How to Remove the Radiator on a 1998 BMW E39


1. Lift the front of the car with a floor jack and support the front on a pair of jack stands. Locate the drain plug for the radiator. Open the plug with a wrench and drain the coolant into a container.
2. Loosen the nut on the end of the fan clutch, but do not remove it. This is a reverse thread, 32 mm nut. To prevent the fan from turning while the nut is loosened, wedge a screwdriver between the nut on the water pump and the fan clutch nut.
3. Remove the clip that holds the coolant reservoir in place. Disconnect the overflow hose where it connects to the reservoir by loosening the hose clamp. Pull the hose off.
4. Remove the fan shroud, fan clutch and fan simultaneously. The whole assembly will release from the clips that hold it in place when you pull on it. Disconnect the heater hose from where it goes into the reservoir by loosening the hose clamp and pulling the heater hose off. Remove the reservoir from the engine bay. Loosen the hose clamps that hold the upper and lower radiator hoses on and disconnect the hoses from the radiator.
5. Remove the 8 mm bolts that fasten the radiator clips to the engine bay. There are two bolts, one for each clip on each side of the radiator. Do not lose the two rubber inserts (for isolating the radiator) that slide into the clips.
6. Unscrew and remove the temperature sender on the radiator with a wrench. If you are installing a new radiator, remove the two rubber bushings on the bottom of the radiator and transfer them to the new radiator.
7. Installation of the new radiator or reinstallation of the old one is the opposite of removal. Bolt the two clips on the radiator back into the engine bay, ensuring that the rubber inserts are in place.
8. Reinstall the temperature sender with a wrench. Reinstall the reservoir and the radiator shroud/fan clutch assembly. Make sure that the fan shroud is resting properly on the clips that hold it in place. Install the fan clutch nut by threading it on counterclockwise and tightening it with the ratchet and socket.
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How to Make a BMW Dealer Complaint


1. Gather your vehicle information, such as the VIN and model. Call the BMW dealership that you are experiencing problems with, and ask to speak with the manager. Give him your vehicle information, and tell him the concerns you are having with the dealership. If the manager can resolve the issue, it will save you the effort of having to continue the complaint process.
2. Email BMW of North America (BMWNA) through the main BMW website if the dealership manager cannot resolve your issue. Write a formal complaint, describing your concerns in the email, and provide your VIN, contact information and the name of the local dealership.
3. Write a letter detailing the same information that was included in your email in Step 2. Find the company's up-to-date mailing address on the BMWNA website, and send the letter to the address by certified mail. This will guarantee that BMW will receive a written form of your complaint, potentially resulting in a timely solution.
4. Find the phone number for the complaint department on the BMWNA website. Call the number, and notify the complaint department that you have sent them a certified letter and email regarding an unresolved issue with your local dealership. Give specific details about the problem, and request that BMWNA contact the dealership and rectify the situation.
5. Follow up with BMWNA and your local dealership to make sure they are in contact with each other and are resolving your problem. Consider contacting the Better Business Bureau if BMW does not address and resolve your complaint.
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How to Find Automobile Recalls


1. Sign up for car owner account services, or a similar option, through your car manufacturer's web site. For example, Honda offers customers free membership in its Owner Link service program. This program provides customers with invaluable recall notifications, car maintenance alerts and other service reminders.
2. Log on to your car manufacturer's web page. Type 'Car Recalls' into the website's search engine to view recall information. Some sites require you to enter your car's vehicle identification number (VIN), the year, make and model of your automobile. You can also try websites such as InternetAutoguide.com or arfc.org to view recall information for your specific vehicle.
3. Register your physical or email address with your automobile provider's mailing list. Many car manufacturers will send newsletters containing recall information and other important car updates.
4. Contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by calling 1-888-327-4236. You can also visit its website to receive information related to recent automobile recalls. Vehicle search results allow you to view and print your report. A more detailed research report is also available for a fee.
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How to Reset BMW Service Interval Lights


1. Switch on the ignition from inside of the vehicle, but do not turn the engine on. Turning the engine on will not allow the process to work.
2. Pop the hood of the BMW.
3. Pull off the cap of the diagnostic port. Depending on the BMW model, the diagnostic port is located underneath the hood on either the passenger or driver side of the vehicle.
4. Connect the reset tool to the diagnostic port on the BMW. The yellow light on the tool will light up.
5. Hold down the switch on the reset tool until the red light on the tool blinks. Allow the red light to blink seven times in order to reset the oil service light. To reset the indicator service light, allow the tool to blink twenty-three times.
6. Remove the reset tool from the diagnostic port, close the cap on the port, and then close the hood.
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How to Keep a Car Running Like New


