Over the last three years, I solved a number of issues with my Mini and want to communicate those to you in case you encounter similar issues with yours. Article submitted by reader Jim Burton Car 2005 Mini Cooper, 80,000 miles, base model, 5-speed manual, sport suspension, well maintained,...

Late last week we released a new product offering called Dinan Engineering. Dinan has been in the BMW tuning business 1979. One thing to note about Dinan is their products are 50 state legal and do not void BMW's manufacturer warranty but Dinan also includes their own warranty which...

We recently had our friends from CRP Industries drop in to our FCP office, and they showed us something that I thought was really important to point out. Like most other maintenance items on your vehicle you should always replace your brake hoses in matched pairs, left and right. This point was...

Passing a state inspection isn't usually very difficult for a late model vehicle. What's the first thing to usually go? In my experience, bulbs like to start popping after a few years, giving you the inevitable fail. Gareth will show you the best way to replace a Mercedes C300's license plate...

I pulled out onto the road and noticed steam rising from under the hood, and distinctly remembered looking at my gauge cluster only to see the engine temperature rising quickly past the midway point. Needless to say, I immediately pulled off the road and turned the engine off to let it cool down....

Many of you may not know about the German company Wulf Gaertner. In the 1950’s the company started out as a small exporting and trading firm for original equipment spare parts to South America. The company through the 1960’s and 1970’s continued to grow its reputation and spread into an...

Squeaky or worn belts, bearing noise, or both can indicate a failure in a BMW's serpentine belt system. We're back again with Gareth Foley to walk you through a replacement of all the accessory drive belt components including belts, tensioners and idler on a 2000 BMW 528i.  Subscribe to us on...

An enthusiast-driven European vehicle will require diligent maintenance to keep it performing the way it was intended. There is a huge difference between brakes that "work," and brakes that work great. Vibration, grinding, or excess noise while braking can be signs that the brake pads or rotors...

Fuel pumps have a limited lifespan - usually somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 miles. Some owners are cautious and see the fuel pump as a maintenance item after the 100K mark, but for the majority of us, we run our fuel pumps until they die. There are valid arguments to be made for each...

Using a high quality oil is a paramount contributor to a BMW's long life and sludge-free performance.  More importantly, changing it at the correct interval will ensure your engine doesn't suffer. Our resident BMW-guru Gareth Foley is back in the shop with a quick DIY on how to change the oil in...