Not as bad as the others

[Jeremy5848]

Our '96 E300D (W210, OM606NA) was hit at an intersection while visiting San Jose (California, not Costa Rica) yesterday. I was stopped at a red light; the other driver came through the intersection, sideswiped me, and kept going. Compared to other accidents recently featured on this forum, this one is relatively minor. It didn't even pop the airbag, for which I am grateful, given the cost of such things and my $500 deductible.

It's likely that the other driver was uninsured, hence it doesn't matter whether he/she stopped or not. In any case, after taking pictures today, I tried some rubbing compound and discovered that all of the black marks were rubber and plastic from the other car. Removing it left the underlying Mercedes white paint untouched.

There are a couple of scrapes in the wheel, a dent in the fender that may be removable, and a broken side light. Total cost will be way less than my deductible so there's no point telling my insurance company about it and getting my rates raised. I was lucky.

Tomorrow when it's light enough for the camera I'll add another picture showing how all the black stuff rubbed out. Mercedes be tough!

Jeremy

[Muddin]

What I would do is talk to a collision repair center about your airbag not deploying. I've seen airbags deploy after the fact when the original collision wasn't enough to set it off at the time of collision. They're extreeeemely dangerous if they go off at the wrong time, and can really mess you up badly if you have a limb or your face in the way. So it's much more important that the black marks on the car.
Ask anyone who has worked wrecks where airbags haven't deployed. It's a very scary thing. But you don't have time to let the battery backup drain to prevent deployment if someone is injured.

A collision center will have a much better idea of whether or not it needs to be investigated. They may say all is well. If not, they can disable the airbag and make sure everything is as it should be, replace things that may be questionable, so you won't have the expense of them repacking an airbag like you would if it had gone off.

[Jeremy5848]

Thanks for the cautionary words. I suspect the airbag didn't go off because the car didn't move. You can see that the scrapes on the wheel are straight -- the wheels weren't turning as the other car passed across them. So there was no significant acceleration in any of the planes that would have set off the airbag or the seat belt tensioners.

[TMAllison]

I work in SJ and drive the 680 corridor to Walnut Creek twice daily.

Can't tell you how many times I've seen the same type of scrape and run in SJ. Is that type of uncaring attitude that makes me refuse to raise my child there and put up with the 3 hour commute.

From the looks of your scrapes I would not have expected the airbags to pop off.

I rolled a MBW 528i 6 times 300' down a mountain side once and while 6 side airbags popped, neither front bag did as the car never hit anything with the front or rear bumpers. Thanks to German engineers, I was able to hike back up to the road with only scrapes and brusies. Did get a helipcopter ride into town though.

[Jeremy5848]

Originally Posted by TMAllison

. . . I rolled a MBW 528i 6 times 300' down a mountain side once and while 6 side airbags popped, neither front bag did as the car never hit anything with the front or rear bumpers. Thanks to German engineers, I was able to hike back up to the road with only scrapes and brusies. Did get a helipcopter ride into town though.

I suspect I'm not the only one who would like to see the pictures of that one!

Here's our '96 after some hard work with a damp rag and some polishing compound. The lens of the side light is held together with packaging tape until I can get a new one. Didn't even break the bulb!

Jeremy

[Muddin]

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Thanks for the cautionary words. I suspect the airbag didn't go off because the car didn't move. You can see that the scrapes on the wheel are straight -- the wheels weren't turning as the other car passed across them. So there was no significant acceleration in any of the planes that would have set off the airbag or the seat belt tensioners.

Well, that's fine.
It's not something I'd mess around with. I've treated firefighters for injuries from airbags which shouldn't have gone off and unexpectedly have.
You're certainly welcome to do as you wish.
Take care.

[sixto]

Did the bumper shift downward or is that the standard gap?

Sixto
87 300D

[TMAllison]

Sixto - That is normal fitment between bumper and sheet metal.

I confess to not knowing how to upload pics to the forum.......here is my photobucket album link with a couple of pic of the BMW. It was a 99 528i that was totaled in 02.

*edit* Thanks to Sixto in post 10 for explaining how to link to the files. Below is the Pass side. Sixto's post has dirvers side.



It rolled 3 times side to side initially which is when the pass rear "flipper" door handle failed and allowed the door to open. When the hillside got "really" steep, it did 3 more rolls nose to tail. Dropped ~300' in elevation. The path of travel was ~800' (it was a dogleg). The front struts are the high points in the engine compartment and is designed to rip strut, A-arm, tire and brakes away to shed energy. Lost both fronts earrly on. Second half of the trip was done w/o airbags as thy deflate fairly quickly. Took ~45 seconds for car to stop. It rose up on its rrear bumper in front of a 20' cliff at the end and impaled the undercarriage on the rubble below when it landed.

