Make 2019 the Year You Work on Your BMW Yourself

Did you make a new year’s resolution for 2019 yet? If not, here’s one for you — make this the year you start doing repairs and maintenance on your BMW yourself.

Why Work on Your BMW Yourself?

So, why should you start doing your own repairs and maintenance? If you have a BMW, you probably love it — there’s a reason bimmers have attracted so many loyal fans around the world. Working on your own BMW, even if it’s just basic maintenance, will help you:

  • Appreciate Your Vehicle: You’ll learn more about how it works and get to see some of its inner workings firsthand.
  • Relax With Friends: Working on a car is also a great way to relax and spend time with family and friends. If you’re new to DIY car repairs, you may be able to get a more experienced friend to help you. If you’ve already spent some time working on cars, you can probably find another BMW fan to work with or enlist an enthusiastic newbie who wants to learn more about them.
  • Save Money: Another major draw of DIY BMW maintenance is the potential cost savings. Your Mechanic, Inc. ranked BMW as the most expensive car make to maintain and estimated a cost of $17,800 over 10 years. This is mainly because BMWs are more expensive, higher-quality cars to begin with and, therefore, the parts are more expensive too. The labor can also be more expensive, especially if you a more advanced model such as one in the M series. Doing this labor yourself, however, can result in significant savings since labor costs account for a substantial portion of the price of a visit to the mechanic.

Tips for BMW Maintenance, Repairs and Modifications

Say you’ve decided to start working on your car yourself this year. How should you approach this new task? Here are three tips to help you get started.

1. Start Simple

If you’re not experienced in working with cars, start with some of the simpler maintenance tasks. Some great tasks for beginners include:

  • Changing your oil and oil filter
  • Changing your windshield wipers
  • Changing your air filter
  • Replacing spark plugs
  • Replacing your drive belts

As you get more comfortable with your car, you can move into more involved jobs include a range of maintenance and repair tasks and even some custom mods. That being said, you should probably leave the most advanced jobs, such as transmission repairs, windshield replacement and bodywork, to the professionals.

2. Make Safety Your Top Priority

Safety should always be your top priority when working on your car. Before you get started, make sure you’re in a safe environment. Clear the area of any potential hazards, and if you’re working in a garage, ensure the garage door is working correctly and won’t come down on your workspace. If you’re running your car, leave your garage door open and face the tailpipes toward the outside to prevent hazardous fumes from building up.

While working on your car, wear safety goggles, avoid loose clothing and tie up long hair. If you’re working on the underside of your vehicle, make sure you use high-quality floor jacks that can support your car’s weight and blocks for the wheels. Ensure that you’re working on a level surface and never use makeshift materials as car jacks. You should also have a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit nearby and easily accessible.

Also, make sure that all children and pets stay clear of the area unless they’re under direct supervision. If you’re letting your kids help or watch as you work on your car, give them a basic safety lesson first.

3. Invest in Quality Tools

In addition to your floor jacks, you’ll also need to invest in some other basic tools. Make sure they’re of decent quality — you don’t want your tools breaking mid-maintenance, as this would be quite inconvenient and could cause safety issues. Your BMW deserves high-quality tools. Many BMWs come with a small set of tools, so check what you have in that kit.

Some of the basic tools you’ll need include:

  • Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
  • Pliers
  • An adjustable wrench
  • A torque wrench
  • A socket and ratchet set

If you’re a BMW owner, make 2019 the year you start working on your bimmer yourself. You’ll save money, learn more about your car and have a good time doing it.

Four Car Issues Every BMW Owner Should Know

BMWs might be known for being some of the most reliable luxury cars on the market, but like everything designed by human minds and built by human hands, problems can crop up. Some of these issues are minor, while others can leave you stranded on the side of the road if you don’t address them quickly.

Addressing these problems can help you optimize your Bimmer for the most ideal drive no matter where you take it. Let’s look at four of the most common BMW problems and how to prevent them — or repair them when they do occur.

1. Power Window Failure

One of the best parts of owning a modern car is the convenience of power windows — at least, until they fail and end up stuck open or closed. Any BMW equipped with the E46 window motor and regulator might experience problems.

The regulator clips can break, which means your windows will move slowly — or not at all. These problems are easy to fix, but they do require taking apart the entire affected door to access the window regulator.

2. Oil Leaks

Oil only works if it’s able to stay in the engine compartment. BMW’s have a habit of developing oil leaks once you pass the 55,000-mile mark. Some are easy to repair — the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket being two of the most accessible oil leak related repairs — while others, like the rear main seal, may require the assistance of a professional.

