a stupid rule that per leaseholder can only rent 1 parking spaces even though we had plenty of empty ones. I have two veichles,and I being using my friends expired parking permit. So technically they have the right to tow it… but I being parking in the empty top parking floor and that truck driver had to partrol the whole parking lot and look closely to see and tow my car.

But I have no idea on how they enterd and started the car, it was 100% locked. And when I called and ask, they told me that” your car is safely towed and they know how to tow a AWD car”, and no more details…

I googled some info not sure this is 100% right , but it looks like a lot of towing company “can” and have the “rights” to actually unlock our cars, and where I’m located, MD, it even legal for tow company to storage expensive stuff from driver and charge a storage fee. Which is ridiculous

[MarineRaider]

Not sure you want to hear this but you broke the rules and knew you were playing with fire. Not sure how it's Predatory as the Tow Company is given permission to tow any car not displaying a current permit. Usually before towing they will also call the office for permission so they probably had you on a watch list.
Not sure what your other car is but it better be worth more than the M3 as it had the valid permit. When I was younger and lived at the beach in our first condo the neighbors talked nice to each other but the first time someone broke a rule, in particular parking issues they narc'd you out faster than you can blink an eye. Everyone knows who has extra cars and permits.

[jmg]

Yeah, next time I'd put the expired permit on my beater, not my M car.... Unless your other car is a Ferrari???

Or, just don't do that shit ever again.

Call the towing company. Ask them how they towed it. They could have used wheel dollies to get your car down from the garage then put it on the bed. Ask which truck performed the service, then try and get pics of it. Get your diff and transmission checked out. Do you have any drivetrain malfunction warnings?

FYI the M X-Drive is RWD until the front is needed. I don't know if all 4 wheels are connected if the car is in neutral. Anyone?

[Berzerker]

Originally Posted by jmg

Yeah, next time I'd put the expired permit on my beater, not my M car.... Unless your other car is a Ferrari???

Or, just don't do that shit ever again.

Call the towing company. Ask them how they towed it. They could have used wheel dollies to get your car down from the garage then put it on the bed. Ask which truck performed the service, then try and get pics of it. Get your diff and transmission checked out. Do you have any drivetrain malfunction warnings?

FYI the M X-Drive is RWD until the front is needed. I don't know if all 4 wheels are connected if the car is in neutral. Anyone?

You have that backwards. The transmission is fully connected to all 4 wheels at all times unless you put it into 2WD mode in iDrive. It's a rear-bias system, but especially with the car off, all 4 wheels are connected.

[yousefnjr]

I was just swapping my wheels today and while I had the fronts up off the ground I could spin them around. Car was off and in park. Haven’t actually given that any thought until now, just always expect my BMW’s to do that I guess lol

Who knows what the circumstances of your tow were, but in any case if they had a right to do that because you made a booboo I think you’re likely SOL for any recourse. Not a lawyer obviously.

[ShoeZilla]

I hated living in apartments cus this exact reason. Security guard and tow truck company worked hand in hand late at night. I am sure the security got a cut. Yes the security will find any little thing to call a tow truck so they can make a cut. Reason why I bought a house and moved the hell out of a complex in 2018 cus I was on my way to work and my car was towed after the apartment manager gave me a permission to use a empty apartments parking spot. I had a GT-R but thank god paid for it to be in storage at the time.

[G MONEY]

Originally Posted by 435toM3

Went for a weekend trip and got back home from flight 1 am in the morning and noticed my car was towed. The part concerned me is that, since I live in an apartment complex , and base on the garage height, there is no way the tow truck driver could just flatbed and tow my car. So I have no idea how they towed my car. And now I’m concerned about potential differential or transmission damage.

From what I observed so far, the driver definitely entered my car. Not sure how he got in to a locked car but can confirm that he definitely entered. Base on the Mpg, it looks that somehow he started the car , and the car might be running for a while. I couldn’t find trip catalog on the BMW apps though. I didn’t notice any scratch on the bottom of the bumpers.

Do any of you guy here know how to safely tow a xdrive g80 without transmission or differential damage? Should I worried about potential damages? Any advice ?

Thanks

If they towed it old school with the rear wheels only on the ground, you may be fucked. This was a big thing with the GTR’s getting some heavy damage from getting towed. Not sure about BMW’s AWD set up but I would definitely be getting it checked out

[iviegatron]

On Xdrive models the front seem to be disconnected from the rear. Every time I have lifted an xdrive M3/M4 the front wheels spin freely while the rear could not.

[eddj]

Originally Posted by 435toM3

Went for a weekend trip and got back home from flight 1 am in the morning and noticed my car was towed. The part concerned me is that, since I live in an apartment complex , and base on the garage height, there is no way the tow truck driver could just flatbed and tow my car. So I have no idea how they towed my car. And now I’m concerned about potential differential or transmission damage.

