How to Replace C230 Spark Plugs

1. Allow the engine to cool completely prior to working on it--at least five hours. Pop the hood. Lift off the engine cover using your hands and set it to the side. Unbolt the first coil pack from the top of the engine using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket and pull it up with a twisting motion to expose the spark plug. You may have to disconnect an electrical harness at the coil as well.
2. Remove the stock spark plug using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and spark plug socket. Discard the old plug.
3. Gap the spark plug using the spark plug gapping tool set to .031-inch. Install the replacement spark plug using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and spark plug socket. Reinstall the coil pack onto the spark plug, pushing it onto the plug until it makes a popping noise. Then bolt it to the head using the ratchet.
4. Repeat Steps 1-3 for any remaining spark plugs in the system.

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How to Activate a Phone on a Factory BMW X3

1. Turn on your Bluetooth mobile phone inside of your BMW.
2. Select 'iPhone,' 'Settings' and 'Bluetooth' on your display.
3. Check to make certain the check box has a mark under Bluetooth Communication Active on the display. Press the controller down to activate Bluetooth Communication if inactive, or if it does not have a check mark. The message on the Communication Menu displays, 'Bluetooth is now enabled.'
4. Select 'Phone' under Bluetooth, then select 'Pair New Phone.'
5. Select 'Start Pairing.' A message appears on the display verifying you activated the pairing mode.
6. Choose 'Bluetooth' from your iPhone Connection Menu. Click 'Enable Bluetooth' on your phone. Your iPhone will now search for new devices until it finds and displays, 'BMW XXXXX,' where 'X' represents the last five digits of your BMW's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
7. Select 'Yes' when your iPhone prompts you to pair the iPhone with your BMW. Enter a passkey or PIN on your iPhone from one to 16 digits of your choice when prompted. Choose a number you can always remember.
8. Confirm your passkey when your BMW prompts you. You have 20 seconds to confirm and reenter your passkey into the display box. You will have to start over with entering a passkey if you wait too long. Depending on your Bluetooth iPhone, you may be required to enter the passkey into your BMW first, and then your iPhone.
9. Access your phone book directory through the iDrive system once it has finished uploading. The BMW iDrive system, located by the gear shift at hand level, allows you to access all of your communication, entertainment and navigation controls with one toggle and seven keys. The uploading time can take several minutes depending on the number of contacts you have in your phone book. Select the contact to place your call from your BWM X3 phone.
10. Activate up to four iPhones for your BMW. Only one phone can be active at a time.

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How to Replace the Front Brakes on a Mercedes C230

1. Raise and support the car on jack stands. Remove the front wheels. Loosen the bleeder screw on the top back side of the caliper. Compress the piston back into the bore of the caliper. To do this, insert the screwdriver in the access hole on the caliper between the brake pad and the rotor, and pry the pad inward toward the caliper piston; the piston will move back into its bore.
2. Tighten the bleeder screw on the caliper. Disconnect the electrical connector for the low brake sensor, which is just a few inches up from the caliper, and then pull the sensor out of the brake pad.
3. Remove the slider bolts holding the caliper on. Remove the caliper and hang it up. Do not let the caliper hang by its hose. Remove the caliper mounting bracket.
4. Check the rotor for heavy grooving and thickness. The minimum thickness is embossed on the front of the rotor. Use a micrometer to see if it is within tolerance. If it is within 10 thousandths of the minimum required thickness and needs to be surfaced, it is too thin and needs to be replaced. Resurfacing will take off more than 10 thousandths. If the rotor is to thin it will warp very easily and cause vibration. If it is in tolerance, have it surfaced so the new pads are starting on a smooth surface.
5. Remove the rotor--just pull it off of the studs on the spindle. Install the new rotor. Install the caliper mounting bracket. Install the brake pads along with the low brake sensor. The brake pads just slide into their brackets. Slide the caliper over the pads and install the slider bolts.
6. Do the opposite side in the same fashion. Start the car when finished and pump the brakes several times to adjust them before trying to move the car.