The front air bags probably should have deployed. The battery and computer are in the trunk whick was crushed badly on the first nose to tail roll. Roof came down from rear bumper to window support behind the drivers seat in basicaly a straight line.

I walked away shaken up and badly bruised but basically unhurt. Is why I will only dirve German cars.

[BodhiBenz1987]

Originally Posted by TMAllison

Sixto - That is normal fitment between bumper and sheet metal.

I confess to not knowing how to upload pics to the forum.......here is my photobucket album link with a couple of pic of the BMW. It was a 99 528i that was totaled in 02.

http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad288/tmallison/

It rolled 3 times side to side initially. When the hillside got "really" steep, it did 3 more rolls nose to tail. Dropped ~300' in elevation. The path of travel was ~800' (it was a dogleg). The front struts are the high points in the engine compartment and is designed to rip strut, A-arm, tire and brakes away to shed energy. Lost both fronts earrly on. Second half of the trip was done w/o airbags as thy deflate fairly quickly. Took ~45 seconds for car to stop. It rose up on its rrear bumper in front of a 20' cliff at the end and impaled the undercarriage on the rubble below when it landed.

The front air bags probably should have deployed. The battery and computer are in the trunk whick was crushed badly on the first nose to tail roll. Roof came down from rear bumper to window support behind the drivers seat in basicaly a straight line.

Is why I will only dirve German cars.

Holy #%$^! You walked away from that?! That's amazing.

I have to ask, though ... what's with the unicorns?

[TMAllison]

Unicorns - Was going to explain that.... Is my 11y/o daughters team logo for her Soccer Team. The banner has "horn" blood on it to strike fear in their opponents.

*edit* AND the mighty UNICORNS won today 7-0 aginst the hapless Panthers in the first game of the season. We had to try NOT to score any more goals in hte second half or WE would have lost because of goal differential.

[Cr from Texas]

Originally Posted by TMAllison

Sixto - That is normal fitment between bumper and sheet metal.

I confess to not knowing how to upload pics to the forum.......here is my photobucket album link with a couple of pic of the BMW. It was a 99 528i that was totaled in 02.

*edit* Thanks to Sixto in post 10 for explaining how to link to the files. Below is the Pass side. Sixto's post has dirvers side.



It rolled 3 times side to side initially which is when the pass rear "flipper" door handle failed and allowed the door to open. When the hillside got "really" steep, it did 3 more rolls nose to tail. Dropped ~300' in elevation. The path of travel was ~800' (it was a dogleg). The front struts are the high points in the engine compartment and is designed to rip strut, A-arm, tire and brakes away to shed energy. Lost both fronts earrly on. Second half of the trip was done w/o airbags as thy deflate fairly quickly. Took ~45 seconds for car to stop. It rose up on its rrear bumper in front of a 20' cliff at the end and impaled the undercarriage on the rubble below when it landed.

The front air bags probably should have deployed. The battery and computer are in the trunk whick was crushed badly on the first nose to tail roll. Roof came down from rear bumper to window support behind the drivers seat in basicaly a straight line.

I walked away shaken up and badly bruised but basically unhurt. Is why I will only dirve German cars.

I once had a 63 Studebaker Gran Turismos similar to the gray one next to your BMW. I really liked that car but had to sell if for my wife to go to school when I was drafted in 69. That was a really good car also.

[Oracle12345]

airbags wont deploy until a certain speed is reached. Since you were stopped the sensor didnt trigger off. Anything wrong the srs light will be on

[Jeremy5848]

Originally Posted by sixto

Did the bumper shift downward or is that the standard gap?

Sixto
87 300D

That is actually a little larger than the right side gap, yes I think the bumper shifted a tad. I need to pull the under-fender plastic paneling off anyway to see what it will take to bump out the little dent. While I'm in there I'll look to see if there is a fastener that needs to be cinched up or something.

Amazing pictures, Terry.

Jeremy

[sixto]

Photobucket has a direct link URL among others accompanying each picture. Copy this URL to your post and surround it with [img] and [/img] tags. Like so -



There's a black on black E39 540i clunker trade at the PnP where I met Jeremy after his mishap.

Sixto
87 300D

[Pavka007]

Jeremy, I wouldn't worry about the airbag. The sensors on a W210 is in the front of the bumper. You are lucky that the airbag didn't deploy, otherwise it is instant "write off" for the insurance company.