This evening started with a phone call from my friend. We both live in Germany at the moment but are British. He was on his way to Calais (France) to cross the channel to go home for some time. He had just reached the boarder of Germany / Netherlands when his ford tranny blow up (crank shaft sheared) He called the ADAC (German version of the AA UK or AAA USA) They turned up in a car and charged him €60 to inform him that his van was 'kaput' then refused to recover him because his membership was up by 3 days!!
So needing some help he called me, we go back a long way and what mate wouldn't help?
So as I'm 160 miles away I drive around the local town looking for a hire van and vehicle trailer. I pull into the second hire company that also has a large petrol station forecourt. The company didn't have what I wanted but directed me to a company that would.
This particular petrol station is also the local hangout for the rich kids to show off their cars, mostly BMW's and Audi's being German. As I was talking to the hire company man, I could see 2 of them checking out my M5. As I get in my car to drive to the next company two of them got in their cars, one a Z4 cab the other a 530i both nice looking. The three of us get on to the dual lane road and sit at a red light.
I look to my left and the 2 lads in the other cars start to rev, I think to my self they don't stand a chance, but THANK GOD I decided not to raise to the bait (which for me is unusual) as the company I want to go to is shutting in 15 mins and is the next turning off.
The lights go green and the 530i & Z4 go flying off with me just driving normally, I get to about 80m from my turning with the traffic light on red at about 60 mph, put my foot on the brake as you do and NOTHING, my foot just slowly went to the floor!! I pumped it about 2 times and still NOTHING. I quickly started to down shift, using the engine braking to slow me down, I was running out of space rapidly but got into 1st with 6000 rpm and pulled on the handbrake (emergency brake as you in the US call it. I now know why!!) I come to a rest with the front wheels just over the solid white line at the red light.
I think to myself, WTF is going on, luckily my regular BMW dealership is at the same turn off but 300m down the road, I put on my 4ways (emergency indicators) and drive only in first, so as not to build up speed and to have maximum control possible given the circumstances over the car.
I pull into the BMW dealership it was about 2000hrs at this time an of course they were shut.
I crawled on to the forecourt turned the car off and looked under the car, I found that the back left brake hose was split and there was still brake fluid dripping out. With splash marks all over the alloy and exhaust, presumably from the pressure of when it initially split.
I thank god that this happened under these circumstances. If I had been going down the autobahn to pick up my mate, at this time off night I would be doing around 150mph (no exaggeration) brake failure at those speeds only means one thing! I drive around the Nordschleife occasionally (not at the mo cos of the weather) but brake failure there, well.... even if I had started to race with those other BMW's I would be doing some high speeds with unknowingly not having any brakes!
I wanted to share this story with you all, just to remind everyone that although we drive, in my opinion, one of the best made, make of vehicle, things can go wrong, that are out of our control. Even if we minimize our risks by maintaining our vehicles, which I do, to the highest standard at the same BMW dealership.
Stay safe out there.....
enjoy the pics...
Farquy
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