BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company
This morning I fixed a small issue that could have caused me a large problem. My E36 M3 spoiler brake light wasn’t working consistently. Sometimes the light came on when I applied the brake pedal, sometimes it did not. In addition to being a potential problem while driving at night, my car needed to pass […]
My 1999 BMW M3 turns 14 this month. I’ve owned the car for almost 10 years, having bought it with less than 16,000 miles. The first birthday story back in 2008 still says it all on how I feel about the car. It’s been a busy year keeping the car in top shape. That’s because […]
When the E39 M5 was first introduced in North America in 2000, it was a $70,000+, top of the line BMW sedan. As such, it came with a list of standard features that were options on lesser models. One of those standard features was Xenon headlights with an auto adjusting feature, which was fairly new […]
This morning I attended the Cars and Coffee meetup at Katie’s in Great Falls, Virginia. It was my first visit, and I was blown away by the size of the event. There were easily 100 cars this morning, and the crowd spilled across multiple parking lots. Lots of low volume sports cars and collectibles, including […]
This week I solved a problem with my E39 M5 having a vibration at highway speeds. At 70 mph there was a vibration that seemed to come from directly beneath the car. It was not coming from the steering wheel, and was not connected to accelerating or braking. BMW suspensions have a reputation for being […]
Everyone who even cares a little bit about their car knows the awful feeling. You come back to you parked car, and some $#*&^#$* has left you with a ding. It happened to my M3 a couple of weeks back. I drove to the gym, and when I walked back out someone had left a […]
My recent story on how to find the best replacement parts for your BMW sparked a lot of comments on LinkedIn. Most of these were in the BMW M Owners group, with a number of owners and a couple of former parts managers sharing their perspectives. (Thanks Mike for taking the time to leave your […]
Anyone who owns an older BMW knows buying the best quality car parts at the best price can be confusing. In this era of global consolidation and cost cutting, it’s never been harder to know how to balance quality and value. The Truth About Cars ran an excellent piece today about how car manufacturers exploit […]
Both of my BMWs were made before integrated Bluetooth phone connectivity became the norm for new cars. That’s never been a big deal for me, since I much prefer to not take calls behind the wheel. However, working in professional services means that occasionally a call can’t be avoided. I needed a hands-free option, especially […]
2012 was BMW of North America’s best year ever in this country. All told the company sold 347,583 vehicles, including the Mini brand. BMW model sales totaled 281,460, an increase of 13.5 percent from 2011. The company finished the year with a huge surge, selling almost 40 percent more BMW vehicles in December 2012 than […]
This weekend Gabriele leased a new Infiniti FX37. Two years ago we purchased a 2011 Toyota Highlander, and it was a good vehicle with loads of room and zero issues. But Gabriele wanted something sportier, and was willing to give up interior space for a more engaging ride. Just like two years ago, the aim […]
Over the weekend I installed my big Christmas gift from my wife, new headlights for my 1999 E36 M3. The new set is actually the same kind of headlights from the manufacturer Hella I installed back in 2004, but in black rather than chrome. For a little background, the stock headlights on the US E36 […]