The transmission in this GL, some ML’s and many other Mercedes vehicles have problems with one of the sensors failing intermittently and causing the transmission to not shift. This plate is located above the Valve Body inside the transmission and houses not just the main transmission speed sensors but also the shift solenoids and the transmission control module itself which is part of what makes this such a difficult repair.
First step is to get the vehicle to act up long enough to determine its an actual internal transmission electrical problem. The next step is to pull the lower part of the transmission out to get access to the old part, and replace it with the new one. Code the new module to match this vehicle and set up the anti-theft so that it will start when its done. Lastly relearning the new transmission module to know how to properly shift your older transmission.
The software side of this repair is the part that makes it so that most shops wont be able to do the work and will probably tell you that it will have to go to the dealer. Luckily our shop is set up to do these kind of tough repairs on most European vehicles including Mercedes, BMW, VW, Mini, Volvo and Saab just to name a few. We also can do programing on most Domestic and Asian vehicles as well.
Just as our bodies need clean air to function properly, your Sedan engine needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let’s go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving on WI freeways, twenty pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that weighs a little over six pounds produce twenty pounds of carbon dioxide?
The answer is that the carbon comes from the gasoline, but the oxygen comes from the air. You see, it takes about twelve thousand gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your engine. Clearly, your Sedan needs a lot of air to keep going in Pewaukee. A lot of clean air is best.
You’ve seen the pictures of people in Japan wearing face masks. They want some kind of filter to keep unwanted pollution and germs out of their lungs. Well, your Sedan also works better when its internals are clean. When your Sedan air filter’s dirty, it simply can’t trap any more dirt, so the pollutants just pass through into your air intake system. From there it can clog your fuel injectors and even get into the motor itself. Not surprisingly, burning dust and pollen in your Sedan engine does you no good.
So, we’re talking potential damage for Brookfield drivers. But another big thing is wasted fuel. Your Sedan engine management computer tries to mix the correct amount of air in with the fuel. If the filter’s clogged, there isn’t enough air for the optimal fuel to air mix and that really messes with fuel efficiency.
In fact, replacing a dirty air filter at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee can improve your fuel economy by up to ten percent. At today’s Pewaukee fuel prices, you should be able to pay for a new air filter before your next oil change.
The verdict: When your Sedan engine air filter needs to be replaced; it needs to be replaced. How often depends entirely on the level of air pollution where you drive in WI. A simple visual inspection at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee will tell you when you need a new engine air filter.
When you look at the air filter on your furnace at home and see it’s all clogged up with dust and dirt, you don’t hesitate to replace it. When your Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee service advisor shows you your nasty engine air filter, you now know why you should go ahead and replace it.
Fix of the week was a new customer that has a very nicely maintained E83 with a very intermittent misfire that would turn on the check engine light. Typically forums are a place with a ton of miss information that will lead you astray such as the overblown (in my opinion) Vanos Seal replacement. This customer did try this along with replacing many other parts as well with basically no change to the original complaint. Turns out that just upgrading the software to the latest version, just like updating to the latest version of Windows fixed the issue. Granted, the forums did have this fix in it as well however its typically the last thing most forum readers try since it involves going to the dealer.
Luckily he found Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee, and learned that we have the ability to do this here as well as most anything that the dealer can do. My tech, who doesn’t read forums, looked at the car, ran all the tests and verified that this is a common problem seen in my network of BMW shops from around the country and the fix was in fact software.
To my customers credit as well as the forums, which I did take the time to read per my customers request. Did in fact have the answer as well. Bringing it here however, would have saved him a lot of time and money.
You may know that most automotive failures in Pewaukee WI are tire related, but do you know the second most common cause for vehicle failure? Nope, it’s not teenagers. It is the coolant system. But, if you take good care of your coolant system, it will take good care of you.
A car’s engine creates a lot of heat – so much heat, that if it is not properly cooled, the engine can lock up, resulting in massive damage and repair bills. But when everything is working right, your engine operates at the proper temperature and all is well. Without antifreeze in your cooling system, the water could freeze and cause engine damage. This could be very expensive, not to mention inconvenient.
