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FACTORY
AUTHORIZED DINAN DEALER COMES TO THE TWIN CITIES ,
European Impressions
, First Class , Legends
Prologue , OestPost ,
Press Release , Sears
Imported Autos , Weather
Report
BAVARIAN
TECHNIC
by
Paul Dzimian
In
this edition of my column I want to cover some of the important
areas of winter driving and winter storage for BMWs.
Cooling
System
A well
maintained cooling system is never more important then during a
Minnesota winter. The severe weather we see will turn a car break-down
from an annoyance into a dangerous situation. The obvious thing
is to see that your antifreeze protection is sufficient. In this
part of the world your antifreeze should be set for -45F degrees
or colder and checked with a hydrometer or coolant test strip (more
on this later). A 50/50 mix of antifreeze to water will give you
protection to approx. -34 degrees. 70% antifreeze/ 30% water will
provide protection down to -84 degrees. At no time should the antifreeze
concentration be set any higher because straight antifreeze will
freeze at -8 degrees.
Fresh
antifreeze is a combination of ethylene glycol and an additive package
of corrosion inhibitors and special lubricants to protect the cooling
system and water pump. As antifreeze ages some very important things
happen to its chemistry. Eventually heat, electricity and the combined
effects of dissolved oxygen and minerals in the coolant will deplete
these inhibitors. This will allow the pH of the coolant to shift
from an alkaline to an acid solution that will cause corrosion and
electrolytic damage in your motor! This is a very common problem
on cars that have not had the coolant flushed at regular intervals.
BMW recommends that the coolant be flushed at least every two years.
The reserve alkalinity (pH) is tested with litmus paper and should
be between nine and fourteen. Special test strips that measure both
pH and the freeze point are available at the better auto part stores.
It is very important to check cars that will be stored for the winter
before they are put away.
Hoses
and belts should be inspected, they don't last forever. Belts should
have the proper tension to keep them from slipping, they should
be free of any cracking or glazing (look at the working surface
of the belt). Late model BMWs with the serpentine belt are particularly
susceptible to failure because of high under hood temperature and
a self tensioner that keeps them from making noise as they "go
bad." Hoses should be checked for any signs of leakage or deterioration,
keeping in mind that most hoses fail from the inside.
Thermostats
maintain the correct temperature for both the passengers and the
motor. If your thermostat is allowing your engine to run cooler
than recommended the engine computer may never allow the fuel injection
to work properly, causing poor fuel mileage, poor performance and
contaminated motor oil. You would see this as a drop in engine temperature
in cold weather, especially in highway driving. There may also be
a loss of heat in the passenger compartment. Another common cause
of poor or delayed heat in the interior that is common to BMW is
a sticking water valve to the heater core.
Motor
Oil
Oil
is the most important fluid in your car. It lubricates the engine
and is the first link in the chain of the cooling system by absorbing
the heat of friction and transferring it into the rest of the engine
where the heat is taken away by the cooling system. The oil also
carries away the byproducts of combustion, such as dirt, water and
residual fuel. The oil filter takes care of the dirt while the water
and fuel are vented off when the engine runs at full operating temperature.
This is why short trip driving is so hard on oil. If the engine
does not get to run at full
operating
temperature for a good length of time then moisture will start to
build up in the oil, causing sludge to form. The best way to prevent
this is frequent oil and filter changes. Even the mildest of winters
here would be considered severe service for oil change intervals.
Any car that will be stored for the winter should have the oil and
filter changed right before it is put up for the winter.
Cold
temperatures call for a lower viscosity oil, on the coldest days
a 10W40 oil won't pour from the bottle because it has become so
thick. This would also keep it from effectively being pumped through
the motor on a cold startup. Lighter oils such as 5W30 will stay
more fluid and synthetic oil works far better still. For the same
viscosity of oil a synthetic will remain fluid when a conventional
oil will be like rubber glue.
Wiper
Blades
How
are your wipers working? If they don't clean very well now how are
they going to work in that first sleet storm? Wiper performance
can be difficult to judge in the shop, if you know they are not
working very well have them replaced, or replace them yourself.
On most BMWs the best economy is in replacing the wiper insert and
reusing the frame. If you find that even with new wipers blades
the windshield still does not clean properly or the wipers chatter
on the glass, BMW recommends cleaning the windshield with the household
cleaner Bon Ami. The cleaner should be applied with a clean wet
cloth or sponge and the windshield must be thoroughly and evenly
scrubbed. Rinse off the residue and dry with a clean cloth.
The
new washer - deicer solvents work much better then the old blue
washer solvent. On the really cold days you can still clean the
windshield without having it freeze to the cold glass.
