Wheels

BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company

Jan 062012
 

According to the login page for WordPress.com, there are almost 385,000 bloggers using WordPress.com (and hundreds of thousands more using WP software). Considering those numbers, the end of year report from WordPress is impressive. It’s got to be an investment to send this report to every WordPress.com blogger. Here’s a link to the presentation of […]

Dec 272011
 

2011 is almost in the books, and it delivered plenty of good material for Work, Wine and Wheels. I’ve a lot to be thankful for, including an increased number of readers. Here’s a look back at some content that proved popular with them. For Work posts, I tried to discuss important trends in technology communications. […]

Dec 062011
 
What to Know About the New BMW F30 3-Series

Here’s a post for anyone out there considering the new BMW 3-Series, due to arrive on these shores in February. I’m happy to report some uneventful driving in my cars, so I’ve no DIY story to share. I’ve got a lot planned for the M3 come spring. Even though the miles are still very low […]

Nov 232011
 
Unlocking the Secret Menu Options on the BMW E39 M5

One of the great things about owning a BMW is that it is virtually impossible to know everything about the car. The amount of esoteric knowledge seems infinite, and its possible to turn the ownership experience into a full-scale hobby rather than just transportation. A case in point is the ability to access lots of […]

Nov 112011
 
DIY Could Have Saved This Guy

I read a very sad and ironic story on the M5Board this week. A guy named Tom Ranck had owned his 2000 M5 since new, and had driven it for 276,000. Roundel, the magazine of the BMW Car Club of America, ran a profile piece on Tom and his car in this month’s November issue. […]

Oct 172011
 
Northern Virginia M5Board E39 Meetup

Sunday I got to meet a lot of fellow M5 owners I knew only via M5Board.com. The meeting place was the parking lot of the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, and 13 enthusiasts showed up on a beautiful fall day. It was a blast to meet the members behind the board handles I’ve gotten to […]

Sep 222011
 
Interview with Alex Palevsky, Co-Founder of BMW M Registry

I’m excited to publish the first of a two part interview with Alex Palevsky, a very well known name in BMW enthusiast circles. Alex has been a contributing writer to Bimmer magazine since the magazine began in 1998. In 2001 he and Regan Clark launched BMW M Registry, the definitive online information source on BMW’s […]

Sep 122011
 
Replacing Oxygen Sensors on an E39 M5

As I’ve stated many times on this blog, when you own a BMW out of warranty you need to learn up on maintenance. With some research and a little effort, you can literally save hundreds of dollars on relatively simple maintenance issues. A good example is how I recently replaced oxygen sensors on my 2002 […]

Sep 052011
 
Getting a Spare Tire for my E39 M5

Happy Labor Day to all. This year really is flying by – often a cliche I know but true. It seems like yesterday that I sold my 2001 530i sport and bought my 2002 M5, not four months ago. Last week I finally took care of an issue that’s been on my mind since I […]

Aug 232011
 
The Confusing World of Performance Tires

If you’re in the market for new tires for your BMW or another kind of performance car , you might be a bit confused right now. The proliferation of categories — Extreme performance, Max performance, Ultra High performance – can make selecting the right tires very difficult. I’m researching right now because my 1999 M3 […]

Aug 152011
 
Repairing After Market Hella Headlights

This Saturday I repaired the angel eye ring in one of my Hella headlights. As you can see in the graphic above, the thing just flat fell off a couple of weeks ago and was loose inside the headlight assembly. Before I took this headlight apart, I tried to get some direction from the manufacturer. […]