The cost of a Thanksgiving Turkey: The blood of heroes

Think about it for a moment. As I sit here in my jammies in a cushy house in suburban America, taking the day off from work like most and smelling the bird cook in the oven, I can't help but think of those brave men and women in Afghanistan and around the world that are sitting in fox holes or bunkers. They sit with M-16s in their hands, relying on them to keep them alive. And when I think of that scene, I all of sudden feel very lazy and ashamed.

I wish I had the guts, the honor, and the will to be a military man. And I guess maybe that is why I stand in awe of those who do have it. And why at almost every holiday I think about them, and what they do for us. And then I think of the fact that they rarely get thanks, they don't make a bunch of money, they just do it because they have a sense of duty.

And if you think they don't sacrifice, I implore you to click this link and see the emotion on the faces of those people as their soldiers come home. If you don't cry, you don't have a heart. This video and others like them will show you just exactly what kind of sacrifice is being made by these brave men and women.

And so I just want to remind you today as you hug loved ones not often seen, and eat and be merry, there are still men and women who are away from their families and loved ones. Say a prayer for them, ask God to protect them and keep them. And continue to give them the strength and courage to be the hero's they are.

And so I'll leave you with a quote from General George S. Patton, Jr "it is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived"

Be thankful for our troops! God Bless them all!!

Tips to keep you from getting stranded on the road

So as I troll the forums these days I see a lot of people buying used BMW's and then ending up stuck on the roadside with failures of all kinds. Not only are roadside failures dangerous, but they are also inconvenient and may force even a guy a like me to pay someone in the area to fix my car (since I don't always travel with my tools). That can be expensive! So here are some ways to make your BMW (and even inferior brands) road worthy.

1. Keep your engine tuned up. This means replacing things like air filters, fuel filters, spark plugs and PCV valves and 02 sensors while keeping your MAF, Throttle body and ICV (idle control valve) clean and working freely. While most of these parts won't leave you stranded, they can lead to larger problems that can. For instance, a clogged fuel filter will cause your fuel pump to work harder and like high blood pressure, it is a silent killer that can leave you stranded on the roadside.

2. Replace your cooling system. It's summer time and your cooling system is working as hard as it will all year long. You would be a fool not to replace your cooling system components. This means at a minimum your upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, water pump, fan clutch, expansion tank and cap, auto trans t-stat if you have an auto, and radiator. For other brands of cars, it is pretty much the same list. Case in point, my daughter just drove from Bham to Atlanta to go to Six Flags. She called me on the way home and her car was overheating and billowing steam. She was able to limp home adding water to her car every 100 miles or so. When she got home I found her radiator completely cracked and just spewing water. Could have been a lot worse. My motto for cooling systems is simple, when it doubt throw it out (in other words, replace it). And one last thing, don't throw away an old cooling hose or component. If they were working when you removed them, keep them in your emergency "kit" in your trunk (you do have one don't you?) for those "just in case" moments.

3. Belts, pulleys, and idlers oh my. This is another common area overlooked by the masses. Most cars, your BMW included, have a single belt that drives most of the accessories. Which means all of your proverbial eggs are in the single "serpentine belt" basket. If it breaks, you will be stranded. Additionally, a lot of people who replace the belt still forget to replace the tensioner and idler pulleys. They have bearings that wear out and when they fail, they lock up causing even a brand new belt to break and once again, you are stuck. Belts and pulleys are CHEAP and easy to replace, you are silly if you don't replace them.

4. Your fuel pump. This is more of a BMW issue than anything else. I have documented enough cases and gotten enough feedback from forums to know that if you own a BMW with 100k miles to 150k miles you need to proactively replace your fuel pump (and your fuel filter at the same time) or expect to be stranded sooner or later. No fuel = car won't go, PERIOD. Now you can try the old bang on the gas tank method and sometimes that'll get you home, but most times it won't. I take you back to Easter Sunday just this past year. I went to get milk that morning and didn't even bother to take my cell phone with me. After getting the milk I go to crank up the car and NADA, NOTHING. I knew immediately what had happened. After $3.00 in quarters and 30 minutes on a pay phone,  I finally got a tow truck to show up. Talk about mad! At least I wasn't on the interstate between the middle of nowhere and Scaryville though! Seriously, for the E46 the pump is $140 new, spend the money!

5. Without power, you ain't goin nowhere! Most of you know your car runs on 12 volts and you have a battery that puts out that amount. And we forget about them for the most part until it is too late. Ever get into your car, turn the key and hear "click, click, click". In the words of Homer Simpson "DOUGH!" And just as bad is if your alternator dies. If it can't charge your battery, your battery will die and you will be stuck. Autozone, Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, they all perform FREE battery and alternator testing. GO GET IT DONE! Batteries are under $100 in most cases and again, most auto parts stores will even install them for you at no charge. Alternators are also not too bad to replace or buy.

And there you have it. 5 ways to keep your car on the road and in good working order. I realize money doesn't grow on trees, and a lot of people don't replace this stuff because of cost and as a father of 4 with one income, I get that. But if you break it down into small pieces, it can be rather easy. For instance, a water pump on an E46 is only $60 and takes an average DIY'er less than 2 hours to replace. I am a firm believer in replacing parts on YOUR time, not when they fail. It is so much easier and less headache, not to mention safer.

So make a mental list (or better yet, write it down, or even better still, consult your maintenance log, you do have one right?) of what needs immediate attention and get cracking.

And remember, What One Man Can Do Another Can DO!!!!!!!

The day I found out I am stronger than my dad.......

Yea, so not really car related this time. But something profound happened to me a few weeks ago and I can't get this topic out of my head, so here goes.

My dad came to visit me the other day. He lives in Omaha, NE and I live in Bham, AL so we only see each other a few times a year. While visiting he always likes to help with jobs around the house and cars and such (he was a contractor for years and is very good at that stuff). While working in my sisters basement installing some pocket doors we both were tripping over my brother in laws weights. He had a curl bar loaded with about 95lbs on it. I decided to pick it up and do some reps, 4 of them to be exact. I didn't really struggle, but had I kept going I would have. I said to dad "throw up a few pops". He reluctantly grabbed the bar and began his attempt. Oh, he got it up, but just barely and there weren't any follow ups. It was at that moment, 33 years into my life, that I realized I was stronger than my father. My dad, somehow seemed smaller, weaker, and my world changed.

You see, all my life my father has been the embodiment of strength, coolness under pressure, stability, athleticism, and all things "MANLY" in my life. He is 6'1" and used to be about 200lbs, so not a small guy. Always towering over me throughout my life. I remember as a boy when he would build things how I would watch his hands. His hands seemed HUGE and like vice clamps. He was impervious to pain, somehow able to push through it without so much as a yelp. Kinda like the song by Joe Nichols entitled "Impossible".

It starts with:

"My dad chased monsters from the dark, checked underneath my bed

he could lift me with one arm, way up over top his head,

he could loosen rusty bolts with a quick turn of his wrench

he pulled splinters from his hands, and never even flinched"

Those lyrics probably hit home with most of you reading this. And for me it is no different. And so to realize that my father has aged to the point that I am now stronger than him was a scolding reminder that time is not a respecter of persons. I guess it is just something all men must go through. I am a lot different than I once was, I'm fatter, balder, and have some grey hairs coming in on the sides of my head. And so this thought has haunted me for a week or two now.

