One of the most overlooked maintenance tasks you can do for your car is getting the wheels aligned. However, this task has much more value than just making sure your car goes straight when driving it. Getting your vehicle’s alignment checked can extend the life of your vehicle. As fewer alignment problems will mean less maintenance is to be done.
What is A Wheel Alignment?
A wheel alignment is a self-explanatory maintenance task, as it makes sure the tires of your car are pointing straight. If they are not properly aligned, it will cause your care to pull itself to the left or right while in motion. To test this, drive on the highway or a long straight road and after you build momentum, let go of the steering wheel. If you notice your car starts to pull to either the left or right, then your car is in need of an alignment. If an alignment is not performed on your car, then the pulling can cause stress on your suspension and steering systems which will cause major repairs to be done on your vehicle that can cost you.
How Often Should You Get An Alignment?
For all makes, models, and brands of cars there is a rule of thumb to when drivers should have their cars aligned properly. This rule of thumb is having your wheels aligned once a year, as this type of issue does not happen frequently. However, if you do live in an area where you frequent potholes, then you may need to have your car aligned twice a year. This is because potholes are the leading cause of alignment issues with vehicles.
If you have any more questions on alignment or other services to be done on your car, call today!
If you are an owner of a Mercedes-Benz, it is important to know almost every inch of your vehicle. As you know, you are driving more than just a car, you are driving an experience. With that said, Mercedes-Benz has gone above and beyond to make sure that their cars drive and operate at optimal levels. This means having intricate and high-efficiency components inside the engine of the car. One of the most important aspects is the brake system within a Mercedes-Benz vehicle. These systems consist of interconnected components that help operate the system with precision over a wide range of operating temperatures and weather conditions.
As mentioned in our previous blog brake fluid helps operate the brake pads during transportation and can absorb moisture, air, and dirt. If not tended to, the moisture can create corrosion within the internal rake components and decrease the boiling point of the brake fluid. This can cause the brakes to not function at optimal levels, which can be a dangerous risk while operating the vehicle.
When Should I Get My Mercedes-Benz Brake Fluid Changed?
While most cars tend to have recommendations of 36 months or 24,000 miles, for Mercedes-Benz we recommend every two years or 20,000 miles to be on the safe side. The procedure for changing the brake fluid on your Mercedes-Benz is a little different than most cars. Be sure to contact a trained technician as they use approved pressure bleeding machines and “DOT 4 plus” brake fluid. Since the brake system is known for its precision, the machines these technicians use are designed to properly flush out old fluid while not harming the any of the precision braking parts. The machine also ensures that the new brake fluid enters the system with no moisture or air.
It is important to have Mercedes-Benz approved parts and fluids being used when getting your car worked on. This is what Boston Motor Werks takes pride in as we are trained technicians with a passion for BMW, Porsche, and of course Mercedes vehicles, ensure that each customer leaves happy. Call today for more information!
It is well known that brake fluid is a very important aspect of your car’s daily operation. As you press down on the brake pedal, the fluid causes the brake pads to press against the rotors to slow your car down to a complete stop. Over time, just like with transmission lines, the brake fluid will start to absorb air, moisture, sludge, dirt and other contaminants as you drive your car days on end. No matter if you drive a Mercedes, Porsche, or BMW your car will need to have a brake system flush at some point in the cars life cycle to keep the brakes working at optimal levels.
What Does a Brake Flush Consist Of?
A brake system flush for Mercedes, Porsche, or BMW vehicles includes removing the existing fluid and moisture out of the system. It is the replaced with new, clean, contaminant-free fluid. By having a brake flush performed on your car, you are ultimately ensuring proper performance of your brake system so there are no issues while driving and it also increases the lifespan of the system.
Brake System Flush Steps
- Remove contaminated brake fluid.
- Add new brake fluid.
- Bleed the brakes.
- Clean any surfaces where brake fluid has spilled during the bleeding process.
- Check for fluid leaks.
- Inspect brake pads, rotors, and hoses.
- Test drive car with new fluid.
When Should I Get A Brake System Flush?
As each car is different, you will want to refer to the manufacturer’s manual for maintenance guidelines for fluid maintenance. However, common and good practice is getting your car checked for a brake fluid flush every 36 months or 24,000 miles. It is always good practice to have this service done by a trained professional as they will use the correct fluid for your car.
With any type of car, whether it is a Mercedes, Porsche, or BMW there is a slew of different types of parts and repairs for these parts. One of the biggest and most important parts of a vehicle is the transmission and depending on what you need to be repaired, it could get expensive. In order to prevent major repairs to be done, it is good to be diligent with your car’s maintenance and being on top of minor repairs. One minor maintenance task you can have done to prevent a big transmission repair is a transmission flush.
