BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company
Over the weekend I changed the oil in my ’99 M3. It was actually pretty easy, since I didn’t have to go under the car at all. I used an fluid extractor that I picked up from Griot’s Garage. It siphons the oil out via the dipstick column. I don’t have access to a lift, […]
Last weekend I got a couple of quick, fun DIY projects acccomplished. In my previous wheels post I said I needed to give the M3 some attention, but again these were focused on the 530. A little BMW esoterica — the 2001 530 was the first class of BMW car that came with the now […]
Happy Labor Day to all. It’s an especially fun one for me since I’ve finally completed a project on the 2001 530. But it took an incredible amount of time, I started this project at the beginning of the summer. Here then is the story. I have wanted to freshen up the 530 bumpers for […]
This is a combination Wine and Wheels post. Gabriele got a new (to us, anyway) car, and in celebrating we discovered a fantastic Zinfandel. First the car. There was only one thing wrong with the white Murano we purchased last year — the former owner had been a smoker. Despite some kind of treatment the […]
Last month driving home from Silver Spring on a Friday night I was side-swiped by some guy in a minivan. The hit wasn’t major, he gave me a glancing blow as he cut me off in traffic. But it looked horrible, with damage and scratches down the back two thirds of the driver side. I […]
When owning an older BMW, it’s smart to discover the small maintenance items you can take care of yourself. Of course, what is easy for one person isn’t necessarily easy for another. In fact, it’s wise to approach with caution many projects some guys on the online boards say are incredibly “easy” to do yourself. […]
This past Saturday I got the 530 ready for winter by putting the set of snow tires back on the car. I bought the tires last year after an early December storm had me struggling to get up a gradual incline. Last year it never snowed again, but supposedly this year we’ll see some of […]
As I wrote in an August 2 post, my 2001 530 was having trouble with its AntiLock Braking System (ABS) and traction control. The codes were lighting up on the console, signaling the system was out. I had cleaned and replaced the front sensors, and that seemed to work at first. Read the original post […]
This is a rare Wheels post that does not talk about either of the BMWs. Gabriele and I just sold our 2007 Hyundai Sonata, and purchased a 2005 Nissan Murano. So I thought I’d share some thoughts about how we tackled the process. It all stems from doing your homework — financial, vehicle, trade-in. Arm […]
This weekend my 2001 530 got a lot of attention. It was a very productive day — a vibration issue related to new rims purchased in late April was finally resolved, and I replaced both front ABS/speed sensors. Before I dive into the details, a word about owning a BMW out of warranty. Unless you […]
I bought a 2001 530 back in September. BMW made the E39 5 Series from 1997 through 2003. It is a fantastic mix of comfort and performance, and in the opinion of many the last “classic” body style before the 5 Series design went in a very different, modernistic direction. Here’s how Edmunds described the […]
This month my M3 turns nine. It was built in April 1999, one of the last E36 M3s (BMW speak for the 3 series body style from 1992-1999) ever built. The design of the M3 version goes back to 1994, yet it’s still more fun to drive than 99% of the cars out there today. […]