Police BMW engine issues

Author
Discussion

Tom1312

1,015 posts

145 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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I know the CTSFOs have some Toyota's but they are mainly used for slow time / preplanned things that won't require vehicle tactics. They are just too big and slow.

Southerner said:
Very surprised they don't have all the safety crap disabled on police versions, you'd think that'd be an obvious move really. Do Volvos still have a reinforced chassis?
They do, you can turn it off (as much as you can in the menu, but it comes back when you turn off the ignition) it's a nightmare for operational driving IMHO particularly for fire arms or TPAC. I don't think Volvo will or can remove it either.

Not sure about the second point.

efcgriswold

304 posts

38 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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Greendubber said:
efcgriswold said:
JulianHJ said:
The issue is apparently specific to police spec BMWs, and is being addressed.

BMW have an emergency services division that supplies the vehicles; they win contracts because the whole life cost is better that the competition. I expect Police fleet managers are no different to commercial fleet managers - ultimately they will buy and run whatever is the most economical solution. That said, I'm told the only reason UK forces don't buy the lower BMW models for response work is 'public image', much the same as why forces don't issue iPhones and iPads. No idea how accurate that is.
A relative is an officer and says they were offered bmw 1 series as response vehicles for less than Ford/vaux/Peugeot/Hyundai and again the reason given was perception. Instead of telling the public that they cost less. This tells you all you need to know about the modern police force.
1 series are tiny inside, a 3 series is a struggle so it's probably a good thing they got pied off.
No different than the i30 they got, although maybe an extra few extra litres in the boot. I get the feeling that whatever car response get they get bashed around and not looked after as much as the specialist units look after theirs.

Greendubber

13,129 posts

202 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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efcgriswold said:
Greendubber said:
efcgriswold said:
JulianHJ said:
The issue is apparently specific to police spec BMWs, and is being addressed.

BMW have an emergency services division that supplies the vehicles; they win contracts because the whole life cost is better that the competition. I expect Police fleet managers are no different to commercial fleet managers - ultimately they will buy and run whatever is the most economical solution. That said, I'm told the only reason UK forces don't buy the lower BMW models for response work is 'public image', much the same as why forces don't issue iPhones and iPads. No idea how accurate that is.
A relative is an officer and says they were offered bmw 1 series as response vehicles for less than Ford/vaux/Peugeot/Hyundai and again the reason given was perception. Instead of telling the public that they cost less. This tells you all you need to know about the modern police force.
1 series are tiny inside, a 3 series is a struggle so it's probably a good thing they got pied off.
No different than the i30 they got, although maybe an extra few extra litres in the boot. I get the feeling that whatever car response get they get bashed around and not looked after as much as the specialist units look after theirs.
100%

We had Pug 306s when I started and they were awful, moved onto Astra's and had Insignias when I left response. They were ideal, big, bit of presence and decent enough to drive.

Rozzers

1,657 posts

74 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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The Volvos default to the full safety systems, I’m not sure if calibrations are the same as civilian cars, it’s allegedly optimised to the extra weight.

You can turn some of it off if you swipe right and it’s the top left tile.

The certainly roll a lot more than the BMW’s, but I really don’t know how much slower in response they would be in real traffic, probably not a lot. They’re a lot slower on a dry track certainly, less so in the wet.

Greendubber

13,129 posts

202 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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I'm not a huge fan of the XC90, nice for cruising about in but muscling one about on blues in a busy estate is hard work.

Vanden Crash

768 posts

49 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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Tom1312 said:
An XC90 T8 ARV costs far more than a 30d X5 Authority.

Mixed fleets are coming but it won't make life easier.

Annoyingly the X5 is the ideal car for the job, next best thing would maybe be something like a Q7.

The XC90 is just too cramped and the city driving safety stuff makes them an absolute nightmare on a blue light run or when trying to perform tactics.
The xc90 is too cramped?

The safety stuff that is disabled by a simple click and it stays off?

Someone is commenting based on a two minute test drive

pavarotti1980

4,837 posts

83 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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Seen FSU in my local force cruising round in Vauxhall Vivaro and RPU in 308SW due to BMW issues. Street cred down the pan

BMW fleet completely off the road.

Edited by pavarotti1980 on Saturday 28th August 23:02

Tom1312

1,015 posts

145 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
quotequote all
Vanden Crash said:
The xc90 is too cramped?

The safety stuff that is disabled by a simple click and it stays off?

Someone is commenting based on a two minute test drive
I wish.

There isn't much room in bucket seats when you're wearing a full body armour and leg holster, the setup we have in the front puts a lot of kit in the passenger dash and down by your right leg and well as not being able to put the seat right back as the rear seats are folded down in ours.

