Cars Specification

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

How to Change the Brake Pads on a BMW 328

1. Loosen the lug nuts that hold the BMWs wheels on with a lug wrench. Raise the vehicle with a floor jack and lower it onto jack stands at all four corners. Finish removing the lug nuts and the wheels and set them out of the way.
2. Spray brake cleaner on the brakes at all four corners of the vehicle and wipe everything down with a clean, dry rag.
3. On the front drivers side, remove the pad-wear cable from the retaining clip. Remove the plastic covers on the caliper guide bolts, located on the side facing the wheel well on the top and bottom of the caliper.
4. Loosen the upper and lower guide bolts with a 7 mm Allen wrench. Push the bolts out with a thin screwdriver and set them aside. Pry out the anti-rattle clip on the caliper with a screwdriver.
5. Slide the caliper assembly off the rotor. Support the caliper with a piece of wire tied to the suspension or with a platform so there is no weight on the brake line. Disconnect the wear sensor wire from the inner brake pad. Remove the brake pads.
6. Compress the caliper piston to make room for the new, thicker brake pads. Remove the lid on the brake fluid reservoir. Remove some of the brake fluid with a syringe so the fluid does not spill out of the reservoir. Use a wooden handle leveraged against the piston to push it into the caliper. You can also use an adjustable wrench or a C-clamp to press the piston in.
7. Install the new brake pads in the same orientation that the old pads were removed. The inner pad is installed by pressing the metal clip into the caliper piston. The outer pad slides into the slot in the caliper carrier. Reconnect the pad wear sensor.
8. Slide the caliper over the rotor and install the caliper retaining bolts, tightening them firmly. Reinstall the anti-rattle clip and the caps that go on the caliper bolts. Reattach the pad sensor cable to the clip. Move to the rear.
9. Release the parking brake. On the passenger side remove the brake pad wear sensor cable from the retaining clip. Remove the plastic covers on the caliper guide bolts, located on the side facing the wheel well, on the top and bottom of the caliper.
10. Loosen the upper and lower guide bolts with a 7 mm Allen wrench. Push the bolts out with a thin screwdriver and set them aside. Pry out the anti-rattle clip on the caliper with a screwdriver.
11. Slide the caliper assembly off the rotor. Support the caliper with a piece of wire tied to the suspension or with a platform so there is no weight on the brake line. Disconnect the wear sensor wire from the inner brake pad. Remove the brake pads. Compress the caliper piston using the same method as you did on the front.
12. Install the new brake pads in the same orientation that the old pads were removed. The inner pad is installed by pressing the metal clip into the caliper piston. The outer pad slides into the slot in the caliper carrier. Reconnect the pad wear sensor.
13. Slide the caliper over the rotor and install the caliper retaining bolts, tightening them firmly. Reinstall the anti-rattle clip and the caps that go on the caliper bolts. Reattach the pad sensor cable to the clip. Replace the wheels and lower the vehicle to the ground. Check the brake fluid level. Top it off if necessary.

How to Make a 2003 Z

1. Install a performance exhaust system. The Z4s exhaust is relatively restrictive and the motor can benefit from a larger diameter exhaust system that will help the motor breath better. The installation of a performance exhaust on a Z4 is a pretty involved process and should be handled by a shop experienced with modifying BMWs.
2. Have the engines electronics reprogrammed. In stock form, the Z4s electronics are pretty conservative. A reprogrammed ECU (engine control unit) will deliver more fuel, spark and air to the motor and will help it make more power and the car itself faster. While this can be done by a professional shop, there are products available that allow you to simply plug into the existing electronics and reprogram them for more power.
3. Supercharge the engine. A common method to getting more power from a Z4 is to supercharge the engine, which is a form of forced induction that forces more air into the motor for a power increase. Supercharging is generally cheaper and more simple than turbocharging (the other form of forced induction). A supercharger kit needs to be installed and tuned by a shop that specializes in performing this type of work on BMWs in order for it to function properly and not damage the motor.
4. Improve the handling and braking. Making your Z4 faster does not just mean simply adding more horsepower to it but also includes improving the rest of its performance so it can go around corners faster and stop faster as well. Remove the stock suspension and install lower, stiffer springs which will reduce body roll and increase cornering speeds. Add adjustable performance shocks to the equation and you will be able to dial in your Z4s handling just the way you want it. On the stopping end of things, install more aggressive brake pads for better braking, cross-drilled rotors for better heat dissipation and braided steel brake lines for more responsive brakes.
5. Replace the stock wheels and tires with a performance wheel and tire package. The Z4s stock tires leave a little to be desired (or a lot if its using run-flat tires) so installing stickier tires will allow the car to corner faster. Combine the performance tires with lighter performance alloy wheels for even more performance.

