How to Reprogram BMW Keys

1. Get in your vehicle and shut the doors. Insert the key into the ignition and turn it to the 'ON' position (without cranking). Hold it for two seconds, then turn the ignition off and remove the key.
2. Hold down the unlock button and quickly press the lock button three times.
3. Release the unlock button. The door locks will flash, signaling that the programming is complete.
4. Place the key in the ignition and toggle between 'ON' and 'OFF' to finalize.

Continue lendo

How to Replace BMW Performance Brakes

Taking the Old Brakes Off
1. Empty the brake fluid from the vehicle. The fluid is corrosive and can cause serious problems if it starts to leak unexpectedly.
2. Use a breaker bar to loosen the wheel bolts on the first wheel. Do notremove them yet.
3. Jack up the front of the vehicle, using jack stands to help support the axle and frame
4. Loosen the rotor-retaining screw on either side of the BMW. Do not remove them yet.
5. Remove the retaining clip with a flat-head screwdriver and set it aside.
6. Remove the protective caps over the caliper guide bolts and then remove the bolts themselves. Set them all aside nearby.
7. Remove the caliper, using a c-clamp to depress the piston. (Calipers in good condition shouldn't present any problems, but older ones may be difficult because the rotors are worn.) Push the piston back into the caliper when you are done.
8. Loosen the 16mm bolts while holding the caliper carrier to the steering knuckle, then remove the carrier from the knuckle. Clean the carrier with brake cleaner if it is dirty.
9. Using a dead-blow hammer, strike the rotor once at the 3 o'clock position, once at the 9 o'clock position, once at the 6 o'clock position and once at the 12 o'clock position, in that order. It should come loose and allow you to remove it. Don't use anything but a dead-blow hammer, or you may damage the rotor.
10. Use brake cleaner and a cleaning pad to get rid of the old anti-seize compound on the hub. Then apply new anti-seize to the hub. The coating should be very thin; make sure you get the threads of the bolt holes as well, as the face of the hub.
Putting the New Brakes On
11. Take the new rotor by the center (not the edges) and thread it onto the hub. You may wish to clean any preservative oils off the rotor and add some anti-seize before you do this, but it isn't necessary. Make sure it's tight: the torque specs should be 12 ft*lbs.
12. Clean the carrier bracket in an appropriate wash basin, then spray it with brake cleaner and allow it to dry.
13. Reattach the caliper carrier bracket. The bolts need to be torqued to 81 ft*lbs.
14. Add a bit of grease to the lubrication points of the brake pads, and then insert them into the carrier. It's usually best to insert the outer pad first.
15. Reinstall the caliper. The retracted piston should allow it to fit into place without a problem.
16. Clean the caliper guide pins with brake cleaner and then reinsert them into their positions.
17. Reattach the guide bolt caps and the retaining clip.
18. Repeat the entire process with the other three wheels.
19. Place new brake fluid in the BMW and then lower the car off the jacks.

