How to Remove BMW Side Markers

1. Locate the side markers on the front fenders of the car. The side markers are about 2 inches high and 4 to 6 inches long. On most BMWs they are mounted between the wheel and the front door.
2. Pry up gently on the lip of the side marker with a small, flat head screwdriver. Place a folded rag between the screwdriver and the fender of the car to supply leverage and protect the paint from scratches.
3. Work all the way around the side marker with the screwdriver until the side marker protrudes from the fender about 1 inch. Grasp the side marker and pull it straight out as far as the attached wires will allow.
4. Locate the wiring harness connector at the back of the side marker.
5. Hold the side marker in one hand and depress the clips on the end of the wire harness connector with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand. With the clips depressed, pull the side marker and connector in opposite directions to separate them.

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How to Replace A8 Struts

1. Open the engine compartment of the Audi and prop the hood open with the prop rod. Note the radio security code so that you can reactivate the sound system if you have a factory stereo installed. Disconnect the negative cable from the battery. This will prevent accidental deployment of the air bags.
2. Place a pair of wheel chocks behind the rear wheels of the Audi. Raise the front of the Audi on the side you will work on using the automobile jack. Place a jack stand under the Audi near the jacking point and raise it to the frame of the car. Loosen the lug nuts and remove the wheel from the car.
3. Remove the grommets from the upper strut bolts in the engine compartment on the wheel wells. Remove the upper strut nuts using a socket and ratchet. Disconnect the brake hose bracket from the strut under the Audi using a socket and ratchet to loosen the nut. Disconnect the ABS sensor wire from the strut by unplugging it.
4. Loosen the pinch bolt and nut on the upper control arm with a socket and ratchet. Remove the control arm from the wheel knuckle. Do not try to pry open the slotted area when the pinch bolt goes through. Remove the lower strut mounting bolts using a socket and ratchet. Remove the strut assembly from the Audi.
5. Place a spring compressor on the coil spring and tighten it enough to relieve the pressure from the spring cap. Remove the center nut from the strut rod using a socket and ratchet. Remove the spring cap, coil spring and spring seats from the strut. Place the coil spring on the new strut along with the new spring seats and spring cap.
6. Install the center nut on the strut rod and tighten it with a socket and ratchet. Remove the spring compressor from the coil spring. Place the strut on the Audi and install the bottom bolt. Tighten the bolt with a socket and ratchet. Connect the upper control arm to the wheel knuckle and tighten the pinch bolt with a socket and ratchet.
7. Connect the ABS sensor wire to the strut. Attach the brake hose bracket to the strut and tighten the nut with a socket and ratchet. Install the three upper strut nuts in the engine compartment and tighten them with a socket and ratchet. Cover the nuts with the grommets. Place the wheel on the Audi and tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench.
8. Remove the jack stand from under the Audi. Lower the car to the ground. Repeat the procedure on the other wheel if necessary. Connect the negative cable to the battery.

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How to Reset a BMW E60

1. Turn the ignition on without actually starting the car.
2. Press the odometer reset button and hold it in for about 5-10 seconds until the 'Service' icon appears.
3. Release the odometer button and press it again. This will display images of the various service icons. For example, an oil can indicates that oil service is required.
4. Reset the service indicators by releasing and pressing the odometer button until the service icon that you want to reset appears. As soon as it appears, hold in the odometer button until the prompt 'RESET?' displays. When the prompt appears, release the button briefly and then hold it in again for another 5-10 seconds until another icon appears. Continue resetting the other service indicators in this manner.

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How to Replace the Dash Lights on an E320

Battery
1. Turn the E320's engine off. Take out the keys from the ignition.
2. Put on the gloves and open the hood.
3. Disconnect the E320's battery by removing, with a socket wrench, the negative terminal.
4. Wait at least two minutes to pass for the air bags to switch off.
Accessing Dash Lights
5. Lower the steering wheel as far down as it can go.
6. Remove the screws from each corner of the instrument cluster with a Phillips screwdriver.
7. Push the upper dashboard trim up as far as it can and insert a slotted screwdriver in between the trim and instrument cluster. Carefully pull the instrument cluster towards you.
8. Disconnect the two light connectors at the rear of the E320's instrument cluster.
9. Pull the E320's instrument cluster out of the vehicle.
Replacing the Dash Lights
10. Remove the faulty bulbs from the underside of the E320's dash panel. Twist them counterclockwise to remove them from the socket.
11. Install the new bulbs by placing them into the socket and twisting them clockwise.
12. Place the instrument cluster back into the E320 and reconnect the two light connectors.
13. Reinstall the screws with a Phillips screwdriver.
14. Reconnect the E320's battery with a socket wrench and close the hood.

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How to Build Up Boost in a Turbo Diesel

Determining Your Turbo Type
1. Research the type of vehicle you own and the turbocharger it is equipped with. Turbochargers and boost management systems vary by model. Determine the maximum safe amount of boost for your engine, per the manufacturer's recommendation.
2. Establish a way to monitor the boost produced by your turbocharger. Purchase and install a boost gauge to monitor the performance of your turbocharger and ensure that you do not produce more boost than recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. Boost is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) and gauges which read up to 60 PSI are available from various automotive performance companies.
3.
Stock tachometers will indicate unsafe operating ranges with red markings.
Locate the RPM gauge, also called a tachometer, on your dashboard. As a stock feature on vehicles, this gauge is normally located on the dash panel near the speedometer.
4. Press down on the accelerator and monitor the tachometer. As the revolutions per minute increase, monitor your boost gauge. Boost will increase as RPMs increase. Operating your vehicle at boost and RPM ranges outside of your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations for prolonged periods of time is not recommended.