The right mix of water and antifreeze protects the engine against damage from freezing and overheating. Antifreeze also protects the coolant system against corrosion that could cause the system to fail. The thing to remember is this: coolant system failure is very common, but it is also very easy to prevent. Your Pewaukee service center knows the manufacturers’ recommendations, and can tell you when the coolant needs to be changed. They can also perform a coolant system service.
Give us a call or stop by for a coolant service or checkup. Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee N49W22900 Commerce Center Dr Pewaukee, WI 53072 262-691-7113
Even the best antifreeze cannot completely protect the coolant system from harmful deposits forever. The anti-corrosion additives are used up over time, so the coolant must be replaced. A coolant service cleans out the system and replaces the old fluid with fresh coolant. A coolant system service is a low-cost way to protect against major engine repairs down the road. Prevention is the key. Be sure to watch out for the two main warning signs: if your temperature gauge is in the “hot” zone or if you get a message warning you to check your coolant. If you take a look under the hood, you will see the coolant overflow bottle. You can see there are lines that indicate the proper level of coolant … if your engine is cold – or if it is hot.
You can add water or antifreeze to that bottle yourself, but be careful. First, you never want to open the radiator pressure cap. The steam could severely burn you. Second, try to get to your service center immediately if your coolant is low. If that is not possible, follow the directions in your owner’s manual. Third, remember that you need a proper mixture of water and antifreeze, or you will damage your engine. If you make an emergency addition to your cooling system, follow-up with your service center where they can make necessary corrections. Fourth, not all cars use the same type of antifreeze.
You will need to check your owner’s manual to make sure you use the right kind. Mixing antifreeze types or using the wrong kind of antifreeze may void the manufacturers warranty on your cooling system. If you’re not sure, ask your service technician at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee for guidance.
Lease? Or buy? It’s always a tough question for residents in the Pewaukee area. But here are a few ideas that’ll make the choice more clear.
Either option gives you a choice of how you might finance your car. If you buy, you’ll pay the full cost of the car, with maybe an initial down payment, then monthly payments on the balance that pays down the loan principal, and the finance charge.
If you lease, you’re financing the portion of the cost of the car that’s used up during the term of the lease. When the lease is up, you return the car to your local Pewaukee area dealership. You’ll pay some money upfront; fees, security deposit, first month’s payment and maybe a capital reduction. The month payments include a depreciation cost and a finance charge.
So how do you decide?
First, how big a down payment can you make? A lease would require a smaller down.
How much monthly payment can you afford? Again, lease payments will be much lower for any given down payment.
A lease needs you to have better credit, so that’s a factor.
How long will you keep the car? If you tend to keep your cars around for a while, buying is cheaper. But just two or three years? Then leasing is the way to go.
If your car might suffer a ding or two, like, say a work truck would, then buying’s better. The leasing company will want their merchandise back at the lease end in tip top shape, and if repairs are needed, you’ll pay.
How many miles do you drive in and around the Pewaukee area? Important to consider because leases have a mileage limit, and if you go over, you pay a hefty charge per mile when the lease is up. So high mileage means a buy.
Will the car be used for business? Check with your accountant, but both financing options have different tax benefits, depending on your circumstances.
Over the short term, leasing is much cheaper. Medium term, leasing and buying costs are about the same. Over the long haul, leasing is always costs more.
Leases may sound a bit complicated, and the typical lease decision weighs more on the monthly payment, rather than price. So sometimes leasers may pay on a higher purchase price than a buyer would.
Here is a tip: If a salesman asks if you’ll be leasing or buying, say you’re not sure yet. Make your best deal, then look at financing options.
Here’s another: With a buy or a lease, if you total the car, you’ll owe the full amount of the loan, or the balance of the lease payments, and usually, it’s less than the car’s fair market value – and that’s all your insurance company will pay. But ask your agent about gap insurance, which pays the difference between fair market value and what you owe. Big consideration for a lease.
Remember, you have to return your leased vehicle in excellent condition, and may need to do all manufacturer’s recommended service and maintenance, or face penalties. So see your local Pewaukee service center on a regular basis, get the required work done and save the service records. It’s well worth it.
Under-inflated tires waste gas for lots of folks in the Pewaukee area. Think how hard it is to walk in sand – you just have to work harder because of the resistance. When your tires don’t have enough air in them, their rolling resistance is dramatically increased and it simply takes more gas to get from Pewaukee to Pewaukee.