Continue lendo

How to Replace Audi Brake Rotors

1. Park the Audi on a flat surface and put the parking brake on. If you will be replacing the front rotors first, place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels. If you're replacing the rear rotors first, place wheel chocks behind the front wheels.
2. Slide the floor jack under a solid part of the car frame on the end of the car that you'll be working on first. Carefully pump the jack and raise the car until it's high enough to slide jack stands underneath.
3. Slide two jack stands under the car on opposite sides of the end you're working on. Make sure they're positioned under solid parts of the frame. With the stands in place, carefully lower the jack until the car is resting on the stands, then pull the jack out.
4. Approach the first wheel you want to work on and use the tire iron to remove all of the wheel lug nuts. When the lug nuts are off, pull the tire toward you to remove the entire tire and wheel assembly.
5. Study the caliper and brake pad assembly clamped to the rotor, and if you have a service manual for your car, open it up to a diagram of this assembly. The goal is to determine exactly how the caliper assembly is held together. On many Audis, there is a thin wire clip that surrounds the entire caliper assembly, but this may not be present. You should also see one or two bolts holding the caliper itself in place, and another series of bolts holding the caliper mount against the rotor.
6. Remove the wire clip, if applicable, using a pair of pliers.
7. Use a hex socket wrench or screwdriver, depending on your caliper bolt style, to remove the bolt or bolts holding the outside of the caliper against the caliper mount. When you do this, the caliper will come loose. Make sure you support the caliper and do not allow it to dangle from the brake line.
8. Attach the caliper to the underside of the frame using twist ties so that it will not dangle from the brake line. Allowing the caliper to dangle may damage the brake line, which is very dangerous.
9. Pull the two brake pads, which should now be exposed, out of the brake caliper mount.
10. Remove the bolts holding the brake caliper mount onto the rotor. This will require either a hex socket wrench or a screwdriver, depending on the bolt design. Pull the mount off of the rotor when the bolts have been removed.
11. Slide the old rotor off the wheel spindle.
12. Slide the new rotor onto the wheel spindle.
13. Put the brake caliper mount back on the rotor in the same position it was installed on the older one. Insert the bolts and tighten them all back down.
14. Slide the brake pads back into place in the caliper mount.
15. Take the twist ties off of the brake caliper and place it on top of the caliper mount. Replace the bolts holding the caliper together and tighten them down.
16. Slide the tire and wheel assembly back onto the wheel spindle and tighten down all of the lug nuts.
17. Repeat steps four through sixteen on the other wheel on the same end of the car.
18. Slide the floor jack back under the frame and pump it up so that the car rises and inch or so above the jack stands. Remove the jack stands, then slowly lower the car off the jack.
19. Repeat this entire process on the opposite end of the car.

Continue lendo

How to Remove amp; Replace the Cooling Thermostat in a 2001 BMW 325I

1. Use a floor jack to lift the front of the BMW. Remove the splash guard under the engine. This is held on with screws and plastic plugs that are removed by hand. Turn on the ignition, set the heater to 91 degrees and set the fan to the low speed. This will get the coolant out of the heater core.
2. Locate the radiator fill cap in the engine bay and loosen the bleeder screw with a screwdriver. Make sure you let the car cool down enough if it has been driven recently.
3. Locate and remove the two blue radiator screws located directly beneath where the radiator fill cap is located. Place a container under the drain plugs and drain them one at a time. Reinstall the radiator drain screws. Remove the 13-millimeter engine block drain plug, located on the passenger’s side of the engine block near the front axle, and drain the coolant into the container. Place a new washer on the drain bolt and put it back in the block, tightening it to 18 ft/lbs with a torque wrench.
4. Remove the intake ducting by carefully prying up the three plastic rivets that hold it to the top of the radiator. Remove the neck of the air box by pressing the two vertical sides of the ducting together and pulling it off.
5. Remove the wires that go to the radiator fan and the T25 Torx screw that holds the fan on. Remove the plastic rivet on the driver’s side with a screwdriver. Remove the fan by pulling it straight up and out.
6. Remove the wire that goes to the thermostat. Use a 13-millimeter socket to remove the bolt on the upper right part of the thermostat. Use a 10-millimeter socket to remove the three bolts on the top and bottom of the thermostat.
7. Remove the upper and lower radiator hoses from the engine block. Remove the thermostat. Clean the surface where the thermostat gasket is installed so there is no gasket material remaining.
8. Install the new thermostat with the 13-millimeter bolt and the three 10-millimeter bolts. Use a new gasket when you reinstall the thermostat. Tighten the bolts to 7 lb/ft. Reinstall the radiator hoses. Reinstall the fan and the intake ducting. Top up the system with coolant.

