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Thursday, May 16, 2013

H&R Sport Sway Bars



BMP Design carries all H&R Sport Sway Bars available for any BMW or MINI Cooper vehicle. Some may need to be built to order, but they are completely worth the wait.  Everyday we have customers commenting on the dramatic difference in handling and performance these sway bars make, from spirited daily driving routes to aggressive track days.  Check out our selection for your vehicle, and if you don't find a set of sway bars for your vehicle or have any questions, please give us a call or send us an email.

H&R Sport Sway Bars are established as one of the best performing and best value sway bars for any sport application. Using the same proven technology that has made their springs some of the best steel in the world, each sway bar is cold-formed and heat-treated with forged seamless bar ends. Crafted from a special steel alloy with the highest tensile strength available, H&R Sport Sway Bars guarantee a smooth transitional sway bar function that decreases feedback response time and increases overall stiffness over stock to reduce body roll. All H&R Sport Sway Bars are manufactured 100% in Germany for the highest commitment in quality and control.

H&R Sport Sway Bars are designed for drivers who desire improved handling without lowering or negatively affecting ride quality.  These BMW Sport Sway Bars increase suspension roll stiffness, which is a way of saying your car body will twist less in turns, without affecting ride comfort. H&R Sport Sway Bar kits include exclusive sway bar bushings that feature a special urethan/Teflon compoite that prevents squeaks and eliminates the need for lubrication for a perfect fit with no future maintenance required.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Tech Tip: BMW Group Fuel System Cleaner Plus

The Problem: Since 2006, there has been a significant increase in various driveability issues due to excessive carbon deposits in engine combustion chambers on intake valves and fuel injectors. These problems are especially apparent on any performance vehicle including all BMW or MINI vehicles in the North American market with a greater level of poor gasoline quality. The solution by BMW North America is regular use of Fuel System Cleaner Plus with  Techron fuel system cleaner.  This product not only cleans restrictive deposits from the fuel system but also protects the fuel gauge from future malfunction by coating all metal surfaces of the system.

Combustion chamber deposit formation is a by-product of the gasoline burning process. This is especially problematic in any vehicle that is driven under severe conditions such as stop-and-go traffic, high ambient temperatures, higher altitudes, and short "start and stop" distance driving. Most common problems experienced include:

  • Hesitation during acceleration or loss of power
  • Poor fuel efficiency
  • Poor driveability and rough idle
  • Knocking, pinging, and engine idle surges
  • Increased emissions

The Solution: Often times running gas that causes these problems cannot be avoided, but cleaning your fuel system is as easy as adding one bottle of Fuel System Cleaner Plus with  Techron before filling up about every 3000-5000 miles.  One bottle treats up to 20 gallons of fuel and is proven to clean deposits on fuel injectors, ports, and intake valves while causing absolutely no harm to catalytic converters, oxygen sensors, or any mechanical components of the engine or fuel delivery system. While it is true that this additive is not as effective in a turbo charged vehicle with direct injection since it doesn't help clean the intake valves, it still removes deposits from the fuel injectors that restrict normal performance.

BMP Part Number 65740

BMW Part # 82 14 0 413 341

Thursday, January 17, 2013

BMW Diagnostics: Fault Code and Service Reset Tool


Ever been on a spirited drive in your bimmer and had that troublesome "service engine soon" light or "check engine" light take all the fun out of your day? Your BMW is a precision built machine that constantly monitors operating systems to ensure a high level performance. If there is any problem with operation, or time for a maintenance issue to be addressed, it will trigger one of these warning lights. BMP Design has a compact tool that can properly read and report BMW engine and service codes safely and easily. Having the ability to properly diagnose engine lights from a parking lot, garage, or roadside is a valuable asset that saves you time and gives you peace of mind.

A warning light should never be ignored and can range from anything as simple as a loose gas cap to a serious timing issue. It's never fun to go to a mechanic and pay over a hundred dollar fee to find out a technician only had to replace your radiator cap or pay for a costly engine repair that could have been prevented by having that engine light checked sooner. Our fault code reader can quickly and easily give you an accurate reading of what your engine light is trying to tell you as it happens. Built specifically for BMW applications, our fault code reader reads and displays all BMW-factory fault codes.

Warning lights also come on to indicate routine maintenance issues such as brake component replacement and oil service.  A routine BMW oil service with system reset can run anywhere from $100-$150 at a service shop, but with our service reset tool the same oil service can be performed at home for a fraction of the cost. A "must have" for any at-home or independent service mechanic, this service reset tool is an inexpensive way to save time and money.

*Designed for most BMW's built between 1987 and 2006, not compatible with the newest condition based service system implemented in 2006-2007 on several models. Models from 2001-2006 may need a 16 pin under the dash adapter.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

BMW Electric Water Pump Problems

A problem we have been seeing at our front counter and in our service shop are overheating issues on many of the newer 6-cylinder BMW models. A customer will walk in and request a gallon of coolant or a coolant system flush from our service department because of an overheating issue, but after a quick test the problem is easily identified as the electric water pump.

The issue isn't a leak or mechanical breakdown, but often starts out as a problem with the electric motor in the pump that begins to slow down, eventually coming to a complete stop. This is a part monitored by the primary vehicle control module and will give an indication of a problem with a simple system scan.  When detected, the error will read as a water pump speed deviation or a loss of communication to the water pump.

In either situation the water pump needs to be replaced.  If not caught sooner by a system scan, the only warning light that will come up on the dash will be a yellow then a red engine overheat indicator. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION! Heat damage can easily damage the aluminum block and require a complete and costly engine replacement or overhaul. 

Electric water pump replacement is easy and straight forward and requires the replacement of the aluminum “one time use” bolts as well.  Both the water pump and the bolts are available through BMP Design. To perform this repair yourself, a proper Bentley Service Manual is your best tool along with an adequate amount of Genuine BMW Coolant and a few hours time.  No special programming is required, our replacement water pump is completely plug and play.

Cars affected will include all variants of: E60 525i, 528i, 530i, E70 X5 3.0si, E82 128i coupe, E83 X3 3.0i, E85 Z4 3.0i, E86 Z4 3.0si, E88 128i, E89 Z4 30i Roadster, and E90/91/92/93 325i, 328i, 330i.