From what I observed so far, the driver definitely entered my car. Not sure how he got in to a locked car but can confirm that he definitely entered. Base on the Mpg, it looks that somehow he started the car , and the car might be running for a while. I couldn’t find trip catalog on the BMW apps though. I didn’t notice any scratch on the bottom of the bumpers.

Do any of you guy here know how to safely tow a xdrive g80 without transmission or differential damage? Should I worried about potential damages? Any advice ?

Thanks

how they managed to enter your locked car that's the more persistent question I guess!

[Forzanerazzurri]

They probably dragged it out and the put it on a flatbed. If not, then that's not good.

[MmmmmM2]

Parking a G80 without a valid parking permit....I have no words.

[harperium]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

They probably dragged it out and the put it on a flatbed. If not, then that's not good.

they would jack up the car and put dollies under the wheels.

[G MONEY]

Originally Posted by harperium

they would jack up the car and put dollies under the wheels.

That would be a gift. I’ve seen those tow dudes drag shit from crazy spots in Philly. Ain’t no fucking carts with those guys. Good luck OP

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Berzerker

You have that backwards. The transmission is fully connected to all 4 wheels at all times unless you put it into 2WD mode in iDrive. It's a rear-bias system, but especially with the car off, all 4 wheels are connected.

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

I was just swapping my wheels today and while I had the fronts up off the ground I could spin them around. Car was off and in park. Haven’t actually given that any thought until now, just always expect my BMW’s to do that I guess lol

Who knows what the circumstances of your tow were, but in any case if they had a right to do that because you made a booboo I think you’re likely SOL for any recourse. Not a lawyer obviously.

Originally Posted by iviegatron

On Xdrive models the front seem to be disconnected from the rear. Every time I have lifted an xdrive M3/M4 the front wheels spin freely while the rear could not.

I'm wondering if the car simply puts itself in RWD mode in park to avoid potential problems with towing.

[iviegatron]

Originally Posted by jmg

I'm wondering if the car simply puts itself in RWD mode in park to avoid potential problems with towing.

That seems logical.

[m4ml]

Originally Posted by 435toM3

Went for a weekend trip and got back home from flight 1 am in the morning and noticed my car was towed. The part concerned me is that, since I live in an apartment complex , and base on the garage height, there is no way the tow truck driver could just flatbed and tow my car. So I have no idea how they towed my car. And now I’m concerned about potential differential or transmission damage.

From what I observed so far, the driver definitely entered my car. Not sure how he got in to a locked car but can confirm that he definitely entered. Base on the Mpg, it looks that somehow he started the car , and the car might be running for a while. I couldn’t find trip catalog on the BMW apps though. I didn’t notice any scratch on the bottom of the bumpers.

Do any of you guy here know how to safely tow a xdrive g80 without transmission or differential damage? Should I worried about potential damages? Any advice ?

Thanks

Getting a car out of any parking spot is easy. 4 wheel dollies, roll it out, pull it onto the back of the bed.

[harperium]

Originally Posted by Berzerker

You have that backwards. The transmission is fully connected to all 4 wheels at all times unless you put it into 2WD mode in iDrive. It's a rear-bias system, but especially with the car off, all 4 wheels are connected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd5w3g8RB2E

Based on this guy's comments, it seems like the front axle is only engaged when the system detects it needs more traction. Otherwise the front is disengaged for efficiency.

So puttering around on the highway, you're RWD only, even in 4WD mode.

When the fronts do engage, the amount of torque is mapped to the mode (4WD, 4WD Sport, MDM etc).

Though the system can send 100% to the front. I would imagine it could do this in any mode.

What the M cars need is a dash gauge to display the F/R torque split...

[Berzerker]

Originally Posted by harperium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd5w3g8RB2E

Based on this guy's comments, it seems like the front axle is only engaged when the system detects it needs more traction. Otherwise the front is disengaged for efficiency.

So puttering around on the highway, you're RWD only, even in 4WD mode.

When the fronts do engage, the amount of torque is mapped to the mode (4WD, 4WD Sport, MDM etc).

Though the system can send 100% to the front. I would imagine it could do this in any mode.

What the M cars need is a dash gauge to display the F/R torque split...

It doesn't make it clear, his comments just sound like he's explaining how the front connects, not that it *would* connect. Guess we'd need more info.

[stormlv]

Originally Posted by Berzerker

It doesn't make it clear, his comments just sound like he's explaining how the front connects, not that it *would* connect. Guess we'd need more info.

Actually, his comment directly contradicts what you said before to jmg

In the video, he specifically states that "the M3/M4 don't have permanent all wheel drive"

[stormlv]

Page 89 of this mentions this quite well:
https://ia601005.us.archive.org/11/i...Powertrain.pdf

"In many driving situations the all-wheel drive multidisc clutch is open and only the rear wheels are
driven. Only in certain driving situations is some of the drive torque also transmitted to the front
wheels. The distribution of the drive torque takes place proactively. Calculation of the required
distribution takes place in the control unit for Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)."