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Car Care

How to Keep Your BMW From Getting Scratches

A new BMW is sleek, sexy and has a presence that can’t be imitated or duplicated by any other car brand in the world. We do everything we can to keep our BMWs in good shape — washing the exterior, detailing the interior and performing regular maintenance to keep the engine running smoothly. 

While we can’t always avoid scratches, there are plenty of things we can do to prevent the ones that can lead to costly repairs.

Park It Indoors

Even if you’re in an area that isn’t prone to things like hailstorms, parking outside could still be detrimental to the health of your paint. Sticks and sand can get picked up by the wind and can scratch up your clearcoat. 

Bird droppings are one of the worst culprits. Animal droppings are corrosive and can cause more damage the longer they are allowed to sit.

You can’t always avoid bird droppings, especially when driving. However, if you notice that a passing feathered friend has left you a nice gift on your car, wash it off as soon as possible. 

Inspect Car Washes First

While washing your car by hand is the best choice, we don’t always have the time to do that, so we’re left with automatic car washes. While these businesses aren’t inherently evil when it comes to scratches, you need to be careful when choosing your car wash. Brushes can pick up sand and dirt from other cars, turning into sandpaper, which can leave fine scratches all over your BMW. 

Make sure the carwash you choose is well maintained and kept clean. Skipping this step could cost you a lot of money in the long run as you’re stuck repairing the paint. 

Be Mindful of What Is in Your Garage

Even if you have room to store your car in your garage, these rooms tend to become a catch-all for lots of things. Be mindful of what you’re storing in your garage if you want to prevent scratches on your BMW. Hazardous chemicals could burst as temperatures rise or fall, causing untold damage to the exterior of your favorite Bimmer. 

Also, be careful of anything that could potentially fall on your BMW. Anything from Christmas decorations to gardening tools can damage your paint. 

Take or Stow Your Valuables

Even if you lock your car, leaving valuables like phones, purses, wallets or laptops in plain sight is just asking for someone to bust your window. Thieves aren’t going to be careful to avoid scratching your paint when they’re making off with your goodies. 

If possible, remove all your valuables from your car when you arrive at your destination. If you can’t take them with you, stash them out of sight. Don’t make your vehicle a target for thieves, and you won’t have to worry about them scratching your paint while they’re stealing all your toys. 

Always Be Careful

It’s not always possible to make your BMW scratchproof, but you can take steps to reduce the risk and help protect your investment.

Car Care, DIY

Take Your BMW Wrenching to the Next Level

Working on your own car is one of the joys of ownership, and many BMW owners have some working knowledge of how to repair their cars, but just how comfortable are you turning wrenches when the stakes are high?

Mechanics spend years learning the ins and outs of specific BMW models, so when you begin life as a Bimmer enthusiast, don’t feel bad if a few trips to the shop are required. Over time, you can work on enhancing your skills. Stay with it, and a few years down the road you could be bolting whole cars together in your garage!

Entry-Level Jobs

No matter what kind of car you drive, saving money on maintenance and repair bills is an attractive idea. This is why many car enthusiasts choose to perform small jobs like oil changes and spark plug swaps on their own.

You will need a basic set of tools to pull off even these tasks — your car is not a snap-together model. For a few hundred dollars, you can pick up a basic set and a crawler to allow access below the vehicle. Don’t forget a quality set of jack stands — without them, you can’t raise the car off the ground safely.

Stepping Your Game Up

Once you’ve learned the basic layout of your BMW and how to find everything when the car’s in the air, you can begin to tackle tougher jobs. Maybe you’d like to install some upgraded suspension components or change out an old and failing radiator.

The more advanced jobs you’ll take on will require better access to the car. To give yourself better access and visibility when performing these jobs, a lift makes a great investment. If you know you will use it, you will recoup the money on jobs that would have required a mechanic’s facilities down the road. In some cases, you can even use a lift to add some parking space.

Advanced Procedures

When you’re comfortable making changes to individual components and performing routine maintenance, you can begin to consider doing more advanced jobs. There are classes available both for BMW-specific applications, and general engine work, you should attend if you’re going to do these jobs.

More advanced work might include complicated engine repair such as changing a camshaft or bottom-end component, or it might be making considerable modifications. Many enthusiasts talk about wanting to do an engine swap on their BMW, and while it’s certainly possible, you’ve got to know what you’re doing.

You Should Also Buy Some Orange Clean

Or GoJo — whatever pumice-derived cleaner you like best — because when you achieve this level of mechanical knowledge, all your friends are going to come around wanting your help. Hey, you live this stuff anyway, right? And if times get tough, you can always find work at a shop.

There are many reasons to begin doing your own work on your BMW. Start today and become a part of the movement keeping these timeless cars alive and well on the world’s roads.