Category Cars

February 1, 2013 / Posted in  Cars

My latest project for the X3 reverse involved switching all the turn signals out to LED lights. I upgraded the X3 reverse lights to LEDs as well, and wrote up the procedure to do it yourself below.

How to get at the lights inside the tailgate of your BMW X3

The biggest factor to accessing the X3 reverse and brake lights in the X3 tailgate is having the right tool. I highly recommend this trim tab removal tool I purchased on Amazon.com since there are close to a dozen plastic tabs you need to unsnap to access the tailgate lights. I purchased the tool, then opened the tailgate in my garage to a point that made it easy to access the gap between the outer tailgate and interior plastic cover.

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November 21, 2012 / Posted in  Cars

Recently I noticed a wiper fluid leak on the floor of my garage near the BMW X3.  Around that same time my windshield wiper fluid light came on as well.  It turned out I had a bad wiper fluid pump motor which was causing a leak. It was easy to repair and I took some photos and documented the repair procedure below. Update: And now there’s also a YouTube video.

The wiper fluid tank is easy to remove, a single screw at the top secures the tank (if standing in front of the vehicle)

Remove the screw and set it aside. Tilt the tank upward and you’ll notice plastic tabs on the tank secure it to the car, gently pull the tank free so you can tilt it out further. At this point, you might want to empty the wiper fluid from the tank, I used a cooler because it was close by and I could reuse the fluid and hose out the cooler afterwards. You don’t have to completely empty the tank, I emptied enough fluid to handle the tank more easily. Sit the tank back into the compartment but oriented so you can work on the motors which you should be able to see now. Be mindful not to disturb the wires or hoses just yet. You should see at least two motors attached to the tank, perhaps three. My car does not have the cold weather package which uses a pump and would go above the two other pumps. You can see the place it attaches in the photo above.

Evaluating the wiper fluid leak, tank, and motor:

At this point I could see fluid had been le...

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July 25, 2012 / Posted in  Cars

This was a pretty simple and clean procedure to do to my 2008 BMW X3 3.0si, and I'm sure it saved me some money doing it myself.Read More

April 11, 2011 / Posted in  Cars

When I picked up my 2008 BMW X3 last year used, the first thing I did was order a new BMW X3 Replacement Cabin Air Filter and Engine Air Filter. Both are fairly inexpensive and both are easy to install – requiring no tools.  Here’s how to replace the cabin air filter and engine air filter on your BMW X3.  I’ll also go over how to check the coolant level and top it off if needed.

Replacing the Cabin Air pollen filter:

The cabin air filter is in the housing just underneath the windshield, in the center of the engine compartment. Fresh air comes in through the air vents below the windshield, then up through the filter, then into the ventilation system. If you feel under the housing, you can feel the paper filter that’s already installed...

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