14-year-old girl dies in locked car

"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
09/17/2013 at 12:53 • Filed to: None

I've never heard of this happening before, except to small children. A 14-year-old girl in California !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! last week after being left in the car on a hot day. Apparently, she couldn't get any of the doors to unlock, couldn't break a window, and couldn't attract the attention of passers-by.

DISCUSSION (39)

HammerheadFistpunch > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 12:56

This is sad. but look up window breaking videos on youtube....its not easy to do without a tool. I'm getting a seatbelt cutter/window breaking tool for each of my cars.

Jagvar > HammerheadFistpunch
09/17/2013 at 12:58

I wonder...would it be possible to climb into the trunk via the pass-through, and pull the emergency release handle? I don't know if this was a standard feature on the E36.

For Sweden > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 12:58

So, her brother's a typical BMW driver?

Z_Stig > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 12:58

That's in the little town about 15 minutes up the road from my city. When this aired on the local news, they tried to recreate the incident. The sad thing is, while trying to open the car, the guy inside kept pulling up on the door lock pin, but in the E36, you pull the handle and it unlocks. The only exception to that is if the car i equipped with the factory alarm which 'double locks' the door when armed, disabling the handle inside. Pretty sad, but I think it was unfamiliarity with the car, because if I correctly recall the local news mentioned the brother recently got the car.

HammerheadFistpunch > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 12:59

you'd have to know that there was a way out via the trunk...but that would make sense.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch
09/17/2013 at 13:01

I once took a 16 lb sledgehammer to the rear window of a '72 Caddy. I stood on the roof and gave it a full overhead swing. hit it twice, then broke the handle on the hammer, then a few more overhead swings and finally it let go. I always wondered if the OEM glass had been replaced by bulletproof or something...

Z_Stig > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 13:08

There's no release handle inside the trunk of the E36, but I wonder if she tried all the doors on the car. The local news' internet report is blaming the heat for making the locks malfunction. Seems hard to believe as there is several thousand BMWs running around town in 100 degree heat with working locks.

HammerheadFistpunch > deekster_caddy
09/17/2013 at 13:10

its a matter of youngs modulous . Basically, it absorbs vibration like vibranium but doesn't like high localized pressure loads.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch
09/17/2013 at 13:15

I understand now, but didn't then. Believe my shock when the mighty sledge bounced off on the first swing...

feather-throttle-not-hair > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 13:22

My sister just bought a BMW. You know what they charge extra for? A 60/40 folding seat.

delete-me-please123 > Z_Stig
09/17/2013 at 13:29

"but I wonder if she tried all the doors on the car."

Are you fucking serious?

Casper > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 13:32

This makes no sense. You can override locks manually, even without power, and doors work regardless. Yes, there are certain double lock systems, but they don't prevent the use of controls internally. Unless the car was deliberately sealed to prevent exit (which is impossible of the driver was able to get out), this sounds more like she simply didn't realize she was suffering from heat stroke.

This happens outside of vehicles all the time. People walking around at events die all the time ignoring the signs of heat stroke.

Z_Stig > delete-me-please123
09/17/2013 at 13:32

Yes. When people panic, they don't always use their full thinking capacity.

I'm also skeptical of this situation because I live in the same area, subject to the same effects of heat on cars here, and nothing like this has ever happened to my 2 E36s or anyone I know with an E36.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 13:37

Wow, she was only 80 lbs at age 14. Wonder if there was something wrong with her to begin with.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
09/17/2013 at 13:41

I was 110LBs and 5'7" tall at 16. At 14 I was probably 80 too.

Z_Stig > Casper
09/17/2013 at 13:47

I totally agree. This happened locally, and everyone seems to be blaming the car.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
09/17/2013 at 13:57

Hmm, still doesn't seem right. I'm 5'8" 125 now, at 14 I was the same height and guessing 115 (and that's really small)? My own kiddo is 100lbs at age 11 and she's not big (albeit tall). Seems tiny.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 14:10

I call BS, 1997 still had the simple pull lock/unlock posts on the upper edge, so all were broken? And the horn too?

Victorious Secret > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 14:11

There is way to more to this story.