Snow
Tires
BMW
has come a long way in improving its winter driving ability with
traction control (ASC) and ABS brakes. The limiting factor is always
where the rubber meets the road. I believe in snow tires; all season
tires are a poor compromise in "all seasons". The "ice
tire" technology in the new generation of snow tires, such
as Bridgestone Blizzak or Yokohama Guardex, is greatly improved
over tires of the past. Many people like to mount their snows on
a second set of steel wheels and save their alloy wheels from the
ravages of winter. This also saves on the expense of having
tires mounted and balanced twice a year.
Storage
If
you are one of those people that will be storing their BMW for the
winter, here are some tips on proper storage:
Change
oil and filter.
Test
antifreeze and service as needed.
Clean
the car thoroughly inside and out. Dry car completely, make sure
brakes are dry.
Fill
the gas tank to full but don't "top off" the tank. Add
a bottle of fuel stabilizer.
Inflate
tires to fifty-five psi.
DO
NOT put a car up on blocks. Cars are meant to be supported by
their tires not jack stands.
Buy
three small bags of mouth balls, cut a hole in the side of each
bag to form tray. Put one bag under the hood, one in the interior
and one in the trunk. This will keep your BMW from becoming a
home to rodents or insects. This is a very common problem.
Close
all windows and vents (including moving the heater vent from outside
to recirculate).
Remove
the battery, store in a dry, warm place and trickle charge.
On
manual transmission cars put the car in second or fourth gear.
This moves the shift selector rod onto the transmission to keep
it from rusting where the shaft travels through the seal.
DO
NOT set the hand brake.
If
I can help you with any questions about your BMW, contact me at
ORR Autoservice, 6221 Cambridge St. St. Louis Park MN. 55416. Phone
612-922-1797,
fax 612-922-8067, e-mail orr.auto@juno.com
Paul
Dzimian
ASE
L-1, STS, BMW TG, ASA, BMW CCA, iATN Technician Sponsor
FACTORY
AUTHORIZED
DINAN DEALER COMES TO THE TWIN CITIES
Top
Dinan
is dedicated to a single overriding objective: to develop the fastest,
best handling, street legal BMW’s available anywhere. They design
their products to perform as predictably & reliably at full
throttle as they do around town.
Motorwerks
BMW is proud to announce the appointment by Dinan as the ONLY factory
authorized BMW dealer in Minnesota. Over the years, Motorwerks BMW
has performed many Dinan conversions, the difference today is that
we can now handle all warranty repairs directly.
What’s
possible with the current BMW model line?
341
HP / Supercharged Dinan M3
439
HP / Supercharged Dinan 5 series
439
HP / Supercharged Dinan 7 series
606
HP / 5.6 liter Twin Turbocharged Dinan 8
Specific
product performance information is available through our Parts &
Service departments. Call today and ask for Wayne Lais. 888-2700.
European
Impressions Top
by
Keith Avise
So,
if I could get the business to the point where I didn’t need to
be billable and could instruct, comment, recommend and otherwise
manage via an Internet connection: J’oi d’ vivre! Je reside en Chamonix!
(Or Brienz, or Coppet, or Montreaux…)
I just
returned from vacation and noted some impressions of cars and driving.
We were with a sister and brother-in-law and he drives a 320 hp,
twin-turbo, all-wheel drive Mitsubishi and shares our interest in
things automotive so I even had help car watching.
London:
More 3-series than in the Midwest; it looks like California. And
Bimmers the size of 5 & 7 series & Mercs the size of 3 &
4 series - but un-badged! Is that a factory thing or a personal
statement of the owners? Fords that I could own! Escorts with full
ground effects and turbo chargers. A Scorpio that looks tres serious.
Factoring in the exchange rate, cars are very similarly priced.
They use radar on the motorways but no one has a radar detector
(showing), so I suspect they’re illegal. 15 over gives 4 points
and 25 pounds in fine. 12 points equals a suspension.
In
Geneva we picked up our rental - a Lancia station wagon. The last
time we picked up a car in Geneva it was an Opel Cabrielle and I
couldn’t get the lights on in the underground ramp. This time the
Lancia’s security siren went off in the underground ramp as we opened
the back. We had four people and luggage and the only time it was
a problem was low speed up a steep grade with hairpin curves when
we forgot to go down to first. Otherwise it just wanted to be wound
up tight all the time. A 2 litre turbo charged Italian appassionato
with a 5 speed: Ciao Bella!
