Atlanta-BMW-Mercedes-Blog

Carma just added a forum!

2010-01-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm pretty excited about this -- we just added a forum to our website! We are hoping this will give people an opportunity to speak directly with qualified, knowledgeable BMW & Mercedes technicians (us), ask any questions they may have, get advice, etc. We feel that there is so much bad info out there on the forums, we need to add our own voice to the chatter!

Check it out at http://www.carmamotorsports.com/forums/ .

Enjoy!

-Will @ Carma

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:01:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year from Carma!

2000tii Touring Restoration Project Update

2009-11-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

Just added some new pictures to the restoration page on the main www.carmamotorsports.com website. Pics can be viewed here.

Slow progress has been made -- the bad paint and bondo has been stripped away, the rust removed in most places, exposing what's left of the good bare metal. Man, was there a lot of bondo on this car! I think whoever "restored" it before used more bondo than paint on this car.

The nasty old trunk pan has been removed, and the new one has been tacked in place. The next step is to put the car on a frame jig and remove those old nasty frame rails! We have a set of rails that Jeff graciously harvested from a sad but intact and rust-free old 2002 that was waiting for the crusher in South Atlanta. I think he nearly had a coronary cutting the things out with a sawz-all! It was probably over 100 degrees in the sun that day.

Unfortunately the project is currently stalled for lack of funding, but we will no doubt resume work soon!

Service / quick lube update

2009-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

So I found this interesting -- sometimes a customer will comment that our Oil Services are quite expensive when compared to other shops, or "Just as much as the dealer." The fact is, almost nobody makes money on oil services. It's usually what's called a "Loss leader" -- a service item that is used to get someone in the door so you can sell them more work. We don't use it that way, it's simply a service we offer to our customers so that we can ensure all of their maintenance is done properly by qualified technicians, using parts and fluids that meet all the required specifications.

All that being said, I was recently presented with an invoice from Jiffy Lube. This invoice was for an oil change on a 2001 BMW 325i -- a very common engine, the M54. At Carma, an Oil Service on an M54 usually runs around $110, and you are getting Valvoline Synpower 5W40 Full Synthethic motor oil, which meets the newest BMW requirements, a MANN oil filter (which is the OEM for BMW -- same filter the dealer uses) and a highly qualified BMW technician working on your vehicle. So guess how much the customer paid at Jiffy Lube? $103.66! Here's the invoice, for evidence.

What do you get for $103.66? Most likely an aftermarket, sub-standard, made in India / Korea / Pakistan / etc oil filter, hopefully some full synthetic oil (if you're lucky), and a guy making maybe $8 an hour who probably cares very little about you or your car.

I think the extra $7 is worth, at the very least, the peace of mind Carma can bring.

What's going on at Carma?

2009-02-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes our customers ask what we've been up to over here at Carma, so here's a summary of some of the more interesting things we've been up to recently...

We've just finished a nice mini-restoration project on a Euro 1981 BMW 320/6 Baur. For those of you that are not familiar with the Baur, it is a T-top convertible modification done on (at the time) E21 3-series BMWs. It's pretty neat to see one of these cars, as they are quite rare these days. Parts were hard to come by, but we've managed to work most of the issues out. The customer had us cover a long list of repairs and rebuilds, including going through and rebuilding the entire brake system, replacing the timing belt, and installing an updated 2-barrel Weber carburateur.

On more recent vehicles, we have just completed a transmission replacement on an '02 BMW 745i, which comes equipped with the 6-speed ZF 6HP26 automatic transmission. This transmission is notable because it does away with almost all mechanical linkages, having only a single cable that disengages the parking pawl, that only being necessary for safety reasons. All shifting is handled internally, and even the electronic control unit is located within the transmission itself! We are seeing a growing trend that is part of a larger picture. BMW (and almost all car manufacturers these days) are building their cars to only last around 100,000 miles. It is expected, on their end, that you will throw the car away and buy a new one at that mileage. This means their components are designed to last no longer than that mile-marker. Since they are expecting the components to fail, they see no reason to recommend adequate maintence that may extend the life of these components -- hence the claim that these transmissions are "Lifetime Fluid Fill" and do not require service. If you do not care to keep the car over 100k, fine, don't service the transmission. Just throw the whole car away when it breaks, or shell out the $7,000 or so that a replacement transmission goes for.

Which sounds better to you? If it were my car, i'd put the $500-$600 into it (less on other BMWs, this one just has extremely expensive fluid) and hopefully get at least 50% more life out of the transmission... but that's just me.

Otherwise, business as usual. Broken water pumps and belts here and there, services and suspension, etc.

Pictures of the Baur will be added soon!

