How to Jack Up a BMW

Front Jacking
1. Park your vehicle on level ground. Turn the engine off and engage the emergency brake.
2. Position yourself so you can see under the front end of your vehicle. Look for a black jack-point in the middle of the front sub-frame, or use the sub-frame. The vehicle might be equipped with a round jack-point in between the front wheels, on the skid plate. The stock, BMW jack fits in that spot.
3. Place the jack under the sub-frame or jack point. Raise the jack until it lifts the car far enough to place jack stands under the frame. Place one jack stand on each side of the vehicle -- under the sub-frame -- for support.
4. Lower the jack until the vehicle is securely resting on the jack stands. Remove the jack from under the car. Place blocks in the back of your rear tires for extra support.
Rear Jacking
5. Park your vehicle on level ground. Turn the engine off and engage the emergency brake.
6. Locate the rear differential. Locate the adjacent U brace. Do not place the jack directly on the differential; the pressure might damage it.
7. Place the jack under the U brace. Raise the jack until the car is at a convenient height.
8. Place blocks in front of your front tires for extra support.

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How to Choose the Right Truck Tire Jack

1. Open your door and look at the vehicle information sticker, usually on the door near the door jam, or on the door frame of the truck. This will list your vehicle's basic information.
2. Look for the truck's gross weight or curb weight. This can be referenced as GVW-Gross Vehicle Weight or GCW-Gross Curb Weight. This will be written in a measurement of tons such as 3.0-tons, or 2.5-tons.
3. Measure the distance in inches from the ground to the frame of your truck, or to the jack placement points, with a tape measure. A jack placement point is installed on some truck models and is usually a small protruding metal bar located on the frame at the front and rear of the truck, just near the tires.
4. Go to an auto parts store or a dealership for your respective vehicle model and order or purchase a jack that suits your measurements. As a rule of thumb, choose a jack that exceeds your weight measurements slightly so that you know for certain that it will lift the truck off of the ground.

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How to Replace a Mercedes Thermostat

1. Locate the thermostat housing that sits near the front of the engine next to the water pump. The housing has two water hoses that run into its underside from the radiator.
2. Detach the two bolts on the thermostat housing that are holding the cap in place with a metric socket wrench. When the bolts are removed, use a flat-edge screwdriver to lift the cap off the thermostat housing.
3. Lift the thermostat out of the housing and use a piece of emery cloth to clean any remaining gasket material or debris from the thermostat housing and cap.
4. Spread a layer of gasket seal around the edge of the thermostat housing and place the new thermostat on top of the housing.
5. Place the cap back on the thermostat housing and secure the bolts with a metric socket wrench. Take the cap off of the radiator and fill the coolant back to the proper level.
6. Start the engine and check the thermostat housing to verify that there are no leaks.

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How to Change a 2002 Mercedes Clk 320 Cabin Filter

1. Remove the two screws on the panel directly beneath the glove compartment.
2. Pull the panel out and down to disconnect it from the dash.
3. Tilt the old filter slightly up. Pull the filter toward the floor of the car to remove it from the filter compartment.
4. Insert the new filter into the compartment. Tilt it slightly forward when it is almost all the way in to get it to fit properly.
5. Replace the panel that covers the filter compartment. Insert the screws that secure the panel in place.

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How to Make Your Own BMW

1. Point your web browser to www.bmwusa.com, and click the link at the upper right, and just below the 'Home' button that invites you to 'Build Your Own.'
2. On the Build Your Own homepage, select the model that you would like to build by clicking the hyperlinked model number. (Example, if you would like to build an X5 535d, go to the column marked 'X5' for the model, and select the link for the appropriate engine--in this case, the 3.5-liter diesel.
3. Once you have selected the appropriate model and engine, you will have arrived at the page which allows you to build your BMW. You are presented with a photo of the car, and the option to view the front or side, or the entire car in 360 degrees. You will also have the option to view the interior, toggling back and forth between side view and dash view. Across the top of the picture of the selected BMW there are multiple tabs that allow you to toggle back and forth between Exterior Color, Interior, Options, Packages, Accessories, and a Summary of the BMW that you have designed.
4. As you update your preferences in the tabs, to the far right you are able to see a constantly updated summary of the options that you have chosen as you add and subtract them, and the subsequent impact that they may have on the price of the vehicle. Once you have completed configuring your BMW, you are able to follow the links at the top of this column to save (you must create an account) or print your BMW as made by you.
5. Finally, once you have successfully configured your BMW, click the summary tab. The screen that loads will not only offer you a summary of your packages and options (as well as their associated costs), but will offer you a link at the bottom to explore financing and leasing options available through BMW if you are interested in taking the next step.

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How to Pair a Mercedes Bluetooth

Pair a Mercedes Bluetooth With Your Phone
1. Select the 'Bluetooth' option from your cell phone's 'Settings' menu and choose its 'Discover' mode.
2. Press the 'TEL' key on the car's radio to activate the telephone screen on the car's display.
3. Press the 'Phone List' option on the Mercedes-Benz display and then select the 'Update' option.
4. Choose the phone that is in discovery mode by tapping its name on the car display panel.
5. Create and enter a passcode four to 16 digits long in the Mercedes-Benz hand-free system and confirm the code by selecting 'OK,'
6. Enter the passcode on your cell phone when promoted, watching for a pop-up window confirmation notice entitled, 'Authorization procedure successful.'

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How to Aim 2005 Audi Headlights

1. Park your Audi so that it is 25 feet away from the garage and facing a closed garage door.
2. Turn on the headlights and open the hood.
3. Turn the adjustment screws on the top of the headlight-housing assembly until the center of the headlight beam is positioned at the bottom of the garage door where the door meets the ground and until both of the headlight beams overlap each other by 50 percent.