Savoy
- in the French Alps. A 318ti body badged tdsi!??? A 520i and a
316i. Renaults and Peugeots with 4 doors, wings and passing us through
the mountains. And VW’s, Audi’s and Porsches of all description;
the former being driven hard all the time. Several boxsters and
several Alfa Romeo coupes - a 2 seated Spider that’s as sexy as
the people on the square Sunday afternoon in Chamonix.
My
French is slow in starting (I couldn’t find tape 1 of Monsiour Berlitz
- starting beyond that might have primed my sub-conscious, but by
the time that surfaces we’ll be in German speaking climes - and
then it’s up to Barb!
Motorcycles!
Not much has changed. It’s much more serious in Europe. Full leathers
everywhere (color coordinated on the café racers) and NO bare heads.
500’s and 750’s (cc’s) in London as transportation and package delivery.
Between the lanes, on the curb for a while, cut in front of 2 lanes
of stopped traffic and back on it in the middle - between the tour
buses and the taxis. In the mountains it’s all laid down road racing.
The BMW cycles you see are both touring and Police (those are Beemers,
remember). (The Swiss Police favor white Bimmers with blaze orange
grills and bumpers).
Savoy
in France into Italy and back into France from Chamonix to Courcheval.
Fiats and Alfas take the day. Four door sedans and roadsters - this
is auto heaven! Biggest change I notice in cars is Chrysler’s presence.
Ford has been strong here for decades but there are Jeep Cherokee’s
all over the place now.
We
don’t have an itinerary for 13 days. We’re doing what Barb and I
did 4 years ago: "If we can see the Matterhorn in the morning,
we’ll stay another day." Drove ‘em crazy; they expect Americans
to be scheduled to the minute.
From
Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn to Jungfrau - a nice collection of
mountains. Around Lac Le Man is much more upscale. We stayed the
last 2 nights in Coppet, Switzerland - on the Lake and just outside
of Geneva. There were 3 hotels, a grocery store, BP station, 3 or
4 bars, 1 church, an art gallery and a Jaguar and Rover dealer!
From Montreaux across the top of the lake to Geneva it’s BMW and
Mercedes convertibles. Buildings still in use dating from the 12th
century and everyone on cell phones. Lots of auto electronics too
- from auto starters to security and sound systems.
When
you get off the main roads you are often on a single car width road;
and when it widens enough for 2 cars, they allow parking. We went
up from the Lake into a village and ended up high over the highway
in vineyards. Very narrow, steep and winding; it made the Lancia
wagon feel like a Suburban!
Best
quote from the 13 days of having rotating drivers and 3 navigators:
"This map goes fast."
First
Class Top
by
Ann Bodensteiner
Becoming
an ace at high performance driving is no personal quest of mine.
Indeed, my own mode of transportation, a modest Japanese 4 cylinder,
holds no candle to the fast German cars I would encounter at the
track. So why did I enroll in the Fall Driver’s School? I’ve always
viewed myself as a responsible, competent driver, and I have a clean
driving record. Still, I know accidents can (and do) happen to anyone.
And I’d been told (read: lectured and nagged) that I would learn
principles and techniques at the Driver’s School which would have
direct application to my every day driving and which, in turn, could
perhaps one day even save me from an accident. Always interested
in self-improvement, alas, my interest had been piqued. When the
pot was further sweetened by promises that my first visit to the
track would be definitely fun and maybe even exciting, and that
I would be bumping bumpers with some really fine folks, I agreed
to register for my first driver’s school. Later, I learned I’d become
one of only three women who would join with the 30+ men attending
the Fall Driver’s School at Brainerd.
Upon
arriving at Registration on Sunday afternoon, I sensed a highly
charged atmosphere. Listening to several conversations around me,
I soon felt intimidated and completely overwhelmed. The room was
abuzz with car talk - passionate sharing about car events and car
clubs, car parts and car purchases; car tracks and car mechanics
and car accidents and cars, cars, cars. My immediate response to
all of this was a thick knot in my stomach and an acute desire to
flee the country. This time I’d really bitten off more than I could
chew. A few minutes passed as I argued within myself about trying
to hang in there. I took a few deep breaths and managed to regain
my composure.
Soon
everyone received a classroom assignment and I had my first teaching
session. I was impressed with the instructor, Brian Gruis. He covered
several basic topics, using good examples and explaining principles
in clear, easily understood terms. When this hour was over, I felt
better, knowing I wasn’t the only novice at the school and also
that there were no great expectations being placed on us; rather,
we had been encouraged to drive at our own pace and comfort level
when we arrived on the track.
When
I awoke the next morning, I looked out the window and realized my
prayers had been answered - it had rained all night and the track
would be too wet for driving. That thought was short-lived, as we
drove to the track and found the conditions there to be driveable.
