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Traveling with a human’s best friend - a dog! - is one of the greatest joys in life. However, you need to make sure that they are comfortable and having a good time! Here’s how! If your dog is sick, they should not be traveling. Hire a dog sitter or find a good place to board them if you’re going to be away for a while. A trip to the vet is also strongly encouraged if your dog is feeling ill and it’s not a result of a health condition. Make sure you have plenty of water for your dog to drink on the trip. The best water to bring is either filtered/distilled water or the water you typically give your dog at home, which might be water from your tap. Dogs have sensitive GI tracts and can react badly to the minerals and particulates in “new” water. If you travel with your dog in a crate, make sure that their crate is large enough for them to stand up, sit down, turn around, and lie down in. Put some soft blankets or towels in the bottom and give your dog their favorite toy for the ride. If your dog doesn’t travel in a crate, get a harness tie-down so that your dog can’t wander and injure themselves in the car. Letting your dog stick their head out of the window is not a good idea. There’s a lot of dirt and debris on the road (and bugs in the summer) that can get into your dog’s eyes and ears and cause injury. Finally, stop often for potty, water, and exercise breaks. Feeding your dog while traveling is a bad idea, so stick to water and exercise. You might need a stretch as well if you’re taking a long trip! Keep Your BMW Healthy Too!

When you are driving at night, the most important thing to have on your side is a good source of light - in the case of your car, those are your headlights. If your headlights aren’t working properly, then you won’t be able to drive safely. That’s just a fact. Check out some of the situations you might have and what they might be caused by, and then stop down at Flemington BMW to have us get you back on the road and shining brighter than ever! If one of your headlights is out but the other one is working fine, then you probably have a burned out bulb on your hands. It could also be another component in your headlight assembly. If neither of your headlights are working, it could maybe, maybe, be two burned out bulbs, but a much more likely scenario is that you have a relay or control switch that is either malfunctioning or broken. If your headlights work fine but are dimmer than normal, the first thing you should do is clean them off with some cleaning solution and a clean microfiber cloth. If they’re still dim after you clean them, look and see if the plastic of the headlights is yellow and/or chipped and scratched. If it is, then ask us about reconditioning your headlights! Finally, if your headlights are working but go dim in specific situations, such as when you’re accelerating, then it could be that you have a problem with your charging system. If you’ve got headlight problems, we have solutions! Schedule a service appointment online right now! Click Here To Schedule Your Appointment!

We all love BMW - it’s much more than just a brand, it’s a lifestyle! But even hardcore BMW fans might not know all of these fun facts about the Bayerische Motoren Werke! BMW was originally known as BFW - try to pronounce Bayerische Flugzeugwerke! The company made airplane engines, hence the name. The engines they made set records and set a high standard for other engine makers. The BMW global headquarters is shaped like four cylinders stacked together as homage to the amazing four-cylinder engines BMW originally produced. The logo is NOT a spinning propeller. I know, I know, it’s a shock, but it’s a combination of a tribute to the logo of one of the companies that helped found BMW and the blue and white flag of Bavaria. Someone was just clever and spotted the propeller parallel once upon a time. In 1937, the fastest motorcycle in the world was a BMW. It could go about 174mph - in 1937. That’s crazy! BMW’s first electric car was made in 1972. It wasn’t a driveable car by any means (it used 12 batteries and could go a staggering 19 miles at one time and had less than 50hp) but it was still a great concept that was way ahead of its time. Check out what modern BMWs we have to offer today! Get Your Own BMW For Less!

Road Trip Playlist Shut Up And Dance - Walk The Moon All Right Now - Free Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top Slow Ride - Foghat Roadhouse Blues - The Doors China Grove - The Doobie Brothers Runnin’ Down A Dream - Tom Petty I’ve Been Everywhere - Johnny Cash All Day And All Of The Night - The Kinks Ramblin’ Man - The Allman Brothers Band Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. Wouldn’t It Be Nice - The Beach Boys Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root Summer Of ‘69 - Bryan Adams Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver Africa - Toto Purple Rain - Prince Take On Me - a-ha Beer For My Horses - Toby Keith and Willie Nelson Hot Blooded - Foreigner My Sharona - The Knack Bennie And The Jets - Elton John You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes Down Under - Men At Work All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet Blast The Music On Your Test Drive!

