Some people are waiting as long as possible to defer maintenance on their cars. But…..

Please don’t forget to check your tires. Or better yet, have someone who can get it up on a lift check them for you. Inside wear may not be visible if the car is still on the ground, and it’s not the easiest way to look for any objects that might be in your tire. Tread depth should be measured as well as any wear pattern that is abnormal or any bulges. Tires must also be properly inflated to get the best gas mileage, tire life, and optimum safety. The psi will be listed on the manufacturer’s label on the drivers side door pillar. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for your tires psi.

We are getting calls weekly of people who have had a tire failure, or even witnessed a blow out on the freeway. Sure, things can happen unexpectedly, but that’s exactly what you are trying to prevent. We have seen a few tires that are at the wear bars and that is a sure sign that you are way overdue for new tires.

Get those tires inspected and replaced when necessary. This really is not an option. Well, other than not driving.

Buy tires from TireRack

By driving your BMW, MINI or any other care, it is being “used up”. Parts will wear out, deteriorate, or just become less effective. Over time, critical components that are not replaced, can possibly result in serious damage to your car.

As members of industry groups, we know that there is a phrase that many quality auto techs or shop owners have to invoke silently every once in while. That is; “The last person to “touch” your car may NOT be the cause of the current failure.”

It is your car, and you drive it. Not trying to sound like a smart butt…, but come on. How can some owners not make the connection? Sure, it may be difficult to think rationally when you are facing an unwanted expense. But, please don’t shoot the messenger. (Is there any expense that’s wanted these days)?

A basic example: It is no different than your flipping a light switch and a bulb failing. After so many times of flipping that switch off, and then on again, (all the while reaping the benefits of the electric light), the bulb eventually wears out. You didn’t do anything wrong, you did not make it fail! It was just “time and use”. That bulb actually lasted a pretty long time and you enjoyed the beautiful light that it put out, for many months.

Some of that rational goes out the window when it comes to fixing the car…..it must be…it could have been…what did they do? It was fine until……

Enjoy the drive that only a BMW can give you, and just know that eventually it will be time again, for scheduled maintenance. And by the way, nobody “did it”. You’re just driving…..

BMW Repair Shop – we will keep you on the road.

Today, Aston Martin introduced the Cygnet, which is billed as a very small luxury auto. It is reportedly 2 feet shorter in length than the MINI. That is pretty small!

Luxury and great gas mileage sounds great. But, we doubt it will be more popular than the MINI Cooper. Our MINI customers are absolutely in love with their cars. They are a fun drive, great gas mileage and plenty of room. But, we can’t imagine it being two feet shorter.

Happy Motoring!

Just a reminder for those of you still under the BMW warranty.

What you don’t want to do, is to ignore something that just “doesn’t seem right”, until it’s too late. Obviously, that goes for any repair, but it is even more important if you are getting close to your warranty expiration date. You do not want to find out AFTER your warranty expires that your BMW or MINI has a problem that would be covered by the manufacturer.

If you are noticing anything that may need attention, get back to the dealership and let them know. From what we have seen, if you are under the warranty limit by mileage, but over by time, you are still out of warranty. That seems to be a common situation that clients express to us.

You’ll want to know your exact warranty expiration date and mileage limit. Pay attention to your BMW’s performance, (just in case it needs to get back in to the dealership before the warranty expires). Enjoy the road!

There are some great new options that are available if you want to spiff up the interior of your BMW. Let’s say that age, sun, and wear have done a number on your interior seats. Or, perhaps your drivers seat is just not as firm as it used to be. (OK, let’s be clear, we are not talking plastic surgery)!

Seriously, if you are planning on keeping your BMW till it hits the 200, 300K(+) mark, you may also want to consider some rejuvenating of the interior. Maybe you are passing your BMW to a son, daughter or even a grandchild and want to just make it a little bit sweeter. We are fortunate here in the Bay Area to have some great auto upholstery shops, that will give you an estimate to spiff it up. We have done this on some of our cars over the years, and have always been pleased with the results.

Due to new manufacturing processes there are also what are called “leather kits”, (model year specific) for your BMW. These “leather kits” are less labor intensive than a full blown upholstery job, and seem to be a very good value. This is another option to discuss with a quality local auto upholstery shop or a repair shop that sublets this kind of work.

Happy Motoring and my all of your driving be in a BMW!

