Winter 2015

Bimmers Drive the Tail of the Dragon

The Dragon, A Novice’s Run Page 6

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Table of Contents

4 President’s Message and Editor’s Note

5 Calendar of Events & New Members

6 The Dragon, A Novices Run

8 Pflege fur Bimmer Tips from John Scheidhauer

10 Tail of the dragon Photos

DisclaimerThis newsletter is a publication of the River City Bimmers (the Chapter) and its contents remain the property ofthe Chapter. The Chapter is not connected in any way with BMW A.G.. or BMW N.A. All information furnishedherein is provided by the membership of the Chapter for members only. The Chapter assumes no liability for anyof the information contained herein. The ideas, opinions and suggestions expressed in this newsletter are thoseof the authors and no authentication is implied. Unless otherwise noted, none of the information in this newsletteris “factory approved”. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce any material published herein providing fullcredit is given to the author and River City Bimmers, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED OR SPECIFICALLYPROHIBITED. Modifications within the warranty period of your BMW may void the warranty.

On the Cover - Bimmers Drive the Tail of the Dragon

Photo by Jane Absalom

A new year is in full swing now, and I am excitedto follow in the footsteps of Juan Larin, whocontributed considerably to this group as chapterpresident over the last two years.

I’d like to start by thanking Juan for all of his hardwork, which was often behind the scenes andenabled the club to successfully host all the funactivities for us to participate in. I want to thankeverybody for their confidence in me being ableto fill his shoes! I am happy to report that Juanwill still be with us serving as treasurer so all hisenergy and attention to detail will continue tobenefit all of our members moving forward.

I am excited to serve the club and work to keepup our momentum of increased participation,number of events and increased financialstanding. We are already working on anothertrip to the tail of the dragon for 2016 and hope tosecure a warmer time slot. This is one of thelarger events the club has undertaken in sometime, and was a huge success in 2015.

The board is always looking for suggestions onevents or input on how we can improve ourchapter and keep our events benefiting all ofyou. Please don’t hesitate to let us know yourthoughts, or if you would like to volunteer to helpin any way. I haven’t yet had the pleasure ofmeeting everyone in our chapter so please feelfree to reach out to me directly with any input,ideas, or just to say hello.

Eric Ireland

e_101@hotmail.com319-213-6898 Remember to keep in touch with us at:

Website: www.rcbimmers.org

Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/rivercitybimmers/

Like Our Page:

www.facebook.com/rivercitybimmers

President’s MessageEric Ireland

Editor’s NoteTom Coughlin

Congratulations to all the new board membersand committee members. I know these folks willbe working diligently to continue the growth inmembership, activities and participation.

What do you want now?

Watch your mailboxes for a membership surveycoming your way soon. The club has increased themembership and the participation in all the activitiesover the past couple of years but there are lots ofmembers who don’t join us regularly, and some not atall. We’d like to know why and to know what kindsof activities all the members would like us to pursue.The survey will be short so please take a couple ofminutes and answer the questions so we can make sureall the members wishes are being met - well. at leastthe wishes related to their BMWs.

Help!!!!!

The are are two areas where I’d like to ask for yourhelp. First, hen you get the survey I mentioned above,we will ask if there are activities you would like tohelp plan, organize or operate. Please think aboutwhere you can contribute to the club’s success andgive us a hand.

Second, we can always use new ideas for newsletterarticles. If there is something you would like to seecovered or you would like to write an article, let meknow. This is especially true for John Scheidhauer’scolumn. John comes up with great topics but he wantsto address your questions.

