4 Ways To Help Your BMW Surpass 400,000 Incredibly Fun-Filled Miles
With the right amount of maintenance and prompt repairs, vehicles can traverse hundreds of thousands of miles without a problem. In fact, one record-breaking vehicle has traveled almost three million miles throughout its nearly 50-year lifespan. When you think about a high mileage vehicle, however, you likely don't envision a luxury car fitted with the latest amenities. You might conjure up an image of the utilitarian econobox instead. Therefore, you might be surprised to learn that luxury vehicles, like BMW, can run for almost a half million miles with the right care. Here are four ways to help your BMW stay on the road.
Perform Regular Maintenance
Your vehicle operates using a series of interlinked parts, such as brakes and rotors, which constantly wear out with use. In addition, vehicles use fluids, which also slowly break down, to cool and lubricate those parts. You must have those parts and fluids changed according to the maintenance scheduled provided by your vehicle manufacturer.
For many BMWs, this means having the oil changed every 7,500 miles on average. In addition, you will need to have the brakes inspected, and replaced if needed, during the oil change appointment. All other preventive maintenance tasks, such as replacement of the air filter, spark plugs and gear oil, are usually performed at the 30, 60 or 90 thousand mile service appointments.
Install OEM Parts
When you have any maintenance or repair work performed on your car, make sure to ask for original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, replacement parts. BMW sources their parts from specific manufacturers that make their products to the given specifications. If you deviate from these product creators, your parts may not fit or work as expected. The only exception to this rule is if you decide to upgrade certain parts, like the air intake system, with aftermarket components. Before the install, have your technician check the quality of the aftermarket parts to make sure they will work like OEM components.
Drive Around Often
Allowing your car to sit during the off-season or while waiting for repairs can end up further damaging its moving components. When you drive your vehicle, you circulate fluids around and between moving parts. If you let your car sit for extended periods of time, those parts could seize up or stick together. To keep the vehicle in good running condition, at least start it up and drive it around the block once a week. If you cannot drive your car due to needed repairs, hand crank the engine a few times, pump the brakes and push the vehicle a few feet forward and back again to keep the moving parts from seizing up.
Watch Your Corners
One of the most devastating types of vehicle damage is body panel distortion caused by collisions. Although you can have body panels repaired or replaced at the shop, it is often a costly endeavor. Furthermore, severe damage can push the frame out of alignment, causing uneven tire wear or odd panel seam gaps. Drive defensively to prevent impacts with other vehicles and stationary objects. Always check your corners twice before backing or turning to keep the body panels dent free.
Observing The Odometer Turn
As you reach the typical thirty, sixty and ninety thousand milestones, do not hesitate to take your vehicle in for a full inspection. Along with the required maintenance tasks, a qualified professional should check all of the common fail points for your vehicle make and model to identify developing issues. Performing repairs preemptively protects adjacent parts from failing while on the road. Make sure to take the time to celebrate other milestones, such as when your odometer turns over to the next hundred thousand miles. Buy your vehicle a new aftermarket upgrade or simply go on a well-deserved drive on your favorite roads.
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