Wheels

Wheels

BMW DIY advice, and the occasional critique of the company

Nov 102013
 
Millennials and Cars -- What's the Real Story?

For a few years now many commentators have forwarded a theory about millennials and cars. Supposedly the American romance between young people and cars just wasn’t there anymore. Young people were in no hurry to buy cars, just as they were also pushing off marriage and home ownership. But what if that’s not it at […]

Nov 022013
 
Front Sway Bar Link Replacement on the E36 M3

This weekend I replaced the front sway bar links on my 1999 BMW M3. Recently I had new OEM Sachs front struts installed, so it was time to refresh the end links as well. My car has low miles, but 14+ years still take a toll. Replacing front sway bar links is a perfect DIY […]

Oct 202013
 
Instrument Cluster Removal on the BMW E39

Pixel failure is a common problem on the BMW E39 5 Series. My friend Steve’s cluster was going bad on his 2002 525 Sport, and he wasn’t happy about how much a brand new cluster would cost from BMW. So he decided to explore aftermarket repair options. He decided to go with a company called […]

Sep 282013
 
Replacing the Cabin Microfilter on My BMW E36 M3

Last year I performed the 60,000 mile tune-up on my E36 M3 myself. I replaced the air filter, the fuel filter, the sparks plugs and I cleaned the mass air filter. There was one replacement I didn’t do at the time, partly because I knew it would be a real pain in the butt. That […]

Sep 082013
 
Rear Spring Pad Replacement on My BMW E36 M3

This weekend I tackled a small but irritating issue with my E36 M3. For a while there had been a soft clunk whenever I went over a bump while turning right. Holiday time last year I replaced the sway bar end links, but this didn’t fully stop the noise. I eventually zeroed in on the […]

Aug 162013
 
Repairing an E39 M5 Wheel

This past weekend I completed a repair project for a rear wheel on my 2002 BMW M5. In this post from late July I explain how I bent and cracked the wheel. Initially I was thinking replacement rather than repair. I knew color matching was going to be a problem, due to the shadow chrome […]

Jul 302013
 
E39 M5 Wheel Damage

Last Saturday I was feeling particularly good about my 2002 M5. Over the past few weeks every fluid (minus power steering) has been refreshed  on the car. Brake, coolant, oil, transmission and differential fluids have all been replaced. I had just removed an old and faded clear bra from the car the week before. Then a […]

Jul 222013
 
Clear Bra Removal on My E39 M5

This weekend I tackled clear bra removal on my BMW M5. The bra had come with the car, and over the past two years had become dingy looking. It had been on the car since at least 2009. I had removed the small pieces of film on the front of the side mirrors first as […]

Jul 142013
 
E39 M5 Northern Virginia Owners Redux

Recently I got together with a group of local E39 M5 owners in Fairfax, Virginia. I’ve gotten to know most of them in online forums, and this was a repeat of a meet we had back in late 2011. One of the best things about owning a BMW is connecting with fellow enthusiast owners. Everyone […]

Jul 032013
 
Differential Oil Change on the E39 M5

Over the weekend I did an oil change on my E39 M5, and I also changed the differential oil. This is an important and often overlooked fluid change. The E39 M5 differential is a limited slip differential, allowing for different amounts of power to be directed to the wheels based on driving conditions. The car […]

Jun 192013
 
The Upcoming BMW 2 Series

Early reports and images are emerging about a new line of BMW cars, to be christened the 2-Series. Starting next year, they will slot in between (naturally enough) the entry level 1 Series and the 3 Series, BMW’s most popular line and the majority of its sales here in the U.S. (Starting in a few […]

Jun 032013
 
BMW E39 M5 Homage Video

This weekend I found a video that really conveys the excitement of BMW E39 M5 ownership. Parker Nirenstein lovingly describes his 2001 M5 while promoting his  purchase assist company Vehicle-Virgins.com: I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment. A few corrections and clarifications to the video: He quotes $92,000 as the original price of the car […]