What is a Transmission Flush?
A transmission flush is a maintenance process where all of the oil in a transmission is removed and replaced with new oil. An experienced mechanic uses a special machine that runs cleaning solutions, as well as new oil, through your transmission that will push out any grime and sludge. This makes sure that your transmission is removed of debris and sludge that can hinder performance and cause more issues down the line.
What is a Transmission Change?
A transmission fluid change is a similar process to a flush but does not use a special machine. A change simply drains the fluid using natural gravitational forces. While this method helps clean up your transmission and drains about 20-40 percent of the total volume, it clean as good as a flush. Not all of the fluid in the transmission system is drained and it does not flush out contaminants within the oil. A change is normally used for a frequent maintenance or a quick fix to improving the life of your car’s transmission.
When it comes to repairs, whether it’s a flush or change, you will want to make sure that the work is done by a professional for optimal results. At Boston Motor Werks, we take pride in being specialists for Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche vehicles and we always ensure our clients are completely satisfied with our services. For more information on transmission flushes or to schedule one for your Mercedes vehicle, give us a call today!
Just like with regular cars, BMW’s, Porsche’s and Mercedes’s need to have regular inspections for optimal performance. This goes especially well with fuel systems as internal combustion engines will not run without them. There are parts in a fuel system that are meant to stand up to years of use, but some parts tend to out last longer than other parts of the system. The system as a whole should be inspected regularly to see what parts of the system need to be check on. As some parts of a fuel system need to be inspected more often than a others as well as different parts needing different levels of maintenance.
Fuel System Parts To Be Inspected
- Fuel Filter – The fuel filter needs to be inspected or replaced the most often out of the other parts of the fuel system. Regular inspection is good to keep track of its usage so you know when to get it replace. Filters of a fuel system should be replaced every 10,000-15,000 miles.
- Hoses – The hoses in which the fuel running to components of the engine bay should be checked regularly. Whenever you have your car serviced, ask your mechanic to check these tubes for breaks, blockage or anything else that would cause concern.
- Fuel Injectors – Injectors should be inspected annually for performance issues. However, they should be replaced if there are issues with fuel delivery within your engine.
- Fuel Lines – As with any line in your car, if you see that fuel is leaking under your car then you should have your hard fuel lines inspected. Any leakage should result in replacing those faulty lines for new ones that will not leak.
- Fuel Pump – Pumps usually last around 100,000 miles but there could be signs that inspection is needed. This happens when the pumps begin surging fuel towards the engine or not delivering enough fuel. You will want to get an inspection regardless of the mileage if any surging begins.
- Fuel Tanks – Fuel tanks necessarily don’t need to be inspected as they tend to last around 10 years. However, to extend the life of your fuel tank, avoid water and excess moisture at all cost to extend the life of your tank past 10 years.
Performing regular inspections and maintenance will increase the life span of your fuel system as well as providing your vehicle with consistent performance. To schedule a fuel system inspection for your BMW, Porsche or Mercedes call our office today!
Most noises from your BMW are the harmless notes of a fully functioning vehicle. Plastic and metal bits from your BMW’s body bump and squeak as they rub together, tires hum against asphalt, wind whooshes past windows, and your engine creates an endless buzz that grows barely noticeable over time.
Most BMW owners know, however, that all sounds coming from your car – especially from the engine – aren’t so harmless. Any noticeable thumping, banging, clicking, squealing or other odd sounds from your engine could indicate a serious problem. If ignored, these underlying problems could lead to major engine damage or failure – both of which pose a threat to your safety and can result in a breakdown. Prevent costly engine repairs and replacement by bringing your BMW to a certified BMW technician at the first sign of these common noises:
Grinding/Screeching: If you hear these noises when turning on your engine it could point to a worn drive belt or pulley.
Hissing or Sizzling: Usually heard after the engine is turned off, these sounds could indicate coolant or oil leaking into the heated part of the engine, a crack in the vacuum line, or an overheating engine.
Knocking/Rough Running: This is one of the most common engine sounds that indicates an issue with ignition coils, spark plugs, and valve gear, or even piston rings and connecting rods.
Whirring: Heard deep within the engine, these sounds indicate an issue with water pump, power steering pump or alternator. If you hear this noise start by checking power steering fluid levels and fill if needed. If the problem still persists, visit a BMW technician for further inspection.
