How to Adjust and Repair a BMW 5-Series Parking Brake (E34)

We live in a throw-away society. If it doesn’t work, we tend to toss it in the bin. Bike tire has a hole? Toss it instead of patching it. Oven stopped working? Get a new one. Wiper blades start streaking? Buy a new one. Hold on there. Wipers are commonly tossed out in their entirety because the...

The M30 engine is one BMW's long run power plants. From a performance standpoint, its also one of the more common engine swaps performed to replace some of the lesser powered late 80's and early 90's BMWs like the BMW 535i. Most have stood the test of time with only minor valve adjustments and...

A relay is a simple device, but when a relay fails, its can be very difficult to diagnose. The Volvo 940 has a very common failure of the Radio Suppression Relay. Despite the name, it neither suppresses anything nor is it related to the radio. What it does is simply give power to the fuel...

Let's face it, styling cues and equipment options have always been better on European spec cars, and design wise the equipment itself seems to be better. Many options on the Euro-spec E36 BMW M3 models weren't available on U.S models, simply because they thought the car was too expensive to be...

  A closeup of the idler arm as installed- passenger tie rod to the left, and drag link to the right.   Before the mid 1990's (including the W123, W124, W126, and W201), Mercedes-Benz generally used a steering set up that is more typical on commercial trucks and tractors than on fine luxury...

Diagnosing a newer car is easier than you think. Since 1996, all new cars like the Volvo S60 and BMW 325i have been fitted with the OBD-II system, which monitors the engine very closely, specifically the emissions systems. If anything looks wrong, and the computer cannot regulate it, it will set...

Cooling system maintenance often goes undone. While BMW recommends a cooling system flush every 2-3 years, people generally will go 5+ years. The reason to you need to change your coolant every couple of years is the coolant becomes old and exhausted and can cause irreversible damage to your...

I picked up a set of wheels for my brick a couple of months back. I had been keeping an eye out for this exact set of Volvo wheels, 16” Meteors. If you know about the abstract naming scheme of Volvo wheels, then you’ll know these are essentially baby 17” Comet wheels, in my opinion, some of the...

Diagnosing a cooling system on your Volkswagen or Audi is easier than you think. Using a few tools that are cheap and readily available, your cooling system can be properly diagnosed in less than an afternoon, and save the hassle and expense of a shop. Whether your car is overheating or has...