Calendar of Events

April 21, 6:30 p.m. - Dinner Meeting, My Favorite Place

April 30, 8:00 a.m. - RCB Autocross at MIR

July 2, 8:00 a.m. - RCB Autocross at MIR

August 20, 8:00 a.m. - RCB Autocross at MIR

Check our Facebook page for all the updated event information

Welcome New Members…

Maxwell Adler Columbus, MS

Rick Barr Franklin, TN

David Brumfield Collierville, TN

Donnie Carter Saltillo, MS

Vishal Chawhan Germantown, TN

Eric Haecker Cordova, TN

Mary Elizabeth

Hartsfield Little Rock, AR

Andres Larin Horn Lake, MS

David lee Memphis TN

Donna Loden Belden, MS

Mike Maraziti Maumelle, AR

Michael Medlin Cordova, TN

Jonathan Nichols Jaclson, TN

Wayne Ogozalek Collierville, TN

Craig Parrish Oakland, TN

Mark Pettersen Bryant, AR

Robert Ponton Collierville, TN

Alan Scott Memphis, TN

Beverly Taylor Memphis, TN

5

The Dragon, A Novice’s RunBy Adam Wilde Photos by Jane Absalom

It was a crisp autumn morning and, as I waited forthe other members to show up, I lit up a cigar tocope with the anticipation of the drive ahead. Iknew it was going to be a long drive ahead andhoped the route we chose was enjoyable for all.

The members slowly funneled into the parking lotand as the last one arrived we quickly went overthe route before we headed out.

As we pulled out of the parking lot I had to resistthe urge to speed so as to not loose anyone whowas following me. My only concern at the timewas whether or not the first leg of the drive wasgoing to be too long for gas and, of course,restroom breaks.

As we wound our way down Highway 64 headedto Natchez Trace Parkway everyone seemed inhigh spirits. After our first pit stop we venturedonto Natchez Trace, a drive from Highway 64 toNashville that I would highly recommend, andthen onto I840 to bypass most of the trafficaround Nashville. From there we made a quickstop in Lebanon for another pit stop and lunch.As we headed out, refreshed, the traffic picked upand the group got a little spread out, but somegood planning and a lot of luck allowed us to stayclose.

We eventually all arrived at the top of the dragonjust in time to make our first run, a lightly spiritedrun just before sunset. That first run allowed usto get acquainted with this infamous road that weintended to tame the next morning.We arrived at the resort just after sunset andeveryone was weary from driving but in highspirits for the run we were going to make afterbreakfast the next day.

I was enthusiastic at the turnout from the otherchapters that had made the trek and arrivedbefore us. Sleep came that night with a bit of afight.

The following morning started with breakfast,most had a light on due to excitement. As Istepped outside for the first time that morning Iwas accosted by a chill, 35-40 deg., which wouldput a damper on the drive until our tires warmedup a bit.

We started out towards Deals Gap, the startingpoint of our runs for the day. After everyonearrived we broke off into groups of around 6 carsand I released the first group. You could hear thecars rumble to a start and off to the corners theywent. It was a sound that resonated throughoutthe valley and I’m sure a few law enforcementpersonnel were uneasily awoke. The secondgroup was released a few minutes later with thesame results.

I was leading the third group and lined everyoneup to get ready. After a few minutes to allow thesecond group a gap we headed out. My nerves

were all over the place. First was I going to be ableto provide a good driving experience for those thatwere following me and secondly, and mostimportant to me, was I going to be able to stay onthe road. The second was worrying me most of all,after all who wants to damage their car and moreimportantly leave a piece of it on the Tree ofShame.

As we made our way around the corners I couldhear the squeal of tires and the roar of engines. Ireally was able to see how good and bad my carwas. It handled the corners with ease; theacceleration out of them was where I noticed theturbos lagging a bit. My brakes were holding upnicely and the tires hugged the cold road like it wasan old friend they haven’t seen in years. I tried tolook at the gauges but the corners would not allowme to take my eyes off of them for fear of sliding offthe road.

The road seemed to beeaten up in front of meas each corner broughtus closer to the end ofthe run. I found myselfnot worrying about myspeed but more worriedabout which direction thenext corner was. Nolonger was I worriedabout shifting, allowing the car to do that for me, butmore worried about staying on the road. Both myhands were on the wheel, making sure I had controlof the car so as to not cross the yellow lines andbring my trip to a halt.

As the last corner melted from under us we sloweddown and pulled into the turn around. Each one ofus stopping our cars and getting out with grinsacross our faces that even our mothers couldn’twash off. Each one of us got out and looked overour cars to make sure we didn’t have to call the tripshort in order to make an impromptu repair or,worse, limp back home.