Boston Motor Werks is the local independent BMW specialist you can count on for dealership quality service, maintenance, and repair for all models of BMW. Our certified master technicians are experienced in diagnosing a wide variety of engine sounds and offer complete repair at affordable prices. At the first sign of any strange engine noises, call us at 617-489-0291 or fill out our online form to make an appointment.
This is a common question we always receive from customers come the end of winter/the start of spring. Seeing how we living New England and the weather is so unpredictable, it’s tough to provide clients with an exact date on when they should swap out their snow tires for summer tires.
We advise all of our clients to wait until the threat of any snow is completely gone; anyone remember the April Fool’s Day snow storm we had a few years ago?! Many people jump the gun and remove their winter tires the first warm weekend of the season; stop and take a breath, and remember why you purchased these snow tires in the first place, for safety!
Being caught in a spring snow storm without your tires is never a good time, nor is it safe! Summer tires are at their best, when of course the weather is warm; they don’t offer much traffic during cold and snowy weather.
For more information about when to remove winter tires or any other BMW service questions, please give Boston Motor Werks a call at 617-489-0291.
We couldn’t tell you how often a customer calls us in a panic because there is an odd smell coming from their BMW; we ask these customers to describe the scent, and based on their description, more often than not, we will have a pretty good idea what’s going on with your car!
Below you will see some examples of different scents, and what issues they can represent:
- If you’re smelling burning rubber, could indicate a number of issues ranging from: drive belts, all the way up to loose hoses. If the hoses become loose, they tend to rub up against the drive pulleys, which is why you’re smelling burnt rubber. If the engine department is hot, do not reach in to untangle the loose hoses, bring it in to us immediately!
- Maybe you’re smelling oil? If so, you could have an oil leak that is seeping through your exhaust system; common signs of an oil leak is smoke coming from the engine area, or oil on the pavement.
- A gas leak is usually indicated by the smell of gas; a gas leak indicates that your BMW will need a repair in either the fuel tank or injector line or even both! If you smell fuel you should bring in your BMW to us immediately, because a gas leak can result into a possible fire.
- Are you smelling a sweet syrupy scent? This could indicate issues with your engine coolant; this is usually related to the car’s cooling system.
- The scent of burnt carpet usually indicates some sort of brake issue, which is a huge safety hazard. If you’re smelling burnt carpet, please bring in your BMW right away and have the brakes checked!
- The smell of rotten eggs is never a good one, and it can indicate some serious problems with your BMW; it often means there’s a problem with your catalytic converter. Or it can indicate a poor running engine, which leads to the catalytic converter overloading and malfunctioning.
For more information on odors, and what they indicate about your BMW, please give Boston Motor Werks a call at 617-489-0291. We offer free over the phone estimates!
As long as your BMW is properly maintained throughout the year, it should be more than ready for New England’s toughest weather; this means following your manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations. This will include fluid changes at their recommended intervals.
We do suggest purchasing winter tires, as New England’s weather is very unpredictable; one day it could be sunny with highs in the 50’s and the next day we could be having a blizzard, so it’s important to be prepared for any weather condition this winter!
If you don’t have winter tires, your car could easily get stuck in just a few inches of snow.
Once you purchase your snow tires, you will be happy you did; once it snows, you can tell the difference between snow tires and regular tires. For one you won’t get stuck, and two it helps you better control your car and skidding and fishtailing is limited!
For information on how to maintain or winterize your BMW, please give Boston Motor Werks a call at 617-489-0291.
When determining time lines to have your BMW services and inspected, you should most often refer to your owner’s manual; this manual will usually indicate the mileage benchmarks where you should have your BMW inspected.
BMW are such high tech cars that the vehicle itself will tell you when you need to have your car serviced; older models have lights that will let you know when you need to bring your car into our shop. The lights are green, but when they turn red, it’s time to bring your vehicle into our garage. We recommend having an oil change when there are about two green lights left (there are usually five total lights).
Depending on which lights are red, we will perform an Inspection I or Inspection II service.
Newer vehicles have condition-based service, or CBS, which the vehicle software calculates service intervals using an algorithm based on various sensors, driving style, average traveled distance, ambient temperature, and other variables. This will actually tell you which parts need to be replaced. For X-drive cars, their transfer case fluids need to be replaced regularly
We recommend performing air and cabin filter replacements every 30,000 miles. Spark plugs on most non-M vehicles should be replaced every 60,000 miles. Automatic transmission service, as well as transfer case and differential service, should be performed every 60,000 miles as well, as part of the Inspection II service. Despite the improvements in synthetic fluid technology, our experience has taught us there is no replacement for old-school maintenance intervals.
For more information about when you should have your BMW services, or for an estimate, please feel free to give Boston Motor Werks a call at 617-489-0291.
