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Road Salt and Your BMW

5 December 2016

Dealing with harsh Canadian winters involves all kinds of important measures and habits to optimize safety, maintenance, and more. One that we take for granted is road salt. It helps to mitigate the possibility of dangerous frozen surfaces, but how does it affect your BMW?

What Exactly Is It?

We see road salt every day during winter, but what is it made of? The material that is spread across roads during winter is typically a mix of halite (the unrefined mineral form of sodium), sand, and additives designed to provide consistency and traction that is favourable for application on roadways. In particularly low temperatures, additional chemicals are used to ensure that the salt can effectively do its job. The chemical makeup of halite allows it to melt snow and lower the freezing temperature of water it comes in contact with.

The Good and the Bad

Road salt and similar materials are necessary for winter safety, whether it’s on the road or on pedestrian surfaces. That being said, there are many reasons why it’s smart to stay aware of its effects and address them efficiently. Salt has a way of promoting corrosion in metals, particularly in the form of iron oxidation (in other words, rust) that can take a toll on many parts of your BMW. Driving kicks up a lot of this material into the exposed underside of your vehicle, leading to plenty of unpleasant cosmetic and mechanical consequences, such as exterior staining and damage to your paint, damage to your exhaust, subframe, coil springs, and more.

What You Can Do

These issues are certainly no picnic if they get out of hand, but if you’re diligent about maintenance then it should be a piece of cake to protect your vehicle from the worst of salt damage. Have your BMW washed and detailed professionally during winter so that you can ensure that the best care is taken to optimize its condition. You should look for not only a basic exterior cleaning, but also a check-up on the condition of the parts that are most vulnerable to corrosion caused by road salt. Be sure to talk with a local BMW expert to get tips for your specific vehicle!

Does your BMW show signs of staining or corrosion due to road salt? The Motorwerkes team would be more than happy to get your vehicle looking and working as great as ever. Give us a call at (403) 768-3168 to make it happen!

Tips for Good Braking Technique

5 September 2016

It’s important to assess your driving technique every once in awhile. Many common concerns, from safety to the longevity of your BMW’s parts, are connected to the manner in which you operate a vehicle. Braking is a perfect example!

Why It’s Important

The basics of driving that you learned when obtaining your license are just enough to keep you adequately safe. Acceleration and braking may seem simple, but a closer look at braking has a lot of potential to improve the safety of your driving and extend the life of your brakes. Whether you’re driving around in wet, slick conditions or you commute often in slow traffic, different circumstances on the road will affect your brakes in different ways. The better you understand how to get things right, the safer and stronger those brakes will be, saving you both money and the consequences of an accident.

Good and Bad Habits

Try to exercise an overall sense of finesse and efficiency in how you use the brake pedal. Braking should usually be progressive, meaning that the onset and release of pressure is as smooth and gradual as possible in proportion to your speed. It’s also about knowing when not to apply pressure. For instance, how much speed can you safely reduce just by coasting? You should also slow down just before a corner rather than just during the turn. Avoid cadence braking (pumping the brakes to maintain steering ability) unless you’re losing traction and don’t have ABS. Don’t forget that braking and acceleration should both be done with your right foot.

Technique vs. Attention

Smart braking also comes from your ability to mind your surroundings, read the behaviour of other drivers, and understand the relationship between your vehicle and its environment. How good is your depth perception, and how accurately can you estimate the distance of a stop or angle of a corner? Are you aware of how much traction you have considering weather and the condition of the road? Does the person in front of you seem to be heavy on their brakes? A more astute sense of these variables will enable you to apply your technique as best as you can, maximizing safety and minimizing wear!

Are your brakes in good condition? All of that summer driving could have taken its toll, so an expert checkup might be just what your BMW needs. Give Motorwerkes a call at (403) 768-3169 to schedule an appointment!

A Brief History of Green Engineering at BMW

1 September 2016

A particularly prominent aspect of BMW’s forward-thinking design philosophy these days has been eco-friendly and fuel-efficient engineering. From electric motors to carbon fibre chassis, let’s take a look at a few examples throughout the past 40 years.

Their First Electric

BMW was working on an all-electric design as early as 1969. The result of their efforts was the 1602e, which debuted in Munich at the 1972 Olympic Games. It could recharge upon braking, but was limited by the sheer weight of the battery pack, which was little more than twelve lead-acid batteries packed together under the hood and weighing in at over 700 pounds. BMW was nonetheless determined to continue developing electric vehicle design strategies as eagerly as the improvement of battery technology would allow them to, following up with the LS Electric in 1975.