After a few moments my nerves settled and we allstarted talking about how much of an exhilaratingdrive it was. No one was disappointed and all couldnot wait to make our second attack. The only thingholding us back was waiting for our brakes to cooldown a bit!Next year, the Dragon will go down quicker andhopefully more of us will be there to slay it. It trulyis a road that must be driven at least once in yourlife.

With that being said I wish I had another day thereto explore all the other roads in the area. You couldspend a week there and never drive a boringstraight road. The area has every type of road onecould want, from tight twisty roads to long sweepingones.

Hope to see all of you there next year!

Taking It to the Track

With apologies to the Doobie Brothers, I need tocomment on stories I heard about some drivers ‘taking itto the street’ too fast during the Dragon’s Tail drive. Inone case, local authorities threatened to kick our groupoff the road if they kept going too fast and furious.

Forty-one people have died while driving the dragon’stail in the last 20 years. Died! Dead! Got it? There wereonly 2 years without a death in those 2 decades.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to drive fast - and not in astraight line. But - and it’s a big, Kim Kardashian levelbut - I’ve learned to take it to the track, not the street.

Between DEs and autocrosses, we have plenty ofopportunities to take to the track. Don’t be stupid and tryto turn any street, anywhere into a track.

If you insist on playing boy-racer on the street, don’t doit in a BMW. You embarrass us!

7

Pflege fur Bimmer - OOPS!

by John ScheidhauerI see lots of cars that have eitheraborted repairs from overzealousdo-it-yourselfers or improperrepairs as a result of poorworkmanship or inferior parts.

Everyone wants to think he/shecan grab the old tool box and gethis/her hands dirty, have somefun, and most of all save somemoney. Right?! Maybe. Truth is,some folks, while extremelyintelligent and most adept at theirchosen profession, are woefullyill-equipped to tackle repairsparticularly on modern BMWs.

Most good technicians have aminimum of 2 years of automotivetraining and a slew of brandspecific training both in theclassroom and online. They areconstantly exposed to newtechnologies and explore newproblems as they encounter themto better understand their craft.

Search your heart on this one andonly proceed if you are VERYconfident in your ability - or yourbest friend’s ability. I can’t saythat our relationship won’t sufferever so slightly if, after I havequoted you for a repair, you’vemade an unsuccessful attempt atthe work, then towed your vehicleback to my shop to finish or redothe job.

Still determined to replace thisvalve cover gasket all by yourlonesome??....My ”A”, numberone, top of the list, most importantsuggestion is RESEARCH!

If possible, locate a factory repairmanual for your specific year andmodel vehicle. Refer to any online

instructions you can find but DONOT CONSIDER ANYTHINGYOU READ IN A FORUM ASGOSPEL!!! Armchairquarterbacks will get you in overyour head just for kicks!

Next, always use the highestquality OEM parts. A surefire wayto tell if your parts are OEM or notis to simply purchase them from adealer.

News flash - part manufacturersdon’t just make the parts for newcars and dealers then stop theassembly line! They make a royalton of those same parts and sellthem to aftermarket vendors and,if you shop carefully, you cansometimes purchase the sameexact part for a lower price, butnot always. Check all sources forOEM parts then give the dealer anopportunity to match or at leastclose the gap between their priceand the aftermarket vendors’price. Never hurts to ask, eh?!Either way I am a strong supporterof the idea of patronizing localbusinesses. Keep our localeconomy strong!

So, you’ve spent your last 5evenings studying the repairprocedure, dug up a bunch of tipsfrom on-line buddies, purchasedyour required parts from the dealerand you’re all set to go? Let mesee what else is there? Oh tools!

This part follows the “$2 dollarhelmet for a $2 head” rule. Buythe best tools you can afford.You’ll need every known metricsocket and wrench as well as acomplete set of standard andinverted Torx sockets, small and

large ratchet, small “dead blow”hammer, complete screwdriverset, a good size ½” drive breakerbar, a few ½” drive sockets, a 3/8”drive torque wrench, a niceflashlight, and a flexible ortelescoping magnet. You willlikely need a few more items butthis will get you started.