Continue lendo

How to Change the Fuel Pump on a BMW Series 5

1. Park the car in a well-lit, well-ventilated area. Disconnect the cable that goes to the negative battery terminal. Unscrew the gas cap to relieve pressure in the fuel tank. Lift the vehicle with a floor jack and lower it safely onto a pair of jack stands placed under the car.
2. Pull the rubber boots back that protect the electrical connections on the fuel pump. Loosen and remove the small nuts that hold the connections to the fuel pump. Clean the area where the fuel lines connect to the pump.
3. Pinch the lines on either side of the pump (one to the tank and one to the fuel injection system) with the locking pliers to prevent excess fuel from spilling out. If you like, you can also place a rag between the pliers and the fuel line, so the line does not become damaged.
4. Loosen the hose clamps that hold the fuel lines to the fuel pump with a screwdriver. Pull the lines off the fuel pump. Remove the bolts that hold the fuel pump clamp to the car. Remove the pump and the bracket.
5. Remove the yoke bracket that holds the pump to the main bracket. Set the old pump aside. Bolt the new pump to the bracket by placing the pump onto the bracket and then bolting the yoke bracket over the new pump. Bolt the bracket back onto the car.
6. Reconnect the fuel lines to the new fuel pump with new hose clamps. Reconnect the electrical connections. Slide the rubber boots back over the connections. Lower the BMW back to the ground.

Continue lendo

How to Pair an iPhone With a Mercedes Benz

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone. Tap 'Search' and type 'mbrace' into the search bar, then hit the 'Search' button on the keyboard. Tap the listing for the app, tap the 'Free' button, tap it again when it turns green and enter your Apple ID and password when the dialog box appears. The app appears on your iPhone's home screen.
2. Sign up for mbrace on your Mercedes if your vehicle did not come with it or if you do not already have it. Contact your local dealer, or call 800 FOR MERCedes to speak to a representative about your options. Only models made after 2005 contain the necessary software.
3. Tap the app on your iPhone to open it. Enter your mbrace account number and four-digit PIN to log in.
4. Tap 'Vehicle' to use the remote key, which appears on the screen. From here, you can unlock, lock and locate the car, or you can tap 'Assistance' to contact customer service, finance, concierge or roadside assistance. Tap 'Dealer' to view information about local dealers, or tap 'Account' to view information about your personal account. Tap 'Send2Benz' to search for a destination, enter a street address, find an address or drive to a preset 'friend.'

Continue lendo

How to Reset a Mercedes Benz Computer Module

1. Plug the OBD II scan tool connector into the socket to the left and slightly below the steering wheel.
2. Turn the ignition switch to 'ON.'
3. Press the power button on the scan tool, if it does not come on automatically. Wait for the tool to complete the scanning process.
4. Press the 'Reset' or 'Erase' button on the scan tool to reset the computer codes.

Continue lendo

How to Find the BMW Z4 Bluetooth Key

1. Open your Z4 owner's manual, typically located in your car's glove box.
2. Locate the white laminated card in the manual.
3. Read the card for the passkey. The passkey will begin with the letters 'PK.'

Continue lendo

How to Install BMW Engine Guards

1. Position the left engine guard in place to determine what existing bolts need to be removed. Once they are determined, remove them.
2. Place engine guard back in location and replace the bolts.
3. Mount any additional hardware that may came with your specific models crashbars. Once the guard is mounted, tighten all bolts securely. Repeat process on the right side. Once complete, you will have successfully mounted engine crashbars on your BMW and will no longer damage the engine during a minor fall.

Continue lendo

How to Add Power Steering Fluid to a 2003 Mercedes

1. Open the hood. Locate the power steering reservoir on the right side of the engine toward the bottom.
2. Twist open the cap and remove it from the reservoir. The power steering dipstick will be attached to the cap. Wipe off the dipstick and insert back into the power steering reservoir.
3. Pull the dipstick out and verify the level against the two sets of markings on the dipstick. One will indicate the level for a cold engine and the other for a hot engine. If the car has been run within the past 30 minutes, check the level for hot.
4. If the level reads low, pour the power steering fluid into the reservoir. Pour in 1/8th of a quart to bring the level up. Check each time you pour power steering fluid in until you reach the recommended level.
5. Close the lid on the reservoir. TIghten the cap with your fingers.

Continue lendo