And today my 91 year old grandfather is coming to visit. Again, a man from my childhood who was a larger than life figure. He had a lake house and we learned to ski, fish, and knee board there. He always took us to lobster dinners and made the best breakfast in the world. He was a fighter pilot in WW2 and served in the European Theater. He did it all, had seen it all, and could make anyone laugh. Last year when I saw him I didn't expect him to make it to 91. But he is still alive and well. But he too is smaller, shorter, somehow not the man he once was.

So what is the point of my ramblings? I dunno really. Perhaps just to "talk" out my problems in print. To try and somehow organize my thoughts on this topic and work through them. Or maybe it is just because everyone I know is getting older and I still feel so young. I don't really fear death, but I fear not leaving the proper legacy for my children. I need more time, so do my dad and grandfather.

And so to end I just simply say to you, take every moment and live to the fullest. Tomorrow is not a guarantee and one day you will look back and wish you had done more. Perhaps this post can serve as a wake up call. Spend more time with your kids outside, spend more time with the TV's off and the board games on the table. Love more, laugh more, and don't get upset if somebody spills something. In the grand scheme of things, nothing much matters on this Earth. Family does, people do, and faith does. Beyond that, it is all destined to burn up anyways.

By the way, the next line of that Joe Nichols songs says:

"In thirteen years I'd never seen him cry, but the day that grandpa died, I realized...

Unsinkable ships, sink.

Unbreakable walls, break.

Sometimes the things you think would never happen, happen just like that.

Un-bendable steel bends, if the fury of the wind is unstoppable.

I've learned enough to never underestimate, the impossible. "

My "impossible" was being stronger than dad. And while that me be so physically, he will always be a better man than I am.

So take it for what its worth. I hope you find some meaning to these ramblings that helps you. And I promise, the next entry will get back to cars.

Something for real hardcore car guys........

Yesterday was one of those days where I was thankful to be in Alabama. If you follow me on twitter you saw the photo I tweeted that said "this is my office". What you see is blue sky with pillowy white clouds, an interstate, and mountains and trees everywhere (see pic). INVIGORATING! I had the sunroof open, the windows down, and Pink Floyd's "Leanring to Fly" blasting from the H/K sound system. As I soaked up the 68 degree winds, sun on my face, smiling, I looked down at my "cockpit". Black cube trim, black leather sport seats, alcantara accents, and a 6 speed manual gearbox, I was in the most purpose built drivers car BMW ever made short of an ///M car, and I was HAPPY. Does it get ANY BETTER THAN THAT? The answer is a resounding NO!

And so I spent the better part of 3 hours just driving. I found some old back roads I used to race as a kid and cruised them for a bit. Not trying to drive faster or harder, but rather going slower. In fact, had I had a Delorian I would have gone back in time. Back to the memories of my Mustang days, 5.0 liter engine screaming in the wind, tire smoke and black marks, jumping in the river to cool off, and skipping school to go rock climbing. Yes, it sounds like a country song doesn't it. I wish I could go back to those days and tell the young man I was to "slow down" and enjoy the moments as they came. Tell him to stop looking forward and live in the moment, knowing I never can and trying to remind myself of those words for the man I am now.

Perhaps only a true car guy can appreciate the scenario. The excitement, the freedom, the passion you get when behind the wheel of a car that you truly love. Looking for reasons to go somewhere, anywhere, and when finding none just go drive anyways. Back in the old days it was Fox Body Mustangs with Nitrous. Today it is the ultimate (non-M) 4 door saloon, the BMW E46 ZHP. Regardless of the car the feelings are very much the same as when I was 16. When I was 16 gas was $1.05 a gallon and it was common to spend $10 the following way : $7 gas, $2 for smokes, $1 for a coke. What that $10 bought me was memories and freedom I still remember to this day and likely the rest of my life. I dare say when I only have one or two marbles left rolling around my bald head, I won't remember my name but I'll remember those Mustangs!

Road trips were a common past time for my friends and I and, unfortunately for my studies, all too common during the school day. I'll never forget the time I went to another city to goof off and I pulled up at a red light next to my mom! You can't buy memories like that! But even that couldn't dampen the spirit of freedom and fun you get when taking your favorite car for a drive. I used to roll the windows down and turn on my favorite music (again, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Ratt or some other hair band) and just drive. I had no particular place to go, no reason to go there, and no real want to go back. It allowed me to escape. Much like alcohol or drugs are an escape, this is an escape that AWAKENS your senses instead of dulling them. It is the feeling of actually LIVING life. An old Garth Brooks song called Standing Outside the Fire has a verse that says "Life is not tried it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire". The gist of the song is to live life to the fullest, and for me, behind the wheel of a car I could do that.

And so we move back into today. The young man described above is long gone. Lost to the worlds system, to a wife, to kids, to a mortgage and a job. He made his mistakes, lived his life and has become "a man". And yet, deep down, under the suits and ties, underneath the labels of "dad" or "honey", underneath the quota having business guy, beats the heart of a hardcore gear head. He craves only gasoline and the open road. He smiles when he sees a kid burn some rubber at a stoplight, he rolls his window down when next to a muscle car so he can hear it better, and he still looks at catalogs like Jegs and Summit Racing looking at parts for a Mustang he doesn't even own but hopes to again some day.

And during those moments when he can, rolls the windows down, cranks the music up, and lets the sunshine hit his face. And as he remembers his youth and those fast cars, he smiles and is truly happy.

How many of you can say you own your "dream car"? I can!

So I know this is a little late but I finally found some time to write about my new BMW ZHP. So the title says "dream car" and some of you may say, "how in the world is a 2004 BMW 330i ZHP a dream car?" And on the surface I can understand your thought. I mean, most true dream cars are things like a Bugati Veyron, Ferrari Enzo, Porsche GTR3, or even a Ford GT. However the ZHP is still my dream car for a few reasons. 1. Unlike the above listed cars, I bought it for $10k, so I can actually own one. 2. You can drive it everyday and not need back surgery. 3. Every cop in town won't notice me 4. It pulls down 30mpg's on the highway.

The bottom line is I am having a blast in the vehicle. It isn't the most powerful car out there with only 235hp, and it's suspension is modest by comparison of some race tuned cars, but it is a complete package for those that want to DRIVE and enjoy every second.

I can't tell the you the sheer joy I get while burning up the curvy back roads by my home. Or the rush I get when I take an off ramp at double the posted speed. And all the while the car is very tame and very confident. You simply put it where you want it and go. BMW built a purposeful car with the ZHP, and I LOVE it!

And while future write-ups of things I will be doing are coming, for now just let me say if you don't have one, get one. It is a great car!

The loss of my best friend, Goodbye Bear Bear

Last night at midnight I sat on the tile area in our foyer and held the head of my beloved German Shepherd Baron as he died. He was regal and strong to the end, no whining, no whimpering, he simply met death with the no fear attitude he had in life. The hole in my heart as I write this I dare say will never be completely healed.

What is it about pets that make us love them so much? I realize they aren't people, but they sure do get to be like one of your own. I got Baron at 8 weeks old, just a few months before my first marriage completely fell apart. And through those rough times he was always there and never complained about the crappy little apartment he had to move to, or when my car was repossessed. He just wagged his tail and was always "ready to go" wherever that may have been.

