BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company
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 […]
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 […]
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). […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s been a busy few weeks filled with E39 M5 projects. Last month I installed a new thermostat, and in the process discovered the lower oil pan gasket needed replacement. Then I purchased a truly impressive invention that advanced my car’s communications into the modern era. For the past few months my car had been […]
About this time last year I reported on a webinar that tracked the appreciation of BMW M Cars. The webinar was organized by Paul Seto, hard-working president of both the National Capitor Chapter (NCC) of the BMW CCA, as well as the director of the M Chapter. The data shared came from Hagerty senior analyst […]
Recently I dove into a DIY project that initially seemed too complicated. If you’re a fan of the Wheels posts you might remember I purchased clear projector lenses to install on my BMW E46 M3. When I realized the ZKW-R lens installation required me to take my HID Xenon headlights completely apart I wondered if […]
Things have been slow on the DIY front this winter. The club DIY events don’t kick back in until March. I’m lucky that I don’t have to daily drive either of my cars in bad weather. In the meantime I’ve been researching BMW M Lighting options for both of my cars. Like many BMW topics […]