Blog

While winter in Alabama may not be as treacherous as it is in the northern parts of the country, it is still a good time to consider some essential services for your BMW X3. 

Spring is the perfect time to give your BMW the attention it deserves to ensure optimal performance and reliability throughout the season and beyond. At BMW of Birmingham, our service center is ready for your spring service needs, and all you need to do is schedule your BMW service appointment from the comfort of home. Here are five important BMW services to consider having done in spring.

In the world of automobiles, stories of enduring longevity and unwavering reliability are not only rare but also captivating. One such tale unfolds with Robert Cibiras and his 2011 BMW 328i, which came out of our new inventory over 12 years ago. Today, it stands as a testament to the exceptional quality and care that can transform a car into a lasting companion on the roads of life.

Many people know about the routine maintenance and service that is needed for their BMW vehicle when they invest in something new. Most people don't realize how important it is that this work gets completed by an experienced BMW technician. It can be tempting to take your vehicle into a smaller shop in order to save money. The problem with this is that these shops use aftermarket parts to complete repairs. They also don't know BMW vehicles as well as our service technicians do here at BMW of Birmingham. 

At BMW of Birmingham, we want you to keep your car running well at all times of the year. Therefore, it is important that you perform routine maintenance regardless of the weather conditions. For instance, be sure that any old filters are replaced to ensure that the vehicle runs in an efficient manner.

It is also a good idea to have the heater and brakes looked at prior to the cold and snowy season. Having good brakes on your vehicle makes it easier to ensure that your car or truck can avoid a collision on slippery roads. 

Have you ever thought about how you can preserve and maintain your vehicle's performance? A key factor in how your car drives and something to monitor regularly that will strengthen its longevity is motor oil. Learning about motor oils purpose and viscosity will allow you to keep your vehicle running at its best throughout the year.

Motor oil has a singular purpose which is to lubricate vital parts of the motor. Viscosity measures how resistant oil is to flow. Understanding this will help you know which oil to use and when. Low viscosity oil flows more freely than high…

Car owners can answer many questions about their tires by reading the information printed on the sidewalls. They include the size of the diameter, the width of the tread, and the proper type of vehicle.

• The letter P indicates passenger-rated tires.
• The letter R indicates the tire type, here a radial tire.
• The tire width number measured in millimeters. 

Motor oil changes are vital to the well-being of your vehicle. With so many myths surrounding motor oil, it’s hard to know fact from fiction. But knowing the facts is as important as the actual oil change itself. Stop in at BMW of Birmingham and speak with our trained auto service technicians.

Two myths that have been around forever are that oil must be changed every 3,000 miles and if it’s black it needs to be changed. The oil is black because it’s been doing its job, which is cleaning your engine. 

If you have ever gotten a flat, then you know the initial panic of not being able to get where you are going on time. You don't have to worry about that if you know how to change your tire and replace with a spare. All you need is a spare tire, jack, lug wrench, and wheel wedges. Alternatively, you may want to have a can of Fix-A-Flat or a flat tire repair kit as well. This can help in emergency situations when you need to get to the shop fast.

Once you have placed the wheel wedges, you…

The scorching temperatures in summer and the frigid cold temperatures in winter are draining to the battery of a vehicle. To check the voltage on your battery, you will need to have a voltmeter. The following steps will assist you in monitoring your vehicle's battery.

• Turn off the ignition and all the lights on your vehicle.
• Connect the voltmeters red lead to the positive battery terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal.