Newbie questions: 1. fuel injection & induction clean up, tire recommendations, ding repair in LA area?

pinballwizard · 27th May 2008, 03:08

I have a few newbie questions and hopefully they weren't answered in previous threads.

I just bought my M5 2003 a few weeks ago. When I was driving to Smog place the SES light came on and after the dealer replaced MASS AI FLOW SENSOR which was covered by CPO, I was able to pass the smog check. When I picked up the car, the dealer recommended to have Fuel Injection and Induction Cleaned up. This car has been serviced with Inspection II less than 6 months ago. I would like to know how they know when the car needs the clean up service? What are the symptoms I should look for that require the clean ups? Apparently, it's not covered under CPO/Free maintenance.

Is this a good idea to get them cleaned up regularly? They quoted me for $500, $250 for each induction and injection clean up. Is this a reasonable price? Is this a set price for every dealers? What are the benefits/problems of having them cleaned and not cleaned?

Currently, all four tires are Dunlop SP Sport 8080E. I will need to replace my rear tires. I found Yokohama S.drive 275/35R-18 XL 99Y B at discount tires. Are they any good? Would you recommend mixing tire manufacture from front and rear?

Lastly, exactly a week after I got this car, I got a ding on driver side front door. Anyone can recommend me a good dent workshop?

Thanks in advance for any help.

jclyman · 27th May 2008, 03:56

The fuel "cleaner service" is a scam, in my estimation (I used to be a Customer Service Rep at a BMW dealer).

Just puts money in the dealer's pocket.

Skip it. It isn't mentioned in the Owner's Manual. Do the regular service.

There is nothing wrong with Dunlop 8080Es. I have them all around and have driven them 68,000 miles (not one set). For most driving they are more than adequate. (They are the only tires, currently available, that are recommended by BMW.) You'll get lots of different answers to that question. Call Tire Rack ... They may have some left (I bought my last two rears from them a couple of months ago). Their web site is: http://www.tirerack.com/ Personally, I WOULDN'T mix tires.

And, remember to drive the car like it was stolen. REALLY.

Use a Dent Master guy ... they are all over L.A.

John.

ard · 27th May 2008, 04:06

Both those services are 'sucker' services, created simply to make car service centers big bucks from people who are clueless.

You, on the other hand are brilliant for asking this board what to do!

If it isn't covered in the free maintenance, that is a major clue.

Do not have these done.

How many miles on your car? Has the last service been the Isp 2? What EXACTLY did they do on this? Any other service? (Who sold you the car? BMW dealer or other?)

I would replace tranny and diff fluids. These are not covered by BMW, but we all recommend this around 50k

If the coolant was not replaced in the last 3 years, then BMW owes you that. Likewise with brake flush in the last 2 years.

PS2 seem to be the tire of choice. No issues with mixing front and rear if you are just running highway miles. Although the goal should be to, within a reasonable eriod, get to the same tires front and rear.

A

PS You have two MAFs..did they replace one or both?

E39 ///M Power · 27th May 2008, 04:06

welcome to the club. this is a great place for info, so keep your eyes and ears open and you'll pick up a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclyman

The fuel "cleaner service" is a scam, in my estimation (I used to be a Customer Service Rep at a BMW dealer).

Just puts money in the dealer's pocket.

Skip it. It isn't mentioned in the Owner's Manual. Do the regular service.

agreed.

as far as tires, there are a wide variety of opinions out there. tirerack is a good starting point- you can read the reviews on the various tires, but you still have to use your BS filter.

i would check around and ask the guys in your area what tire installer they use. our wheels use a very special paint process (shadow chrome) that cannot be duplicated any longer (the paint is now illegal in the US as i understand it). so, if the local tire monkey scratches a wheel, you will be in a tough spot.

i used a paintless ding removal guy, but i can't remember his name (might have been mr. ding or something catchy like that). good results, sorry i couldn't help more.

hope to see you at cars & coffee or m fest or wheelpower or...

