| May |
Aux fan replacement |
| April |
Return to summer rubber; First DIY Brake Fluid Flush; OBC clock bulb
replacement; Trim restoration experiment; Aux cooling fan
failure |
| February |
Oil service and analysis; Inspection; Dunlop Winter Sport M3 Review;
Ten Years |
| December |
New winter tires for 16" wheels |
| November |
Fog light replacement; Microfilter |
| October |
Oil Service and Analysis; Engine Air Filter; A few new tools |
| September |
Hood hydraulic lift cylinders; Battery; Windshield; State inspection
results |
| August |
Three spoke M steering wheel conversion; Replaced upper steering column
bearing; New door / ignition key |
| July |
Oil Service and analysis; evaluation of various noises |
| May |
Center vent replacement |
| April |
Oil Service; Oil Analysis. Fuel Leak, Passenger door pull trim replacement |
| March |
Spark plugs, coil boots, valve cover gaskets |
| February |
Pre-cat oxygen sensor replacement; Power steering system overhaul; New
Rear Speakers |
| January |
Body shop work to fix sideswipe damage; first DIY microfilter replacement;
failed main belt tensioner pulley; oxygen sensor purchase |
| December |
CSL wheels and tires mounted; DIY sway bar maintenance; Destined for
the body shop yet again |
| November |
Check engine light for Low Catalytic Converter efficiency; Brakes are
spent; DIY brake replacement |
| October |
Wiper blades, Frozen differential drain plugs; More tools and equipment;
Differential fluid replaced |
| September |
First DIY oil service; More tools and equipment; Tire status
update; Left rear wheel bearing |
| August |
Aux cooling fan relay replaced; flat tire; CSL rims arrive;
tire decisions |
| July |
Power steering fluid flush; new secondary air pump hose,
intake coupler, brake booster vacuum line; Aux cooling fan troubleshooting |
| June |
Front speakers; Coolant expansion bottle explodes and puts
the car on a flatbed |
| May |
New detailing techniques; Restoration begins; new Roundel,
air plenum screen, hood weatherstripping, stereo headunit, water pump,
thermostat, radiator, hoses, belts, repair of door panels, oh my! |
| April |
My baby returns from the body shop; Fuel Pumps
and Senders |
| March |
Another deer hit, another trip to the body shop |
| February |
Transmission replacement under warranty; E46 Purchase |
| January |
Oil Service; Transmission troubleshooting; E90 Sedan Mini-Review |
| December |
September state inspection results, summary of the last
six months. |
| July |
Oil Service, Microfilter, Engine air filter change |
| June |
Air conditioning troubleshooting; condenser replacement |
| May |
New Tires, Control Arm Mounts |
| April |
Oil Service; Transmission troubleshooting; Throttle position
sensor |
| February |
The new transmission is installed.
Remember kids, replace your transmission fluid regularly. |
| January |
Oil Service; Transmission Troubles |
| December |
Body shop work; Solution for freezing windshield washer
system; Windshield wiper refill installation; Research on stereo system
replacement options. |
| November |
A new article and
a follow-up outlining the body work necessary to fix the deer hit damage. |
| October |
Deer hit! |
| September |
Steering rack installed; alignment results. |
| August |
Oil Service, discussions about tranny / diff fluid flushes;
possible catalytic converter problem; Big Brother at BMW; New floor mats
and wheel centers; Diagnosis: new steering rack required. |
| June |
Oil service; Rattling catalytic converter heat shield fix. |
| April |
Brake light switch replacement. |
| March |
Work in lieu of Inspection I (Oil Service, Microfilter replacement),
new rear shocks, new exhaust mounts. Notes on oxygen sensors and catalytic
converters. |
| February |
Replaced leather armrest, six years of ownership. |
| January |
Replaced gauge cluster and headlamp switch backlighting. |
| December |
Four new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires installed, new front
pads and rotors, flushed brake fluid, mid-cycle oil service; replaced thermostat. |
| November |
Posted an article covering my second windshield replacement,
which provides some additional details in areas neglected by the original
article; Tire time again - settled on four Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Read
why ; replaced the second windshield with a third. |
| October |
Looks like I need front rotors as well as pads, but the
good news I may be able to get another month or two on the brakes before
replacing them. The bummer of the month - another rock in the windshield! |
| September |
Oil Service, and a warning that I'll need to replace front
pads much earlier than expected; a motor vehicle inspection gotcha that
might affect some E36's |
| August |
Left side fog lamp light assembly replaced; the victim of
my second encounter with highway FOD, replacement of left and right side
mouldings after some self-induced damage. |
| July |
Off-cycle oil service, belt replacement |
| April |
Replacement of climate control head, A/M Switch |
| March |
Loose ignition harness results in another flatbed, Inspection
II |
| January |
Routine service: Brake lamp replacement and synthetic oil
service. |
| November |
Second unexpected maintenance and first towing - failure
to start and misfires - new idle control valve and six new platinum plugs. |
| October |
First unexpected maintenance - air injection pump and check
valve |
| September |
Tire replacement, oil change, wiper blades (finally!) |
| July |
Struts and alignment, including a pic of the actual alignment
results. She's as good as new (and for the money paid, she ought to be!) |
| June |
Lots of maintenance in support of my decision to keep the
machine in peak working order, plus one costly surprise. |
| May |
Decision to trade put off. A few routine maintenance items
just in time for the summer performance driving season. |
| December |
Thanksgiving day brought at least one thing I wasn't thankful
for...a leak in my coolant system. |
| October |
Windshield replacement, off cycle oil service. |
| May |
So it's now a garage queen...you wanna make something out
of it? |
| October |
Second Inspection I, GTI purchase to offload BMW usage,
realization about maintenance on a BMW. |
| July |
No more warranty, belt replacement, fixing a pesky creak,
off-cycle oil change. |
| June |
First Inspection II, tire and brake status. |
| December |
Off-cycle oil changes, tire replacement, A/M light change,
air vent change. |
| March |
First Inspection I, driver's seat leather replacement (warranty),
tire and brake status. |
| October |
First oil service, steering wheel shimmy. |
