bureau of motor vehicles repair

Safety Tips for Driving Your BMW During Winter

4 January 2016

Even with the most up-to-date BMW at your fingertips, a lot of care and responsibility is needed to look out for your passengers and other drivers. This is especially true during winter, so consider a few of our recommended safety tips for driving your BMW in cold and icy conditions.

Keeping Your Cool

First and foremost, it’s important to stay in the right state of mind when thinking generally about winter driving and when you’re on the road. Drivers will often fall into one of two mindsets: unreasonable tension or risky overconfidence. Before considering any of the technical stuff, don’t underestimate the importance of staying both relaxed and alert, not to mention avoiding assumptions about how good your driving is!

Vehicle Layout & Traction

With rear-wheel drive, less weight over the drive wheels sometimes means a disadvantage in traction, particularly when starting. This can be offset by keeping something heavy in the trunk such as tools or even sandbags. While your vehicle is likely equipped with traction or stability control, the weight distribution of that RWD layout and the possibility of fishtailing are things you should always take into consideration.

In the case of all-wheel drive, it’s common to see a bit of overconfidence when it comes to ice and snow performance. AWD may improve your acceleration, but you can’t rely on it to optimize the safety of your turns! At the end of the day, investing in a good set of winter tires will go a long way toward improving your traction for the season.

Smart Braking, Smart Acceleration

It’s critical to complement this knowledge with good habits in your operation of the vehicle itself. Never forget that your stopping distance can increase by about four to ten times in ice and snow. Go easy on your brakes and your acceleration, keeping all your input moderat and carefully calculated. Reserve your braking for straight lines and avoid it during turns. When accelerating from a dead stop, start in second gear so that your wheels don’t spin against the ice. Most of all, learn and understand the nuances of your vehicle and how it performs in different conditions!

From safety to maintenance and performance, Motorwerkes is a trusted team in Calgary for repairing BMW motor vehicles. If you want to be prepared for winter, call 403-768-3168 to schedule an inspection of your vehicle with our certified technicians!

Why You Should Let Your Vehicle Get to the Operating Temperature Before Driving

14 September 2015

The question of whether or not to warm up your car before driving is a hotly contested issue. This is particularly true in Canada or other places where ambient temperature can get pretty low. Arguments are often made against it, but many of these fail to take a number of important things into account. Let’s have a look at a few reasons why your vehicle should be at operating temperature before you get moving.

Running Smoothly

Most of the internal mechanics in your car rely on one common thing to run smoothly: fluids. Whether it’s your oil, brake fluid, or transmission, if your fluids aren’t flowing properly, the wear on their corresponding parts over time is far more significant. The viscosity of your oil is a particularly critical factor, so it’s imperative to avoid putting stress on all those moving parts by giving things a chance to get to normal operating temperature. And don’t forget: your oil is often a more useful indicator of proper operating temperature than your coolant.

Longevity & Safety

Ensuring a long life for your vehicle should be your top priority, especially if you make frequent brief trips in cold weather. With a little warm-up time, you could be improving the life of your battery by allowing it a healthy recharge or avoiding premature rusting of the exhaust system by letting that moisture evaporate. Driving cold can also become a safety concern. Stalling becomes more likely in older vehicles if you are forced to slow down or speed up suddenly in winter weather.

Understanding the Logic

Many arguments against warming up will mention fuel economy and environmental impact. While it’s true that idling for excessive periods of time does lead to both of these issues, keep in mind that your engine runs at its most efficient when at operating temperature. A vehicle that runs the way it was designed to will provide better fuel economy and will need fewer part replacements in the long term. The disposal and replacement of parts is a form of environmental impact that many fail to consider when thinking only in terms of fuel emissions!

At Motorwerkes, we combine our expertise with the latest tools and software to provide you with the highest standard of service for your BMW motor vehicle. To book an appointment with our repair services or performance centre, give us a call at (403) 768-3162 today!