Oil and the 3 Series

From the OPEC oil embargo in 1973 to the Iranian revolution in 1979, the 70s were racked with political tension in the Middle East that lead to gas shortages and skyrocketing prices. As well as many aspects of the automotive industry, the fuel crisis ended up influencing BMW’s design of the 3 series. By the mid-late 1980s, an “e” at the end of the model number came to mean that you were getting the variant with the most optimized fuel economy. The “e” itself referred to “eta”, a letter in the Greek alphabet often used to signify efficiency. 1985’s 325e offered 28 miles to the gallon, pretty impressive for the time. The 325 would later be subject to continuing electric experimentation with the 325iX from 1987 to 1990 and the BMW Electric from 1992 to 1997.

Recent and Future Efforts

After further experimental models, not to mention the launch of the i3 and i8 in 2013 and 2014, BMW now contains all plug-in hybrid vehicles under the “iPerformance” designation. The recent 740e and 330e, for instance, combine a 2.0 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. BMW’s development of electric and hybrid cars is as varied and ambitious as ever, exploring lightweight carbon fibre design, eDrive technology, and more. With everything from commuter hatchbacks like the i3 to futuristic concepts like the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, they’ve come a long way from that sluggish 1602e!

However high-tech your BMW is, taking care of it should always be a top priority. Give Motorwerkes a call at (403) 768-3169 to make sure it’s in the most qualified hands!

Understanding the Automotive Battery

11 July 2016

The battery is a component that your BMW depends on every day. We’ve written a lot about how important it is to take care of this powerful device, but it’s also helpful to know how it does its job!

What It Does

There are a few things the battery takes care of, but its primary purpose is to provide the burst of electrical current that makes ignition possible. It could be said that around four to five hundred amps are needed for the typical car to get going, but the exact amount depends on a variety of factors. And starting isn’t the only duty that rests on the shoulders of the battery. It’s also responsible for providing power to electrical components in your vehicle when the engine isn’t running, a job otherwise reserved for the alternator. In addition to this, the battery acts as a voltage stabilizer, taming spikes of electrical current that are prone to come from the alternator from time to time.

How It All Happens

The average car battery utilizes lead and lead oxide plates immersed in an electrolyte solution of water and sulphuric acid. A twelve-volt battery will have six cells containing the plates and the solution, producing 2 volts per cell. By reacting with the solution, the lead oxide plates (positively charged) absorb electrons while the lead plates (negatively charged) emit them. Moving through each of the six cells, the electrons accumulate and exit at the positive terminus of the battery, making their way to the starter or other electrical components. When the battery has done its job and the car is running, the electrochemical process is reversed as it charges with electrons from the alternator.

Common Problems

You’re probably familiar with the mistake of leaving your headlights on, and we’ve also made the points of looking out for corrosion on the terminals and avoiding frequent short trips. However, there’s more to a battery than this. Your alternator and battery form a close relationship, so problems with one can be linked to or mistaken for problems with the other. Fortunately, low electrolyte solution levels, uneven concentration of acid within the solution (also called stratification), decaying plates, and other issues can all be diagnosed by a local technician. And such an important component deserves only the best treatment!

How long have you had your current battery? You can always have a load test and other diagnostics done by Calgary’s best certified BMW specialists. Get in touch with Motorwerkes at (403) 768-3163 today!

Summer Vacation: Road Trip Safety Tips

27 June 2016

While you might think that summer is safer than the harsh weather conditions of winter, looks can be deceiving! Here are some road trip safety considerations that will help keep your trip safe and your summer as fun as possible.

Risky Roads

Contrary to what you might think, accidents can be even more common during summer than winter. This is because drivers tend to drive more defensively in conditions that are more clearly hazardous. During summer, you are more likely to encounter construction zones, cyclists, motorcyclists, and heavy pedestrian traffic. When out on the open road or in rural areas, one of the most common collisions that you can have during summer is with crossing animals. Remaining alert is therefore just as important in the middle of July as it is in the middle of February, no matter where you are.

Staying Prepared

The first thing you should be certain of before leaving on a trip is that your BMW is in great operational condition. Everything from an oil change to a coolant flush should be considered, depending when you last saw a certified BMW technician and what work was done. Are you planning on towing a boat or other heavy load? Check to be sure that you know your BMW’s limits as well as the applicable road laws. As always, a comprehensive first aid kit and emergency supplies should be in your BMW at all times. A flashlight or glow sticks, jumper cables, bottled water, the works! It’s far easier to relax when you know you have your bases covered.

Responsible Driving

Driving out on the open road may also make it tempting to push your vehicle a bit harder than usual. As much as you might enjoy that performance upgrade, don’t forget that keeping yourself and your passengers safe — not to mention sharing the road — is priority one. Since road trips in Canada tend to cover pretty long distances at a time, take routine breaks and maintain alertness no matter how empty the road might be. If you’re taking allergy medication to deal with all that pollen, driving drowsy definitely isn’t a good idea. Eliminating risks means making your summer trip the best it can be!

Getting ready for a trip? Be sure to take your BMW in for a detailed inspection! Our team will help ensure plenty of smooth summer drives for you and your passengers. Give us a call at (403) 768-3161 to make an appointment!