Are you terrified of the check engine light coming on? It’s totally fine, I am too. One of the greatest things I learned recently, though, was that of the top five reasons that check engine light comes on, well. Only a couple are really bad. The others are totally reasonable and easy to fix. Check them out! Your gas cap. This should be the first thing you check, because if it’s off/loose/broken it can set your check engine light off due to fuel vapors leaking out. If it’s off or loose, just put it on tightly! If it’s broken or altogether missing, it can be replaced by your dealer for cheap. Your spark plugs need to be replaced about every 100,000 miles, so it could just mean it’s time for that to happen. It could be your Mass Airflow Sensor, which tells your vehicle’s computer how much fuel to use based on the amount of air coming into your engine. If this is broken, your emissions will increase, and your vehicle could stall out. Your oxygen sensors (aka O2 sensors) might need to be replaced. These monitor the amount of unburned oxygen in your exhaust, and then tell your vehicle’s computer how much fuel is actually being burned in your engine. Letting these go unfixed can burn out your catalytic converter. Finally, it could actually be your catalytic converter (aka cat). This part reduces exhaust gases, and when it is burned out your MPGs will go down and your acceleration won’t be what it needs to be. All in all, no matter what - if your check engine light goes on and it’s not the gas cap, get it into the shop ASAP. Good luck! Let Us Get You Back On The Road For Less

It’s that time of year for long road trips and bored passengers - so we’ve put together a list of our favorite games to play in the car for passengers of any age! The driver can get in on most of these too, so you’ll be able to break up the tedium of the road with these great games. Check them out and share your favorites on our Facebook! Alphabetical Categories - start with a category (i.e. food, music) and then start from A and travel down the alphabet naming things within that category 21 Questions - a classic, you have to guess what one person is thinking in 21 questions or less. You can’t repeat a question that’s already been asked, and whoever guesses it correctly gets to think of the thing for the next round. Word Association - one person starts with a word, the next person has to think of a word that’s associated to that previous word in some way, and the game goes onward until someone makes a mistake or says something way too out of the realm of possibility to count. The License Plate Game - see how many license plates you can spot from different states/provinces! This is harder and harder the shorter the trip is! While You Were Sleeping - when someone falls asleep, everyone else who is awake has to create the most believable story possible. Stay in character - if you don’t, you lose a point. If someone goes off-script, ask “are you sure?” This is a great game for everyone! Bring Everyone Along In A New BMW!

We all get a little angry sometimes, right? It’s totally okay! This is just a part of life. But when we get angry on the road, that’s where the problems start. This road-related anger is also known as road rage, and it’s dangerous as heck! That’s why we have put together this list of tips to use for when you’re feeling a little angry on the road - it’s better to be calm and safe than angry and potentially dead! If you’ve got someone right up your rear end, tailgating you like there’s no tomorrow, let them pass when it’s safe to do so. Move over if you can, and wave them on if they need a little encouragement. When you’re deciding when to leave your house in the morning, plan for delays. Google Maps has a really good way of letting you know when you can expect to arrive - and it takes traffic and accidents into account. If you’re early, it’ll be a nice surprise, and if you hit traffic you won’t be too frustrated. Drive safely! This should be paramount no matter when you’re driving, but when everyone is in a rush you should set a good example for everyone else by being a great driver. If you are stressed or you feel yourself devolving into that road rage state, listen to some calming music or talk radio. May we recommend NPR? Lay off the horn. If you find yourself honking a lot, consider… not doing that. The worst thing about it is that it just makes other people angry as well, and then everyone is angry and it becomes a nightmare. If you come across someone else who is experiencing road rage - whether or not you are as well - don’t make eye contact or be aggressive with them. Let them be, and let them pass you if you can so that you are safely out of the danger zone. They can be angry somewhere else! Stay Safe In A New BMW

