[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by moff

My car doesn't brake when I have the bike rack on the hitch so not sure this will make a difference to me. But thanks.

This wasn't meant for you, it was meant for Brock who had issues with the car emergency braking because of the hitch. Doesn't fix the PDC going nuts though.

[Transfer]

I finally heard back from Stealth Hitch regarding my movement at hitch receiver attachment to frame unit and they are sending me a new receiver. Mine has had a small gouge since I received it that may be the culprit.

[moff]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

This wasn't meant for you, it was meant for Brock who had issues with the car emergency braking because of the hitch. Doesn't fix the PDC going nuts though.

[BrockDM]

Originally Posted by Transfer

I finally heard back from Stealth Hitch regarding my movement at hitch receiver attachment to frame unit and they are sending me a new receiver. Mine has had a small gouge since I received it that may be the culprit.

are you referring to the part that is rusted near the base of the insert tube?

Hopefully that solves the issue. I will check mine but i didn't notice any imperfections. I'm almost wondering if it wasn't torqued to the frame as much as it should be when installed

[ChipC]

Originally Posted by moff

Full electrics.

I've investigated further.

Basically unless it's a factory OEM hitch the sensors will go off (unless you manually turn them off). With the OEM hitch the car recognises that you are towing and disables the sensors.

To summarise it you can achieve this through coding (I assume) but it's not covered in the X3/4M Bimmercode (it is for the G01) so must be an E-Sys only change.

I don't have E-Sys so will have to put up with disabling the auto on parking sensors.

You are going down the path I was thinking about. When I purchased my Stealth hitch for my X5, there was a coupon for one of the companies (can’t remember which one) to connect in and make the correct adjustments (hitch view, disable rear sensors when trailer is connected, etc.). I think that is your only opportunity to make this work without just manually turning things off.

[Transfer]

Originally Posted by BrockDM

are you referring to the part that is rusted near the base of the insert tube?

Hopefully that solves the issue. I will check mine but i didn't notice any imperfections. I'm almost wondering if it wasn't torqued to the frame as much as it should be when installed

Correct. Mine came new with that defect, now rusted a bit. The other side is a nice sharp painted edge.

[eddieb4]

picw

[kzg1969]

Originally Posted by eddieb4

picw

^ what is faster - the tow car....or...the car being towed

[eddieb4]

[IMG]undefined[/IMG]
^ what is faster - the tow car....or...the car being towed[/QUOTE]

Tow car is waaay faster but the 911 is more fun to drive and way cooler.

[MrItaly]

Originally Posted by eddieb4

[IMG]undefined[/IMG]
^ what is faster - the tow car....or...the car being towed

Tow car is waaay faster but the 911 is more fun to drive and way cooler.[/QUOTE]

Born in 73 with an appreciation for what the 911 was back in its day. Sweet!

[Razel]

Originally Posted by moff

Full electrics.

I've investigated further.

Basically unless it's a factory OEM hitch the sensors will go off (unless you manually turn them off). With the OEM hitch the car recognises that you are towing and disables the sensors.

To summarise it you can achieve this through coding (I assume) but it's not covered in the X3/4M Bimmercode (it is for the G01) so must be an E-Sys only change.

I don't have E-Sys so will have to put up with disabling the auto on parking sensors.

Dealer (or factory if factory installed) has to program the car for trailer operation. Then you get the additional camera views.
It also allows the auto disable on the rear sensors, but you have to have the trailer wiring harness plugged into the power outlet of the car. Once that's plugged in the car senses the bulb load and "There's a trailer back there! Turn off the rear sensors."

[Transfer]

Stealth Hitch is not one to have timely customer service although they eventually got me taken care of. I finally received my replacement receiver a little over 5 weeks after initially reaching out to them. The new receiver does seem to reduce the movement I was having in the system although it's not 100% eliminated. Good enough now that I'm less worried about something breaking or falling with my rack setup.

[Treeboy]

Sorry, if this was mentioned already somewhere in this thread, I could not find it...

With no factory option, does F97/F98 come with Trailer Tow Hitch Preparation, like X3 M40i?
I guess VIN search for option on any US/Canada produced X3M(C) would answer this, so I would appreciate the info from someone who could look it up, or did the Stealth hitch install.
With no OEM hitch option, I am being sceptical.

Thanks!

[J-Pizzle]

Originally Posted by Treeboy

Sorry, if this was mentioned already somewhere in this thread, I could not find it...

With no factory option, does F97/F98 come with Trailer Tow Hitch Preparation, like X3 M40i?
I guess VIN search for option on any US/Canada produced X3M(C) would answer this, so I would appreciate the info from someone who could look it up, or did the Stealth hitch install.
With no OEM hitch option, I am being sceptical.

Thanks!

Based on my understanding, the answer is no. It's only available on the G01/G02.

[Kevin_The_Clean1]

How much can the X3 M actually tow... ?

