How to Reset a Mercedes Service Warning Light


1. Insert the key into the ignition. Turn the ignition switch to 'ON' but do not start the engine.
2. Press the up or down arrow button on the left side of the steering wheel until 'Service Interval Reset' is displayed on the instrument panel.
3. Press and hold the 'R/Reset' button on the instrument panel for at least three seconds until the service warning light resets on the display.
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How to Install a Coolant Expansion Tank on a 2000 BMW 323i


Removing the Existing Tank
1. Let the engine and radiator cool down completely. Open the hood and support it in a raised position.
2. Pull the electrical wiring harness from the back side of the air filter housing on top of the engine. Unsnap the two connectors on the intake hose on the back side of the air box. Remove the two retaining bolts on the driver’s side of the housing with a socket and ratchet. Lift the housing up and remove it from the engine bay.
3. Remove the retaining screws on the engine cover on the underside of the car with a Phillips screwdriver. Rotate the cover downwards so that you can access the underside of the radiator and expansion tank.
4. Remove the pressurized cap from the expansion tank slowly and place it aside. Place a clean drain pan under the driver’s side of the radiator. Remove the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator with a wrench. Replace and tighten the plug after all the coolant has drained from the radiator.
5. Unplug the wiring connector from the coolant sensor on the bottom of the expansion tank. Rotate the sensor counterclockwise and pull it straight out of the bottom of the tank. Place the sensor aside.
6. Pull straight out on the lever of the locking clip on the bottom of the tank until it stops. Pull straight up on the levers of the two locking clips on the coolant hoses on top of the expansion tank in the same manner. Pull the hoses toward the back of the car to detach them from the tank.
7. Pull the lever on the locking clip on the heater hose fitting -- located midway between the top and bottom of the tank -- toward the back of the car until it stops. Pull the heater hose straight off the tank.
8. Pull the tank straight upward until the tab clears the mounting plate on the bottom. Tilt the top of the tank toward the back of the car slightly, then pull it straight out of the engine bay.
Expansion Tank Installation
9. Insert the tab in the bottom of the expansion tank into the slot in the mounting plate near the bottom of the radiator. Tilt the top of the tank towards the radiator. Push the heater hose onto its fitting on the tank and push the locking clip inward.
10. Push in on the locking clip on the bottom of the tank. Insert the coolant temperature sensor into the hole in the bottom of the tank and twist it in a clockwise direction. Push the wiring connector into the terminal on the sensor.
11. Push the two coolant hoses onto the fittings on the top of the tank. Push the locking clips on the hoses downward.
12. Rotate the engine cover upwards and tighten the Phillips screws. Position the air filter housing back into the engine bay. Replace and tighten the two retaining screws. Push the intake hose onto the back of the housing and snap the two connectors together. Push the wiring connector on the plug on the back of the housing until it snaps into place.
13. Place a funnel into the opening of the coolant expansion tank. Loosen and remove the plastic bleed screw on the top of the expansion tank with a wrench. Place an additional drain pan under the expansion tank. Pour the coolant that was drained from the radiator into the funnel slowly until coolant with no air bubbles comes from the bleed screw opening. Tighten the bleed screw, remove the funnel and replace the pressurized cap on the tank.
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How to Replace the Battery in a BMW 325xi


1. Open your BMW 325xi's trunk.
2. Turn the knob holding the panel over the battery on the right side of the trunk. Remove the panel.
3. Loosen and remove the clamp holding the black cable to the battery's negative post. Loosen and remove the clamp holding the red cable to the battery's positive post.
4. Twist off the knob holding the center bracket over the battery. Pull up the bracket and remove the old battery. Put the new battery in place and tighten the bracket over it.
5. Tighten the clamp on the red cable over the positive post on the 12 volt battery. Tighten the clamp on the black cable over the negative post on the 12 volt battery.
6. Screw the panel back on over the battery. Close the trunk.
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How to Change the Battery in a Mercedes 300E


1. Pop the hood and locate the battery. It's on the passenger side of the engine, toward the firewall of the car, in a sectioned-off area to protect it from heat. Use the open-end wrench to remove the negative then the positive terminal on the battery.
2. Unbolt the battery tie down from the battery using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Lift the tie down off, then lift the battery out of the engine compartment. The battery can now be used as a core exchange at your local auto parts store, or taken for recycling.
3. Place the replacement battery in the battery tray. Bolt in the battery tie down using the ratchet, then connect the positive then the negative battery terminals using an open-end wrench.
4. Start the car and allow it to run for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it off.
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How to Increase BMW Horsepower


