BMW M1 — The Forbidden Fruit
In 1979, BMW built a car that gave birth to the ‘M’ series, was the first to be solely designed by the company’s motorsport division, and was built alongside Italian supercar maker Lamborghini – the M1. Despite its illustrious roots, the M1 project was a catastrophic failure that changed the course of things to come […]
BMW Alpina — The Choice of Connoisseurs
About 60 miles west of the BMW HQ, in the quaint little district of Ostallgäu, lies an automotive manufacturer that not a lot of people may be familiar with – Alpina. For the last 55 years, the small team of designers and engineers at BMW Alpina have been working closely with the German giant from […]
BMW M3 — The Car That Changed the Game
You don’t have to be a fan of the brand to appreciate a BMW M3. Today, the M badge is one of the most reputed performance divisions in the motorsport world, and that’s predominantly thanks to the success of the M3. Interestingly, BMW started selling the M3 to the public only because it was forced […]
BMW E30 Buyers’ Guide — What to Look For (2021)
Between 1982 and 1994, BMW produced a car that, in the decades to come, would become one of the most sought-after machines produced by the German manufacturer – the E30-gen 3 series. For many, the E30 struck the perfect balance between an everyday car and one that was built for an enthusiast’s driving pleasure. Over […]
Brake Rotors — Slotted, Drilled, or Plain Jane?
Plain, cross-drilled, slotted…. What’s the difference between these brake rotor designs? This is a very common question and can be confusing to many BMW owners. The proper answer will be different for different BMW owners and enthusiasts. That being said, we’ve put together a short guide that explains the pros and cons of each design. […]
BMW S65 Engine — Known Issues and Common Problems
The BMW S65 engine is undoubtedly one of the best engines this company has ever made. It lay at the heart of every M3 manufactured from 2007 and 2013 and was the last naturally-aspirated unit to power the car (the next-gen M3 used the turbocharged S55). The 4.0 liter V8 put out 414hp and 295 […]
BMW OBD-II Fault Codes — Bank vs Sensor Codes
When using the OBD-II (On Board Diagnostics version 2, used on all models 1996-on) fault codes to diagnose a “CHECK ENGINE” or “Service Engine Soon” light (technically, the MIL or Multi Information Lamp), the codes may use terms such as; Bank-1 or 2, Sensor-1 or 2, Sensor-A or B, etc. BMW OBD-II fault codes are thus […]
BMW E30 325i No-Start Guide — Common Causes and Fixes
There’s rarely anything worse than getting into your car, putting that key into the ignition, turning it, and having the engine dry crank or worse — refuse to crank at all. Most of us have been there with one car or another. No-start issues aren’t a known fault of E30 325i, but they are common […]
BMW ZF 6HP Fluid and Filter Service Guide
If you drive a mid-2000s to mid-2010s automatic BMW, there’s a solid chance that your car features a ZF 6HP transmission. It’s a proven setup that has worked well on numerous platforms, which is why BMW has chosen to use it in a wide range of models. However, one of the main reasons why there […]
ZF 6HP Automatic Transmission — How To Replace a Leaking Mechatronic Sleeve
The ZF 6HP automatic transmission is found in many BMW models built from the mid-2000s through the mid-2010s. A common issue is external fluid leakage from the plastic oil pan and/or the Mechatronic connector sleeve. The Mechatronic connector sleeve is the plastic connector for the vehicle wiring harness connection to the transmission. Since this connection […]
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BMW Coolant – What to Get and What to Avoid
Coolants, or antifreeze as it’s sometimes referred to, is a fluid that plays an integral role in regulating the running temperature of your engine. When an engine is running, it produces extreme amounts of heat that, if not managed, can cause catastrophic damage to various parts of the engine. The cooling system, including the coolant […]
BMW VANOS Explained — What It Does, Why It Fails and How to Fix It
Variable valve timing was a true game-changer when it first appeared. Born as a means to achieve the ultimate performance, but also efficiency, VVT was quickly adopted by almost every major car manufacturer out there. This, of course, includes BMW who dubbed their approach to variable valve timing as VANOS, or Variable NockenwellenSteuerung in German. […]
BMW N52 Engine – Everything You Need to Know
By the mid-2000s, BMW had built itself a reputation for developing excellent examples of naturally aspirated inline-six engines. At the turn of the millennium, it revealed the M54 (and the performance-oriented S54 shortly after) and cemented itself as one of the best in the business when it came to the six-pot layout. Needless to say, […]
BMW N51 Engine — All You Need To Know About SULEV
The N52 succeeded the highly-successful M54 and powered multiple BMW cars between 2004 and 2015. While it became one of the most reliable and popular inline-six engines BMW ever made, it had a lesser-known sibling called the N51. Interestingly, the N51 is near-identical to the N52, powering the same cars and available during the same […]