What is the purpose of that small (2-inch square) indent in the rear bumpers of BMWs? It's the border that is indented (the interior of the square being flush with the bumper surface)and it looks like it could be punched out.
There should be one in the front bumper too.
It's where you screw in the eyelet from the toolbox for pulling the car if it gets stuck.
You can pop that cover out and there is a "Screw" hole behind it. In the lid of your truck you should have a Tow hook that looks like a "Eye-let" that you can screw in there.
or in short.... its the tow point of your car.
-Branden
there is a similar set up on the side of the car for the jack isnt there?
Strange it's at the back?
I'd always thought it was for lashing the car down on ships, etc. Doesn't look terribly substantial for towing with.
There's one at each end.
The owner's manual specifically says it's for towing, with some limitations.
JRE
Both ends Dave.
I don't think it's actually for towing. More like if you do something stupid and end up somewhere where you can't get out. If someone has a winch, truck, etc., they can latch on to that and yank you out of your prediciment. Gently of course. ;-)
Limitations. Ha! Reminds me of about 10 years ago when a maniac friend of mine had bought a true, jacked up, professionally done and insanely powerful 'monster' truck from a distressed owner "just for the hell of it." My ancient and far more modest Chevy C10 had been snowed in up to the windows for several days, and all the snow had pretty much turned to ice.
Lou attached chains to the rear of his monster and to the front axle of my truck. He took the strain on the chains and then skillfully gunned it. I came out of the packed ice like a cork out of a bottle.
No damage. Except for mild whiplash.
There is a tool in the trunk that is used by the tow truck to pull the car onto a flat-bed, or out of a snow bank. The tool screws into a hole that is behind a cover that is about 2 inches square. Use a screwdriver (also in the tool kit) to pop the cover off, and screw the loop into the newly exposed hole.
It's not for towing, per se. It's used to hook the cable to to drag the car onto a flat bed tow truck.
Yes, similar. Sorta.
The ones on the side of the car are where the jack goes, and there are more under the car in essentially the same place that are used to hold the car to the deck of the flat bed truck if you need to have the car hauled somewhere for service.
Do not allow the tow truck operator to leave the winch cable tight on these points while the tow truck is under way, especially if the tires are used as the anchor points for the straps. The suspension can allow the car to move about on the tow truck, and if the cable is tight on the eyelets, then the bumper can be twisted and yanked downward. Ask me how I know.
There is a funny video on the internet at ebaums world, showing some drunken teenagers attempting to pull a car from a snow bank. I suggest people go and watch, it's quite funny as they rip the back end off the car in the snow bank.
Glad it wasn't my car.
OK.
?DAS
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
An operator left the cable tight, and the bumper was yanked downward as the car bounced on its suspension.
Oh dear!
DAS
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
No real damage, just a bit of ugliness that could easily have been avoided.
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