Wheels

Wheels

BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company

Sep 102024
 
E46 M3 Alternator and Bluebus

I thought I was done with M3 news after the last DIY event. But the car had other ideas. My alternator died last week while I was driving through Old Town Alexandria, taking the battery with it. After I got that settled I decided to buy a Bluebus Bluetooth device for the car, like I […]

Aug 192024
 
Various E46 M3 Maintenance

Another National Capital Chapter (NCC) BMY DIY event, more maintenance for my 2006 E46 M3. We were graciously hosted again by BMW of Annapolis. On my agenda was fuel filter replacement, refreshing the passenger side muffler hanger, and a cosmetic repair to my steering wheel. The fuel filter I replaced was not original to the […]

Jun 102024
 
E46 M3 Gets a Vorsteiner Rear Diffuser

Last week at a club DIY event I installed a Vorsteiner rear diffuser on my E46 M3. I had thought about getting one for a while. But the high cost of a quality piece pushed it down the priority list. That changed after a conversation with a fellow National Capital Chapter member who had no […]

May 252024
 
New Car Lease

I have been remiss in reporting on our family vehicles. Back in 2019 I wrote about Gabriele getting an X5. It was a nice car, but when the pandemic hit we sold it after the warranty expired. We didn’t want to be on the hook for expensive repairs, and we got a high offer for […]

Apr 222024
 
E46 M3 Coolant Change

Last weekend I changed the coolant on my 2006 M3 at a club DIY event. BMW of Sterling was our gracious host for the event, giving us access to its large and state-of-the-art facility. I had done the same maintenance in 2018 at Sterling. I went in hoping I could again borrow a fluid exchange […]

Mar 312024
 
An E46 M3 Headlight Saga

I’ve just completed what became a long saga improving my E46 M3 headlight performance. Regular visitors might remember it started about a year ago when I replaced the projector lenses in my headlights. All was fine for a while afterwards. Then last fall I noticed that the passenger side light was much lower than the […]

Jan 192024
 
2023 U.S. BMW Sales

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post on U.S. BMW sales. Bottom line up front – partly that’s because there is very little connection between enthusiast BMW owners driving older cars and those interested in purchasing new BMWs. (Certain M models like the new G87 M2 are the exceptions that prove the rule). […]

Nov 202023
 
BMW Fluids and Diffuser Change

The last two DIY events have involved straightforward changes of BMW fluids, so I’m combining them into one post. In the first I changed the differential fluid and rear diffuser on my E39 M5, and during the second I changed the power steering fluid in my E46 M3. I had last done the differential fluid […]

Sep 062023
 
M5 Labor Day Tweaks

The Labor Day weekend is a great time to do some simple tweaks to your car. This past weekend I did some M5 Labor Day jobs that didn’t warrant waiting for a club DIY event. I replaced a leaking intensive windshield wash reservoir, added a euro trunk cubby and replaced a chipped plenum badge. When […]

Jul 302023
 
E39 M5 Brake and Washer Fluid Maintenance

Earlier this month I completed the washer fluid repair I talked about in a previous post. The windshield wiper system in my E39 M5 was leaking in multiple places. While planning for the DIY I also had the shameful (for an enthusiast) realization that it had been four years since I had changed the car’s […]

Jul 012023
 
E46 M3 Rear Brake Rotors and Pads

Last weekend I replaced the rear brake rotors and brake pads on my 2006 M3. For an amateur DIY enthusiast like myself that’s a pretty big job, and I’m happy to say it went smoothly. Craftsman Auto Care hosted our local chapter at their Chantilly location. Craftsman is a regular sponsor and a great partner […]

Jun 212023
 
One and a Half M5 Jobs

My 2002 M5 needed some relatively minor work recently. The car is old enough to be graduating from college this year, so it’s no surprise things are breaking. I tackled these at home rather than a club DIY event and I was partially successful. The first issue was the HVAC blower died. No air was […]