How to Replace the Leather Seats in an Audi Cabriolet

1. Pop the hood and disconnect the Audis battery. This will disable the airbag light, preventing it from lighting up when the seats are being removed.
2. Use a flat-head screwdriver to remove the plastic caps off all four bolts found around the Audis seat. Then, remove all four bolts with an Allen wrench, connected to an L-shaped tire iron, in a counterclockwise motion.
3. Unclip the seat heaters and the airbag sensors that are found under the Audis seat. If the seat heaters and airbag sensors are hard to see, use a flashlight.
4. Pull up and remove the seat away from the Audi.
5. Place the new seat onto the location which the stock seat was removed, and place and clip on the seat heaters and airbag sensors from underneath the seat.
6. Use an Allen wrench to attach the four bolts that were removed to the new seat, connected to an L-shaped tire iron, in a counterclockwise motion, and place the plastic caps onto the bolts.
7. Reconnect the battery and close the hood.

Audi RS5

Audis RS badge -- denoting the ultimate performance models by Quattro GmbH -- has been a rare sight on U.S. roads. An RS6 sedan was a one-year-only offering in 2003, the RS4 sedan and convertible were sold in 2007-2008, and the TT RS arrived last year. For 2013, were going to get another RS model, the RS5 coupe, to face off against the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The normally aspirated 4.2-liter V-8 from the S5 coupe is now good for 450 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque in the RS5. It is paired with a seven-speed S tronic transmission and, naturally, Quattro all-wheel drive -- but this is an enhanced version that can send as much as 85 percent of the torque to the rear wheels (the default torque split is 40/60 front/rear). To telegraph that performance visually, the RS version gets a unique lower fascia, diffusers, grille, and flared fenders; a rear spoiler deploys automatically at 75 mph. To make the same point aurally, theres an optional sport exhaust. With the RS5, Quattro GmbH is speaking a little louder in the U.S. market

On sale    Now
Price                            $80,000 (est.)
Engine                       4.2L V-8, 450 hp, 317 lb-ft
Feeding the rivalry    Audi is finally taking it to the M3.

How to Install Dual Exhaust Systems

1. Select parts that are sized properly for your car. Higher-quality exhaust systems take advantage of mandrel-bent pipes and mimic the look of the original car parts. Your local auto shop may build custom dual exhaust systems, but they are probably created with generic parts and fit poorly.
2. Pick a kit that includes all clamps, hangers and hardware, so you will not be searching for pieces to complete the installation.
3. Stop blowing gaskets by using a steel donut gasket when connecting the manifold. The steel resists heat better than other gaskets, while sealing the pipe and manifold together.
4. Position exhaust pipes to clear both the floorpan and the driveshaft by at least 1 inch. When finalizing the setting, remember that the shaft moves up and down with rear axle, and the pipes must clear it completely.
5. Use factory muffler positioning to make most exhaust systems a simple bolt-on installation. If you place your muffler differently, the pipes may need to be bent accordingly. Hanging mufflers higher may require you to drill into the floorpan to hang them.
6. Mount tailpipe hangers near the frame rail to prevent the pipes from noticeably rattling. Brackets should face the front of the car in most cases. Your exhaust kit should come with the proper hangers, but you may have to have a few self-tapping bolts on hand.
7. Check the clearance before completely tightening all bolts. Things move as you attach other parts, so make sure there is still a 1-inch clearance. Rotate the rear axle to make sure the driveshaft doesnt rub against the muffler.

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.