BM Automotive Solutions Limited

Spring 2022, Air conditioning recharge service.

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:14:00 GMT

With Spring now in full bloom, now is the ideal time for an air conditioning recharge service on your BMW or Mini to beat the summer rush.

With the latest automated air conditioning equipment are able to gas all vehicles from 1992 right up to the newest of vehicles.

The majority of the pre 2016 BMW and Mini models use the air conditioning gas R134a, post 2016 use the air conditioning gas R1234yf. It is important to use the correct gas in your vehicle.
We completely remove the old gas and recharge the system completely to ensure your air conditioning system is ice cool for those hot summer days.
As part of the service the oil in the AC system is removed and replaced, this is important to keep the system operating smoothly for years to come.
We can also include an anti bacterial cleaner as part of the service, which not only works to kill any bacterial build up in the AC system but also provides a fresh

citrus aroma

Modern Classic BMW and Mini Care, Servicing and Repairs

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 12:46:00 GMT

We at BM Automotive Solutions are used to working modern BMW and Mini models right up to brand new models fresh out the show room. But did you know we also cater for what we now refer to as modern classics, BMW’s from the 80’s, the 90’s and the early 2000’s. As well as the original BMW Mini first available in 2001, the R50/R53/R52 models.

We have many years experience on these models in every aspect, from diagnosing complex faults, servicing and undertaking any mechanical or electrical repairs. We have access to new genuine parts from BMW and also O.E.M aftermarket solutions where genuine parts may not be readily available or are uncompetitively priced. We have diagnostics and tools and access to wiring diagrams and even additional technical support should the fault be so complex that this would be required.

BMW and Mini Vanos Solenoid Valves

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT

BMW Vanos is variable camshaft timing, this has been with us since the 1990’s. Over this time the application has been refined and we find it now to be a reliable system, however we can still experience faults even with the newest of cars.

Vanos is fitted to all of the following Models:

Mini R56 Petrol Models including cooper S
Mini F56 Petrol Models
Majority of BMW Petrol models including, N42, N45, N46, N52,N33,N54,N55, N13

One of the problems we see is a blockage in the oil supply system through the Vanos solenoid valves, this can be avoided with regular servicing and keeping the oil supply clean and reliable.

We also find Vanos faults where a lower quality oil and oil filter have been used. The Vanos system is reliant on a good oil supply pressure to be able to function correctly.

We recommend a Genuine or O.E.M Oil Filter, along with an Oil of a good known quality such as Castrol Edge BMW LL04 Spec and the use of an engine oil flush treatment.

If a fault occurs we are able to remove and manually clean out the Vanos solenoid valves

BMW and Mini DPF Machine Cleaning

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:45:00 GMT

We now offer full on site DPF servicing and cleaning, this includes completely blocked DPF filters. This can be done on any BMW or Mini diesel, on site. Typical service and cleaning can be done within 2 hours. We can carry this out without the need to remove the filter from the car, saving on labour costs.

We have carried out cleans on blocked filters where other garages have recommended expensive replacement filters.

If a garage tell you that you need a new expensive DPF filter, stop and give us a call, we have a very high success rate in resolving these problems without the need for a replacement filter.

Below are 2 case studies where the filter is blocked and the customer is experiencing warning symbols on the dash board.

Case number 1

We can see before the clean that the soot mass was 46grams, and immediately afterwards this dropped to 15grams, this then dropped further after a short 15 minute road test to 8grams.

The absolute maximum allowed backpressure on this engine at idle speed is 35mbar, and at 2000rpm this allowed figure is 75mbar, we can see in both cases the measured values exceeded this pre-clean and are then well within the limits post-clean.

The fault codes were cleared and this car is now driving without fault.

Case number 2

This vehicle came in with the DPF light coming on during driving, as an older model the “soot mass” is not displayed but we can see the backpressure readings. The absolute maximum allowed at idle is 65mbar and at 2000rpm is 150mbar. The maximum allowed at the engine cut off speed is 250mbar.

We can see that all 3 initial measured readings are above the allowed limits, without intervention this filter will continue to block.

After the initial on the car machine clean, all 3 readings are now comfortably within the allowed limits. We then carried out a short test drive and activated a DPF regeneration. We can see after this the readings all dropped further.

The fault codes were cleared and this car is now driving without fault.

