It’s Friday!  And what a busy week it’s been here at the shop!  Before we get down to bimmer business, just a little note.  Reggie’s Motorworks is excited to announce that we now offer free wifi internet access to our guests while you wait on your car to be serviced!  Whether it’s work, socializing or just passing the time, we want to make your time here with us as relaxing as possible.

The gauges weren’t functioning properly on this 1996 BMW 530i.   Luckily, it turned out to be just an electrical issue, and not a problem with the gauge cluster!

This 1996 BMW 328i came came in for a few reasons: no heat was coming from the HVAC system, no washer fluid sprayed when the switch was depressed, and there was a squeak in the front end.   Reggie inspected and will replace the blower motor to solve the first issue.

Installing a new washer pump:

As for the squeak in the front end, new sway bar links were in order:

As you can see in the photo on the left below, the bushings in the sway bar links were toast:

This 2001 BMW 530i needed its headlight transformer replaced:

The owner of this titansilber metallic 2001 BMW 325i heard some noise coming from the rear of his bimmer.

One of the rear shock mounts had basically blown apart (below, right).  Since the condition of the other shock mount was unknown, and had only been installed last summer at another shop, replacing the other one only made sense.  We are still not sure why the one shock mount failed, but we did not want that to happen to the other one!

After replacing both shock mounts, Reggie tightens the rear shocks in place:

This bimmer was missing its jack pads, so Reggie installed new ones:

Last week we gave a little preview of the project Reggie would be working on this week.  The 1990 BMW 325i, below on the left, was in need of some rust repair along the rear driver side quarter panel, as well as on the lower valance.   The original plan was to use some metal from the “donor” bimmer, a 1991 BMW 318is, pictured below on the right.

Rust along the rear quarter panel on the driver side:

No rust on the “donor” bimmer:

When taking a much closer look at the rusty BMW, Reggie was able to put his hand through a hole in the trunk…not good!  How did this happen?  Good question!  The sunroof had been draining into the quarter panel  -  the hose had not been reconnected after being in an accident.  Moreover, the panel had not been welded into place properly.

Here is what the hose from the sunroof is supposed to look like when it is properly connected – the passenger side was just fine:

Reggie gets to work removing the back bumper  on the donor 318is.  After further inspection, there was just a bit more rust on the donor panel than Reggie would have liked.  So at this point, the original plan was in limbo.  Good news: We found a replacement panel in stock from BMW!  Bad news:  It turns out that the replacement panel that was thought to be in stock actually did not exist.  Their was a glitch in their inventory.  More good news:  We have found a replacement panel that really does exist!  Bad news:  This panel is in Germany, and could take as long as a month for it to arrive here!   Alas, all hope is not lost!  We’ll find out soon what our next move will be, so until then, we’ll move on to some mechanical work.  Update: We’re going back to the original plan!

The rear suspension will be reconditioned while in the shop.

Once the rear suspension is lowered…

…Reggie will replace the subframe bushings and differential bushing:

Back to the rust repairs!  Reggie removes any rust in the affected areas using his grinder:

Next, Reggie works on removing the rusty area around the wheel arch. He is center punching the spot welds so that the spot weld cutter will stay centered on them:

Here’s a look at the rust on the passenger side lower valance, a really common rust area since it’s below the battery box:

Jumping back to the work on the rear suspension, Reggie tack welds slotted camber and toe brackets to the subframe:

That’s all the time we have for now, we’ll be back next Friday for more!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!   Winter has definitely settled in here.  Snow and ice cover the ground, but here inside the shop, it’s nice and warm!  It’s been another busy week, so we’ll get right down to business!

This 1989 BMW 325i got a new headlight assembly and HID headlight conversion.  She also had an oil leak and power steering leak to address.

A 2001 BMW 330xi got a new brake light switch, brake fluid flush, oil change, brake pads and rotors, an interior trim piece, and tire rotation. (Not pictured.)

On the list for this 1993 BMW 318i is a new starter and to diagnose a squeaky belt issue.  Reggie also found a cracked breather hose, so that will be replaced as well.

Although we are BMW specialists, we can also service Audi, Mini, and Volkswagen.  This sharp 2004 Audi A8 L Quattro came to the shop to repair a door handle, a coolant leak, clear codes, and a tune-up, which includes 2 valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, oil change, fuel filter, fuel injection cleaning system, and a battery charge.

Next, this 1987 BMW 325i e30 cabrio got a new timing belt and tensioner, water pump, axle bearing, and brake pads.  Below, Reggie is working on the right rear wheel bearing:

And next week, we’ll be showing some extensive work being done to this bimmer, a 1990 BMW 325i…

… including some rust repair work:

Have a great weekend!

After unseasonably mild weather the past few weeks, winter has finally emerged here in the Midwest.  In fact, snowflakes are flying as I type this blog post!  The good news is that we’ve stayed plenty warm — and plenty busy — this week!

Last week we mentioned we had a new team member…  We’re excited to introduce Nick!  As Office Manager, he’ll be a huge help in making us more efficient.   And most likely you’ll talk to him when you call the shop or when you come in for service.  We’ve known Nick for years, and he’s a perfect fit for Reggie’s Motorworks.  He’s creative, detail-oriented, driven, and has a background in customer service and the luxury and high-performance marine industry.  He grew up here in Noblesville, and has an adorable family – his lovely wife Kristen and their soon-to-be 2 year old son, Colin, who is the light of their lives.  Welcome to the team, Nick!  We’re happy to have you!

This beautiful 2005 BMW 325i came in to diagnose a power mirror issue.  The mirrors were activating without any input from the switch.   Reggie found a code for a faulty potentiometer in the driver side mirror motor, so that motor needed to be replaced.

New brake pads and rotors and a new window regulator were on the list for the following 2002 BMW 330xi.  She also got a coolant system inspection as preventative maintenance.  The system was also pressure tested.

Reggie got to work on removing the broken window regulator on the driver side:

The window regulator on the e46 is much easier to replace than on an e36 due to the way BMW constructed the door panel area – there aren’t any clips that need to be re-glued like on an e36 for one thing.

The old window regulator:

Once the new regulator was installed, it was time to put the window back in place and test the new regulator:

The airbag was reconnected:

And then the door card was reinstalled:

Here’s the old regulator again.  On the right, the little bit of plastic is the guilty culprit:

Moving on… This e46 was in need of new brake pads and rotors.  Reggie removed the wheels and got to work:

While the oil drained from the car, Reggie checked the brake fluid:

A little anti-seize on the brake caliper bracket keeps the brakes from squeaking:

An airbag warning light, side marker lights, clock, offset wiper blade, central locking system issue, caster adjustment, “ringing” at speed, and a squeak in the engine compartment…just a few things for which this sweet little 1999 Z3 M coupe needed attention.

In addition, the M coupe’s owner requested a review of its maintenance history as well as any recommendations for service to keep her on the road.

Reggie is able to see and diagnose any codes that are in the M’s system:

Reggie also worked on a 1992 BMW 735i this week.   On the list:  mount and balance tires, oil change, diagnose coolant leak, diagnose brake pulsing issue, and a few other odds and ends.

Next, Reggie changed the oil and performed an inspection on this 2002 BMW 540i:

It’s been some time since Lucy’s last appearance on the blog, so I thought it was time this week for a quick update!  She has grown quite a bit!  She’s 7 months, 31 pounds, and has seemingly endless amounts of energy.  I did catch her chilling out for a minute though — a brief minute!  She’s not sure what to think of the snow, other than it tastes good!

That’s all for this week!  Have a great weekend!