The safe setup in the rear means you can only have the narrowest seat down for the rear passenger. Which again for a large bloke in body armour, leg rigs and having to read maps/tablets and get kit sorted on the move, is cramped to say the least. Especially if your driver is a taller chap or chap'ess.

We also have to carry full ARV kit in them, so large med kits, method of entry kit, generic police kit as well as our own day bags, helmets etc

They are an amazing family car, but personally I don't think they make great cars for what we have them for.

As for the safety stuff, the X5 had a single large button on the dash that you could press and hold and it turned off everything you needed. The Volvo screens are fiddly and not ideal for somebody to have to go through every time you then the car on. Maybe it'll become second nature but it never did with the XC70 that I used to have to use.

Your experience may differ but I have to sit in one every day now and I'd rather be back in an X5.

dvs_dave

8,581 posts

224 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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nordboy said:
Absolutely correct. Same happened here. BMW wanted pretty much the whole police market and were willing to do some amazing deals to get it.

Also, when the firearms units did tests on a new vehicle, the Porsche Cayenne came out top over the Q7, X5, XC90 etc and our fleet dept got a very good price/ deal. Went upstairs and they said no way were the Police going to be seen by the public driving Porsches!!
VW are missing a trick by not doing Touareg’s with a version with Cayenne running gear. Proper “police spec”.

kylos27

196 posts

97 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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They don’t need need poncy German junk, transit vans and proper punishments is what the country needs :- birching, hanging and cutting hands off thieves , end of story.

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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Well seeing as European Transits have been made in Turkey for a few years where Muslinism seems pretty popular limb removal for criminal activity may seem appropriate!

Bit if I had to spend hours on a shift I'd rather be in an X5 than a Transit.

Second Best

6,402 posts

180 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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Purely anecdotal - I had a coincidental meeting with a trafpol the other day. Nothing serious - I'd come round a corner slightly quick and he wanted to have a chat. He was in a 530d, it was 2 years old and already had 66k miles on it, so was at least run-in.

As he was waiting for a licence check and "telling me off" about my 2.4mm tyres, I asked him how he found the 530d. He said it was fine, but a bit of a tank, and not what he'd been used to. He let me have a nose around the stuff in the car (there's a lot of Police kit!) but I got the feeling he was used to driving lighter cars with less stuff on board. Maybe he was a Police Interceptor in a Subaru or something.


efcgriswold

304 posts

38 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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kylos27 said:
They don’t need need poncy German junk, transit vans and proper punishments is what the country needs :- birching, hanging and cutting hands off thieves , end of story.
Isis-k made the flight I see.

ED209

5,740 posts

243 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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Mr Tidy said:
Well seeing as European Transits have been made in Turkey for a few years where Muslinism seems pretty popular limb removal for criminal activity may seem appropriate!

Bit if I had to spend hours on a shift I'd rather be in an X5 than a Transit.
Turkey is a secular country.

Elroy Blue

8,686 posts

191 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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ED209 said:
Turkey is a secular country.
Not anymore.

We still use BMWs on the motorway. We tried Jaguar XFs, got rid after a couple of years as they fell to bits.
They’d rack up 180000 miles in two and a half years. Usually needed DPF replacement at about 100k miles.
They were pretty knackered when they were sent to auction, but still worth some money.

Southerner

1,390 posts

51 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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pavarotti1980 said:
Excellent idea for them to highlight the fact that the Scottish rozzers can't chase anybody for the forseeable rolleyes

Sheepshanks

32,529 posts

118 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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dvs_dave said:
nordboy said:
Absolutely correct. Same happened here. BMW wanted pretty much the whole police market and were willing to do some amazing deals to get it.

Also, when the firearms units did tests on a new vehicle, the Porsche Cayenne came out top over the Q7, X5, XC90 etc and our fleet dept got a very good price/ deal. Went upstairs and they said no way were the Police going to be seen by the public driving Porsches!!
VW are missing a trick by not doing Touareg’s with a version with Cayenne running gear. Proper “police spec”.
I guess these days there'd by type approval issues, unless there's a way around them for special vehicles. Many years ago I went to see a Cortina GT - turned out to be GT mechanicals in an L body, previously owned by Lancs Police.

Ninja59

3,691 posts

111 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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Interesting as reading around some it says 2017 to 2020 cars. EGR cooler problems again? But another report I read mentioned about an oil line clogging....

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
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It is all a shame, since IMHO the 530d is pretty much the perfect car for general traffic work. Although the performance is dulled a bit by a drive they are still quick enough, handle predictably and well and have good presence. As well as putting up with all the kit!

A bit boaty to turn around in a hurry, but I imagine this’ll be the case in spades when we get the new V90s!

Also very impressed with the new model 330d Xdrive. Absolute rocketship, nothing too intrusive on the safety aids and handles crisply. Although it is a bit small inside!