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Excerpt: Yes, it’s an internal combustion engine, (except MINI e) but the main vehicle functions are being performed and monitored electronically with dozens of control modules. Seeing one of those warning lights in the instrument cluster of your BMW, MINI, or any car can be a bit unnerving, but keep in mind, that may be the only indication that there is an unsafe condition or something may not be working correctly. Performing a diagnosis involving the various BMW control modules, (aka on-board computers) may be necessary to get to the root of a problem if a warning light does come on….

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Excerpt: Well the big news today is that BMW Group will sponsor the United States Olympics for the next 6 years. Of course this announcement comes will all of the joy and excitement that is always BMW. U.S. Olympiad, Apolo Anton Ohno, (also a BMW driver) was on hand for the festivities this morning. This appears to be a natural marketing marriage that will reach millions in the U.S. and around the globe. BMWs, MINIs and BMW Motorrad vehicles will be the “official” transportation for the U.S. Olympics, but besides that, BMW is offering engineering expertise in some of…

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Excerpt: Your BMW or MINI is doing a self diagnostic every time you turn on the ignition. Of course you see those lights illuminate on the instrument cluster/panel upon start up and bulb check. Then the “self checking” begins and if all is OK, the lights turn off. The units such as your ABS (which basically has a computer processor) are all going through a dynamic circuit check for you! It is monitoring the input circuits for any incorrect voltages and is also checking the output controls or messages. If there is a problem the computer will activate…

In the Netherlands, the government has proposed an 8 cents per mile tax. They are wanting to use GPS technology to track drivers use and tax accordingly.

Love that GPS technology! They could use this tracking to vary the tax by specific high traffic areas or times. They could also use it for advertising! (Just kidding – that was my U.S. America heritage coming out). But…the creepy possibilities are pretty endless aren’t they?

Happy Motoring!

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Excerpt: Diagnostics is a system of tests and analysis to either rule out or determine a specific problem with your BMW or MINI. Because a diagnostic is best performed hands-on with your BMW or MINI, it is usually not done successfully over the phone or over the front counter. The good part is that because we are BMW and MINI specific we can usually troubleshoot and get to an issue in a more timely manner. Even though we are very experienced and specialized, it is not in your best interest for us to “guess” what is going on with your…

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Excerpt: You may not think about the health of your BMW or MINI belts, but they play a very important part in the operation of your BMW. The older models used V belts, but the modern BMWs and MINIs have the serpentine style belts that basically weave around the components they drive. Your belts have to have the sufficient grip on the mechanical parts such as the water pump, alternator, and AC compressor. If one of your belts should break while you are doing some highway driving, it can cause severe engine damage. That is just another reason why…

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Excerpt: I guess if you only had one or two pair of pants that needed to go to the dry cleaners, it would be very important that they are finished and returned the same day. Dry cleaning takes forever, like 5 days to a week! I don’t always get it, but I see alot of pants there besides mine. OK. But, it’s only a pair of pants and it’s taking a week to get dry cleaned? It’s not a BMW or a MINI that has thousands of parts and hundreds of miles of wires. Everyone needs…

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Excerpt: We have mentioned the BMW CCA a few times over the years as a way to meet other BMW enthusiasts. What we haven’t mentioned, is that they have an outstanding “Car of Your Dreams” raffle held at the Oktoberfest 2010. Deadlines for purchasing the tickets is August 16, 2010 at 5:00 p.m., EDT.. We actually know a shop owner in Austin who won the prize a few years back. That gives some hope that maybe this is our year! In any case, you have to be a member of the BMW Car Club of America to purchase the ticket(s)….

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Excerpt: Today is get-a-way day for those wanting to get an early start on the July 4th celebrations. Freedom and the birth of our great country. What a fantastic holiday we are celebrating! By now, we hope you have had your BMW or MINI serviced and checked out. If not, you will want to check your tire pressures, (the psi for your specific vehicle is listed on the door panel sticker) check your tires for any nails, and of course, check all of the fluid levels. You can usually call a local independent BMW and MINI shop…

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Excerpt: In many ways the modern BMW auto tech job is somewhat similar to that of an IT person. In earlier days of electronics in BMW’s, the information between a few control units was through signal lines that were individually dedicated. Eventually, the wiring harnesses became pretty large as the electronics grew, and grew so did the BMW wiring harness. If you have seen those completely exposed during repair, you know we are talking miles of wires. It became necessary to go to a bus networking system. So now you have the possibility of some 60 control modules,…