BMW B58 Engine oil filter failure during removal.

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:18:00 GMT

The BMW 6 cylinder petrol engine B58, is fitted in 140i/240i/340i models and more.

As with the majority of engine oil filters on BMW models for the last 30 years, the oil filter is a paper element that is inserted into a housing, accessible by removing the oil filter housing lid. It locates into the lower oil filter housing by way of 2 rubber O-ring seals, one internal seal and one external seal.

The fault with the B58 engine oil filter (part number: 11428583898). Is that during removal the lower section of the filter breaks off and is left stuck in the oil filter housing.

We have heard many stories of this occurring at the main BMW dealer, resulting in replacement of the oil filter housing which can be expensive if the car is out of warranty. We have also known this to happen to people on their drive way leaving them stuck and unable to retrieve the broken oil filter.

We have plenty of experience working on the B58 engine and have had multiple oil filter failures during servicing, the good news is that we have a 100% success rate of removing the broken oil filter from the housing, without the need to replace the housing.

We always generously lubricate the O-Ring seals on the new filter element as well as tightening the oil filter lid to the specified torque setting. We also recommend an annual oil and filter change. Whilst we can’t guarantee the oil filter will not break the next time it is removed, we believe by taking these steps it will help lower the risk of this happening.

COMMERCIAL FEATURE – Going the extra mile

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:40:00 GMT

BMAutomotive Solutions is now in its ninth year of trading and offers a high dealer level of service at a fraction of main dealer costs.

The business is located at Four Ashes, just five minutes from Junction 2 of the M54, and offers many facilities including a whileyou- wait service with a waiting area offering WiFi and complimentary refreshments.

BM Automotive Solutions opened its doors in 2011 as a brand new BMW and MINI specialist with over 35 years experience in both manufacturers.

“We were sure we could offer a great service at competitive prices, and the business has gone from strength to strength,” says coowner Mark Russell. We have seen year-on-year growth through advertising and more importantly word of mouth.

“But we haven’t stood still over the past eight years. With continued investment in the latest BMW and MINI tools as well as BMW’s own ISTA Diagnostic software, we can continue to offer dealer level services and diagnostics, often performing tasks many smaller garages cannot. This is shown simply by our capabilities to update even the latest BMW models with the electronic service history something a lot of garages are failing to do.

“We are also a member of the Good Garage Scheme which has its own website so customers can leave feedback on work carried out. Currently, we have a feedback score of 99.5 per cent with many fivestar comments. Our aim is to offer a high dealer level of service at a fraction of main dealer costs.”

“The future is right for us, we will continue to invest and train in the latest BMW and MINI technology that will start to focus on all electric and hybrid models, “ adds Mark. “We will carry out the latest training courses available to ensure we continue to service and repair vehicles regardless of the type of engine fitted. Not forgetting our past we will continue to offer a first-class service for all BMW and MINI models regardless of age and mileage.”solutions

Download the Advert here

BMW DPF Blocked?

Thu, 07 May 2020 20:02:00 GMT

BMW introduced DPF – Diesel particulate filters around 2004 and eventually phased them in to the entire diesel range. If you drive a post 2006 BMW diesel then you probably have a DPF fitted!

A Diesel particulate filter gathers, diesel particulates. These particles (carbon) get caught in the filter and begin to build up, eventually getting to a point at which the car will attempt a regeneration. A DPF regeneration involves the car altering the fuel injector timings which results in the exhaust temperature increasing to a point at which the build up of carbon should burn off.

For the car to regenerate the DPF, certain criteria need to be hit. These are:

at least 10L of fuel – ideally above 1/4 of a tank of fuel.
A journey of 20-30 minutes of driving at speeds of above 40mph.
Engine must be up to temperature.

The problem arises when the car fails to regenerate the DPF. The exhaust becomes blocked and this triggers fault codes to store in the DDE ( engine control unit ) At this point it is highly unlikely that the DPF will “naturally” regenerate.

So why would the DPF block?

There are multiple reasons why a DPF can blocked up, but the main two are

The car only gets used for short journeys, or stop-start city like driving, where the car fails to get up to speed for any length of time. – We also see cars that are used for short journeys driven on the fuel light.
There is an underlying fault with the engine, there may be additional faults in the DDE that have prevented regeneration from taking place. – We always carry out a diagnostic check for this first.