Eventually, my turn came to go on the track. Together with my instructor,
we took off, heading for the first turn and the pylons that would
help me find the correct line through it. After a few more times
around the track, we stopped and prepared for the braking exercise.
I did a few more trips around the track before deciding I had done
enough for my first day. I wanted to stop before reaching my burnout
point. Before calling it a day, though, I was able to sit in the
passenger’s seat and enjoy a few trips around the track with some
experienced instructors at some experienced speeds. That was a treat!
As
I reflect back on the weekend driver’s school, I am reminded of
what a fun adventure it was. I gained not only some new and improved
road skills, but some new faces and friends as well. If you are
thinking about going to the school but have been reluctant to sign
up - be encouraged - a great adventure awaits you!
Legends
Prologue Top
by
Chris Orr
On
Saturday, September 6th, North Star BMW Club members
Joe Winebarger, Lee Annett and Nancy Annett took up the Legends
car challenge. They joined me at Raceway Park in Shakopee for an
afternoon of high speed fun in the sun.
Using
the purpose-built "Legends Car" as our test bed, we discussed
and practiced the techniques involved in driving a short track car
on a º mile oval. After a brief chalk talk and track walk, it was
time to strap on the race cars.
The
Legends cars are powered by a Yamaha FJ 1200cc motorcycle engine
producing approximately 125 bhp. This combined with the light weight
of the vehicle (1200 lbs) makes for a wild ride. Most notable is
the acceleration, which is awesome and demands your full attention.
The cars are a thrill to drive quickly and as in road racing, reward
the smooth, accurate driver.
Our
three intrepid students caught on quickly and by the end of the
day they were consistently posting very respectable times. I was
especially pleased to have Nancy Annett take part in the class.
She did a great job and thoroughly enjoyed herself. As always, I
would like to encourage the women in the club to be active participants
in the driving events, we love to see ya out there!
Keep
the rubber side down.
OestPost
Top
(dispatches
from the Eastern Front) by Keith Avise
Great
Stuff
One
of the great saves here: Ron Lewis has (had) a 1988 735i for sale.
Guy calls up from the East Coast and they negotiate a price everyone
likes. Ron goes out to spiff it up the day of deliverance and, Lo
and Behold, there’s a pool of oil underneath the car! Calls go out
to every one whose number is remotely public in the Club and he
finds Craig Lovold and me. I’m the last person you want to call
if you have mechanical difficulty, but I tell Ron how he might be
able to get hold of PD (see the Bavarian Technic) who, of course,
is the first person you want to call if you have mechanical difficulty.
Craig Lovold once owned a 7 series and suggested it might be an
oil pressure switch (music swells in the background and Barbra Streisand
says "What kind of a switch is an oil pressure switch?").
About this time PD gets the message and calls Ron. Yes, that sounds
about right. Ron has been running up time on the mobile phone while
visiting every parts shop that’s open on a Sunday afternoon (did
I mention it was Sunday?). And what’s more, PD thinks he might have
one in the shop. So he goes to Orr, opens up, gets a switch and
takes it to Ron! By the time the guy lands from Baltimore, everything
is installed, oil is gone from the floor and everyone is happy.
Is this a great story or what?
A great
set of automotive ads: Cadillac’s STS ads. The first one I saw tried
to beat up on BMW’s but the only thing they could come up with was
not having yaw control (big deal; as in yaw-n). The actress who
plays the divorcee of Dr. Dick and the foil of Cybil on a sitcom
does the honors and she makes that ad great. The last one I saw
was the Polish cop from NYPD Blue pulling a Merc over for "going
way slow in a luxury car". There are probably more but we haven’t
had satellite service since early August. Know what? That’s great
too!
Great
quote: "My Neon is all the car I can handle. I don’t need any
more car than that." (From the Autocross Driving School in
August). An interesting premise; could they handle more if they
had more to handle and it handled better than what they have?
Great
family fun: Three generations of my family at the Autocross Driving
School in August; grandson, daughter and yours truly. (There were
several other instances of two generations also!)
Great
acceleration: I saw a rail dragster at Brainerd drive º mile in
4.165 seconds and, when the parachutes exploded out of the back,
he was going 318 mph! Now I really know why that spot on the track
is so slick.
Great
new toys for which to lust: Motorwerks is now an authorized Dinan
dealer. 606 horses and warranteed! Let’s see now, M5, chip &
suspension…
Great
vacation: I missed the September Driving School at Brainerd ‘cause
I was emptying my brain and releasing all my stress in Europe. Mainly
in Switzerland in an Italian turbo-charged station wagon! I tried
to capture some of my impressions elsewhere in this issue.