It’s that time of the year. If you notice that your A/C does not seem to be a cool as it should, please call a BMW or MINI Cooper professional.

Technology, environmental laws, and even our Business and Professional Codes, have changed in regards to Air Conditioning service. Remember that at one time people would just “top off” their air conditioning system with freon? Well, usually that means there is a leak somewhere in the system. (This is depleting the ozone layer). It is unlawful to discharge refrigerant into the atmosphere, (and it has been for many years). So a qualified shop will have special equipment to identify, (what kind of refrigerant), remove it safely and correctly, re-cycle it and the replace with the proper refrigerant, (after the leak is fixed).

Now, you may be wondering why we need equipment to “identify” what kind of refrigerant? If you decide to stop in a parts store and pick up an aerosol can of “something” that it supposed to make your A/C cooler and put it in your system, you have effectively contanimated your entire A/C system! In our opinion, some of this junk should not even be allowed on the market. Much of it is highly flammable, too. It’s a waste of your money, and now you will have a more expensive problem when you take your car in for the proper A/C work. Why? Because the A/C system has to be cleared of all of the refrigerant first, (with the additional “junk” that is in there), and now we have to recycle that batch completely different from usual. So that goes along with extra fees and documentation. Then the correct refrigerant has to be put in.

Do it right the first time at a shop that is doing it safely, correctly, and legally. It’s a win-win.

Most BMW, MINI Cooper owners or any owners of a modern car, know that the engine’s system can register fault codes or trouble codes. There is a misconception by many in the general public, that a simple scan of faults tells the technician exactly what to replace. Not true in most situations.

Here’s just one example; A fault code indicating a low total “cat efficiency” (catalytic converter) does not necessarily mean that a catalytic converter replacement would be necessary or even fix the problem! By performing an additional test of the cat with a gas analyzer, a tech will measure the efficiency of the catalytic converter. Yes, there were other problems with the BMW that affected the emissions, but, now we know that it was not the cat, (regardless of that fault code)! There are some other issues going on “in front” of the cat. By performing the additional tests, (and not just relying on a fault code), we can be assured of two things; 1. Our customer does not need to replace that expensive catalytic converter. 2. And we also know, that when we perform the repairs “in front” of the cat and recheck, that car will be clean and pass the smog test. Now, that saved some money.

Your BMW engine is beautiful. Some of the highest power per cubic centimeter is at your beckon, at the same time it is comparatively fuel efficient. In our experience most BMW owners really drive the heck out of them and enjoy every second! These engines are not only powerful, but durable. Keep on a regular maintenance schedule with someone who is a professional in BMW and you can go hundreds of thousands of miles, before you just want to have another. We’ve seen these engines at 400K miles, plus! (This is on an old school maintenance schedule that served those owners very well)

BMW Engine Maintenance

We hope that everyone will enjoy Memorial Day! Let’s also remember the true meaning of the holiday and say “thanks” to at least one Veteran.

Enjoy the road and have a safe and happy Memorial Day.

From what we have seen, there is a difference,(s) in an automotive part that is marketed to be sold specifically at a discount store, vs. commercially at an independent auto repair shop or dealership. It’s great marketing that allows a company to sell items both to DIY market, as well as the repair industry and the manufacturers. Just realize that, and understand that you are getting what you pay for.

Some years ago, I even experienced this while doing some remodeling at home. I had complained to my electrician that the recessed lights were just too expensive, because I could get the same ones at the huge Home fix it-yourself store, much cheaper. The lighting fixtures had the same exact brand name and logo on the box. This guy wasn’t going to take advantage of me! I wasn’t born yesterday, etc…(you know how it goes).

Let’s get each of the boxes and take a look. He then took the time to show me both lights and how different they really were. Lifting the units I could feel the weight difference. Then he showed me the difference in material thickness. One dented and scratched very easily and the other did not. There were clips and technical differences that were going to affect the functionality and the installation time. How could this be? The same brand name was on 2 boxes, and the lights were exactly the same size and look. But, comparison showed exactly why one was less expensive than the other! Either one would do a job. But the cheaper product in comparison was just that. I wanted durability, functionality, quality and I did not want to be futzing with this ever again. Yes, it was obvious. These two lights were manufactured with the same brand name, but “unequal” for 2 specific target markets.

Great marketing. Just remember, that’s what it is.

The Driving Machine BMW Parts Recommendations