When the DPF filter blocks the car will show a warning symbol on the dashboard or monitor if fitted. The car at this point may also start to feel like it is down on power.

So my DPF is blocked, what are my options?

Some garages don’t understand the function of DPF filters, and they don’t understand why they are blocking up and they certainly don’t know how to regenerate them. When this is the case they usually do 1 of 3 things in order to “fix” the problem.

They suggest removing the DPF completely – This is effectively an illegal practice, as of January 2014 the removal of a DPF is an instant MOT FAILURE
They suggest removing the DPF and cleaning it out with a jet wash or chemicals. – This results in often large labour bills for the removal and refitting of the filter, this will also only result in a temporary solution if any underlying faults have not been resolved.
They replace the DPF – This can be hugely expensive, a DPF can cost between £1000 and £2000. Again if any underlying faults have not be resolved this can result in a very expensive and temporary solution.

Now you have seen the wrong ways of dealing with the fault we will explain how we correctly diagnose and rectify the blocked DPF

Firstly we discuss with the customer the circumstances under which the DPF appears to have become blocked. – In order to determine if driving style has contributed to the blocking of the filter.
We carry out a full vehicle diagnostic check. This will give us 2 important pieces of information. We will be able to read off the back pressure in the exhaust which will confirm if the filter is blocked or not. As well as highlighting any under lying faults that may have also prevented regeneration.
We work through any faults that may have prevent the regeneration process – This is essential for future regenerations to work correctly
Once the above has been carried out we can “force regenerate” the DPF by using our Autologic diagnostic software and giving the regeneration order to the DDE (ECU)
Once a Regeneration has taken place we can compare the before and after backpressure readings, and clear all fault codes.

We do not need to replace the DPF, saving ££££.
We do not remove the DPF which is an instant MOT FAIL.
We do not waste time removing the DPF filter.

A recent example of a before and after backpressure test on a 120d

As you can see the back pressure has been dramatically reduced, and is now well under the maximum permissible values.

We also recommend an interim oil change if this has not been carried out in the previous 12 months. Excess fuel can enter the oil during multiple Regeneration attempts.

Important DPF news, MOT changes 2018:

As of May 2018 a removed DPF is now an instant MOT Fail, the check is not only visual but the emissions test limits have been drastically lowered. If your vehicle has had the DPF removed, contact us for solutions to get your car legal.

Contact us to book your car in

BMW and Mini regular servicing will prevent breakdowns!

Thu, 07 May 2020 19:55:00 GMT

Many breakdowns we see on a day to day basis can be prevented by regular servicing using quality filters, spark plugs and engine oil.

A few real life examples of this, which we have experienced in the recent months are:

Engine oil “coking up”

This is when the golden oil that you use on a service starts turning to sludge and then eventually turns into a solid – this is due to the absorbing of carbon, sometimes this can be easily identified by looking at the underside of the oil filler cap, on other occasions the engine will require stripping down. Problems this can cause range from poor engine running, to expensive Vanos and turbocharger faults, which can run into the hundreds of pounds to rectify.

In order to prevent this happening to your engine we recommend changing the engine oil annually or at 10,000 miles, using a genuine or O.E oil filter, Castrol Edge engine oil and an engine flush.

Spark plugs worn out

Poor engine running electrode – a gap – and then an earth electrode. The gap is pre-determined and is critical to the way the spark is created. Too small or big a gap = no spark.

Over time this gap will widen as the electrodes wear down, this can cause poor combustion which brings with

it a whole host of problems such as:

Poor running
Lack of power
Reduced MPG
Increased emissions
Engine warning light
Engine misfires

In order to prevent this problem the spark plugs should be replaced as per BMW and Mini servicing schedules.
This varies model to model by typical Pre 2008 cars are 60,000 miles or 6 years. Post 2008 cars are 40,000 miles or every 4 years. We recommend O.E NGK or Bosch spark plugs

Diesel Fuel Filters Blocked

Overtime if the filter is not replaced the flow of fuel through it will slow and cause the fuel pressure to drop off at first this will not be noticeable but it left can eventually lead to a lack of power, engines cutting out, and even engines not starting.