He also is the reason my current wife and I are now married. She fell in love with Baron before she fell in love with me! I actually, in a way, owe my family to that dog. And he was great with the kids when they were born. Never once did he ever growl, bark or do anything to the babies as they were learning to walk and using him as a device to pull themselves up when they fell. Even if he was eating he would just sort of be like "no problem kid, keep trying". I never worried about a thing when he was around the kids. So many thought I was nuts, this big towering German Shepherd and two little babies, but I never even batted an eye. Bear Bear wrote the book on family dog behavior.

I honestly could write for hours on all the stuff he and I did together. All the memories, all the fun times. But I fear I don't have the emotional strength to do so. And I really am just writing this as "therapy" for myself. But I will so miss that big love of a dog. Wherever I was, he was in the same room. I will miss tripping over him, him waking me up at 3am to go take a dump (he was a nighttime pooper), and the way he thumped his tail when you said his name. But most of all, I'll miss my friend.

In the movie Forest Gump, Forest says to Jenny's grave "momma always said death is a part of life.........I sure wish it wasn't". Those words echo on my heart this morning. But I know it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. And the love of a Shepherd is something you have to experience to truly understand.

I simply leave this entry with this, my pastor once preached about how on every tombstone there is a dash between the born date and died date. That dash is such a small amount of time in the scope of eternity. And his point was, what will the meaning of our dash be when we are gone? What did we do while we were here? Baron got me through a divorce, brought me to my wife, protected the kids, and was the best friend you could ever ask for. I can only pray my "dash" is as good as his.

Good night my ol boy, sleep well.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot.......FIX YOUR A/C

Well it is official, I walked outside at 8am this morning and I began to sweat before I reached the mailbox. Alabama is known for great football, paying players, and weather that can make the devil himself search for someplace cooler. And just like clockwork I get all sorts of inquiries and requests for service work on A/C platforms this time of year. I want to cover the fine points of A/C troubleshooting and things you can do to save HUGE dollars.

It is common for people to say "you have to have special tools to do A/C work so you just have to pay what a shop wants to charge". This is pretty far from the truth. I have fixed quite a few A/C units with little more than a $40 gauge and $7 R-134a filler hose. Nope, it ain't fancy, but it works. You simply have to understand the basics of air conditioning and how it works to diagnose and fix your car.

1. Compressor: this is the part everyone automatically thinks is the problem when A/C issues come up. And while they are the "heart" of the system and commonly fail, they aren't always the problem. The compressor moves the refrigerant through the system. It has a high side and a low side. It is turned by the engine and is engaged by a clutch at the front of the compressor housing which engages the compressor. Common symptoms of a bad compressor are:

• No cold air. If the compressor dies, you are going to be hot.


• No cold air at idle or sitting still, but gets colder when the engine RPM's go up. Typical sign the suction or low side of the compressor is bad.


• Horrible noise when the A/C is engaged. Your compressor clutch is bad or going bad, your system might be low on refrigerant and/or oil (yes, there is lubricating oil in the system).

2. Condenser: It looks like a small radiator and is usually mounted in the front of the vehcile. It has small coils and serves to cool compressed air that goes through it and converts to a liquid under pressure. That may make no sense but keep in mind, A/C systems do not "make cold air" they remove heat from hot air and it is a chemical process. The bottom line, the condenser is under great pressures and can and does fail. I have seen holes get knocked in them from road debris, rust through over time, or the seals at the connection points go bad. Usually a leaky condenser is easily seen by injecting UV dye into the system and checking it for leaks with a UV light. You can also buy or rent a "sniffer" which is a tool that detects the R-134a gasses present at the leak site. Most often they are easy to replace and less than $300.

3. Evaporator: This is where the super cool gasses go through and air is passed across it by your blower motor to give you the ice cold air blowing on your face. It looks like a small radiator too and as the refrigerant leaves the evaporator it becomes liquid again. Evaporator problems are sometimes hard to diagnose due to the location. It is almost always behind the dash or firewall and difficult to get to. Labor charges to replace this part are often quite hefty as a result. Here are a couple symptoms to look for:

• A/C blows cold if you add refrigerant, but it leaks out within a day or two and you can't find a leak anywhere.
  


• You hear excessive hissing noises coming from your vents when you turn the car off.
  


• You see UV dye around the under panels under your dash where the HVAC system is located.

4. Thermal Expansion Valve (aka Expansion Valve): This is what regulates the A/C temperature if you decide you don't want freezing cold air anymore. It helps regulate the air coming into the car. This little booger has caused more headaches and troubleshooting problems than most of the above parts combined. It just seems to get overlooked. Typically you will get whacky low pressure port readings if this part is bad and you will likely be getting some cold air, but not much. They are usually cheap and easy to replace so that is a positive.

5. Drier: Your compressor only compresses gas, so the drier is there to make sure no liquid makes it to the compressor. It also has a filter in it (some cars have what's called an "orifice tube" which is a small screen filter that is replaceable) that catches crap from the system as well. Not too much can go wrong with this part save for leaks at the connection points. It is a good idea to replace it whenever you open the system for optimum performance. They typically run less than $50.

Those are the main components of any automotive A/C system. Yours may have a few extra parts here or there, but all systems will have the above parts. Keep in mind A/C systems are under immense pressures. If you go loosening bolts on your A/C system and it has refrigerant in it, it will spew out and can be harmful if inhaled. It is also illegal to vent it into the atmosphere. I find that most shops will charge you a nominal fee to evacuate your system for you. Then you can go home and repair or replace parts on your own. All you really need to refill it is a vacuum pump and a manifold gauge kit or you can pay a shop to vacuum it for you before you add R-134a back to the system.

I should note pulling a vacuum is very important and serves a couple functions. Condensation and moisture get into the system when it is "open" so the refrigerant will hit that and freeze causing clogs. Under vacuum water boils at room temperature so the moisture will boil off leaving you with a clean system. A vacuum will also pinpont leaks because if you have one, it won't pull a good vacuum. And finally, after you pull a vacuum, turn the pump off after about 30 minutes and wait to make sure the vacuum holds, this also tells you if you have any leaks. This paves the way for final refilling.

There is no way I can address every concern, but I wanted to give you a few ideas and a synopsis of what is going on so you can make better decisions and even fix this stuff on your own. All auto shops take advantage of people who need A/C because it is a "specialized" area and they charge a premium for it. But if you spend $150 in tools, you can still save hundreds of dollars.

And of course, if you have an A/C problem, you can always contact me and I will do the best I can to help you.

Until next time........."What one man can do another can do!"

For the love of Pete, DIY people!

So this is more of a rant than an informational blog. I drive through the parking lot of the local Advance Auto Parts yesterday and what do I see? A man in his early to mid 30's standing in front of his SUV while the woman (yes, woman) from the Advance store puts his windshield wipers on his car for him! It took everything I had not to stop my car, get in my trunk, pull two golf balls from my golf bag and hand them to him and say "here's a pair for ya Nancy!" I mean, are you kidding me? Can you imagine your grandfather or father letting a woman do car work for him?

