Archive for the 'Car' Category

After owning the Scion XB (Jack) for a good 6 months, I finally had to change the oil.  Luckily in November I picked up a good Mityvac 7201 Oil extractor and a hydraulic jack which made everything super easy.  I was able to setup the extractor to extract the oil from the dispstick in a matter a minutes.  The extraction process to take out 4+ Liters took a good 20 mins or so, but I did not get dirty doing so.

After it was done, jack up the car and replace the oil filter.  That took only 10 mins or so including jacking up the car, putting supports under the car, and getting a tarp underneath the car to change the filter.

The cool thing about the extractor is it has a mode to dispense too.  I was able to discard all the dirty oil back into the oil containers without much of a mess…

Overall, it’s TOTALLY worth it to go this route as it is cleaner and much easier than the traditional drain plug route.

On the BMW it will be even easier as the oil filter is reachable from the top of the engine bay!

My brother and I reviewed his Jensen head unit after he installed it back in August of 2009.  Due to the move and everything I put this on the backburner, but now it’s finally uploaded!  The head unit is a pretty good buy if all you want is music, dvd, ipod integration, and bluetooth for phone!

I made these videos back when I first bought the M Roadster in May of 2009.  Here’s the videos that show how to install the Valentine 1 in the optimal spot along with the hidden display unit.

Part 1

Part 2

These are the videos that I made a few months ago showing how to install a in-dash player into a 06-08 M Roadster.  An in-dash unit is generally not that hard to install, but BMW decided to use DSP which requires an external amp install AND to cut factory wiring in order for this to work.

Removing stock unit

Harness connection/install/fishing

Removal of the Glove Box to get to the fuse to tap into the constants

Fishing RCA cables and KCA-BT200 module to optimal spots

Pulling RCA cables to the rear of the hatch

Looks like BMW does everything it can to ensure that their cars are not prone to costly warranty and maintenance repairs.  When I picked up the M Roadster I noticed that my 1-2 shifts were really crappy.  I thought it was just due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with BMW’s clutch engagement point.  After doing some research and noticing I didn’t have the same issues when test driving a 370z and a MazdaSpeed 3, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t me… it was the car! (I know everyone says this when it comes to driving manual lol).

Long behold a quick search on the internet showed that BMW uses a Clutch Delay Valve (CDV).  I found that a company called Zeckhausen sells a modified CDV to replace the stock one so that you do not look silly driving your own car any more!

From their site:

“After the stock CDV is replaced with one of our modified units, you will be able to shift gears in your BMW just like a "normal" car.  No more vague, inconsistent clutch engagement.  No more jerky 1-2 shifts.  You can actually chirp the tires when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear!  Parallel parking becomes a breeze and your clutch will love you for it and last much longer.  Best of all, your passengers will stop making fun of your driving skills.”

Will report back after I install the CDV, but everyone who has replaced it seems to highly recommend either removing the CDV completely or using a Zeckhausen’s to keep the "stock” look for warranty’s sake.