To prevent this the fuel filter should be replaced as per the servicing schedules. This varies model to model but typically Per-2008 cars are around 60,000 miles or 6 years, Post-2008 cars are 40,000 mile or every 2 years.

Book your car in

480A, 481A Fault Codes, DPF Blocked

Thu, 07 May 2020 19:49:00 GMT

One of the more common sets of fault codes we see come from the BMW diesel engines produced after around 2005/2006. They relate to the D iesel P articulate F ilter otherwise known as the DPF.

These fault codes are 480A and 481A . Both of these fault codes relate to the DPF being excessively clogged, in other words blocked. Usual symptoms include the DPF light on the dash, and a lack of power.

Whilst it is true that very short stop-start type journeys can cause these filters to block up it is not always the case, we would say this is only true in a very low percentage of all the cases we see, say around 5%.

In all other cases we are usually able to identify another cause which has had the knock on effect of causing the filter to block up, we simply carry out the diagnostics, identify any faults, rectify any faults found, and then regenerate the DPF using the diagnostic software.

What we are seeing more than ever are customers who have been to “non-specialist” garages who don’t really understand what is happening with the DPF filters and who instantly brand them “troublesome” “a nuisance” and convince the customer to either:

A. Have them replaced at a considerably costs, usually between £1200-£2000 – this will only provide a temporary solution and any underlying faults will quickly cause the filter to block back up.
or
B. They will remove the filter, sometimes with a straight through pipe, sometimes by simply smashing the internals of the filter to pieces. – This is illegal and should it be detected is a straight MOT FAIL. It will also cause the car to smoke under acceleration. The cost then to replace the DPF can be between £1200-£2000.

Having been an Independent specialist since 2011 and with over 30 years of BMW experience and training ( the majority of which was at a local BMW Main Dealer ) with have yet to have to replace a DPF, saving our customers thousands in repairs.

So if you have been told the filter needs replacing or you are better off ripping it out, get in touch and we will happily carry out a diagnostic check, talk with you and decide on the best plan of action to get the fault resolved quickly, efficiently and most importantly cost effectively.

Remember DPF filters are there for a very good reason. Diesel engines produce very fine soot particulates which when inhaled can end up in the lungs – not very good for obvious reasons.

There are ways in which you can lower the chances of your DPF becoming blocked up in the first instance such as:

Using a premium diesel fuel – this will give a cleaner burn and lower the soot being produced by the engine
Use the correct grade oil – engine oil absorbs soot, the better the oil the more soot it can absorb
Interim oil changes – Long life servicing pushes engine oil to the limit, an annual oil change will reduce the chances of the expensive repairs.
Keeping the tank topped up. – BMW cars will not regenerate the DPF if there is less than 10L of fuel in the tank.
Longer Drives – if your diesel is mainly restricted to town driving, take it for a run once a week for around 30-40 minutes at speeds between 50-70mph this should enable the DPF to regenerate should it need to.
DPF Fuel addatives – We stock and sell Forte DPF Cleaner, this goes in the fuel tank and aids DPF regeneration.

For BMW and Mini DPF Faults in the West Midlands , Birmingham, and South Staffordshire areas BM Automotive Solutions, have the solutions!

Castrol Edge BMW LL04

Thu, 07 May 2020 19:46:00 GMT

BM Automotive Solutions really is a BMW and Mini specialist, where as most garages will stock a generic barrel of engine oil regardless of what car is being service, we understand the importance of quality and the importance of maintaining your BMW or Mini to the highest standard to minimize the risk of expensive repairs.

We only stock and use Castrol Edge Fully Synthetic 0w-30 which meets and excels the BMW LL04 standard required for long-life servicing.

Remember using inferior engine oil can cause a whole host of problems such as :

Engine coking up, causing faults with variable valve timing
Starvation of oil to Turbo Chargers, causing failures
EGR valves, blocking up as oil is unable to absorb carbon
DPF filters, blocking up as oil is unable to absorb carbon
Sensor faults, where sludge build up occurs
Engine failures, where key components are starved of oil and over-heat.

Why take the risk? Have your BMW or Mini serviced at the Midlands and South Staffordshires leading BMW / Mini specialists today using Castrol Edge engine oil and Genuine Service parts .

Extend engine life and restore efficiency using our simple but effective BG “3 can” treatment from as little as £45 when added to a service.