So I got to thinking and I made a top ten list of things this guy (we'll call him Nancy) says during his day:

10. "Hey, do those panties come in a size 36?"

9. "Can you carry my groceries out for me?"

8. "I'd like a water crest salad with mineral water"

7. "That is a handsome man right there"

6. "I wonder if this shirt comes in pink?"

5. "I can't wait for tonights episode of Real Housewives"

4. "Really, I didn't realize my car had two transmissions, go ahead and replace them both then"

3. "I wish this station would play more Michael Bolton"

2. "Swing dance lessons are great exercise"

1. "I voted for Obama, why?"

Seriously people, do your own maintenance. Remember my mantra (and I stole this from the movie "The Bear" with Anthony Hopkins) "what one man can do, another can do!". If a mechanic can replace brake pads, so can you. If a woman from Advance Auto can replace your wiper blades, so can you! Get your hands dirty for crying out loud, it won't kill you and might save you a buck or two!

Have a great weekend!

Selling your car.....It is easier if you keep records

Today a customer called me (Owns a 2001 540 6 speed) and asked "I have a guy ready to buy my car, but he wants to talk to my mechanic, can you talk to him?" "Of course I will" I replied, "give him my number". Sure enough, about 2 hours later the phone rings and it is Mr. Buyer on the line. He starts with "tell me about the car".

Sure, it has 4 black things on it called tires, it was made in Germany, it is silver, it has a motor, blah blah blah. What he wanted to know was "is this car going to break down on me or cost me an arm and a leg to keep running". I couldn't really answer that with 100% certainty because this customer doesn't keep records on his car so he had to rely on me to remember what he has (or hasn't) done.

The point is this, almost every time someone looks at a used car they almost always ask "do you have the service records?". How many of you can go look in a drawer or in a file on your computer and pull up your maintenance history? The three of you who can are excused from the rest of my article and get an "A", the rest of you fail and should read on.....

Think about it, if you asked for maintenance records and the owner pulled out a 3 year history on a spreadsheet or in a notebook, would you feel better about buying the car? I sure would. What if they had receipts for the corresponding repairs? Now do you feel confident about the buy? I would.

But just like in ANY sales arena, most people don't do the hard work that it takes to make selling easy. You'll dance around and say "well, the cooling system has been replaced....well except for the water pump.......wait, did I do the water pump...??" Wrong answer! I'm walking away and you just blew a sale. This isn't earth shattering stuff, just common sense that we forget about until it is too late. So here are 4 things you need to remember to have a good record book:

1. KISS (Keep it simple stupid). No reason to write a paragraph for each repair, just date, mileage, what was done, and cost. You may also want to jot down warranty info if there is any.

2. Keep track of EVERYTHING you do. Right down to the last day and time you checked your tire pressures (you should probably go ahead and do that today cause I bet you haven't checked lately have you?). Yea, it's overkill, but when time comes to sell your car you will thank me for it. This means oil changes, fluid changes, inspections, everything excpet gas purchases should go on this record. If you add a splash of coolant or wiper blades, the log should be updated. Get it? More is.....well........MORE!

3. Keep the log in a safe place and better yet, back it up on a thumb drive or USB! Ever had a PC crash? I have. What if you take my advice and go through all this work only to lose it all because your kid clicked on an offer for a free playstation. So treat it like any other important file.

4. Keep receipts. Whether you DIY or pay a shop, get the receipts and scan or staple them to the record. KEEP THEM ALL! It adds credibility if the receipt dates match the entry dates too.

If you do the above, when it comes time to sell you will not only be able to honestly tell potential buyers EXACTLY what has been done, you can also give them a heads up on what might need to be done. Can you imagine how great a buyer would feel if you said "well Mr. Customer, it is $800 more than a comparable car, but you won't need this, this, and that for about 30k miles. Does the other car have records like this?" You just got paid an extra $800 to be a little OCD when it comes to your car.

The only question is, will you do it?

Been away for a long time, I'm back

So I won't pretend to make excuses, I just plain let this blog grow cold. Call it a lack of motivation, not really thinking it is helping people, or just plain laziness. Anyway, I am back and here are the incoherent ramblings of a "car guy" for today, read at your own risk, this entry will be all over the place!

First of all, on the car front, I have been a busy man. I have replaced 2 evaporators these past few months. One on an 04 BMW X3 and one on a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Both required removal of the dash, what a nightmare! Why don't car manufacturers put those darn things somewhere a little easier to access? I only charged the BMW owner $500 and the Jeep owner $250. Dealer quotes on both were an excess of $2500 and indy shops were over $1500. I really need to up my prices! I also did an A/C compressor on a VW Cabrio, again the indy quote was $1500. I did it for $200. It only took me an hour and a half! Why do these shops charge so much freaking money!?

I want to remind all of you car owners out there (BMW or ANY car brand) to do regular maintenance items on your car early and often! If you are waiting till the quicky lube place tells you that you need a new air filter, you waited too long. If you wait until your ABS module fails to change your brake fluid, you have waited too long. If you wait until your transmission starts to slip, you waited too long to change the fluid. Get me? You can never fully eliminate the risks of your car breaking down on you, but with simple jobs you can easily do at home in a few hours you can give yourself the best chance of having a long lasting and trouble free car.

Just last weekend I spent $15 on brake fluid and had my daughter push the pedal for me and exchanged my brake fluid in about 45 minutes. It was already pretty clear, but I was due for it. Granted, I didn't feel a difference in the way my car stops, but since my BMW has a pretty sophisticated (and really expensive) braking/traction control system, I now know neither of those systems aren't likely to fail anytime soon because I didn't take the time to do a little work. Given the average ABS failure costs a minimum of $2000, I think it was well worth it! My wife's Jeep is next, her brake fluid looks like used motor oil! Shame on ME! But I have kept the oil and trans fluids changed, as well as doing a 130k mile "tune up" that included fuel filters, plugs, water pump, thermostat, radiator, hoses, belts, etc. She drives my kids after all, the car has to remain safe. And by doing those kind of things PRO-actively, I save myself the hassle of towing costs, logistical problems, and even safety concerns if she breaks down in a bad part of town or late at night. Piece of mind is nice, and you too can have it. When is the last time you checked YOUR wife's car over for things it needs? Is her serpentine belt new or does it look like an old shoe lace? What do those brake pads look like? When is the last time you visually looked at the radiator hoses? Get my point?

Ok, so here is a checklist I use (and you should too):

1. Tires. Do they hold air? Are they round? Do they have tread? Cracks?

2. Belts and Hoses. Nothing stops a car faster than loosing a serpentine belt or blown radiator hose. These parts are cheap, when in doubt, replace them! And don't forget tensioner and idler pulleys, if they break, they will snap even a brand new belt!

3. Fluids. Everyone changes their oil. But when is the last time you changed your transmission fluid, brake fluid, differential fluid, engine coolant and power steering fluid? Exactly, now go change it!

4. Filters. You car has an air filter for the engine, even YOU know that. But when is the last time you changed the fuel filter? Cabin Filter? Transmission filter? Been awhile?

5. Tune up items. Spark plugs, coil packs, coil boots, plug wires, 02 sensors, cap and rotors, PCV valves, EGR Valves and fuel injectors. They all need to be kept healthy or bigger problems can develop.

