Winter Bimmer
If you are like many of us die-hard BMW enthusiasts, you probably own more than one BMW. You have the fun one you purchased to enjoy during the nice weather, maybe for a track day or two, and you have the one you drive when the weather isn’t playing nice. You might even be like I used to be and hoard old BMWs, depending on what the spouse says. Either way, you likely have a BMW you drive when you want to keep your favorite one out of danger and pristine to be driven only on the best days. Today, we’re going to talk a bit about your trusty workhorse BMWs, the possibly neglected, definitely overworked, and less than perfect one you don’t mind parking in a full lot or hauling the offspring around to and from their various activities. | 
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When I first became heavily involved in BMW ownership, I knew immediately that the sacrifice to own a classic E30 was that I wouldn’t drive it every day. While I may have wanted to daily my E30s, I just couldn’t bring myself to put them at risk in Nashville traffic two or more times a day. Naturally, I purchased a beater E39 528i that was pushing 300k miles and didn’t have a clean body panel on the thing. Many of you are the same; you have the car that you love, that only sees sunshine and pleasure drives, or is dedicated for use on the track. For daily duty, you probably have a BMW that is less than perfect or at least more suited to commuting and errand-running with less of a concern on the wear-and-tear associated with utility use.
While it is important to have a car on which you can rely that isn’t something you would lose sleep over were it to sport a new door ding or coat of salt from the road, it is also important that you don’t entirely neglect your faithful commuter. Right now, you are likely noticing all the things that your BMW designated as the winter transportation might need soon. It may be tempting to let your car go a little longer than it should on ‘non-essential’ maintenance, but you need to resist. | 
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| Sure, if your daily, winter beater or otherwise utility-dedicated BMW isn’t something you intend to keep pristine, that’s fine. But you shouldn’t neglect the systems that allow it to be the ever-dependable, if rough around the edges, car that takes you from A to B in weather you don’t want your favorite BMW subjected to. This means you need to replace the worn-out suspension parts, take care of your oil services on time, do your cooling service, and keep all the consumables nice and fresh. |
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| Of course, if you are a planner, you likely are already budgeting for these maintenance needs now so when you put your winter beater away this spring, you’ll be ready to install everything you’ve collected over the winter. If not, then we highly suggest stockpiling the things you need now so you have the whole spring, summer, and beginning of fall to tackle all the basic maintenance on your winter car ahead of time. | 
| | With all the sales that happen this time of year, it makes sense to grab those maintenance items and any tools you might need well in advance. Oil service, cooling service, transmission/diff service, brake service, and suspension kits are all going to be needed immediately after or soon after you put the winter mobile away and bring back out your favorite BMW, so why not go ahead and grab what you need for less? Not only that, but now is a great time to be thinking about what your favorite BMW might want so its in peak form the first time you start the key after the weather warms up. | 
| | At the very least, make sure your fluids are good in your winter commuter. LIQUI MOLY oil, Genuine BMW coolant, Red Line transmission and differential fluid, and Hengst filters are your best friends when it comes to keeping your dependable car, well, dependable. So don’t rush to put your winter beater away in the spring and forget to prep it for its next season of use and abuse. Take a little time to plan, budget, and prepare so you can spend more time enjoying the holidays this year and next year rather than out in the cold working on your daily. Or worse, stranded somewhere in a snowstorm because you didn’t replace your water pump or your battery died. | | | As always, we are excited to hear from our readers. This week was a bit of advice and a little maintenance-oriented with a focus on your workhorse rather than your baby. How many of you have more than one BMW? Do you drive the same car year round, or do you have dedicated cars for dedicated jobs? Let us know your stories, gripes, anecdotes, or questions at [email protected] and have a chance to be a part of the next edition of Turner Motorsport Weekly. |
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