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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. 

When doing a brake job on your vehicle, our BMW technicians look at plenty of factors including the type of brake pads you currently use and the type of brake pads that are available. Therefore, we want to make sure that you have high-quality brake pads.

We are not going to arbitrarily state that one brand or type of brake pads is better than others. The brake pads you should settle on depend mostly on how you are going to drive. For instance, if you are going to be towing vehicles or driving an SUV, then you might want ceramic…

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. 

If the fuel pump in your vehicle is about to fail, you can spot the trouble easily if you know what to look for. Let the BMW parts experts here at BMW of Birmingham help you notice the signs of a failing fuel pump.

1. When traveling at higher speeds, if the fuel pump is about to fail, you'll feel the engine sputtering like you are just about to run out of fuel.
2. If you are trying to tow something or haul something very heavy, signs of fuel pump trouble will reveal itself when the vehicle loses power and can…

With so many different parts in your car’s engine, it is easy to overlook the importance of gaskets. Below is an explanation of the different gaskets and what they do:

• Cylinder Head Gaskets - Often referred to as a head gasket, this part is responsible for preventing combustion gases from entering the cooling system. The head gasket is located between the cylinder head and the engine block.