I know, it can seem overwhelming. Break it down into small steps an do a few each weekend. Before you know it, you will have a car that is happy and will serve you well. And make sure you check your owners manual for vehicle specific things that I may have forgotten.

Ok, that is today's installment. I plan to go do some more work and then enjoy Bama rolling over Penn State tomorrow! ROLL TIDE!!!

I'm coming live to a computer near you

So, through the magic of my new HTC Hero and UStream, I am going to begin a new "show" that will feature things like Q & A, Fireside Chat, and so forth with you all out there. I figure at least some of you might care enough to know how a father of 4 with limited income keeps his Bimmer in top notch shape using "redneck ingenuity" and a dose of common sense. I will also offer repair advice, try and help diagnose problems, and even throw in some live DIY's of upcoming repairs.

But, I need to hear from you all and see what you want to discuss or not discuss. Either PM me on Bimmerfest.com (smolck) or comment on this blog and I will try and do this as best I can. I can't wait. Archive videos will also be placed here.

Can't wait to use some new technology to help the masses!

Lot's of work in the past months, here's the update

Like any would be blogger, I started this blog with the best of intentions. However, as work got crazy and life became more hectic, this blog has suffered. I apologize to my readers (all 22 of you) and hope you can begin to count on more regular blogs. In the coming months I plan to add videos and more to help you keep you BMW in top notch shape. Since my last entry, here is a highlight of what I have done to my E46.

Well, it started in late November, the car lost reverse in the old slush box. A group of incredible guys and gals from Bimmerfest.com made some donations and $1000 later, I had the parts I needed for the manual trans swap!

I sourced a used trans/clutch/flywheel/slave cylinder/shifter for $640 shipped from ebay. It came out of a car with only 17k miles on it! I then bought a driveshaft, crossmember, and clutch pedal assembly from my local go to salvage, Vines Automotive, and was ready to begin. It took me a full weekend (Friday thru Sunday night) but was a great success! Best part was, it really awakened my little 2.5L motor and made it fun to drive. That and the fact I still have the 3.46 rear differential. A little revvy on the interstate (3900rpm at 80mph) but a bulldog down low.

Then, after just getting used to my new trans, disaster struck. I began to hear a creak in the rear of my car and an inspection revealed a massive failure of the drivers side subframe. Off to the dealer for the first and only time in her life. Some 45 days later, I got the car back with an entirely new floor section from rear trailing arm mount to the spare tire well. It did however solidify my rear end and added some stability back to the car. My guess is the new 5 speed put undue stress on that mount that was probably already cracked and killed it the rest of the way.

I drove her for a month after that only to find my rear wheel bearings had failed. It HOWLED like crazy everytime I drove her. This was one DIY I am most proud of because of the sheer forces involved to remove the old bearings. Many "experts" told me it couldn't be done without the special tool, they were WRONG. I did it with nothing more than a rented slide hammer and a 3lb sledge (my new favorite tool). Sure, it took some doing, but more than worth it to save the kind of money I saved. My local indy(s) each qouted me $1000 for the whole job including new hubs. I did it for $283 with new hubs. That is the kind of money you can save with some simple tools, a little brain power, and determination. NEVER give up! And as I always say...."what one man can do another can do".

Each of these projects has been covered in detail on www.bimmerfest.com, the links to each are below if you'd like to catch up. Otherwise, stay tuned for my next installment coming later today showing how to restore worn window trims. I am happy to be back, stay tuned for tons of money saving, fun projects that will keep your high or low mileage BMW running strong for years to come!

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=412128&highlight=speed+swap

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=426114&highlight=toasted+subframe

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447598&highlight=rear+wheel+bearing

Swapping your Differential: Serious Performance

A few weeks ago I had the good fortune to help a fellow Bimmerhead add some pep to his car. This time it was in the form of a 3.38 differential swap and Hotchkis sway bars. I have covered the sway bars in subsequent blogs and on the forums so I will focus on the differential swap.

Right off the bat I can say that this was not a hard DIY. Yea, I know, you are thinking "yea, right". But it was truly an easy process. All you need to do is take your time and be mindful of what you are doing and you will be fine. I found a couple DIY's on the forums and read them over and over. I looked at the diagrams on realoem.com and even crawled under my car for a look around. When I was confident I had done all the pre-DIY research I could do, I waited for the day to come. My friend arrived (came to Bham from Atlanta) with his new differential he sourced from an automatic car that was identical to his car (2001 330i). I found out later it wasn't exactly like his car, but more on that later.

I began by removing his rear sway bar, I did this because I was swapping them anyways. I guess you don't have to do this, but it is only a few extra bolts and with it out of the way, I had all the room I needed to work. Next, I unbolted the lower subframe brace (two bolts) and the heat shield. I also took off the two exhaust hangers so the muffler could hang down. Then it was just a matter of removing the driveshaft bolts and the half shaft bolts (you will need an external torx head for this size E12). Once I had all that done I just removed the 3 bolts that held the actual diff to the subframe and it falls out with a little "persuasion". I am not going into great detail because others already have. The best DIY is found here. It gives you more specifics. We had to remove the outer flanges because they are different. In my case I used a few prybars and a hammer to get them out. They come out easier than you'd think and then the new one's press right back on to the new diff housing.

Here are the little "tips" I picked up along the way:
1. Have a friend help you. Without one, it is next to impossible to lift the new differential into place. It is heavy and akward and I crushed my finger trying to be "he-man".
2. Make sure to do your research so you don't end up with a different input flange (where the driveshaft connects to the differential) because they are different on the 330 than the 323/325.
3. Change the fluid of the new/used diff BEFORE putting it in the car. It was so easy to just tip the replacement unit on it's side to drain it and then just pour in the new fluid. No need to use a pump this way and was so easy. Failure to do this could cause you headache. A recent post I saw where a guy did the swap and he assumed the new unit had fluid in it....and it didn't. Can you say boom?
4. Replace the differential bushing while you are in there. Think ahead......we didn't. Also, if you are going to do a new set of control arms, now would be the ideal time since the differential is out of your way.

Impressions of the swap are simply WOW! What a hoss. It really transformed 1st and 2nd gear (5 speed car) into a tire shredding fun zone. The 3.38 was a good choice IMO over the 3.46 because it is still liveable on the interstate. 70MPH = just over 3000rpm's. If you have a 6 speed (and shouldn't we all) you can certainly do a 3.46 with no problem at all. All in all I think the swap was well worth it. It only took me about 4 hours total (including rear sway bar) and that was my first time doing it and I was under the car while on jack stands. This is NOT a hard job and I would say if you can do brakes or VANOS, you can do this. So if you want a peppy ride, a diff swap is the next best thing to forced induction! Hopefully one day, I can document that process on my own car!

I love Labor Day, Rear Trailing Arm Bushings Replaced

First I want to apologize for the slacking off on my part regarding this blog. I had hoped to add a new post weekly. With a tough economy, I find myself spending more time working than typing.

This past weekend (Labor Day) I decided to replace my rear trailing arm bushings. Why you ask? Because they had 190k miles on them! I could tell the rear of my car was getting really unstable under hard cornering (or "commuting"). It was especially noticeable when doing rapid directional changes and when hitting on and off ramps hard. Best way to describe it is a drifting feeling, like the back end is lagging behind. Since I have quite a lot of suspension upgrades to my car, it bothered me and I just felt it was time to tighten things back up.

