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Car Forum / BMW Cars / July 2005

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That square thing in bumper

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iamknott@hotmail.com - 19 Jul 2005 21:36 GMT
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.
joe_tide - 19 Jul 2005 21:54 GMT
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.

> 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.
Dave Plowman (News) - 19 Jul 2005 23:35 GMT
> 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.

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.

Signature

*Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire *

   Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
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JRE - 20 Jul 2005 01:41 GMT
>  
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>  

There's one at each end.

>I'd always thought it was for lashing the car down on ships, etc. Doesn't
>look terribly substantial for towing with.
>
>  

The owner's manual specifically says it's for towing, with some limitations.

JRE
Dean Dark - 20 Jul 2005 01:51 GMT
>>>It's where you screw in the eyelet from the toolbox for pulling the car
>>>if it gets stuck.

>The owner's manual specifically says it's for towing, with some limitations.

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.
Signature

Dan.

joe_tide - 20 Jul 2005 01:47 GMT
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.  ;-)

>> There should be one in the front bumper too.
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I'd always thought it was for lashing the car down on ships, etc. Doesn't
> look terribly substantial for towing with.
Jeff Strickland - 20 Jul 2005 02:02 GMT
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.

>> There should be one in the front bumper too.
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I'd always thought it was for lashing the car down on ships, etc. Doesn't
> look terribly substantial for towing with.
Branden Nelsen - 19 Jul 2005 21:54 GMT
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

> 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.
Trey - 19 Jul 2005 23:21 GMT
> 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.

there is a similar set up on the side of the car for the jack isnt there?
Jeff Strickland - 20 Jul 2005 02:08 GMT
>> 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"
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> there is a similar set up on the side of the car for the jack isnt there?

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.
Dori A Schmetterling - 20 Jul 2005 16:43 GMT
OK.

?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

[...]
. Ask me how I know.
J Strickland - 20 Jul 2005 18:06 GMT
An operator left the cable tight, and the bumper was yanked downward as the
car bounced on its suspension.

> OK.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> [...]
> . Ask me how I know.
Dori A Schmetterling - 21 Jul 2005 12:46 GMT
Oh dear!

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.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>> [...]
>> . Ask me how I know.
J Strickland - 21 Jul 2005 19:24 GMT
No real damage, just a bit of ugliness that could easily have been avoided.

> Oh dear!
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>>> [...]
>>> . Ask me how I know.
Jeff Strickland - 20 Jul 2005 02:01 GMT
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.

> 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.
Richard Tomkins - 20 Jul 2005 02:59 GMT
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.

> 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.
 
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