You can repair some small leaks without disassembling the engine by using products that act as stop-leaks. However, while being a temporary mechanic might be convenient, it won’t work for larger or more complicated leaks.

3. Cracked Rims

Many BMW models come equipped with 19-inch run-flat alloy rims. While these rims look amazing, they are prone to cracking — and a poorly placed crack can puncture your tire, leaving you stranded.

It is important to note that this is only a problem for Class Series vehicles sold between 2009 and 2012 — BMW settled a class action suit in 2015. Although there’s not much you can do to prevent this other than driving safely, it is something to be on the lookout for if you’ve got a Bimmer from those years with the original rims.

4. Coolant Leaks

This BMW problem is specific to the BMW 3 series, but that is a great variety of cars to choose from. Regardless of the year, coolant leaks always manage to crop up. These can have many different causes, from a cracked radiator cap to a blown head gasket to a hole in the radiator itself.

No matter what the reason is, it is something you need to repair quickly. A lack of coolant could cause the engine to overheat — plus, the coolant is toxic to animals and the environment.

BMWs are, by far, one of the most reliable brands on their market — but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have their share of problems. Being aware of these four common problems can help keep your car running and prevent you from ending up stranded on the side of the road.

How to Become a BMW Salesperson

So, you want to be a BMW salesperson. While the job can be challenging at times, it does have its perks — the chance to make a decent living and spend a significant portion of your day talking about BMWs.

The pay for car salespeople varies widely depending on where you work and how skilled you are at selling cars since a significant portion of your pay comes from commissions. According to payscale.com, the average pay is $41,768.

Most BMW salespeople, however, make between $89,000 and $171,000, according to glassdoor.com. On top of that, most automobile salespeople sell between 200 and 1,000 cars every year and average more than one each day.

Being a car salesperson isn’t for everyone though. You need to be great with people and have skills in sales and customer service. You also need to have knowledge of cars and financing options.

Plus, you have to be prepared to be on your feet all day and work long hours, weekends and some holidays. If you want to work at BMW, you should also have a passion for beamers.

If you think you’re up for the challenge though, being a BMW salesperson can be an excellent career. Here’s how to make it happen.

Gain Experience

You don’t need a college degree to become a BMW salesperson, but you should have completed high school. It can be helpful if you’ve completed some sort of commercial or technical professional training related to sales, marketing or a related field.

You could take a few classes at a local college or enroll in an online training program. If you hope to move into a management position, a bachelor’s degree in business may be helpful.

BMW also prefers that you have some sort of experience in sales or customer service. You might start in a retail, sales or customer service position unrelated to cars, or you could get a job at another car dealership before moving up to BMW. The dealership you apply to will also consider your personality, skill set and enthusiasm for BMW.

Apply to Become a Junior Salesperson

Once you feel you’re ready, you can apply to become a junior salesperson at BMW. Simply search BMW’s website for open positions or look in the classifieds section of your local newspaper.

Complete the BMW Training Program

If your application is accepted, BMW will automatically enroll you in its car salesperson training program. The program is modular and will adapt to your experience and skill level. It will take a maximum of 12 months to complete. The program consists of several phases:

  • The introductory training will teach you about the BMW brand, the product lines, the BMW technologies most crucial for sales and the steps of the sales process. This will take about one week.
  • The basics module takes about two weeks and involves learning the essential consultation techniques and putting them into practice. It concludes with an exam and oral test.
  • The advanced modules will help you to improve your existing skills as needed. You’ll look at real-life cases and work with BMW retail organizations.
  • The specializations modules will teach you additional skills depending on your department, the size of your dealership and other conditions.

Check License Requirements

Depending on the state you live in, you may need a license to become a car salesperson. Check the requirements for your home state.

In California, you need to submit an application and pay a fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles. In Colorado, you need to pass an exam in addition to submitting an application and paying a fee.

You can also choose to participate in voluntary certification programs through organizations such as the Society of Automotive Sales Professionals (SASP) and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

Move Up

Once you complete the above requirements, you can become a BMW salesperson. If you do well and decide to stay in the field, you may eventually want to move up. Junior salespeople can eventually be promoted to more senior sales positions.

If you want to become a sales manager, you may need to go back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in business if you don’t already have one. After some more time in the industry, you may even decide to start your own dealership or buy an existing one and run the whole operation.

The requirements to become a BMW salesperson aren’t extremely stringent, but the job can be demanding and requires a specific set of skills. If you find success in this field, you can have a rewarding career as a BMW salesperson.