1. Purchase a free-flow air filter for your BMW model from a local or online aftermarket retailer. Locate the air filter case under the hood. The air filter case is usually a black plastic box that sits closer the windshield of the car.
2. Unclamp the lid and open it. Lift the current air filter out of the case and toss in the trash. Clean the inside of the box with a damp cloth or paper shop towel. Input the new filter and clamp the lid shut.
3. Purchase a new digitized motor electronic (DME) computer system chip. Disconnect the battery. Locate the DME compartment on the right side wall inside your BMW engine compartment. Gently snap out the rubber brads and peel back the foam casing surrounding the hard case protecting the computer system. Unscrew the four case screws that pin the hard case closed.
4. Pull out the DME box. Disconnect the tether and two clamps holding it in place. Unscrew the four screws on the box to open. Put on your static wrist strap. Carefully pop off the white case that is on the circuit board. Note the direction that the small divot faces on the DME chip. Gently pry the DME performance chip off of the circuit board with a flat head screwdriver.
5. Snap new performance chip into place. Replace the white plastic cover, the circuit board cover and screws. Reattach the DME to its tether and clips and reinsert in the BMW compartment where it belongs. Screw the compartment closed and recover with the BMW casing.
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How to Put on Belts in a BMW 1996 TI


1. Open the hood and locate the belt tensioner for the air conditioner belt. The tensioner is mounted to the front of the engine block between the crankshaft and the a/c compressor. Use the tensioner pulley bolt to loosen the tension from the belt.
2. Position a 3/8-inch drive breaker bar and a metric socket onto the tensioner pulley bolt. Turn the breaker bar in a counter-clockwise motion to loosen the tension from the belt. Pull the belt out from around the tensioner pulley, the a/c pulley and the crankshaft pulley. Remove the belt from the engine well.
3. Locate the serpentine belt tensioner mounted to the front of the engine block on the lower left hand side of the alternator. Use the tensioner pulley bolt to loosen the tension from the belt.
4. Position a 3/8-inch drive breaker bar and a metric socket onto the tensioner pulley bolt. Turn the breaker bar in a counter-clockwise motion to loosen the tension from the belt. Pull the belt off the tensioner pulley and the remaining accessory pulleys. Remove the belt from the engine compartment.
5. Route the new serpentine belt around the accessories exactly as described by the belt routing diagram that is stamped to the top of the fan shroud. Once the belt is inside the accessory pulleys, turn the tensioner counterclockwise with the breaker bar and socket again and slide the belt around the tensioner pulley. Release the breaker bar and remove it from the tensioner.
6. Route the new air conditioner belt around the a/c compressor pulley and the crankshaft pulley. Turn the tensioner counterclockwise with the breaker bar and socket again. Slide the belt around the tensioner pulley and release the breaker bar. Remove the breaker bar from the engine compartment. Look over both belts to ensure they are seated inside of each accessory pulley.
7. Crank the engine for 10 to 15 seconds to completely seat the new belts inside the accessory pulleys. Turn the engine off.
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How to Troubleshoot a 1995 Audi A6 Quattro


1. Turn the key in the ignition to get your A6's instrument panel to engage. Look over the dials on the gauges and make sure that you have enough fuel to start the vehicle. If you don't have enough gas, fill the tank up and try to start the car again. If the instrument panel does not light up, you have a problem with your battery.
2. Open the hood with the hood release latch on the driver side under the steering wheel. Raise the hood and lock it in place with the hood rod. Check over the connections to the battery on the left side of the car.
3. Tighten the connections with a pair of pliers. Make sure that you don't have any corrosion on the battery cables. Clean the cables with soda and a wire brush to remove any corrosion.
4. Test the battery with a voltmeter to check its charge. If you have less than 11 volts running on your 12-volt battery, attach a battery charger to the battery terminals.
5. Leave the battery charger on the battery for at least 12 hours to charge the unit. Try to restart your car. If the car does not restart, replace the battery with a new one.
6. Locate the cooling system on the left side of the car if your A6 is overheating. This is labeled as 'Coolant.' Make sure that you have enough coolant in the system. Fill the coolant tank with 50/50 mix of coolant and water until it reaches the fill line on the side of the tank.
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How to Maintain the Engine of a Mercedes Benz 420Sel


