Category Archives: DIY

Car Care, DIY

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.

DIY

So You Want to Start an Auto Repair Business: Six Things to Know First

If you’ve spent endless summers or weekends turning wrenches in your garage, it might seem like the next logical step to turn your hobby into a business where you can earn money. While this can be a worthwhile endeavor, here are six things you should be aware of before you sign the lease on your shop and turn on the lights.

1. Licensing and Regulations

Anytime you open a business, you will need to obtain a business license and a tax identification number (TIN). You also have to familiarize yourself with some regulations, from employee safety to the disposable of hazardous materials, before you can open your doors. Not dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s can lead to costly fines that may even shut down your business before you get it off the ground.

2. Certifications

While Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications aren’t a requirement to open a shop or even work in one, customers feel a lot better about leaving their car in your hands if they see that blue gear logo on your wall or the lapel of your shop clothes. You can take a few different tests depending on your shop’s specialization, from general automobile repair to heavy engine repair on trucks or busses.

3. Start-Up Costs

In 2013, the start-up cost for an automotive repair shop was roughly $48,000. This includes things like renting a shop, purchasing equipment and paying for insurance, to name a few. It’s hard to repair cars with no tools and nowhere to do it, after all. Keep those start-up costs in mind, especially if you’re planning to secure a business loan to cover them.

4. Specializations

Are you planning to open your doors to all makes and models, or are you planning on specializing in a single brand of car, such as BMWs? You might lose out on some business opportunities if you choose the latter, but it can be lucrative depending on the types of vehicles people in your area own.

If you do want a specific brand to work on, make sure you look into any specializations you will need to acquire to become a certified specialist.

5. Contractors

They say that no man is an island — and no auto repair shop is either. You will need some help from outside contractors that might include but aren’t limited to:

· Lawyer: To help you dot all those I’s and cross all those T’s that we mentioned earlier

· Accountant: To help you keep track of the books

· Certified Garage Door Repair Technician: Because there’s no point in having a garage if the door won’t open — choose a certified technician to make sure that the job is done right the first time

· Equipment Repair Technician: Since you probably won’t have a hydraulic lift or compressor specialist on staff

The services these individuals provide will cost money, so make sure you include that in your initial calculations, so you’re not caught flat-footed.

6. Marketing

No one likes thinking about marketing, but word-of-mouth will only carry you so far when you’re opening a new business. If you don’t have any marketing skills, invest in the assistance of a professional to help customers can find you. Providing excellent service can encourage word of mouth, but you only get the chance to repair cars if drivers can find you in the first place.

Opening an auto repair shop isn’t as complicated as it sounds, but it does take some preparation to make sure everything is done right. Taking that time to prepare will mean the difference between a shop that is successful and one that closes it’s door before its first year is over.

DIY, Information

How to Build the Perfect Garage for Your BMW

Owning a BMW is a fantastic experience, but it might be short-lived if you don’t have a garage to keep it in. If you’re like most of us, your garage is probably an overflow for all the stuff that doesn’t fit in your house — and cleaning it out is a huge hassle, so why not build another garage instead? If you’d like to create the perfect garage to store your BMW in and you’ve got plenty of spare property to build on, here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Step One — Planning

Before you break ground or start buying supplies, your first step should be to plan your new garage. You’ll need to account for everything from the foundation up, including ventilation, electricity and insulation, among other things. If you’re not handy with architecture programs, consider hiring a pro to design a garage for you. Even if you’re planning on building it yourself, this can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

Here is also the step when you’ll want to start researching building permits in your area. Find out what permits, if any, you’ll need to obtain to legally build a garage on your property.

Step Two — Gathering

Step two involves collecting everything you’re going to need to build your garage — wood, concrete, electrical components and a garage door should all be on your list.

You don’t want to have to stop in the middle of your project to go pick up more lumber or drywall because you didn’t purchase enough to begin with. Make sure you gather all your supplies before you break ground.

Step Three — Construction

Step three is to build your dream garage. Start with your foundation — you’ll want a solid place to park your car. Once the foundation is in place, you can build it from the ground up — literally.

If you’re not confident in your handyman skills, or you’re worried about being able to build your garage up to code, it might be smart to bring in a professional to do the work for you. It might cost you a bit more, but you won’t have to worry about your garage roof falling onto your BMW, or your new garage burning down in the middle of the night because you incorrectly installed the electrical panels.

Once you have the garage built, it’s time for the fun part.

Step Four — Features

Now that you’ve got four walls and a roof, it’s time to trick out your garage with shelves, cabinets and other storage for your tools, toys and other car accessories.

Cabinets make an excellent addition to any garage, and you can build them yourself at home as long as you have the proper tools. These can be a great weekend project if you’re handy with a saw — and don’t forget to invest in high-quality saw blades to ensure you get clean cuts and smooth edges to build the perfect cabinet.

Step Five — Enjoy!

Once you have your garage built and tricked out, all that’s left is to park your BMW and enjoy all your hard work!

Constructing a garage can be an ambitious project, but if you’ve got a BMW or other luxury car and nowhere to park it, building a new garage is a great option — and it can add value to your property as well!