Be Good to Your Car and it Will Be Good to You
1. Think about the roads you drive on. It's often nicer to meander down an old country road than to take the much less scenic highway, but the highways are usually much easier on your car. You don't go bumping along, running over sticks and banging into potholes on the highway. You also don't drive on loose gravel that kicks up dust, dirt, leaves and rock particles into your car's grate and underside. Bad roads wear out tires and cars, they create dings in the paint, dents in the body, scratches on the glass and they can even throw off the car's whole alignment. Avoid bad roads if you can–it will save a lot of wear and tear on your car.
2. Downshift when you need to. Some people spend their whole driving lives without ever using their lower driving gear. If your car seems to be struggling to go up a hill, help it along by downshifting. It doesn't take any time or effort and it really helps reduce the load on your engine. Accelerating when the car is hesitating puts a great deal of stress on the motor, It causes rapid wear and it also reduces the flow of oil, which makes your car work a whole lot harder than it needs to. Overburdening the engine will wear your car out faster than you realize. If you drive on very hilly or mountainous roads, downshift before the car starts to strain and you may add years to the life of your engine.
3. Organize your errands and comings and goings. The car experiences the most wear and tear during the first 10 seconds when you start it up cold. This is because the oil in the motor isn't flowing yet and it is running dry for a few seconds, which leaves its various parts unprotected by that oil. When you start your car, get it moving as fast as possible. That doesn't mean spin out but start the car rolling quickly and don't sit and let it idle for long as this means the car runs that much longer with very little oil flow. Park on hills with the car nose facing downward. This will help the engine's oil not to settle as far down in the engine so it has more lubrication when you start it up. Also the flow of gravity will enhance the movement of the oil through the engine. Avoid parking facing uphill if you can as this has the exact opposite effect.
4. Keep your engine warm in the bitter cold. If you live where it gets really cold, think about putting a warm blanket over the engine and shutting the hood on it when the car will be sitting overnight or for a long time. You can buy a rather inexpensive engine block heater that will make it much, much easier to start in the morning as well as reducing the wear and tear on your engine by leaps and bounds. It's well worth the few seconds and the small outlay of cash it takes to use this.
5. Change the oil. This is the first thing you should be vigilant about if you own a car. An engine runs badly on dirty oil. A badly running engine will break down much more quickly. You can change the oil yourself or go to a generic department store where it's really cheap, but don't scrimp on this. It will destroy your car quickly to run on gunk instead of oil. Change it every 3,000 miles instead of 5,000 and you'll see a great payoff later on. Be sure to get all the regular maintenance that your car's owner's manual recommends. Slacking on this will cost you more in the long run. With a little tender loving care, your car will care for you for years to come.
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How to Install a Water Pump in a 740i


1. Wait for the engine to cool down completely, before proceeding, to avoid burns. Disconnect the negative battery cable by loosening the terminal nut with a wrench. Open the valve on the bottom of the radiator with a wrench and drain the engine coolant into a drain pan. Place the pan out of reach of children and household pets.
2. Note the routing of the serpentine belt by referring to the diagram on the fan shroud. If the diagram is missing, sketch it out on paper. Remove the belt tension by loosening the idler pulley with a wrench then pull the belt away from the engine. Remove the pulley from the water pump by loosening the bolts with a wrench. Remove the three bolts from the thermostat housing with a wrench then remove the thermostat.
3. Remove the bolts from the water pump with a socket and ratchet. Pull the water pump away from the engine block. Clean any remaining gasket material from the engine block with a scraper. Place a new gasket and water pump onto the engine block. Tighten the retaining bolts for the water pump with the socket and ratchet.
4. Install the thermostat and gasket. Tighten the bolts on the thermostat housing with the wrench. Install the water pump pulley and tighten the bolts with the wrench. Route the belt across the pulleys. Add tension to the belt by tightening the idler pulley with the wrench. Proper tension is the ability to depress the belt ¼- to ½-inch on the longest span with your finger.
5. Close the valve on the bottom of the radiator. Replace the engine coolant into the radiator and reservoir. Reconnect the battery terminal and tighten the nut with the wrench. Start the BMW and check for leaks.
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How to Add Bluetooth to a 2007 BMW 328i


