Tech Talk Event with Mike Miller

Mike Miller is a subject matter expert on BMW technical and maintenance information. Mike is the long-time staff member and technical editor for Roundel and formerly for Bimmer magazine (sadly killed by its publisher). He’s a former mechanic, and holds a Master’s of Environmental Law degree from Vermont Law School. Mike is essentially a mentor for BMW enthusiasts.

(Mike with his 1976 2002 and 2005 Dinan S2-325Ci – images courtesy of Mike Miller/Drive Wheels LLC)

We’ve corresponded via email for many years. One of Mike’s Tech Q&A articles from the inspiration for one of my most popular articles and a former #1 search result on Google. He was kind enough to do a well-read Q&A with me back in 2010. But we had never met in-person.

We finally did meet earlier this month at a Tech Talk event organized by the National Capital Chapter of the BMWCCA. The event was hosted by BMW Excluservice, located in Rockville, MD. It’s an impressive shop and owner Stephane Grabina was very accommodating.  Mike spoke to about 25 of us about a range of maintenance and repair topics.

Naturally most of our questions were about the maintenance of BMWs we owned. I’m planning on doing the transmission fluid and fuel filter on my 2002 M5 next month. Mike recommends RedLine MTL for the fluid, and he told me not to bother with pulling the fuel filter fuse in the trunk to de-pressurize the system prior to changing out the filter. This worked well on the E36 M3 I formerly owned, but the M5 has a release valve connected to the filter.

I plan on doing what’s known as a VANOS lockdown before the end of the summer on my 2006 M3, working with a local expert. While we’re working on the S54 engine, Mike recommended replacing the VANOS sprocket bolts with upgraded parts from VAC Motorsports. Speaking of the S54 engine, Mike feels that the rod bearing issue associated with the engine is not a bearing design flaw. It’s caused by a variety of possible factors, including the 8,000-rpm redline being too high for the crankshaft length.

While fiercely loyal to BMW, Mike was constrained recently to purchase a new daily driver and winter vehicle to replace his famous 1989 Buick Century, which needs body and mechanical work. He called it regrettable that the only new vehicle meeting his criteria is the 2019 Subaru Cross Trek. He ordered the base model in Sunburst Orange, cloth seats and six-speed manual, driving it to the event in order to rack up break-in miles. He told us that it was the perfect vehicle for his short, low speed daily commute combined with his need for a manual transmission, more cargo capacity (for transporting used BMW parts!) and extra ground clearance in the winter. Yet with three BMW cars and one motorcycle, he assured the audience that he will remain a BMW parts customer for life.

We all appreciated Mike taking the time on a Saturday to drive down from Pennsylvania and do the Tech Talk. Events like this alone make the BMWCCA membership a bargain. If you’ve got a BMW question for Mike Miller, click here to send him an email. You might get your question printed in an upcoming Roundel magazine.