This weekend I accomplished a preventative maintenance goal for my 1999 M3. With the help of a fellow enthusiast and E36 M3 owner, I replaced most of my cooling system with new parts. The cooling system on many modern BMWs is a known weak point. Most of the problems arise from using plastic where metal […]
This weekend I tackled a problem I’d put off addressing for some time. The cruise control had stopped working on my 1999 BMW M3 a few months ago, but it’s a feature I rarely use. The car doesn’t go on long trips, so this wasn’t an urgent DIY project. On the other hand, I want […]
My 1999 M3 turns 13 this April, one of the last E36 M3 coupes produced. I usually publish a post in April to acknowledge the birthday, starting with this one in 2008. It’s description of how I feel about the car is still accurate today. This year, I decided the car needed new wheels. Last […]
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 […]
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. […]
This past weekend I tackled a known weakness of the BMW E36 3 series, the rear shock mounts (RSMs). (It’s also an issue to a lesser degree for the E46 model). These mounts connect the rear shocks to the car frame, and can prematurely fail. In the worst cases the top of the shock can […]
My E36 M3 turned 12 in April, and is going as strong as ever. It was a busy month on the car front for me, with me purchasing a beautiful 2002 M5 and putting my 2001 530 on the market. Neither of those things lessen my appreciation of the M3, however. In the past I’ve […]
This weekend I gave the M3 a good hand wash, and I replaced the low and high beam bulbs. If you really care about your car, you should wash it yourself. Automatic car washes use recycled water, harsh chemicals and the track your car travels through the wash can easily damage your rims. If you’re […]
This month my 1999 M3 turns 11. She is one of the last E36 M3s built, since production of the M3 coupe ended in April of 1999. She has her quirks, but she’s a great car built just before cars became computers on wheels. I share how I feel about her in this birthday post […]
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. […]