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Plastic
Everywhere!This
article is primarily about BMW E36 cars, but it applies to
many makes and models, including Mercedes & Porsche cars.
BMW E36 cars were produced from 1992 through 1999. In an effort
to appease the powerful Green Party in Europe, a large portion
of the E36 is made of plastic that can be readily recycled.
Unfortunately with time and repeated heating and cooling cycles,
or long exposure to the sun, plastic becomes brittle and ultimately
fails. The water pump impeller is one part of the E36 that
should never have been made of plastic. The problem was not
corrected by BMW however until mid year 1996 production. Strangely,
even after BMW was made aware of the problem they did not
recall nor replace plastic pumps unless they failed.If in doubt replace your
water pump as soon as possible, if the water pump fails your
engine could overheat. The coolant thermostat housing at the
front of the engine has two large radiator hoses clamped to
it. This too will fail...It’s just a matter of when.
We recommend replacement at the same time as replacing the
water pump, or after 60,000 miles. The radiator end caps and
coolant tank are plastic and should be inspected and replaced
if there are any signs of impending failure. The inlet or
outlet necks of the radiator are the areas most likely to
fail. Unfortunately all of these plastic parts fail suddenly
and are part of the engine cooling system, so you can get
stuck in the middle of nowhere without much warning. Periodic
inspection and preventive replacements are the only solutions.
Always pull off the road if your car overheats, it’s
not worth it to try to drive, even a few blocks. Tow the car
in and save a lot of money by saving your engine. Why Flush The Brake Fluid every
two years.Brake Fluid by nature
absorbs moisture out of the atmosphere! Moisture lowers the
boiling point of the brake fluid and then the brakes become
less efficient. Changing fluid on a regular basis will greatly
increase the performance of the brake system. Changing brake
fluid at least every several years will preserve the life
of the brake system components (by removing accumulated water
and other contaminants) and increase the overall reliability
of the brake system including the ABS (anti-lock braking system)
system pump. The ABS pump shares the same brake fluid!
No, it is a task that is done separately. Think of it like
this, you have the hardware part of the brakes (pads, rotors
& sensors), then you have the hydraulic side which comprises
of metal lines, brake master cylinder, brake fluid reservoir,
and calipers (mostly used today). The Technician never has
to open the hydraulic system to change the hardware!
Polyethylene glycol and other brake fluid ingredients may
be corrosive to paint and finished surfaces such as chrome
and thus care should be taken when working with the fluid.
Additionally, polyethylene glycol in the concentrations found
in DOT brake fluids reacts violently, producing a large fireball
with certain household chemicals... notably pool care products.
With gas
prices going through the roof, it’s important to keep your
car tuned and running smooth. It could make a huge difference
to your gas consumption and over several months could save
you big!
Extended Warranty
We deal with a lot of them,
and most of the companies today are good. If you plan on buying
an extended warranty always go for the top of the line plan
within a contract. Warranty Companies usually offer several
different options or levels within a contract and the coverage's
are vastly different. What we have found is that the top of
the line coverage is the best, it covers all off the major
components and a lot more. You're going to spend twenty five
hundred to three thousand dollars for a great plan but it
will pay for itself.
Tirerack.com
If you'd like to order your tires
at a good price and don’t want the hassle of going to a tire
store here’s the solution; Read the tires size off your old
tires, be sure to read both front and rear sizes. It should
look something like this: 195/65 R15. Go online to www.tirerack.com
and order your tires, asking them to be shipped to us at Monaco
Motors. We will call you when the tires come in, then we will
install them for you. This will save you time and money -
something I’m sure you would appreciate.
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