I was honestly a little nervous about the project at first, after all I was replacing the main connection point for the rear wheels. But after looking at it and reading the DIY's, it really isn't bad at all. In researcing the project I noticed a lot of the DIY's on the net say you MUST have this special removal tool for the bushing. Well, the little tool is $90! I didn't have $90, so I said my usual "I'll figure it out" and went to work. There are many, many DIY's on the procedure so I will spare you the details. But I will say this, if you have an air chisel, a hammer, and a sharp screwdriver, the old bushings come out just fine without the tool. I highly recommend the use of powerflex solid bushings for replacement of the OEM bushings. Unlike the front control arm bushings by powerflex, these do not increase driving harshness at all. They do however make a HUGE difference in handling, I picked up 7-9mph in the hard corners I usually drive. Also, the powerflex (or any urethane bushing) eliminates the worry about "preloading". Preloading is caused by the rubber bushing binding up when re-installing it and is a complicated process to keep it from doing so. With the urethane one's you bolt on and go. If you want to see pics of the process, here is the link to the post I made on bimmerfest.com http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=396118&highlight=rtab.

So to recap, here are the things you need to know to do this job:

1. Buy powerflex or UUC urethane bushings. I recommend powerflex and you can get them from Bimmerworld here. Bimmerworld is great and ships fast.
2. While the RTAB bushing removal tool is great, there are a variety of ways to remove the bushings without it. If you are creative, mechanically inclined, and don't mind a little sweat, it is not needed.
3. Mark the location of the upper bracket with a pen or scribe it with a screwdriver. This will ensure you get the plate back into position correctly.
4. You may need to drop your sway bar (I did) if you have aftermarket ones for clearance

Other than that, it was an easy DIY that netted great results. I mean you REALLY feel this "mod" and how it tightens up your car. Best $79 you'll spend. I guarantee it!

Helping others and paying it forward, you never know

It's 6pm on a Saturday, I have made a 3 hour trip to Atlanta to pick up some wheels for my BMW. I get everything and head off to return home to Birmingham. All of a sudden the oil light comes on, the battery light comes on, my power steering dies, and I instantly realize my main accessory belt has snapped. I pull over and inspect the damage. Sure enough, my water pump had failed, the bearing blew out shredding my belt and leaving me stranded 3 hours from home. What a helpless feeling!

Ever been in that position? Maybe not automotively speaking, but what about your life in general. What about others lives around you? I got to thinking today, that amidst all the chaos in this world people all around us are hurting and in desperate situations. Have you ever helped someone in a way that it cost you something? Money, sweat, time, pain, tears, maybe all of these? If you haven't, perhaps you haven't ever truly helped someone. Because real help costs something, if it doesn't, then it means very little. My ultimate example, Jesus, knew this well. He even said "what is greater, to say thy sins be forgiven thee or rise up and walk". Lip service is easy, a prayer for someone is easy, saying you'll keep someone in your thoughts is easy, but moving a friend into a new house, taking a homeless man to lunch (yes, into the restaurant), sitting in a hospital room for hours to hold the hand of a dying person, these are the things that define true help. I read a story once that I want to share with you. It is about a man in just such a situation.

"A nurse escorted a tired, anxious young man to the bed side of an elderly man. "Your son is here," she whispered to the patient. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack and he dimly saw the young man standing outside the oxygen tent.
He reached out his hand and the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair next to the bedside. All through the night the young man sat holding the old mans hand, and offering gentle words of hope. The dying man said nothing as he held tightly to his son.
As dawn approached, the patient died. The young man placed on the bed the lifeless hand he had been holding, and then he went to notify the nurse.
While the nurse did what was necessary, the young man waited. When she had finished her task, the nurse began to say words of sympathy to the young man.
But he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" He asked.
The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father."
"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" asked the nurse.
He replied, "I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me..." (source for this article is found here)

Can you imagine doing that? I can't. But I am not even talking about going to that extreme. Even stopping to change a tire for someone on the side of the road, carrying groceries to an old lady's car, or taking parts off of your car so a guy can just get home.

See the second half of the story I started at the beginning of this blog is that the guy who I bought the wheels from came to where I was, towed me to his house (thank goodness for tow hooks) with his BMW, let me use his tools, drove me to the parts store, and even gave me his waterpump pulley because I broke mine. Great story, but it doesn't end there, it gets even more incredible. That all happened in September of last year. Last month I get a PM from a guy on Bimmerfest that a person from Chatanooga, TN with an E46 is stuck in Birmingham and needs a good shop. I emailed them and offered to help. Turns out it was actually the forum members daughter who was in town for a wedding. She had the EXACT same failure as I had had in Georgia. The parts stores were closed and she needed to get home. I took my waterpump and pulley off of my car and gave them to her to get home! Talk about paying it forward! You can't tell me that God didn't engineer that set of circumstances!

So why am I telling you all this? So that you can be impressed with me? No. So you will think I am great? No. I don't want you to think about me at all! I am telling you this so you will think about those around you that need YOU! When you give, you get. And I am not talking about money. There is so much more you'll get than money it isn't even funny (hey, that rhymed). I charge you to pay it forward. Do more than you have to, do it often, and do it TODAY! You may never know when you will need someone yourself!

Sway Bars: The biggest bang for your buck!

As we continue our look at the suspension components on the BMW, perhaps none are as hotly debated as sway bars. They give you the absolutely largest gain in performance for the least amount of money. A good set of sway bars can literally transform your car from a well handling car into a corner carving beast that makes your wife not want to ride with you (ask me how I know).

So you bought your BMW because it is billed as "The Ultimate Driving Machine". From the factory, BMW had several options on sway bars depending on your model. Sizes for them ranged between 18.5-24mm front diameter bars and 15-21mm rear bars depending on body style and year. Generally the 330's had the largest bars and as a general rule the thicker the bar, the more stable the car during aggressive driving. But it isn't as simple as "bigger bars are better".

What is important to remember is that the front and rear bars work in tandem, and small changes to either can have a drastic difference in the way your car handles. For instance, the Dinan performance sway bars for the E46 are much smaller diameter in comparison to my UUC Swaybarbarians and are set to add a little extra oversteer to the dramatic understeer your BMW has from the factory. It isn't a great deal of difference over factory sport sway bars and I can only figure this is because Dinan is a factory BMW performance division and they want it to be "aggressive" but still keep you from killing yourself. And since this topic is so broad and the range of changes and options is so great I will move on and discuss my personal findings and experience.

I got a used set of UUC swaybarbarians for the E46. It was an INSTANT and DRAMATIC change (intially I set the bars to their stiffest setting front and rear). All of a sudden my car felt like it was going to go where I pointed it and NO body roll whatsoever. It almost felt too "twitchy" and I admit, at first, I was a little scared of it. The tail end noticeably swept around much better. If my venerable little 323 motor had enough oomph, the car could be steered with the gas pedal. After a few weeks of driving it like this I became accustomed to the way it felt and began to push my car harder and harder. I then started playing with the different settings and I began to learn by FEEL how and what the car does. This is probably one of the more exciting things I have leared in my time as a "Bimmerhead" and I am loving it.