But
now: Back to work!
Press
Release from BMW of North America, Inc.via Fallon McElligot
Top
BMW
AND WILLIAMS GRAND PRIX ENGINEERING -
A
NEW PARTNERSHIP IN FORMULA ONE
Frankfurt,
Germany, September 8, 1997… Exactly ten years separate the last
BMW involvement in the FIA Formula One World Championship, and the
past week’s decision by the BMW board of directors to return to
the top class in motorsport. BMW will be making its comeback to
Formula One, with the FIA Formula One World Champions, Williams
Grand Prix Engineering, led by Frank Williams and Patrick Head.
The new partnership will make it’s debut in the FIA Formula One
World Championship for the first time in the year 2000. It is anticipated
that this will be a long-term partnership between the two companies.
"Both
the timing and the partner for this project have been chosen with
great care," said Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, Marketing Director of
BMW AG, who is responsible for the motorsport engagement of the
car manufacturer. "The high demands of Formula One suit those
of a high-tech company like BMW. Key aspects of the BMW brand like
dynamism and innovation complement the attributes of Formula One.
The transfer of technical know-how from motorsports over to a road
car is a tradition at BMW and will reach new levels through the
cooperation with Williams."
The
engine of the future Formula One car, the "BMW Williams",
will be designed in Munich under the responsibility of Paul Rosche,
the Technical Director of BMW Motorsport, Ltd. Rosche was also the
designer of the BMW Formula One engine in the eighties, with which
the Brazilian Nelson Piquet took his World Championship title in
1983 in the Brabham BMW.
The
nineties were to become a special decade of racing success in both
touring cars and sports cars for BMW. The BMW touring car teams
Schnitzer and Bigazzi won virtually every representative endurance
race and championship title around the world with the BMW M3 or
the 320i. The supersports car McLaren BMW won the BPR GT World Series
in both 1995 and 1996 and won the prestigious 24 hour race at LeMans,
undoubtedly the classic amongst endurance races, on its maiden entry
in 1995.
Now
a new era is dawning. The beginning of the new millennium will be
the starting signal for the new challenge to compete in the top
league of motorsports. The new partner, Williams Grand Prix Engineering,
possesses the same high level of quality in the construction of
racing cars in their field, as BMW sets into the production of road
vehicles. The partnership will represent a fresh challenge in top
class motorsport competition. Williams stands alone in the construction
of Formula One cars and together with BMW, will create a highly
competitive team.
Frank
Williams and his partner, Patrick Head, set up Williams Grand Prix
Engineering twenty years ago. Since then, the team has taken fourteen
FIA Formula One titles. These include eight constructors’ titles
and six drivers’ championships.
The
new partners BMW and Williams will also be working together on other
motorsports projects at the highest level of motor racing. BMW Motorsports
LTD., founded at the end of 1995, will be based near the Williams
facility in order to enable the two companies to work closely together.
Sears
Imported Autos Top
by
Mike Roeder
For
over 25 years, the tradition at Sears Imported Autos has been to
serve it’s customers better than any dealership in the area. As
evidence of that tradition, the company continues to receive BMW’s
highest customer service rating year after year.
If
you haven’t seen our new BMW service area, we invite you to drop
by and see what the awards are all about. The most advanced technological
equipment available in the industry today combine with a service
staff that really is second to none. In fact, each of our service
technicians benefit not only from the ongoing training they receive
from BMW, but through Sears Imported Autos Extended Training Program,
they become the best technicians in the nation. (And that’s according
to BMW, not us).
That
same level of expertise extends to our Body Shop, the only one authorized
by BMW in the Twin Cities Metro Area. Whether for repairs or detailing,
nothing dazzles the eye like the brand new look of a BMW fresh from
our body shop.
Then
there is our bright, new show room, our comfortable waiting areas,
our freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee, our tremendous inventory
of new and used vehicles, and, of course, our un-pushy sales staff.
We
think you’ll agree: You owe it to yourself to drop by and experience
excellence first hand.
Weather
Report Top
We
have two days of Winter Driver’s School scheduled for 1998: February
7th and 8th. It will once again be held on
Lake Cynthia (south off of I-35 near the Minnesota Horse and Hunt
Club). Saturday the 7th will be open to anyone interested;
applications will be in the January issue of the Northstar Bavarian.
Sunday the 8th will be for customers of Motorwerks BMW.
Last
year’s school was a great success. If you know of anyone who has
to drive in the slick stuff, do them a favor and suggest they block
off Saturday, February 7th. And if you’re interested
in helping or in getting more detail before the January issue, call
John Biesecker at 933-8105.
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