[Sarg33]

Originally Posted by Kevin_The_Clean1

How much can the X3 M actually tow... ?

Since the X3 'M' does not have a factory trailer towing package offered, I have not found any official documentation, but one could venture to say it is an X3 and they are rated at 4,400 lbs. towing capacity.

[pluckydks]

Originally Posted by Sarg33

Since the X3 'M' does not have a factory trailer towing package offered, I have not found any official documentation, but one could venture to say it is an X3 and they are rated at 4,400 lbs. towing capacity.

Try looking at their European spec. They are offered factory tow package.

[2kaccordocoupe]

Originally Posted by Kevin_The_Clean1

How much can the X3 M actually tow... ?

Originally Posted by Sarg33

Since the X3 'M' does not have a factory trailer towing package offered, I have not found any official documentation, but one could venture to say it is an X3 and they are rated at 4,400 lbs. towing capacity.

Originally Posted by pluckydks

Try looking at their European spec. They are offered factory tow package.

As per the folks at Stealth Hitch
WEIGHT CAPACITY
TRAILER 5500 LBS.
TONGUE 350 LBS.

Those are the numbers I have been going by, It's working great so far.

[Sarg33]

Using a German owners manual this is what it says:
Attachment load without brake = 1,653 lbs.
Trailer load with brake = 5,291 lbs.
Maximum drawbar (tongue) payload = 220 lbs.
Minimum drawbar payload = 55 lbs.
Permissible rear axle load = 3,461 lbs.
Maximum allowed weight = 5,732 lbs.
And a bonus Permissible roof load = 220 lbs.

I do not read German and used a translator, so the info is for training purposes only.

[08mojo]

from a UK car review website: https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/bmw/x3/x3-m-suv

"Unlike some sports models, the X3 M is also rated for towing, and its maximum braked trailer capacity of 2,500kg will be high enough for most owners."

2500kg = ~5,500lbs.

I've got the stealth hitch on my X3M. Install was pretty easy and can be done in less than 2 hours. I use it primarily for a bike hitch, but I did get the optional towing package with the wiring harness. The instructions supplied by Stealth Hitch are spot-on and, as with the hitch installation, the wiring was pretty easy. The hardest part was feeding the wire harness into the car.

[AviatorTim]

Thanks for sharing this! Just bought at 2020 X3M. Was really disappointed when the dealership said BMW makes no tow hitches for M models (of X3 and X5) after the purchase was final.

My question is WHY does BMW not make a hitch only for the M (and M Competition) when they do for every other X3 model? You can see this on BMWUSA.com. Trailer hitch disappears from options any model above X3 M40i

I speculate two options. One, they don't foresee enough demand from performance enthusiasts who'd pay extra for an M model to want to two things. Or, two, there's something different about the M (transmission perhaps?) that BMW doesn't think M's should be used for towing.

If BMW simply doesn't think they'd sell enough to make it worth offering, that's fine. My concern is if they have a specific reason for not offering hitches on models above the M40i trim and I'm circumnavigating a valid reason for not towing with my M with an after-market hitch. If there is a reason, I'd guess it was related to the M transmission perhaps being different from the base transmission somehow.

Anyway, bottom line, I'd go with this hidden option over BMW ugly factory hitch any day. But I'm curious to know why there is no factory hitch option for the M before I slap one on aftermarket and throw 4000 pounds back there.

Those of you who installed it, did you have the dealership re-program your transmission for towing? If so, did the dealership express any concerns?

[08mojo]

Originally Posted by AviatorTim

Thanks for sharing this! Just bought at 2020 X3M. Was really disappointed when the dealership said BMW makes no tow hitches for M models (of X3 and X5) after the purchase was final.

My question is WHY does BMW not make a hitch only for the M (and M Competition) when they do for every other X3 model? You can see this on BMWUSA.com. Trailer hitch disappears from options any model above X3 M40i

I speculate two options. One, they don't foresee enough demand from performance enthusiasts who'd pay extra for an M model to want to two things. Or, two, there's something different about the M (transmission perhaps?) that BMW doesn't think M's should be used for towing.

If BMW simply doesn't think they'd sell enough to make it worth offering, that's fine. My concern is if they have a specific reason for not offering hitches on models above the M40i trim and I'm circumnavigating a valid reason for not towing with my M with an after-market hitch. If there is a reason, I'd guess it was related to the M transmission perhaps being different from the base transmission somehow.

Anyway, bottom line, I'd go with this hidden option over BMW ugly factory hitch any day. But I'm curious to know why there is no factory hitch option for the M before I slap one on aftermarket and throw 4000 pounds back there.

Those of you who installed it, did you have the dealership re-program your transmission for towing? If so, did the dealership express any concerns?

As stated above, the Euro x3m has the option for a tow package. So, yes, it can tow. The retractable hitches are not approved in the US, couldn't tell you why.

I do have a stealth hitch, but I only use it for a bike rack, so no towing. I wouldn't think twice about towing with the X3M if needed, though.