Here are a few pointers for those thinking about sway bars:

• Get adjustable sway bars. Non adjustable sways would be boring and if you are paying upwards of $400, why not get something that allows you to make adjustments to fine tune the car to YOUR style?
  
• Buy heavy duty adjustable front sway end links. You will kill your stock one's in short order if you don't and it makes a world of difference in feel and allows for even more fine tuning of your car.
• Beef up your rear sway bar mount tabs. The BMW stock tabs on the rear are very weak and thin. Running a super fat, stiff bar like the UUC's, it is possible you could tear them. Turnermotorsport.com has a set of weld in reinforcements that cost $20 and you can probably get them welded in by a muffler shop for under $50. It is worth it. Keeping them from breaking is so much easier than fixing them when they are broken.
  
• Stiffer isn't always better. You'll see what I mean when you get them!
  
• Finally, GET SOME NEW SWAY BARS! It is the best mod I have ever done.
  

So that's it. To be honest I am getting a little bored with the suspension blog. And this entry was increasingly difficult because there are so many things to discuss and I can't possibly cover them all. I am not sure what the next entry will be, but feel free to drop me a line and suggest topics.

Suspension Part 2

One of the most popular upgrades for ANY car is the shocks/struts and springs. These items carry the weight of the car and have a HUGE impact on handling, good or bad. Does your car bounce? Float? Drift? Rock side to side? Feel loose? Chances are your shocks are worn out. Most BMW suspensions last around 80k miles. Any more than that and you probably notice any or all of the above symptoms.

BMW offered two shock/spring options on the E46 and most other models: sport and non-sport. Each has a different spring rate (the stiffness), ride height, and shock absorber stiffness. Obviously "sport" is lower and stiffer than "non sport". A general rule is the stiffer the spring/shock, the better the car handles. But there is much more to a good set-up than just "stiffness" so you must choose a set-up that best suits your driving style.

Here are some tips for choosing the right suspension:

• Prioritize your needs. Do you like canyon carving or comfortable commuting? Can you handle bumps and humps? How low do you want your car? What is your budget? What are the roads like where you live? Does it snow/ice? How often can you afford to replace tires, shocks, etc? Make a list and be realistic, lots of guys buy the super hard "corner carver" kits only to regret it after the initial giddy feeling wears off. And at $700-$2500, it ain't a cheap mistake to make!
  
• Once you have your list of things you want, take some time and do your research. Talk to the guys at Turner Motorsport, Bimmerworld, and other shops that race what they sell. They can tell you what works on the track and what works on the street. Most are more than willing to tell you their experience if you just ask. Also check the online forums (caution:the public is ultimately one sided and few people have the ability to be objective with their views so keep that in mind when they tell you XYZ kit is the only way to go).
  
• Keep in mind the "collateral damage" you might cause to your car. Damage? What damage? So glad you asked. Things like tire wear, shock life, and body damage from scraping can all be things you have to deal with. Personally I deal with a severe inner tire wear problem from being lowered, great for tearing up the twisties, not so great when I am always buying tires. And I can't tell you how many times I have scraped my bumper by pulling to far forward in a parking space. Also, the lower and stiffer you go, the sooner shocks tend to need replacement (especially in pot hole riddled parts of the world).
  
• Buy the best kit you can afford. Just as the engine is the heart of your drivetrain, the shocks and struts are the heart of your suspension. Going with a more expensive but tried and true brand can save you hassle and time down the road.
  

A lot of people ask me what I have on my car (knowing I am on a very limited budget but yet really like to go fast) so here is my set-up. I bought my car with 112k miles. It had H&R sport springs on it when I bought it. But the shocks were factory non-sport units. This is a MAJOR NO NO! Lowered cars need special shocks that are designed to operate at the lower height. It can be downright unsafe to run a super low spring with stock shocks, so don't do it! I swapped the shocks/struts for Tokico "Blue" shocks. They have a lifetime warranty and cost $389 shipped to my door for all 4 corners. Lots of import guys have used them for years with great success. They are a good mix of stiffness and driveability and work well with the lowered set-up. After 40k miles of moderate to hard core use, they still perform very well. Not all that exciting I know, but hey, it's all I can afford!

Next installment we discuss sway bars! Don't miss it!

Suspension Q's and A's.........from my point of view

As car people we tend to treat our cars differently than "normal" people. By that I mean we wash them more often, we are bothered by brake dust on the wheels, bird poop makes us crazy, and if our car doesn't "feel" right we will spare no expense to restore it to former glory. BMW's have a certain feel to them that you have to experience to understand. It is one of the reasons we chose BMW, because we want to DRIVE our cars. But that feel can fade fast if we do not give our car the proper TLC it needs.

Most of this post will be focusing on the E46, but the ideas here can be applied to all BMW models. The first thing you have to come to terms with on suspension and BMW is that it costs more to maintain it than a Honda. Think of it this way, a road race car has to have LOTS of stuff done to it to keep it competitive. Your BMW is much closer to a race car than the average Accord. It was designed to run the Autobahn at triple digit speeds and give you the feedback and control you need to be safe. When things wear out, you feel it and you need to fix it. Ever have your steering wheel buck one direction or another under braking? A slight vibration you feel at 80mph but not 81mph? Do you hear clunking when hitting a pot hole? Is your ride just not "crisp" anymore?

Here are some common failure items and the parts I suggest you replace them with:

• Control Arm Bushings: Not a week goes by that someone doesn't ask about this on the forums. Most of the time the symptom is either the steering wheel shaking or jerking under braking, or a clunking noise. The control arm bushing is basically there to provide supoprt to the back end of the control arm itself and on the E46 is one of only three connection points. (see #6 on Diagram) It consists of an aluminum housing, a solid outer bushing pressed into the aluminum, and a rubber lined inner bushing filled with hydraluic fluid. It is a good desing for smoothing out the bumps in the road, but tends to fail within 60k miles and much sooner in colder climates. The rubber cracks, the fluid leaks out, and the bushing becomes much less affective. They are also hard to remove making DIY's more difficult. I personally prefer the solid bushings from Powerflex (no, I don't get spiffs from them). The solid bushings last much longer, give better feedback, last much longer, provide better handling, and are easy to remove for replacement or service to the control arm itself. The cost is a little higher(I got mine for $149 from Bimmerworld.com here) and the only complaint I have heard is that they tend to magnify vibrations caused by other worn suspension components. All that said, they really made a difference on my car, and have withstood some pretty severe abuse now for about 50k miles. If you live where the roads are really, really bad, you may want to stay with OEM style like the Meyle HD's found at places like OEM Bimmer parts here. And contrary to what some say, you do not need to get an alignment if you just replace the bushings. There are positive locator pins that only allow them to mount in a certain place. If your car has more than 60k miles, chances are a fresh set of Control Arm Bushings will make a world of difference.