1. Get into your 328i and push down on the 'Send/Receive' button located on the center console of your vehicle for one second. Turn on the ignition of your car and hold the 'Send/Receive' button down for another three seconds before letting the button go.
2. Watch for the words 'Bluetooth Pairing' to appear on your control panel screen for your radio to indicate that your 328i is searching for your phone's Bluetooth device.
3. Locate the Bluetooth function on your phone and turn it to the 'On' position. Wait for the Bluetooth to turn on and select the 'Discover' or 'Search' option. Your phone will begin searching for other Bluetooth devices in the area, alerting you when the phone finds your vehicle's Bluetooth device, which will be labeled 'BMW' followed by a five-digit numeric code.
4. Select the 'BMW' Bluetooth and click on it to complete the pairing process. Enter the password displayed on your radio control screen into your phone. Your phone will indicate when it has successfully completed the pairing process. Your contacts will be automatically downloaded to your car to enable your caller ID function to work.
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How to Remove an Audi A4 Stereo


1. Purchase audio removal keys at car audio dealers or from various Internet dealers. The set will include four keys.
2. Insert one key between the top of the stereo and the housing--an inch from the left corner. Insert a second key, also on the top, an inch from the right corner.
3. Insert a key between the bottom of the stereo and the housing--an inch from the left corner. Insert the final key under the bottom of the stereo an inch from the right corner.
4. Push all four key handles toward the outside of the radio. The two keys on the left will be pushed left--the two on the right will go right. This will release the clips that are holding the stereo in place.
5. Carefully pull the keys out. The stereo will come out with the keys. If for some reason the stereo doesn't come out on the first try, you may need to reinsert the keys and try again, as they may not have engaged the clips.
6. Disconnect the wiring harness from the back of the stereo. Simply press in the tabs and pull out the harness.
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How to Replace Audi Window Regulators


1. Check the windows on your Audi to see how many of them have damaged regulators that need replacing. Open up the door which contains the damaged regulator.
2. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the screws which hold the door panel in place on the inside of the door. Lift the panel away from the door.
3. Remove the hex bolts which connect the window regulator to the glass pane with a hex wrench. Raise the glass pane by hand and securely attach it the top of the door frame with duct tape or similar. Locate the mounting bolts which hold the window regulator against the door and remove them with a box wrench or socket wrench. Lift the regulator away from the door.
4. Insert a new regulator in the same place from which you removed the old one. Fix the lower mounting bolts in place first to ensure it is securely connected to the door.
5. Line up the hex holes on the glass pane with those on the window regulator. Connect them together by reinserting the hex bolts. Follow the removal process in reverse to reconnect the rest of the door assembly.
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How to Change a Radio on a BMW 1995 525i


1. Lift the hood of the BMW 525i and disconnect the negative battery cable from the negative lead post with a 10 mm wrench.
2. Pry the trim panels below the upper dash panel away from the dashboard with a trim panel removal tool.
3. Remove the two screws on either side of the stereo unit with a Phillips screwdriver.
4. Slide a flat screwdriver into the crevice between the trim panel of the dashboard and the stereo unit (on both sides), and lift upward to engage a spring-loaded retaining mechanism.
5. Pull the stereo unit forward (away from the dashboard) to reveal the stereo mounting dock screws.
6. Remove the two screws on either side of the stereo with the Phillips screwdriver.
7. Pull the stereo from the dashboard, and disconnect the wiring from the rear of the unit. Pull the antenna wire from the back of the stereo.
8. Insert a BMW aftermarket faceplate adapter into the vacant opening of the stereo mounting dock. Pull the stereo wiring from the stereo mounting dock to the front of the faceplate adapter.
9. Connect the stereo wiring to a wiring harness adapter. Connect the wiring harness adapter leads to the back of the aftermarket stereo. Connect the antenna cable to the back of the aftermarket stereo.
10. Slide the aftermarket stereo into the faceplate adapter. Replace the stereo mounting dock screws into either side of the stereo mounting dock with the Phillips screwdriver.
11. Replace the dashboard trim panels by hand. Press along the length of the panels to snap them into place on the dashboard.
12. Place the negative battery cable onto the negative lead post of the battery, and tighten the cable to the post with the 10 mm wrench.
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