BMW Repair Portland
MINI Repair Portland

The latest Hankook Tire Gauge Index survey results released in the last 60 days indicate that American drivers continue to neglect the maintenance of their vehicles. Specifically, they’re not checking their vehicles’ basic fluids, like oil and coolant, nor tire pressures; simple things that most people can perform themselves. Since not every car has indicators for oil and coolant (whether warning lights for low level or gauges for temperature), it is quite easy to overlook the early signs of fluid consumption or leakage. As a result, we often see vehicles towed in from overheating due to low coolant here at Pacific Motorsports. If you don’t know what to look for on your BMW or MINI in this regard, please ask, we’d be happy to show you how to perform these basic checks. This way you may be less likely to make “unplanned visits” to see us. Our preference here at Pacific Motorsports is towards preventive maintenance, rather than breakdown repair for ... read more

Many of us have increased gratitude for our cars since the beginning of the pandemic. We have always used them as “escape pods” and that is one of the many reasons we romanticize them. They allow us to literally flee our normal lives. Who hasn’t burned rubber leaving work, after all? Besides the obvious romantic connotations associated with the automobile, they are also a place of solitary refuge. Seventy-three percent of respondents to a TrueCar survey admitted to using their cars to get some alone time away from those they live with during the pandemic. And you don’t have to be a traveling salesperson or road warrior to have used your car for business, as 37% used theirs for business or personal calls and 32% as an “office”. Confined during various degree of “lock down”, even with those we love, can sometimes be, well, confining. Seventy-two percent of respondents admitted to using their cars for “me time” as a way of dea ... read more

A long-time client shared the analysis of the oil in their BMW 328d after their last oil service here at Pacific Motorsports. The column to the right of the Averages column, where the heading is 24,791 miles and the date is 5/19/2020 is with a known quality Brand X diesel motor oil that was in the car when he bought it. The column to the left, dated 9/28/2020 is the Total Rubia Optima 1100 we installed at that mileage and replaced again at 30,800 miles. As the laboratory reports, the Total motor oil sampled is lower than average, and the previous oil, in the quantity of "undesirable" metals (the ones that indicate engine wear, as they are the metals of which the engine is made) and higher in the desirable ones used as friction reducing additives ( ... read more

Sudden Brake Screech Current Road Conditions While this winter here in the Willamette Valley has been mild, with minimal sanding of roads, there remains a fair amount of debris in the roadways. Main Cause of Sudden Brake Screech Small pieces of gravel can be spun up by the tire and find their way into brake components, becoming lodged between the brake pad and rotor. Once there they can produce an unpleasant screeching sound, providing an aural indicator of their presence. Sometimes these rocks will be pulverized and break down through actuation of the brakes. Sometimes they won’t, stubbornly remaining in place, where they can damage both the pad and rotor*. Next Steps Should you experience any suddenly new brake screeching, come see the Friendly Professionals at Pacific Motorsports, and let us help prevent possible further damage from occurring. *An evenly scored line, or groove, can often be seen on the brake rotor where the rock scores ... read more

Why Does My Steering Wheel Shake When I Brake? Main Cause of Shaking Steering Wheel The main cause of shaking or shimmying of the steering wheel when braking is warped front brake rotors (also called brake discs). The vibration is caused by the brake pad making inconsistent contact with the rotor, sort of like a warped record spinning on a turntable.  Common Causes of Warped Brake Rotors Brake rotors can warp when they are heated up and then one portion becomes cooled at an uneven rate. A classic example of how this can occur is coming down a long hill or mountain, where repeated long braking is required, causing heat buildup in the rotors. Following this with braking to a stop, like at a stoplight, is where the problem occurs. The portion of the rotor that is clamped under the brake pads retains heat, while the exposed portion can freely dissipate it to the air. There are other circumstances under which rotors can warp, but the aforementioned describes the basic process. Con ... read more

Cooling System Problems, They’re Not Just for Summer. Lack of heat is often a sign that your BMW’s cooling system isn’t functioning properly. This can be the first sign that something is wrong. It isn’t always the gauge going into the red that signals this problem, lack of heat can, too. The heat generated by the engine warms the water and antifreeze mixture that cools the engine. This warm coolant flows into the heater core in the interior and is the source of warmth used for cabin heat. If there isn’t any heat, or the heat is weak, that indicates an issue with the vehicle’s cooling system. Since many MINI Coopers have neither a low coolant warning light nor a coolant gauge, this is often the only way to know that there is a problem with these cars. Be comfortable, and keep your MINI or BMW in safe operating order, call the Friendly Professionals ... read more

October is Car Care Awareness Month and all of us at Pacific Motorsports are here, as always, to help you care for your beloved MINI or BMW. “Fall Car Care Month in October is the ideal time to give your car some extra attention before harsh winter weather sets in,” said Rich White, Executive Director, Car Care Council. “taking a little time for auto care now can help you avoid the headaches of a costly emergency breakdown later.”  The courtesy inspections we provide our clients during every service visit go a long way towards helping you prevent the kind of scenario Mr. White alluded to. At Pacific Motorsports we spot potential issues before they can become “tow truck” episodes. In an ideal world, we’d prefer to perform preventive maintenance service for you, rather than breakdown repair, as it is less costly and can be done on your schedule. Let us know what we can do for you to help ensure your peace of mind and reduce the chance(s) ... read more

We’ve all put things off that, at the moment we made that decision, we knew we’d be better off taking care of it immediately. Procrastination is a fact of life we all engage into some degree, even though we know it often works against us. One of these areas of life is automotive care and maintenance. And if we’ve been turned off by the unprofessional approach of many dealerships and independent repair shops, that only worsens the situation. The first time I heard of this statistic was about 10 years ago, and the number was what seemed at the time to be a staggering $10 billion. The number is now an unbelievable $25 billion in deferred maintenance in the non-commercial US vehicle fleet. That’s a lot of overdue brake jobs, bald tires, and old fluids.  This estimate is based on a survey of more than 100,000 househol ... read more