1. Change the oil and oil filter at least once every 10,000 miles. To do this, first jack up the front end of your Mercedes and set jack stands in place. Lower your Mercedes down on the jacks. Remove the oil plug with your socket set and let the oil drain into your drip pan. Replace the drain plug with your socket set. Remove the old oil filter with your oil filter wrench. Set it aside and then hand thread the new filter in place. Tighten it down with your oil filter wrench. Add 6 quarts of 10-W-40 oil to your Mercedes via the oil fill hole on the right side of the engine's manifold.
2. Check all your other fluid levels when you change the oil. These fluids include your transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid. To check the transmission fluid, start your Mercedes and then remove the transmission fluid dipstick located on the driver's side of the engine block towards the rear of the engine. Wipe the dipstick clean, stick it in and remove it. If you need transmission fluid, turn off your engine, stick a funnel into the filler hole and add the fluid. Replace your dipstick when your are done. The brake fluid reservoir is a round, plastic reservoir located near your transmission fluid dipstick. Remove the cap by twisting it off and read the indicator stick mounted on the inside of the cap. Add fluid if it's low. The power steering fluid reservoir is located on the passenger side of the engine block near the belt drive pulley. Remove the cap by twisting it off by hand. It also has an indicator stick mounted on the underside of the lid. If the fluid is low, add it.
3. Check your air filter when you change your oil. The air filter is mounted inside a small box on the top of your engine, towards the back on your 420 SEL. Remove the single screw holding the box in place. Once you've done this, pull the cover off and remove the filter. If it appears dirty, change it.
4. Tune up your Mercedes every 20,000 miles. To do this you should first mark the spark plug wires with a crayon or paper. Number the wires 1 through 8 in the order in which they are mounted on each side of your engine. Since your 420 SEL is a V-8 engine, there will be four plugs located on each side of the engine. Once you have marked the wires in numerical order unplug them by hand from the spark plugs. Use your spark plug wrench to remove the eight plugs. Insert the new ones, tighten them with your spark plug wrench and then attach the spark plug wires in the order you numbered them in before.
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How Do I Replace the Fuel Filter on a 2001 BMW 330i?


1. Open the glove box. Open the fuse box by turning the two white tabs on either side of it. Remove the #54 fuse, which controls the fuel pump. Remove the gas cap. Start the engine and let it run until it stalls from lack of fuel.
2. Raise the BMW with a floor jack. Lower it onto jack stands at all four corners. Remove the fuel filter protective panel, which is located under the car just to the front of the driver's seat. The panel is held on with four screws that are removed with a Phillips screwdriver.
3. Remove the metal clamp that holds the fuel filter in place using your hand. Loosen the six hose clamps that fasten the fuel lines to the fuel filter. Place a container under the filter to catch spilled fuel. Pull the hoses off of the filter. You may need to twist the hoses with pliers to get them off of the filter.
4. Drain the excess fuel from the filter into the container. Discard the filter. Install the new fuel filter in the same orientation as the old one. Slide the fuel lines onto the new filter. It is recommended to replace the BMW hose clamps with conventional hose clamps that can be tightened with a screwdriver, as the original clamps require a special tool to tighten easily. You can also use a pair of pliers to tighten the original hose clamps a little at a time.
5. Reinstall the clamp that holds the filter in place. Reinstall the oil filter protective panel. Lower the car back to the ground. Reinstall the #54 fuse. Put the fuel cap back on. Start the car and check for leaks.
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How to Compare the Alpine Stereo in a BMW


1. Decide on the actual receiver you are going to use in your BMW. The standard is a single-disc CD player, although you can upgrade to a CD changer, which allows you to insert multiple discs and flip through the CDs currently playing.
2. Select the amount of speakers you want installed. This usually starts off with eight speakers, although many BMW vehicles move upward to 14, depending on the size of the vehicle.
3. Specify the size of the subwoofer if you opt for one. If you love your audio, and want to augment the bass sound, you'll want to spring for the subwoofer, which is installed in the trunk of the BMW. The size of the subwoofer is going to vary depending on the vehicle you are purchasing.
4. Look at the overall wattage provided by the Alpine stereo systems in the BMW. More wattage means more power sent to the speakers, making it possible to make the audio louder without the increase damaging the speakers.
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