When it comes to vehicle maintenance, there is a lot to know! Not only does your vehicle have computers and batteries, but your Bimmer also has a variety of fluids to keep your vehicle running smoothly. Knowing you want to keep your car in tip-top shape means developing a vehicle maintenance schedule and sticking to it. Today, we at Bimmer PhD wish to talk about maintaining your car’s health and the importance of fluid checks, replacements and flushes at regular intervals.
You are most likely aware of engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant & washer fluid; however, are you familiar with differential fluid? Each of these fluids performs essential lubricating, cooling, cleansing, and breaking actions that keep you and your car safely on the road. It is easy to reschedule your vehicle maintenance appointment and think, well, my car is still driving just fine, what do I have to worry about? These fluids are so essential to the performance of your vehicle that they even regulate your driving power.
Little things such as using the specifically recommended oil designed for your engine really prolong your car’s life. You may already be aware that engine oil reduces friction, which prevents your vehicle’s metal components from rubbing and shaving micro metal flakes into your drain pan. When you think about it, compression in cylinders, and the amount of force that goes into each explosion, you realize that your incredible driving machines go through a lot to get you where you want to go. Changing your fluids on a regular maintenance schedule increases your fuel economy as well as preventing overheated components. Overheating can cause warping, which in itself is a dangerous position to be in, keeping your engine and other friction components cool while performing is a critical function of your car’s fluids.
Brake fluid and transmission fluids are vital to your vehicle too. Your transmission is continually changing gears; these are metal cogs meshing together when you accelerate; having proper transmission fluid flushed regularly helps keep your transmission operating as it should. And your braking system, imagine rubbing metal at high speed. That sure would get hot in a hurry. How do automakers deal with that? Well, they add fluids to cool the friction components in as well as adding streamlined airflow. As you can imagine, keeping these fluids clean and viscous is the key to long term safe braking, which is why we at Bimmer PhD believe it is crucial to stick to factory recommended maintenance schedules for your car.
If you don’t think you drive that often, or drive mainly in the city, rather than freeway driving, and think this is a reason to extend or ignore your factory recommended maintenance schedule, think again. City driving often means your car is running cold. Imagine bone on bone rubbing; you know that in your body, this is painful and causes excessive wear and long-term damage; it is the same for your engine! Driving your car cold means that your oil will become contaminated more quickly, and we recommend that you increase your fluid changes to compensate for that type of wear and tear. The last thing you want is to hear that your engine has had an overheating issue that warped the engine, now it has failed, and you are faced with astronomical repair bills to rebuild your engine. Preventive maintenance is so much more affordable.
Do you see more smoke coming out of your tailpipe when your engine is cold? What you see is called Blow-by. Blow-by is a mixture of burnt and unburnt fuel that has escaped past the piston rings and ends up in the oil pan, which increases contamination and lowers your engine oil’s lubricant viscosity. For this and many other reasons, we at Bimmer PhD find it crucial that you regularly service your vehicle and follow factory recommended fluid changes.
We at Bimmer PhD are committed to taking every step to care for your car and prevent unforeseen damages by following factory recommended repairs and services, including fluid changes. Our knowledgeable technicians are the best in the industry and want to keep you on the road without any hassles or inconveniences. This is why you should turn to the experts at Bimmer PhD, so Schedule an appointment today! Give us a call at 626-792-9222. We are located at 1539 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91106.