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How to Get a FOB Key Out of a VW Passat

1. Sit on the driver's seat and make sure the vehicle is in 'Park.'
2. Press and hold one foot against the brake pedal.
3. Locate the silver 'Gear Change' button on your Passat's shifter.
4. Press and release the 'Gear Change' button three times. You will hear a clicking noise which indicates the FOB key is now unlocked.
5. Remove the FOB key from the ignition. The 'Immobilizer Active' alert will turn off.

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How to Change a Car Battery Without Losing Power

1. Make sure the car ignition is turned off. Remove the keys from the ignition to be sure.
2. Set the jump starter power switch to the "Off" position.
3. Connect the positive (red) cable of the jump starter to the positive clamp that is connected to the terminal of the battery to be removed. Connect it so as to not interfere with the loosening and removal of the battery clamp from the terminal.
4. Connect the negative (black) clamp to the car’s chassis or a solid non-moving metal component or body part.
5. Turn the jump starter power switch to "On."
6. Using the wrench, loosen the bolt that holds the positive clamp on the terminal of the battery you're replacing. Slide the cable clamp off the terminal and place it away from the battery. Make sure the clamp does not come in contact with any grounded metal parts of the vehicle. Wrap it in a towel or rag to provide insulation from surrounding parts.
7. Loosen the negative clamp and remove it from the terminal in the same manner.
8. Firmly grasp the old battery and lift it from the vehicle.
9. Position the new battery in the vehicle battery area.
10. Position the positive cable clamp on the positive terminal of the new battery. Carefully tighten the clamp hardware with the wrench.
11. Position and connect the negative clamp to its terminal in the same way.
12. Turn the jump starter power switch to "Off."
13. Disconnect the jump starter clamps from the battery terminals and clamps.

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How to Disconnect a BMW X5 2002 Battery

1. Remove the key from the ignition. Open the trunk of the X5.
2. Lift up the carpet lining above the spare tire. Remove the four retaining nuts around the center of the spare tire with a 10-mm socket attached to a ratchet.
3. Lift the spare tire out of the trunk. Remove the bolts on each end of the crossbar over the battery with a 13-mm socket and ratchet. Lift the crossbar out of the trunk. Loosen the negative battery cable with a 10-mm socket and ratchet. Remove the cable from the battery. Repeat the process on the positive cable.
4. Lift the battery out of the trunk. Insert the new battery in the same alignment as the old one. Attach the positive battery cable and tighten it with the 10-mm socket and ratchet. Repeat the process with the negative cable. Replace the crossbar and secure the bolts with a 13-mm socket and ratchet.
5. Replace the spare tire. Secure the retaining nuts with a 10-mm socket and ratchet set. Replace the carpet over the spare tire area and close the trunk.

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How to Change the Brake Pads on a BMW 323

1. Loosen the lug nuts at all four wheels. Raise the vehicle and lower it onto jack stands at all four corners. Remove the wheels. You can also work on the front and then the rear if you prefer, or if you have only two jack stands.
2. Disconnect the brake pad wear sensor on the front passenger side that goes into the caliper where the brake pads are located. Pull the plastic covers off of the caliper guide bolts.These bolts are located on the top and bottom of the caliper on the side that faces the wheel well. Loosen the upper and lower caliper guide bolts as far as they can go and then push the guide bolts out with a flat head screwdriver.
3. Pry out the anti-rattle clip with a screwdriver. The clip is located on the side of the caliper that faces outward. Slide the caliper off of the rotor. Support the caliper with a piece of wire or a box while you work so that there is no weight on the brake line.
4. Remove the inner and outer brake pads. Compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp so that the new, thicker brake pads can slide over the rotor. The piston is located on the inside of the caliper and is the part that presses against the brake pad when the brakes are applied. To compress the piston, place one side of the C-clamp on the piston and the other side on the outer surface of the caliper. Tighten the C-clamp until you see the piston compress into the caliper.
5. Clean the caliper and nearby parts with brake cleaner and a clean, dry rag. Install the inner brake pad by pressing the clip on the brake pad into the caliper piston. Slide the outer pad into the slot in the brake pad carrier.
6. Slide the caliper over the rotor. Reinstall the brake caliper retaining bolts and tighten them. Reinstall the anti-rattle clip by pulling the ends into the holes with a pair of needle nose pliers. Reinstall the covers for the caliper bolts. Reinstall the brake pad wear cable. Repeat for the other three corners of the vehicle.

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How to Replace a Jetta 1.8T Thermostat

1. Remove the radiator hose from the thermostat housing by using a screwdriver to loosen the band clamp that secures the hose to the housing. With the clamp loosened, pull the hose off the thermostat housing. Lift the hose vertically to drain any fluid back into the radiator.
2. Turn the two bolts that hold the thermostat housing onto the Jetta's intake manifold, then pull the thermostat housing off the intake to expose the thermostat.
3. Pull the old thermostat out of the intake manifold and discard it. Set the new thermostat into the hole in the intake manifold.
4. Pull the old thermostat gasket off the intake, then place a bead of RTV silicone gasket maker around the bottom edge of the thermostat housing to create a seal. Allow 15 minutes for the RTV silicone to cure.
5. Place the thermostat housing back onto the intake manifold and bolt it into place.
6. Slide the radiator hose back onto the thermostat housing and secure the hose by tightening the band clamp.

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