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How to Service a 1997 BMW 323I

Spark Plugs and Coils
1. Open the hood to access the engine compartment of the 323i. Remove the plastic engine-covers to access the spark plugs and spark-plug coils. Set aside the connectors that hold both of these covers in place.
2. Disconnect each spark-plug coil from its corresponding plug with a screwdriver. Disconnect the necessary spark-plug coils from the valve cover for complete removal.
3. Inspect each spark plug and spark-plug coil combination for signs of wetness, corrosion, overheating and other physical damage.
4. Pull the damaged spark plugs from their respective holes with the necessary wrench size. Turn counter-clockwise until free.
5. Use a torque wrench to load the new spark plugs into the corresponding spark-plug holders. Torque to 18 foot-pounds of measurement.
6. Replace any spark plug coils that are damaged or frayed. Repeat installation steps for each spark plug and coil combination. Replace the engine covers when you are finished.
Air Filter
7. Locate the vertically-mounted air filter that rests on the left-hand side of the 323i. The air filter is optimally replaced once every 10,000 miles to ensure clean air filtering.
8. Pull the air filter out of its position by the housing unit; do this slowly. Do not to spill any dirt and debris on the engine or filter compartment.
9. Clean the area around the air intake system. This area should be cleaned more often than the actual filter replacement to maintain an efficient engine.
10. Pull the old air-filter apart from the housing unit for new installation. Load the new filter into the housing unit. The filter will fit directly into the housing unit.
11. Lower the new filter and housing unit into the filter compartment of the 323i engine. Secure the housing unit tightly.

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How to Repair a Brake Light on a 2005 Audi Allroad

1. Open the trunk. Behind the lights (inside the trunk) should be some carpeting and a plastic cover. If it's dark, or you are struggling to see inside the trunk, use a flashlight to help you. If you have a passenger, she could hold the light in position to speed the process up and make your job easier.
2. Peel back the carpet carefully, avoiding damage to the fabric.
3. Remove the plastic cover found beneath the carpet. Take care to check for plastic clips holding the plastic cover in place. It is common to find around three clips in an Audi. The clips will need to be removed or loosened before the cover releases properly. They usually come out by squeezing the two edges together.
4. Remove the clip closest to the outside of the car first, then the one at the top, and then you should be able to angle the housing towards you. You should now be able to see the taillight housing, which contains the lighting module.
5. Take out the lighting module by hand. You will not need a special tool for this. Brake light bulbs are designed to be replaced manually.
6. Unscrew the brake light from its housing. The brake light should lift out easily. Brake lights are distinguishable from backup and turn signal lights, because brake lights have two filaments inside the bulb and the other types only have one. You will be able to see the difference if you look at the filaments closely.
7. Replace the bulb with a replica. Make sure you purchase one which has the same voltage, is the same size and with a corresponding model number, or the new bulb won't fit or light up when you try installing it. The new bulb is inserted into the same housing as the old bulb. Push and twist to ensure it goes into the correct position. Discard the old bulb with care.
8. Reassemble the lighting module, the taillight housing, the plastic cover with its clips and re-fit the carpet. Test the brake light.

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How to Find the Interior Color on the Car for My BMW

1. Look at your owner's manual to discover the make, model and year of your car. You won't be able to determine the interior color of your car without this information.
2. If you don't have the original owner's manual, look beneath your back seat for your car's build sheet. The build sheet is like your BMW's birth certificate and has all of the information regarding color names and numbers, options that your car was built with and any other detail of the car's manufacture. The build sheet should be a small, rolled up sheet of paper. The interior color is listed next to the German word 'Polst.'
3. Look under the hood or along the driver's side door if you can't find the car's build sheet. For some models, you can find a sticker at either of these locations that displays the name and numbers for both the exterior and the interior colors of the car.
4. If still needed, call a local BMW dealer and provide them with your car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The dealer should be able to tell you exactly what color the interior of your car is. If the first dealer refuses to help you, call a few other dealers until someone is willing to provide you with this information.
5. Enter the last seven digits of your VIN in Mitsuhiko Kanekatsu's BWW VIN Decoder (see Resources) if you can't find the build sheet and no dealer will help you. You should be able to find your original interior color this way.