• Control Arms Assembly: This part of the suspension is also a big part of keeping that tight feel to your car (see #5 in the above diagram). The E46 control arm has an inner ball joint and an outer ball joint. The inner joint connects the arm to the front sub-frame, and the outer joint connects to the tie rod. When these wear all kinds of clunking and vibration are common. Also you might get uneven tire wear and even a feeling of instability at higher speed. The entire arm should be replaced with a quality replacement arm. No shortcuts here, you gotta pony up some $$$ for these. Cheaper versions will fail early and you will have to redo them long before you want to. I prefer the Meyle HD versions found at OEM Bimmer parts here. They are only $350 and worth every penny. If you want a slightly stiffer ride, you can spring for the ZHP versions. I replaced mine with some regular HD versions and found them more than adequate for my aggressive driving style. I had over 139k miles on my OEM arms so replacing these made a HUGE difference in my car. It is worth mentiong that both the arms and the bushings can be done DIY in your own garage. It is not hard and well documented on the net. I have seen Indy's and dealers quote well over $1200 for control arms and bushings, this is pure highway robbery! Borrow some tools and a friend, an afternoon of work can save you $700 or more. Lastly, make sure you get an alignment after doing the control arms. I runied a brand new set of tires by not doing this. More to come, stay tuned......

Do you blindly trust your "expert" mechanic? Why?

It never ceases to amaze me, so called "certified" (more like certifiable) mechanics don't seem to have a frigging clue about cars, BMW's in particular. It seems like the recent set of mechanic college grads have never even DRIVEN a car. They can diagnose a computer code, but if you throw them a more complex problem, they don't seem to apply common sense.

A great example is a recent problem my ex-boss had with his 2004 BMW 330 ZHP Package. He took it to the local independent BMW mechanic place and told them to change his oil and air filter. He also mentioned he was getting poor gas mileage and had a CEL. This CEL (check engine light) code was checked by me a few weeks earlier as p0174 and p0171 which are system lean codes. Anyway a few hours later he called to check the status of his car and they had blown up his DME (computer) trying to re-flash it with the latest software. Car was dead. The problem with this is two fold. 1. The never called him to ask if he wanted a re-flash in software. 2. It doesn't make sense why they tried that to begin with. (I will elaborate more why in a moment). Then they told him it would cost $800 for a new DME, but they wouldn't charge him labor. I called and found several used DME's for $250 locally, but why would they charge this guy for their mistake? Unbelievable! Back to my comment about why they didn't need to re-flash the software to begin with. The simple fact is that the car used to get 4mpg better gas mileage without the software reflash. So common sense tells me there is something mechanically wrong somewhere or else it would be getting the same mileage it always got. And while a newer version of software may have been available, it certainly wasn't needed to restore the car to original fuel mileage standards. Yet, as is so often the case, the new breed of mechanic has no idea how to diagnose a problem more complex than a computer telling them to replace an 02 sensor.

Another story I just recently heard was even more mind blowing. An owner and member of a BMW online forum had some issues with sluggishness in his 330i. He was thinking it sounded like a VANOS problem which is pretty reliable to think. He asked a "trusted mechanic" (his words) about it and was told "the E46 didn't have VANOS problems, that was more on the 5 series". WHAT!? I did a quick search on realoem.com and sure enough the part number for the E39 5 series VANOS and the part number for the E46 3 series VANOS are IDENTICAL! Meaning SAME EXACT PART! Now shouldn't a "trusted mechanic"/BMW expert know that? And in case that person is reading, yes you should replace your VANOS seals, and no you should not buy the Dr. VANOS kit, you should buy the Beisan Seals (only $60 here is the link) and have someone besides your "expert" install them.

To magnify this topic further, I (who found the VANOS part #'s in 5 minutes online) have zero hours in a ASE Certification school, no formal mechanic training, and no BMW training either. What I do have is 17 years of drag racing, trial and error, car repairs, and common sense (along with a decent mechanical aptitude) which has proven to save myself and countless people serious amounts of money. Am I an "expert"? I don't know about that. But what I do know is the
more I hear about what other so called "experts" are telling people (not to mention what they charge) and doing to people, I feel like a BMW genius.

In summary, I will tell you this. We live in the information age. Almost anything, ok ANYTHING, can be found on the internet if one dare look hard enough. BMW owners especially have multiple resources online. And tapping into the collective genius of an internet forum such as Bimmerfest.com is worth way more than you can imagine. Go to Autozone and have your codes read, don't be afraid to dig around under your hood, or log on to a forum and ask a question. As I have said so many times, "what one man can do, another can do!" and working on cars is no different! So you don't have to blindly accept ANYONE's opinion (not even mine) without digging a little deeper first. It might save you money, it might save you time, it might save you both.

A Sidekick, Star, Salesman, and an Angel

First of all, I have to give my wife credit for the title of this Blog. She mentioned the deaths of 4 prominent "celebrities" and asked "what is the meaning of all this?". She is referring of course to the death of Ed Mcmahon (the sidekick), Michael Jackson (the star), Billy Mays (the salesman) and Farrah Faucet (the Angel). Once again, this is supposed to be a car blog, but this first blog of July isn't really car related, so skip it if you don't want to hear my thoughts on life and death.

I guess we could just call it coincidence, I mean, "normal people" die everyday. But the world seems enthralled with the death of some very popular people and that is what prompted this particular set of ramblings. I guess the big question is "why?". Despite the coincidence of Billy Mays and Michael Jackson both being 51, and both dying from apparent heart failure, the 4 have little in common. But I believe God speaks to we human's whatever way He can. And this got me to thinking about what God is trying to say to us. My conclusion: we live in a unique time in history like none before us and God is calling one last time to those who would listen. Death makes us think about mortality, and an end that nobody can escape.

Solomon, the wisest man ever born, said "it is better to go into the house of mourning than the house of laughter". And if we think about the hereafter, we are forced to ask ourselves the hard questions we try so hard to avoid thinking about.

We have so much "stuff" to keep our minds busy nowadays, why bother thinking about death?Well, all of a sudden, my TV is full of reminders that even Farrah, Michael, Ed, and Billy's time ran out. And it ran out before they probably were ready. So I believe the Lord is letting people have to come to grasp with these deaths of seemingly "immortal" stars of days past and present.
Unfortunately, I am a realist. I realize that these deaths have deeper meaning, but that very few will heed the warning or hear the voice of the Lord calling out. Jesus himself said "the way is narrow and few will find it". Ever wonder what "few" means? I do. I remember the aftermath of 9/11, millions flocked to churches looking for answers, myself included. And while I was changed forever, many soon forgot the peril and anguish of that day and continued to live their lives as they had. And I have no doubt these 4 deaths will be the same, though on a smaller scale. Some will seek answers to their own mortality. Some will find it in the true God, Jesus Christ. Others will find it in false gods and religions. What will you do?

I believe that the sidekick, star, salesman, and angel are a reminder that EVERYONE has an end. And that while they had lives that were extraordinary their deaths were ordinary. Death is the great equilizer. I hope you go into the house of mourning for a moment, but don' stay there. Find the good news, the silver lining, the truth: Jesus loves you and in Him, there is no death. We need not fear death, we need not worry about when our time is up. He called me by name before I was born (think about that for a moment), He knows the number of hairs on my head, He knows the number of my days, and in Him I am secure.

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July, and remember that not only can you celebrate the freedom of the USA, but you can also celebrate the freedom available to us all in Christ. Freedom from death, freedom from fear, and freedom from dying an "ordinary" death. Because in Him, when you die, it will be anything BUT ordinary!