Jayaram · 27th May 2008, 04:22

Michelin PS2. Heads and shoulders above the Dunlops. I am on my 3rd set at 115K miles.

jclyman · 27th May 2008, 04:49

I would have said Michelin PS2s are preferred ... they are the OTHER tire that BMW recommends. (I certainly prefer them.)

However, I don't believe they are available any longer ... There is a Michelin PS2 (with an "MO" designation ... it is for Mercedes), and they are available.

The Michelin PS2 for BMW has a "Star" on the sidewall. They are no longer available. And, you already had Dunlops 8080E, hence my recommendation.

Do a search, you may find clearance issues with the "MO" version, but probably only on the front.

Tire Rack has mounters they recommend ... use them. Ask for Luke. (You can have the tires drop shipped to the mounter for your convenience.)

My $ 0.02.

pinballwizard · 27th May 2008, 07:00

Wow, this is great! I am very thankful to have all your suggestions and help so quickly.

Thanks very much for all your feedbacks. It looks like the Dunlop 8080Es from Tirerack.com is a sweet spot for me and have them drop ship to local tire guy. Thanks for the drop shipping option tip Jclyman.

I got this car from a private seller. It has around 59,000 miles on it with CPO/Free Maintenance until Jan 2010. The previous owner told me that he cleaned the MAFs a couple of times and put engine oil once in a while since it eats up a lot of engine oil. BTW, how do you know if it needs a oil change besides the oil change light? I looked at the oil color and it’s pretty dark. I had 540 a while ago and never really had to worry about anything since it was a lease.

I attached the service history that I got from BMW dealer.

After I posted the message, I was checking for oil gauage and found some a possible oil leak. I wiped the little residue clean and drove 18 miles around the town up in PV hills just to make sure that it is not a leak. Then I checked the spot again and there it was again. I think it might be a leak. (Check the image below).

I also realized occasional grinding noise from front wheels is now consistent. It sounds like it might need new brakes. Yeah… I get to use the free maintenance perk.

Okay, it looks like the following items need to be looked at for newly acquired my trophy commutor.

1. Check Brakes
2. Have dealer check for possible Oil Leak (refer to picture)
3. Possible replacement of Tranny and Diff fluids (How much do they cost?) How do I check if they need replacement?
4. Replace Coolant / Brake Flush

Am I missing anything?

I am going to try very hard to keep this one for a long time since the new Chris Bangle’s design M5 they have now definitely is not my favorite.

Thanks again so much for your help.

jclyman · 27th May 2008, 08:49

Don't brake lightly. Brake with a heavier foot. You need to check here (search) for Dave Zeckhausen's explanation of "Bedding in the Pads." Do it.

There are brake pad sensors (on our cars) that will warn you (via the console) if you need brakes. But, you should check anyway, as a pad may be sticking.

Oil leakage issue is minor, if it is confined to the spot in the picture.

If you are taking it to a dealer, they should tell when you need a coolant flush and a brake flush. They will also tell you when you need a "low mileage" oil change. But, it never hurts to bring it up ... just ask.

Do a search to find out about trans and diff oil. They are supposed to be lifetime. You judge for yourself. Most will say change ... and, the mileage will vary. Many say to change the brand of fluid. I would go with the BMW fluid.

I'm not going to touch the "dirty oil" question here ... PM me if you want to know what I think.

E39 ///M Power · 28th May 2008, 06:42

i'll take the dirty oil question! oil will always look dirty after a while. your car's computer tracks RPMs, operating temperature, mileage and other factors to tell you when the oil needs to be changed, but keep in mind that BMW increased the suggested oil change intervals about the same time free maintenance was offered, so you can draw your own conclusion.

if you REALLY want to know whether your oil needs to be changed, you can send a sample to a lab and they'll tell you how it's doing.

i change mine every 5k miles or so, which is plenty early (imho) for a car that runs synthetic.

i'm sure others will chime in on this, but that's my two cents.

jclyman · 29th May 2008, 07:07

Got the following message when I tried to reply to your PM to me. I think you need to fix it in the UserCP section, I believe.

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