Repair Tips for A Well Maintained BMW

As a BMW owner, your vehicle requires a little more attention than the average car.  Even though BMW repairs can seem to be more costly than you might expect, there’s a lot you can do in the way of preventative maintenance, substantially reducing those repair costs in the long run.  I’ll be going over a few of the most commonly overlooked areas of your BMW, and showing you ways in which we can prevent problems ahead of time.  Being proactive will leave you with a greater sense of security and reliability, and you’ll spend less time worrying whether or not a surprise breakdown is in your future.

  1. Cooling System

The best place to start would be your BMW’s cooling system.  The home for a variety of plastic parts and hoses, it can be a real problem area in any BMW.  Many customers actually choose to replace their entire cooling system at some point, just for peace of mind.  It sounds more expensive but honestly ends up costing much less than doing one thing at a time as components age and require replacement.  Living in San Diego, where summertime temperatures can reach over 100, it’s no fun breaking down in the middle of rush hour traffic. And of course, that’s usually exactly when you have a cooling problem.

The most basic measure is to make sure your coolant is changed regularly.  This will help components to last longer and eliminates the dangers of running a coolant with depleted additives. These additives include corrosion inhibitors, plasticizers, and ph buffers.  BMW specific coolant is engineered for strict compatibility with all the plastics, seals, and metals in use by the manufacturer and is always the best way to go.  It’s reccomended to be changed every 5 years or 100,000 miles.

If you have over 100,000 miles or close to it, you might want to consider changing your water pump and thermostat.  These are usually the first to go on your BMW.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to also replace the main radiator hoses, as the rubber will probably be showing signs of swelling, and plastic joints becomming brittle or fatigued.  If you have a newer BMW with the N52 and later inline 6 engines, (approximately 2006 and up), you will have an electric water pump which is considerably more expensive to replace.  It is also common for them to fail and need replacing a lot earlier than 100,000 miles.  I have commonly seen them fail around the 60,000-80,000 mile mark.  The electronics in these pumps are extremely sensitive and become degraded from normal engine vibrations and mishandling.  Electronically controlled MAP thermostats are more durable, but should always be replaced at the same time as the pump to reduce labor costs.

Next would be the radiator and fan clutch.  If you have an electric fan used on newer models, you are in luck.  They are usually pretty decent and don’t require replacement often.  As far as a time frame on radiator and fan clutch, 150,000 miles or close to it seems to be where I see the most failures.

bmw water pump repair san diego

2. Belts, Tensioners and Pulleys

Belts should be replaced every 50,000-60,000 miles.  It’s a good idea to replace the belt tensioner and idler pulley around the same time, but they can often last well past 100,000 miles.  Tensioner and idler bearings run dry of grease, causing excessive wear leading to failure.  This ends up shredding the belt and can turn a simple repair into a difficult one, as the belt will actually melt onto all the other accessory pulleys on the motor.  If you have an N52 model BMW, you also run the risk of ingesting a shredded belt into the engine crankcase by way of the front crankshaft seal.  This has the potential to destroy the whole engine, and I have seen several examples of this exact thing happening.  At the very least you would be facing substantial costs to remove the oil pan, clean the oil pickup screen, and possibly replace the oil pump.

3.  Tune Up / Ignition System Components

For most non turbocharged engines, the reccomended replacement interval is 100,000 miles.  While most of the time that holds true, I have seen significant improvements made when changing at 60-80k.  A basic tune up will include replacing all the plugs with OEM and cleaning of the mass air flow sensor.  If you have a newer turbocharged N series or B series engine, the interval is much shorter, typically somewhere in the 30,000-60,000 mile range. Bad plugs can cause an engine to misfire and reduce fuel economy.  If there is a pronounced noticeable misfire, this can and will lead to melted pistons if driven on for long enough.  Many customers like to replace all the coils as well, usually if they have over 100,000.  When one coil goes bad it’s common for others to not be far behind.  It’s not always the case, but that’s why it’s a good idea to replace them all and not have to worry about it.

San Diego BMW Coil Repair

Here’s a list of some other common repairs I perform for BMW’s in San Diego.  If you have any questions you’d like to ask me about BMW repair I’d be more than happy to answer your email.  Thanks for reading!


BMW Auto Repair Services I Perform –

  • Tune Up / Spark Plugs
  • Brakes
  • Cooling System
  • Check Engine Light Diagnostics
  • Electrical
  • Charging System
  • Suspension Struts / Shocks / Control Arms
  • Engine Malfunction / Reduced Power
  • Direct Injection Carbon Cleaning
  • Inspection Due
  • Oil Leaks
  • Oil Changes
  • Transmission Fluid Service
  • Battery Registration
  • V8 Valley Pan and Coolant Pipe Leaks
  • CCV Valve and Oil Separator
  • Traction Control / DSC / Brake Lights
  • Belts and Pulleys
  • Head Gaskets

Are you looking for BMW repair San Diego?  I offer a convenient mobile based service.  Competent, professional, over 15+ years experience and California/ASE Certified.  I have all the latest BMW diagnostic software specifically for your vehicle.  I use the highest quality Genuine BMW and OEM parts whenever possible, and all repairs are performed conveniently at your location.

I am located close to downtown San Diego, but I can travel most anywhere within the county.  By appointment only.  I am available afternoons and evenings, including weekends.  Please contact Corey at (619) 894-6650.

You can find more info and reviews by clicking Corey’s German Auto Repair, or navigating to the menu at the top.


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Call today for all your BMW auto repair needs!
Call today for all your BMW auto repair needs!

If you are in San Diego and need BMW repairs, look no further!

for mobile BMW repair in San Diego – call or text Corey – (619) 894-6650

Cal BAR Certified ARD00280553, San Diego CA