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How to Use a BMW X3

1. Turn on the vehicle by inserting the key into the steering column and turning it to the third position, or by ensuring that the wireless key is in close proximity to the dashboard and pressing the 'ON' button to start the X3.
2. Place your right foot on the brake pedal and place your left hand on the steering wheel and your right hand on the automatic transmission's shift knob.
3. Press the button integrated into the handle of the automatic transmission knob and slide the transmission stick into 'D' to engage the driving gear.
4. Remove your foot from the brake pedal. Ensure that the emergency brake lever is down and disengaged before moving on to the next step.
5. Place both hands on the steering wheel, positioning your left hand at the 10 o'clock position of the steering wheel and your right hand at the 2 o'clock position. Gently press down on the accelerator pedal at the same time with your right foot.

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How to Change Engine Freeze Plugs

1. Park the vehicle, put the automatic transmission in park, or the manual transmission in neutral, and set the parking brake. Allow the vehicle to cool down before working on it. Locate the leaking freeze plug. If it is hidden behind something like the exhaust manifold, you will have to remove the manifold first.
2. Place a screwdriver against the top inside edge of the freeze plug. Strike the screwdriver with a hammer to 'flip' the plug. When you hit the inside edge of the plug it will be pushed into the engine block and pivot in the hole. As it pivots, the bottom of the plug will stick out.
3. Grab the plug with pliers and pull it out of the engine block.
4. Clean the hole in the engine block with emery cloth to remove any corrosion.
5. Coat the outside edge of the new freeze plug with Permatex type gasket sealer. Place the plug against the hole in the engine block. Place a large socket or piece of pipe inside the cupped part of the plug.Tap the plug into place with a hammer by striking the socket or pipe.
6. Refill the engine with coolant. Start the engine and check for leaks.

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How to Read Heavy Truck VINs

1. Count the digits in the VIN from the title to verify it has 17 characters. If it has less the vehicle was manufactured prior to 1981.
2. Identify the first character in the VIN. This indicates what country the truck was manufactured in. The following table has the appropriate codes:1, 4, 5 -- USA made2 -- Canada made3, 9 -- Mexico made6 -- Australia madeJ -- Japan madeK -- Korea madeS -- England madeT, W -- Germany madeV -- France madeY -- Finland, Sweden madeZ -- Italy made
3. Identify the second character in the VIN. This character identifies the specific manufacturer. The following table has the codes:1 -- Chevrolet2 -- Pontiac3 -- Oldsmobile4 -- Buick5 -- Pontiac6 -- Cadillac7 -- GM Canada8 -- SaturnA -- Audi or JaguarB -- BMW or DodgeC -- ChryslerD -- Mercedes BenzF -- FordG -- General MotorsH -- HondaL -- LincolnM -- MercuryN -- NissanP -- PlymouthT -- ToyotaV -- Volvo
4. Review the VIN table for the specific manufacturer. Items such as gross vehicle weight, body type, assembly plant and engine type are commonly identified by a specific code in a specific location.
5. Compare the VIN numbers and letters, by position to the correct table. An example for a Ford heavy-duty truck VIN could be 1FTLP62W4WH128703.

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How do I Change an Ignition Switch on a 1997 Mercedes

1. Insert your car's ignition key into the ignition switch. Insert a straightened-out paperclip into the slot just to the left of the key slot. The paperclip locks the car to prevent it from starting.
2. Turn the key to the 'ACC' position, and be sure to push the paperclip into the slot all the way. The paperclip, pushed all the way in, will unlock the cylinder from its position, allowing you to pull it out.
3. Pull on both the clip and the key to slide the cylinder out of its slot.
4. Put the cylinder down and then remove the paperclip before removing the key.
5. Insert your key into the new cylinder and slide it into the vacant slot. Insert the paperclip into the slot and then turn the key to the 'ACC' position to lock the new switch in place.

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