MI:3 - BMW-Palooza!

We went to see MI:3 on New Years Day and weren't anticipating seeing all the new BMW models in the movie - from the 6 series convertible, M1 and the 2014 BMW i8 concept car, it was like watching a longer version TV commercial.

The movie was good - the cars were better!

"Ultimate Drive" App Helps Drivers Find Best Roads

BMW recently launched a new mobile app that directs drivers to the best roads for cruising in more than 50 countries. Users can then share those roads via Facebook, e-mail or other GPS device.


The app works by clicking on "show me" and the best stretches of roads are ranked by other users. You can click on a particular stretch of road to read descriptions, share it via social media, or let the app route you to the starting point.


We uploaded the app to Mark's Droid and found a few drives of note in CT, mostly in the northwest corner. Let us know if you try the app!

BMW Launches Art Car "Virtual" Museum

BMW recently launched a site to view some of its classic art cars. Take a look!



http://www.bmw-artcartour.com./galerie_e.html

December 9th Toy Drive for CCMC

We are asking for your help us give back to the community. NEMW is proud to announce that we are holding a toy drive to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. “Fill a Mini Toy Drive” will take place now until December 9. You can bring in a toy to our shop and, in addition to the feeling of goodwill, get 15% off your next service at Northeast Motor Werks. Our goal is to fill a Mini Cooper with toys.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center prides itself on being a teaching hospital, a doctor’s office, a surgical unit, and an intensive care unit for both children and premature newborns. The center cares for children of all ages and needs the community’s support to continue its care. The center also works on vital research to better children’s medicine. It is one of the only hospitals in the region dedicated solely to children’s health.

All donations will go to children who need to stay in the hospital over the holidays. Toys and books suitable for infants, children, and teens will be accepted. Come celebrate with us and help give back to the community!

Crankcase Breather Woes

Well it's that time of year again when the needle drops below 32 degrees and things start to freeze.One of the victims of this situation is the crankcase breather on the BMW M54 engine.

Moisture accumulating in the engine oil separator; hose to oil dipstick guide tube; or the orifice in the dipstick guide tube can freeze. When this occurs, depending on the position of the internal valve, it may either cause high crankcase pressures (stuck closed) resulting in valve cover leakage and/or breakage, or cause an oil hydro-lock condition (stuck open), with smoke from the exhaust pipe,rough running and which could result in engine damage.

#1 Normal Breather#2 Cold Climate Version

BMW and Northeast Motor Werks Recommend installing the cold climate version of the crankcase breather and associated hoses,along with the latest modified dipstick tube.This modified valve and hoses has foam insulation encapsulating the valve and hoses,and the dipstick tube has a larger drain orifice so that there is less of a chance for any condensation to build up and freeze.

With all that being said, we have still seen the insulated valve fail on high mileage engines due to the fact that the rubber diaphragm inside the valve has deteriorated and split.

BMW announces voluntary Emissions and Safety Recalls

BMW of North America has notified the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its intent to conduct a voluntary recall of some model year 2007-2010 BMWs equipped with twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engines, all of which feature BMW's High Precision Injection direct fuel injection system. It has also asked for approval from the California Air Resources Board to conduct this action. Affected vehicles may experience a failure of the high-pressure fuel pump. High Pressure Pump (8) and Injectors(2) Symptoms include long-crank engine starting times along with the illumination of the "Service Engine Soon" light. In certain cases, the driver may experience reduced engine performance in a Safe Mode accompanied by a tone and the display of an "Engine Malfunction" warning, if the vehicle is equipped with iDrive. Based on the individual service history of the vehicle, the action will entail replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump and/or a software update . . Affected BMW models include: - Model Year 2007-2010 335i models - Model Year 2008-2010 135i, 535i and X6 xDrive35i Sports Activity Coupes - Model Year 2009-2010 Z4 Roadster sDrive35i BMW has tried several times to update the high pressure fuel pumps and software to address these issue and obviously in light of recent events with Toyota and their "Unintended Acceleration" debacle,BMW do not wish to try to keep this issue under wraps any longer In a separate action, BMW has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will voluntarily recall approximately 20,800 MY 2008 X5 Sports Activity Vehicles equipped with normally-aspirated inline six-cylinder engines to replace the low-pressure fuel pump. In this case, should the fuel pump experience a failure, the engine will stop running and the driver will lose power assist for the steering and brakes although both the steering and the brakes remain operational. Letters will be sent by First Class mail to owners of affected vehicles in the coming weeks, requesting the scheduling of a service appointment with an Authorized BMW Center to have the update performed. No injuries have been reported. In the case of either issue, if a customer experiences a problem, they should contact their authorized BMW Center. Customers with additional questions should contact BMW Customer Relations at 1-800-563-4269             1-800-563-4269      or email CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

First Month Wrap Up & Mini Drivetrain

After an exciting grand opening event and first few weeks of business, we finish our first month feeling optimistic! Our customers really seem to enjoy the personal service we've given, and have commented online (and in our guestbook) about having a great experience. That's what we like to hear!

This past Saturday, I took a class on Mini Cooper Drivetrain Diagnosis and found that for all you Mini Cooper S owners, the supercharger should have the oil checked (or changed) approximately every 50K miles. This is due to the oil in the reduction gear chambers burning up and wearing out the gears. There is no factory maintenance interval specified for this (lifetime fill). Given the cost of a new supercharger, ($6K plus to fix), this service is highly recommended to prolong the life of your supercharger.