With the onset of winter, we might be more inclined to do a little bit of nesting - as in, make our spaces as cozy as possible for our long winter’s nap. Unfortunately, we’re not bears, and this usually manifests in a LOT of clutter piling up in places like our homes and cars and us not wanting to clean it out until the spring… which is months away. Here are our tips to nipping that clutter monster in the bud by getting your car clean quickly! Supplies you will need: trash bags air freshener spray (like Febreze) upholstery cleaner (like Resolve) car cleaning wipes vacuum Q-tips First, get all the trash out of your car. Put it in a trash bag and throw it away. Take another trash bag and put all the stuff you want to keep but just not in your car into it and bring that into your house. Everything that you want to keep in your car can go into a third bag and be set aside for later. Vacuum everything out. Use the wand attachment for maximum crevice access and get EVERYTHING. Every nook and cranny. The spaces between seats, the floors, the vents, everything. If your vents are really gross then get them with a Q-tip dipped in cleaning solution and then vacuum them out again. Use some wipes to get all the dust off of your smooth surfaces. If you have stains in your upholstery, use the upholstery cleaner per the directions. Finally, spray some nice air freshener and get everything back into your car, but organized, and you’re all set. Impress your friends and family with your cleanliness! A Clean Engine Is The Next Step

Are you the type of person who likes to have music playing in the car? I know how that is! I’ve definitely described myself as being “allergic to silence” before, which isn’t true factually but it’s how I feel in my soul. Anyway, I have put together a short playlist for the holidays that can either stand alone or serve as a jumping-off point for more music to listen to this holiday season. Check it out and let me know what you think! What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? - Ella Fitzgerald White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes Greensleeves - Vince Guaraldi Trio On Ice - Chris Thile Marshmallow World - The Regrettes Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski Sister Winter - Sufjan Stevens Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Lady Antebellum We’re Goin’ To The Country! - Sufjan Stevens Good “Swing” Wenceslas - Count Basie Orchestra Check Out The Sound Systems On These New Vehicles!

Today’s blog is a crash course in checking your oil. Buckle up and dive in! (And then after, make sure you go and check your oil!) Open the hood. Prop it so it stays open. Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel. Dip the stick all the way back in. Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks. Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible. Put the dipstick back in. Close your hood. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. Change Your Oil For Less

When you’re in the market for a new car, the first thing you’re going to do is pick some that you like, whether online or in the lot, and then go for a test drive. Yes, you need to take that test drive, friend! Here’s how they usually work, in terms of using the test drive to determine if the vehicle is right for you or not: BEFORE TEST DRIVE: I have so many questions about this car. I am going to keep a list and make sure that I answer all these questions so that I can make an informed decision about my vehicular future. DURING TEST DRIVE: This car is the best! Car. I love car. Vroom vroom. I am FAST and BEAUTIFUL. AFTER TEST DRIVE: Yeah, um, it had a steering wheel. And went… forward? Maybe also backward. Good car. Don’t be like this. Have a list, remember the list, bring a friend to prompt you with the list during the drive. To make it even easier, we have created a list for you to bring so that you don’t even have to think about it. How is the ride in the vehicle? Is it bumpy, smooth, or detached? Of course, the ride will always depend on what type of vehicle you are testing, but does it meet your expectations? Test the brakes to see how they are. Are they rubber-band-y? Responsive? Slow? Sticky? The most important question is: would you trust them to save your life? Test the brakes in every type of situation you can imagine. How’s the acceleration? Can you get up to the speed you want in the amount of time you want? Acceleration can make or break the vehicle for a lot of people. From inside of the vehicle, is it loud? Can you see out of all the windows properly? How are the steering and handling? Check the turning radius by making a U-turn somewhere safe. Can you get down curvy roads with ease? Take One Of These Out For A Spin

We all experience smells in our lives, whether they’re in our homes, our offices, or even our cars. However, there are some smells that mean trouble. Check out our list of what smells those are and what they mean for you and your vehicle. If you smell rotten eggs, it means that your catalytic converter is having trouble. This could be either a fuel injection problem or that your cat is failing because there’s hydrogen sulfide in your exhaust causing the stench. Get this repaired as soon as possible. If you smell sulfur, it is a gear lubricant leak that should be repaired. The leak is coming from either the manual transmission, the transfer case, or the differential housing. The smell comes from a sulfur compound in the oil. Look under your car for oily puddles. If you smell maple syrup, it is your coolant leaking. Coolant contains ethylene glycol, which smells sweet but is very toxic. This is an easy fix but should be repaired. If you smell gas, it’s gas. Easy peasy. This means you have a leak in your fuel injection line or a fuel tank vent hose in your engine. If you have a newer car, this is a real concern. If you smell hot oil, it’s hot oil. Another easy one, this means you have an oil leak, and the oil is dripping (or spraying) onto the exhaust manifold and burning while your engine is running. Try to find the leak and stem it but really you should take your vehicle in for service and repair as soon as possible. Service Costs Less With These Specials