Always check your tire pressure when you gas up at one of our local Pewaukee service stations. If they’re low – even just a little bit – bring them up to proper pressure. There’s a sticker on the inside of your driver’s door that gives the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.
And don’t rely on your tire pressure monitoring system to alert you to when you need more air. The TPMS system is set to warn you when pressure drops twenty percent below recommendations. That’s severely under inflated and you needed more air a long time ago. And if you have a slow leak – get it fixed right away at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee.
Hello, welcome to Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee. Today’s focus is batteries. It seems like everything in Pewaukee runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we’re most concerned with here at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee are those in our customer’s vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, car batteries wear out and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Pewaukee drivers should know when looking for a new battery.
Look for two measurements that come into play: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity.
Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold Sedan engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in WI, specifically how cold it is. (Many WI auto owners have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors are that the colder your Sedan’s engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with.
The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient when the temperature dips. At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee, we consult the table shown below. Let’s say it’s eighty degrees Fahrenheit in Pewaukee. At that temperature, 100% of the battery’s power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at eighty degrees.
As you can see from the chart, the colder it gets, more power’s needed, but the available power drops.
Percent of Power Available
Celsius
Fahrenheit
Power Required
100
27
80
100
65
0
32
155
40
-22
0
210
25
-32
20
350
So if you live where it’s cold in WI, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your Sedan was based on averages. At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee, we like to remind Pewaukee auto owners that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their auto makers recommend, but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.
And the type of engine you have will impact the battery you need: A six-cylinder engine requires more cold cranking amps than a four. An eight cylinder needs even more. And diesel Sedans require more than a gasoline engine with the same number of cylinders.
Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important to Pewaukee auto owners these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off in your Sedan. So, the power drawn by the security system, the remote start system, even the power the computers require to maintain their memory.
Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Pewaukee. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the engine. So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer or Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee and upgrade if you need more.
Talk with us at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee about your options. If you need more from your battery, a larger, heavy-duty battery may be called for. At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee in Pewaukee, we remind our customers that it’s very important that the new battery fits your Sedan: the terminals can’t be touching other parts.
Batteries are a big ticket item for most WI auto owners, so the warranty gives piece of mind. There’re two kinds of car battery warranties: pro-rated and free replacement. With the pro-rated, you get a credit for a portion of the battery if it fails during the warranty period. With a free replacement warranty, you get just that, a free replacement. Be sure to ask us at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee about the warranty so you know what you’re getting.
With high fuel prices in Pewaukee WI comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on AutoNetTV, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on Pewaukee WI people desperate to save some money on gas.
When you get one of those e-mails that’s going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through.
Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics?
There aren’t any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn’t suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in Pewaukee!
So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You’ll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement.
We’re Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee, give us a call at 262-691-7113 for good honest advice about your car.
Some BMW’s equipped with ZF Six Speed Automatic Transmission will have the transmission go into fail safe mode and will feel like the transmission is low on fluid. We had this one towed in and found the seal located between the Mechatronic (valve body) and the case failed causing this and numerous codes.
Some shops not knowing how this complicated transmission works might sell you a transmission when they check the fluid level and find its not low and actually seems overfull. Luckily our shop is equipped to handle these tough repairs and were able to quickly repair this transmission and put this customer back on the road for far less than a complete overhaul.
If you drive a BMW or for that mater any German built car such as Mercedes, Audi, VW and Mini. We would like to see you soon.
Your ball joints are one of the most important parts of the front suspension and all vehicles made to date are equipped with them. It’s a ball and socket joint that is designed to have a great amount of movement which allows the front suspension to move up and down and allows the front wheels to turn left and right. The bearing surface inside the ball joint can be lubricated for life or they will have fittings for greasing periodically. Because their are different designs of ball joints, they need to be properly identified by the technician doing the inspection in order to determine if they are operating within specifications or if they need to be replaced.
Failed ball joint
This ball joint is completely worn out and amazingly the vehicle was not in for any suspension type complaints. Had this style ball joint been on an Acura instead of on a Ford F150 the joint would have come apart resulting in some sort of accident as the wheel pulls out from the wheel well. This will typically do damage to the fender of the car and sometimes the axle shaft and the upper control arm.
