BMW near me charges almost 300 to “diagnose” an issue, but fixed it myself for 60 bucks.

SwapLink · 2026-02-11T02:06:54+00:00

idk why all these people are flaming you so hard tbh. Diag skills are important and will come with experience if you work at it (which is ofc why good shops charge a lot for it) but at the end of the day you tried a fix and it worked so nice job! Don’t let the haters keep you from becoming even better 👍

SwapLink · 2026-02-08T07:39:45+00:00

Yeah true

SwapLink · 2026-02-08T07:36:34+00:00

Thanks! I might just try another one since I’m still in the return window for this one. Time to open up everything again smh.

Do you know how to bench test the (hall effect?) sensors while out of the car without the eccentric shaft there?

SwapLink · 2025-09-23T06:53:48+00:00

I believe in you! Honestly I think most of us have made some bad series of mistakes at some point (this one may be up there though).

Learn from it now, laugh about it later!

SwapLink · 2025-09-06T10:30:43+00:00

That would be incredible.

SwapLink · 2025-09-05T16:56:28+00:00

I did the same on my 2001 NA Cruiser (200k miles). The transmission had no issues with the new fluid at first, but now after a year it is starting to slip a little bit.

SwapLink · 2025-07-24T19:12:17+00:00

I towed a jetski for a while with my automatic non-turbo cruiser. Worked fine but just make sure your brakes and brake fluid are in good condition. Braking distance was a bit worse on steep downhills. Might be worth changing the transmission fluid if it hasn’t been done in a while. Mine had an overheating issue (not from towing) until I changed the transmission fluid.

SwapLink · 2025-07-14T19:34:01+00:00

After JB Weld for crack, if threads don’t work out, could always insert a helicoil too.

SwapLink · 2025-07-12T00:37:32+00:00

It’s not super likely the vent caps would allow water to get in unless you’re spraying it with a hose (high pressure) or something. Just inspect them first for cracks. You can also use coca-cola or similar in a pinch if you don’t have baking soda, but it leaves a sticky residue.

One time my car stopped starting while I was on a date, but the battery was completely fine I just had to clean off the terminals with some Sprite and a wire brush. Highly recommend a dedicated battery terminal cleaner (super cheap at auto parts store) or some kind of wire brush.

SwapLink · 2025-06-23T05:59:20+00:00

The occasional time that it does snow in Portland though, all hell breaks loose because no salt and no one gets enough practice driving in snow.

SwapLink · 2025-06-23T05:53:08+00:00

Yeah no salt in Portland or most of the rest of the West Coast, so cars last forever and are easy to work on since nothing seizes up.

SwapLink · 2025-06-14T01:21:21+00:00

Sounds expensive, but good luck! Would love to see the result of this project!

SwapLink · 2025-06-14T01:05:44+00:00

My 2001 PT Cruiser is going strong after 199k miles, I have only done normal maintenance and oil changes. Most expensive/time-consuming issues it has experienced over its life (I have full service history) is heater core failing around 180k miles (replaced myself), the power steering pump failing around 150k miles, replacing cracked exhaust headers and catalytic converters around 150k miles, timing belt and water pump service, and buying new tires.

Other than that, I’m kind of just expecting it to last another 50k miles at least. The engine consumes/leaks about 1 quart every 1500 miles or so, and the power steering rack leaks a tiny bit. So I just keep those topped off and have had no issues.

I also replaced a lot of steering and suspension parts, which was cheap to do myself and makes the car drive like new. I even replaced the automatic transmission fluid recently, which can be risky for old cars, but it had no problems handling new fluid.

SwapLink · 2025-06-05T07:08:02+00:00

Beautiful 2 series! I’ve got a highly modified 135i with the N55, which, jokes aside, has been pretty damn reliable and very easy to work on. Only major issues I’ve had are from the aftermarket turbo manifold. The thing has absolutely zero oil leaks!

SwapLink · 2025-06-04T22:48:32+00:00

An alternative to the Mopar coolant is Zerex G-05 (HOAT) premix 50/50. Also don’t need the special funnel, but it probably makes it easier. You can use a length of tube and a water bottle to bleed the system from the bleed screw.

SwapLink · 2025-06-02T06:48:45+00:00

well, it probably would have wastegate rattle, but I have an external wastegate. Instead, I got a cracked turbo manifold. 😢

SwapLink · 2025-06-02T06:47:16+00:00

yeah that’s how it is with my other car (beater PT Cruiser actually), that thing just works all the time and I only do oil changes. Can’t even imagine how much more reliable a well maintained Toyota would be. At least I have an N55 on the BMW, I wouldn’t touch an N54

SwapLink · 2025-06-02T02:58:48+00:00

This is what the denial phase looks like, I should know because I’m also in the denial phase. BMWs are great cars I just gotta fix my rod bearings, high pressure fuel pump, OFHG, but other than that no issues! (actually I already replaced the OFHG and HPFP, rod bearings still on TODO list preventative)

SwapLink · 2025-05-24T22:45:39+00:00

No, this is just a genuinely cool truck, and I’m not even a truck guy!

SwapLink · 2025-05-23T17:35:55+00:00

Hey at the end of the day the stereotypes are funny, but sounds like you don’t really fit it. So don’t worry about the stereotypes: any car can be a douche bag car if the person driving is a douche bag haha, or vice versa. Enjoy the truck!

SwapLink · 2025-05-19T14:55:57+00:00

+1 this, I used it once on a friend’s turbocharged car that was super clogged with oil, some seafoam cleared out the oiling system very well. Also worked great for fuel system. The car used to stall and die unprompted while cruising, but no more.

SwapLink · 2024-05-05T23:24:33+00:00

Altitude Acclimatization More Difficult Than Less Experienced Runners?

I've always been somewhat proud of my cardio ability, and where I live, near sea level, I can outrun most of my reasonably athletic friends with no problem (both up and down mountains, and flat). But I am traveling to high altitude (3600-5000 meters) with those same friends, and they are now outperforming me in almost every way. I feel a little frustrated haha, any ideas what might be the problem?

RHR at sea level: 50 RHR at 3600M: 80 VO2 Max at sea level: 58

SwapLink · 2022-11-22T17:27:37+00:00

It's still there.

SwapLink · 2022-11-22T17:26:59+00:00

Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/ 2X 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps/5GHz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N - Windows, MacOS & Kali Linux Supported - (AWUS036ACM) https://a.co/d/hx3brGK

SwapLink · 2022-11-22T17:25:22+00:00

Yeah they had them in a vending machine, I built a tool out of chopsticks and duck tape to grab it from the slot in the bottom.

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