But (Insert Quick-Lube chain here) can change my oil for $50!

2009-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

So why should you let Carma change your oil? Today, while performing an Oil Service on a customers '03 325i, I found a good example of why, and one that I come across quite often.

Here I am cleaning the threads for the drain plug in the oil pan. I had to do this because someone (Quik-Lube tech) over-tightened the plug. And the plug?

The drain plug on the left is the old plug. If you look closely enough you can see the top thread on the plug is flattened out. The plug on the right is a new one. What has happened is the Quik-Lube guy tightened this plug too much, squishing the final thread, which then wreaked havoc on the oil pan on the way out. The drain plug is made from steel, which is harder than the aluminum the oil pan is made from.

So that's one reason that I personally think it's better to let Carma change your oil. It may cost a bit more, but do you really want someone screwing up your baby?

Carma MotorSports of Atlanta, Gas Station Check-Ups

2008-01-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of goodies that help your car at the local gas station. First is good gas. Show your car how much you care by giving it the best. Premium gas is always recommended for BMWs and Mercedes. It really does help keep the engine clean on the inside and performing it’s best. Some of the newer car will even turn on the check engine lamp do to “pinging” cause by low octane fuels.

Oil is the lifeblood of your car’s engine. Keeping the oil changed often is crucial, but keeping its level correct is just as important. This does not pertain as much to newer car, but if yours tends to drink a little oil, make sure you keep her topped up. Always check the engine oil when the car is not running.
Most owners usually over look tire inflation. Keeping your tires properly inflated is key to tire life. With tires under inflated your tires wear out much more rapidly. This will also lead to decreased gas mileage as well. Over inflating your tires will lead to more rapid wear in the center of your tire and poor performance. Always check your manual. A good rule of thumb is 34 to 36 psi in the front tires and 36 to 38 psi for the rear.

Remember, if you do not have a gas station that provides and air hose and oil feel free to come by here. We will always check your fluid levels, top them off, and adjust your tire pressure for free. Just another perk of being friends with Carma.

Carma MotorSports of Atlanta, Proper Maintenance

2008-01-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

Keeping up on the maintenance with your vehicle is perhaps the most important thing you can do to get the most out of your car. By performing regular services, you extend the life of your serviceable components -- the engine, the transmission, the differential. When these services are neglected, the results can be detrimental. In order to assist our customers in engaging in proper maintenance, Carma has lowered the cost of our oil services -- now as low as $70. Some customers ask us why our services are so much more than your local quick oil change shop. The simple answer can be chalked up to a simple adage many of us at Carma like to keep in mind -- you get what you pay for. You pay more at Carma because we do higher quality work, and we maintain the proper facilities, equipment, and knowledge to do so. And we still beat the cost of the dealer, every time.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. It pumps through the motor, cleaning and lubricating all the vital components. Unlike the the blood that pumps through living organisms, engine oil does not clean itself. It must be removed and replaced at regular intervals to ensure it maintains it's properties. A recent growing trend among vehicle manufacturers is an increase in oil service intervals -- BMW has a "calculated maintenance" reminder that goes as high as 15,000 miles! This, unfortunately, is simply a marketing ploy to lower the cost of vehicle maintenance on paper. What makes it so unfortunate is the damage it does to both the vehicle and to the customers' finances. The biggest problem we've seen at Carma due to lack of maintenance -- oil sludge.

Carma MotorSports of Atlanta, a full-service aftermarket repair facility.

2008-01-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

Many of our customers don't realize that Carma is truly a full-service aftermarket repair facility. We are able to perform any service or repair that the dealer offers, often at a significant savings to you. The only services we do not perform are tire replacements and balancing, and wheel alignments. Carma is qualified to perform all other mechanical services and repairs, and furthermore, servicing your vehicle at Carma will not void your new vehicle warranty! Don't let the dealer scare you by telling you lies to the contrary. By law, your warranty cannot be voided by using a 3rd-party repair facility for your non-covered repairs and maintenance. Another common scare tactic used specifically by Mercedes-Benz dealers is the claim that only they can properly service the electronic braking system on certain newer Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This is untrue -- Carma maintains the proper computer equipment to service and repair those systems, and again, your warranty will not be voided.

Carma uses OEM parts (read more about OEM parts) to assure proper fit and function of all parts used during service and repair. Need an A-Service on your 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL550? We can do it, and at a significant cost savings to you. If what you need is not covered by warranty, please give us a try. Mercedes-Benz does not offer a maintenance warranty on their new vehicles, unlike BMW. That means all regular service items, such as oil changes, brakes, fluid flushes, drive belts, etc, are not covered by your warranty. Why pay high dealer prices? Call us today to schedule an appointment.