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How to Remove a Headlight in a 2002 Audi A4

1. Open the hood on the Audi and secure.
2. Remove two screws on top of the headlight assembly with the Phillips screwdriver. This is the part that holds it in place.
3. Locate the two screws at the base of the headlight assembly inside the engine compartment. Unscrew them using the long flat edged screwdriver.
4. Pull the headlight assembly out carefully about 4 inches.
5. Reach around the back of the headlight assembly. Release the metal clip that secures the wiring on the back of the headlight.
6. Pull the headlight out carefully towards yourself.

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How to Get Invited to NYC Fashion Week

1. Consider taking on a part or full-time job at one of the many exclusive boutiques or high-end department stores in Manhattan. If you make a name for yourself in the field, you may receive an invitation to one or more of the designer's shows. And even if you don't get a personally addressed invitation, you may be able to get a pass to attend from the one of your co-workers.
2. Volunteer your time to help out during Fashion Week. You can contact IMG, which runs the event, and ask if you can be added to their volunteer list. Just make sure to do so well in advance, since many people are competing for limited openings to do this.
3. Sign up for some fashion classes at one of the well-respected fashion schools in NYC. Many students are invited to help with the shows or to at least to come and watch, so they will get some first-hand experience with this important event.
4. Become friendly with salespeople at the better stores where you shop. Sometimes they have passes that they can offer to their best customers, so don't be afraid to ask.
5. Start writing for a fashion magazine or website, or start a fashion blog. If you have press credentials, you can apply through the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week website to cover the events. Understand, though, that space is limited and goes to the well-known media representatives first (see Resources below).
6. Get dressed up and stand outside the guards at fashion week if all else fails. Once all of the invited guests are seated, if there is extra standing room, well-dressed people who are on hand can sometimes be allowed in. (Just keep in mind that the more well-known designers shows are usually packed.)
7. Realize that each designer makes up her own guest list, so you will need to be invited separately to each show you plan to attend.
8. Understand that there are a few ways to buy tickets to attend. American Express offers special seats to a small number of its cardholders. In addition, Couture Fashion Week sells tickets at different price points to see the high-end international designers' collections (see Resources below).

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How to Change Front Brakes on a 2005 BMW X5

1. Remove brake fluid from the brake master cylinder with a turkey baster until it is only half full. Transfer the removed fluid to a small container.
2. Loosen the X5's front lug nuts with a ratchet and socket.
3. Raise the front of the BMW with a floor jack and place jack stands beneath the frame rails. Lower the X5 until only the jack stands support its weight. Remove the lug nuts and pull the front wheels from the SUV.
4. Unplug the wiring harness that pluggs into the rear of the brake caliper.
5. Insert the blade of a flat-head screwdriver under the retaining spring holding the outer brake pad to the caliper and pry it away from the pad and caliper. Inspect the retaining spring for visible wear or bending. Discard and replace the retaining spring if bending or wear exist.
6. Pull the plastic plugs off the rear of the brake caliper, exposing the caliper bolts. Remove the caliper bolts with a ratchet and a hex-bit socket. Pull the caliper off the rotor and hang it from a nearby suspension component, using a bungee strap.
7. Pull the outer brake pad from the caliper. Insert the blade of a flat-head screwdriver under the inner brake pad and pry up until you can grab it. Pull the inner brake pad from the caliper -- notice that a metal clip goes into the caliper piston to hold the pad in place.
8. Remove the rotor by removing the screw in the center of the rotor with a ratchet and hex-bit socket and pulling the rotor off the X5.
9. Measure the thickness of the rotor's disc in four places with a micrometer. Compare the thickness of the rotor with the minimum thickness specification of 1.35 inches on a 13.1-by-1.4-inch rotor and 1.1 inches on a 13.1-by-1.2-inch rotor.
10. Discard the rotor and replace it with a new one if it is thinner than the minimum thickness or has any visual defects (grooves, hot spots or mirror-like shine), as you cannot machine the X5's rotors. Leave the rotor as is if it is thicker than the minimum thickness and no visual defects exist.
11. Place the new or original rotor back on the X5 and tighten the center screw to 12 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and a hex-bit socket.
12. Place BMW tool No. 34-1-050 (front caliper piston adjustment tool) so that the paddles are inside the caliper, positioned just like brake pads. Tighten the hand crank on the end of the tool until the internal caliper piston presses fully into the caliper.
13. Apply a thin coat of disc brake grease to the rear of the brake pads and the mating surfaces on the caliper and caliper bracket.
14. Place the inner brake pad so that the clip on the rear of the pad lines up with the hole in the brake caliper. Press the inner brake pad until it fully seats inside the caliper piston. Insert the outer brake pad on the caliper. The brake pads have either an 'L' or an 'R' stamped on them. Make certain to mount pads with the 'R' stamped on them on the passenger's side of the X5 and the 'L' pads on the driver's side.
15. Set the brake caliper back on the rotor and tighten the caliper bolts to 81 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and a hex-bit socket.
16. Install the new or old outer brake pad retainer and press the tabs of the retainer into the holes on the brake caliper.
17. Plug the wiring harness back into the rear of the brake caliper.
18. Reinstall the X5's front wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the SUV from the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands from under the BMW. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
19. Tighten the front wheels to 90 foot-pounds in a crisscross pattern, using a torque wrench and a socket.
20. Press and release the brake pedal until it feels firm. Check the fluid level in the brake master cylinder and add DOT 4 brake fluid until the level reaches 'Max' on the master cylinder.
21. Insert the key in the X5's ignition and turn it to the '1' position. Leave the key in this position for at least 30 seconds to clear the brake pad lining light. Turn the ignition off and remove the key.
22. Take the old brake fluid to a used automotive fluid recycling center for proper disposal. Many auto parts stores perform this task free of charge.

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