bmw calgary - Motorwerkes

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!

Summer and Your Fuel Economy

22 August 2016

As we know, the shifting seasons affect many aspects of our BMWs. You’re probably aware of how difficult it can be to optimize gas mileage during winter. Summer, however, has its own way of affecting fuel economy.

A Few Advantages

One of the upsides that summer offers is how quickly you’ll get to operating temperature. You won’t need to wait after ignition in the middle of July! The gas usage this saves can certainly make a difference. You’ll also be using certain electrical components less than you would in the cold, such as heating and defrosting. This avoids some forms of strain on your BMW’s engine. It’s also important to note that the average winter drive is inefficient and slow due to traffic congestion and more cautious speeds. Even if you do get a chance to pick up the pace, you’ll get higher aerodynamic resistance in cold air than warm air. Both of these factor promote better fuel efficiency during the warmer months.

Cooling and Airflow Issues

Despite these advantages, there are some downsides. Air conditioning is probably the number one factor you should bear in mind, as many of us try to get as much out of our A/C as we can during hot days without giving it much thought. This can be pretty taxing on your engine for prolonged periods of time. Your first impulse may be to drive with the windows down more often, but this will take its toll as well! The last thing you want to do is compromise the sleek aerodynamic character of your BMW with increased drag as the air flows into the vehicle.

What To Do

While it might seem like you’re out of options, you don’t need to worry! It’s all about timing. Open windows won’t bring wind resistance up by a significant factor at the lower speeds of your neighbourhood. But, once you hit the freeway or even speeds a bit lower, it’s wise to go for the A/C instead. Keep the temperature as warm as you can while still maintaining comfort. If your interior has built up heat while parked, it’s better to tough it out the heat and open the windows to aid circulation before blasting the A/C and giving your engine more work. And of course, don’t run your A/C with the windows open!

Have more questions about getting the best performance from your vehicle? Motorwerkes is here to help with all of your BMW questions and concerns. Give us a call at (403) 768-3168 today!

On a Trip? Here’s How to Spot the Right BMW Technicians

15 August 2016

If you’re going on a road trip this summer, it’s important to be prepared for any car troubles that might come up. This is why you’re best prepared when you know how to spot a trustworthy BMW specialist wherever you go.

The Scenario

Let’s say you’re visiting relatives in another city. While driving around, something about your drive feels a bit off. Could be an issue you’re experiencing when switching gears, maybe your brakes are screeching, or perhaps your BMW is leaning more to one side than another. A long period of time on the road can be hard on your vehicle, especially if you haven’t had a checkup or servicing in a while and are encountering poor road conditions like potholes. This stuff is also likely to happen even when you’re driving around here in Calgary! One of your best methods of preparedness is knowing how to identify a trustworthy and experienced BMW specialist.

The Credentials and Resources

A Certified BMW Technician will have at least five years of experience and detailed knowledge in BMW servicing. This experience can’t just come from anywhere, your technician should have acquired their skills in an official BMW dealership environment, surrounded by and heavily involved with all of the best BMW service technologies. Some car technicians work on a wide range of vehicle types without going particularly deep in one or the other. Your ideal BMW expert, on the other hand, will be a true specialist in luxury German automotive engineering. Their shop will be well-equipped not only with the resources to offer you genuine BMW parts, but also approved diagnostics computers and software.

The Service

No matter where you are, the service shop you end up choosing needs to have more than just the certifications and the gear. Their team needs to be able to provide a personal touch and a level of effective communication that will make your experience as smooth and productive as possible. While some shops might assume that they can use their skills and experience as a replacement for good customer service, the truth is there’s no substitute. The merit of a BMW-certified crew is measured just as much by the happiness of their clients as the level of their technical expertise!

If you’re looking for a team of certified BMW technicians with all the approved resources at hand, Motorwerkes is Calgary’s best. Call us at (403) 768-3168 to find out why our clients always drive away happy!

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!