Now you are ready. Maybeconsider whipping out thatsmartphone and taking a fewpictures as you go just in case youget interrupted during thedisassembly or reassemblyprocess.

Work slowly and carefully. If ittakes a bit more time to removean item or a bracket that will makeaccessing the part you are goingfor easier, then take the time nowinstead of breaking something andincreasing the cost of this repairlater.

When removing “gasketed” partslike the valve covers, slow andeasy is the name of the game. If asmall prybar or screwdriver isneeded to loosen the cover, alwayscheck at least twice but maybeeven 3 times to be certain youhave removed all the bolts.

Once you have removed a part,always cover any exposed engineareas to prevent dropping smallparts inside or dirt contaminationof engine internals. Clean, clean,clean, and then clean all partsagain. You cannot clean parts thatwill contain internal enginelubrication too much.

(Continued on Page 10)

http://www.alpineautoworks.com/

Driving the Tail of the Dragon

Photos by Jane Absalom

If you are working on engine cooling systems always lookvery carefully at every cooling hose and replace any that areswollen or show any signs of wear or external oil or fluiddeterioration.

When it comes to lubricants I follow the same rules for OEMparts. We buy all of our engine oil and coolant from the localdealer. I could save money buying those items in bulk but thisis not an area to go cheap. That would be akin to “discountbungee jumping” and you can count me out!

I have enjoyed working on and repairing things from age 5when my dad got me my first tool set. He tells the story ofcoming into our kitchen a few weeks after Christmas when Igot my tools to find a kitchen chair completely disassembled,bolts, nuts, screws, all in a heap. He couldn’t help but laughbut then he just looked at me and said, “OK smarty pants put itback together.” And I did. Maybe all the hardware wasn’t“torqued to spec” but all the parts were in the right places.Sometime shortly after that, my dad was no longer allowed towork on anything mechanical around the house, that was myjob!

If you choose to make your own repairs hopefully some ofthese tips will help you. Take your time, have fun, get your

kids involved if possible, go into the office with a little greaseunder your fingernails and be proud of your accomplishments!

Editor’s Note - John has a wealth of knowledge of all thingsBMW and he would love to pass some of that knowledgealong to our members. To help John help us, tell us whattopics you would like him to cover.

- Have a specific upgrade you are considering? John can helpguide you.

- Got a question on maintenance routines? He can help there.

- You name it. If it’s about repairing, maintaining or upgradingyour BMW , John can and will help.

Email your questions or topics to us and we’ll get them toJohn.

OOPS - Continued from Page 8

President: Eric Ireland

Eric’s email here

Vice President: Tom Coughlin

tc4bmwcca@att.net

Treasurer: Juan Larin

j.larin@att.net

Secretary: Taliessin Penfound

Driving Events Coordinators:

Taliessin Penfound

Adam Wilde

Membership Coordinator: Juan Larin

Social Events Coordinator: Rachel Jackson

Arkansas Officer at Large: Stuart Bennett

Mississippi Officer at Large:

Webmaster: Rachel Jackson

Newsletter Teams:Rachel Jackson

Tom Coughlin

Board of Directors

Did you know that BMWCCA will pay club members$500, $1,000, or $1,500 for purchasing a new BMW, $250for purchasing a CPO car, and $500 for purchasing a CPOM car!Visit www.bmwcca.org and click Membership RewardRebate for the details!

How to Contact the BMWCCA

640 South Main StreetGreenville, SC 29601

Phone: 864-250-0022Fax: 864-250-0038E-mail: questions@bmwcca.org

How to Contact the River City BimmersRiver City BimmersP.O. Box 342593Memphis, TN 38184

Website: www.rcbimmers.org

Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/rivercitybimmers/

Website: www.bmwcca.org

Like Our Page: www.facebook.com/rivercitybimmers

11

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under your fingernails and be proud of your accomplishments!

- You name it. If it’s about repairing, maintaining or upgrading

P.O. Box 32593

Memphis, TN38184

We’re on the Web at www.rcbimmers.org