Locks don't just stop working. They can be manually overridden even if power is gone.

Jagvar > Union of Smog Techs of CA
09/17/2013 at 14:28

My car has to be powered on for the horn to operate. I'm not sure if the E36 is the same way.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 14:33

I'm pretty sure it's a safety feature that almost every car has constant power to horn. Plus most alarms would require this. Now, not to be stereotypical but the typical Mexican stereo and alarm installation could of course defeat all of this.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Union of Smog Techs of CA
09/17/2013 at 14:35

Also, I've had people accidentally trigger the horn while I was under the hood of an E36 and everything was off.

Frank Grimes > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 14:35

I would think being a BMW the way in which it was parked would gather much attention.

anonsagainstanonymous > Casper
09/17/2013 at 14:38

My old Vauxhall/Opel Omega had what they called a "double lock" or somesuch that would make it impossible to open the car without the keyfob. Even from the inside. I wonder if BMW might have had something similar at some point?

Yap, they did! http://www.understeer.com/doublelock.sht…

Z_Stig > anonsagainstanonymous
09/17/2013 at 14:41

Yes they did, only if equipped with the OEM alarm. But I believe this car did not have the alarm according to the story on the local news.

Z_Stig > Union of Smog Techs of CA
09/17/2013 at 14:42

On the E36, the post are still there but you can't pull them up. But you can unlock the door simply by pulling the door handle.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
09/17/2013 at 14:56

I was a pretty small guy as a kid. I'm 6'2" and 210LBs now.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
09/17/2013 at 15:08

I'm not a guy.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Z_Stig
09/17/2013 at 15:09

So the posts only work when car the keys are in it? Weird. I haven't tested an E36 in months, poor things are dropping like flys in CA, and usually falling apart interior wise so I guess this is sadly possible.

On a side note I have converted my car to manual windows, I mean I have to use my hands to pull the windows up and down. I'll fit some cranks later. And the hatch release is now easily accessible and will soon have a red handle and sign. No one dies in it unless I crash.

Z_Stig > Union of Smog Techs of CA
09/17/2013 at 15:19

No, when the door is locked, the posts go down all the way into their hole, so there's no way you grab one and yank. But pulling on the handle unlocks the door.

Yea, the California heat is pretty tough on the interiors, but usually only cosmetic things get damaged. And window motors, but they usually suck already.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
09/17/2013 at 15:32

Not sure how that's relevant.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
09/17/2013 at 15:37

If I was a guy then my weight would be strange. It's as relevant as you being 210 lbs.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Z_Stig
09/17/2013 at 15:41

I'm seeing evidence of super strong hands or something. I see so many, I could make good money fixing broken door handles and the like but the customers with those problems are not the type to fix those problems. Even on a Toyota that has one screw and pops out, I tell them buy it online and I'll install for free in 5 minutes. No takers.

JuleZ3C > Z_Stig
09/17/2013 at 15:49

E36 locks can be 'fully/double locked' :

Kinja'd!!!

on EU cars (or for models without a remote), it wasn't an obligation, 1/8th of a rev with the key would lock all the doors from the outside only but 1/4th would double lock the doors so that they wouldn't open from the inside... no power windows either!

And nope, no exit possible through the trunk (given that you have folding backseats)

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
09/17/2013 at 15:50

My point was different growth rates. 80LBs at 14 isn't exactly an out of the question weight.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
09/17/2013 at 15:58

It's not out of question but it is unusually small.

JuleZ3C > Victorious Secret
09/17/2013 at 15:58

Yup, they can be:

Kinja'd!!!

On EU cars and/or for models without a remote (which are the ones I have experience with), it isn't an obligation: 1/8th of a rev with the key would lock all the doors from the outside only but 1/4th would double lock the doors so that they wouldn't open from the inside... no power windows either!

Don't know about the horn though...

Z_Stig > JuleZ3C
09/17/2013 at 16:18

For NA-spec cars, double locking only works on cars with the OEM alarm. Using the key does not enable it.

thebigbossyboss > Jagvar
09/17/2013 at 17:07

How the hell can a 14 year old not unlock a door? My brother could do that when he was around 2 or 3.