HAIK'S GERMAN AUTOHAUS
BMW Independent Repair & BMW Service
Santa Barbara
We Specialize in the Maintenance of all BMW Series
BMW 1 Series | BMW 2 Series | BMW 3 Series | BMW 4 Series | BMW 5 Series | BMW 6 Series | BMW 7 Series | BMW 8 Series | BMW X5 | BMW X6 | BMW X3 | BMW i8 | BMW X4 | BMW M3 | BMW M5 | BMW X7 | BMW X1 | BMW Z4 | BMW X2 | BMW M4 | BMW M6 | BMW i3 | BMW M2 | BMW X5 M | BMW X6 M | BMW M8 | BMW X5 eDrive | BMW M550 | BMW M24 | BMW X3 M | BMW M760 | BMW X4 M | BMW M850 | BMW M340 | BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe | BMW M850 Gran Coupe
Total BMW Car Care
Haik’s German Autohaus is an independent BMW repair shop in the heart of Santa Barbara. High quality automotive repair and car service has earned us the trust of clients dating back 40 years. Our certified mechanics are trained in BMW mechanical and electrical systems. At Haik’s, we are able to diagnose and repair your BMW’s most difficult problems
Whether service or repair, from oil change, brakes, battery, check engine light, water pump or transmissions engine repair and the most sophisticated electronic computer problems, or any auto repair or car service, let the mechanics at Haik’s show you what satisfaction can mean.
Routine Maintenance
Every system in your BMW should be inspected and serviced periodically. Doing this routine maintenance will help preserve your BMW for years to come.
At Haik’s, we follow a strict regimen of auto inspection and recommendations to you in order to stay ahead of any potential problems. Our auto repair and service procedures are designed to keep your BMW on the road as long as possible and for the least expense.
Be sure to call Haik's the next time your BMW needs maintenance so you can discover what trust in a skilled mechanic can mean.
BMW Automotive Services We Provide
Car Check and Inspection Services
Warning Lights and MIL | Service Engine Soon | Check Engine Light | Vehicle Inspection | Pre-Purchase Check | Safety Check | Other Testing
Auto Services
A/C Evacuation & Charge | Air Filter | Cabin Filter | Fuel Filter | Spark Plugs | Oil Change | Tune-Up | Battery | Belts | Coolant Change | Engine Servicing | Electrical Trouble-Shooting | Car Noises | Power Steering | Transfer Case | Automatic Transmission Service (every 40,000 miles) | Brake Fluid Change (every 2 years) | Spark Plugs | Oxygen Sensors (every 100,000 miles) | And More…
Auto Repairs
Air-Conditioning | Alternator | Air Bags | Seat Belts | Battery | Charging System | Brake | Computer Controls | Diesel Repair | Door Locks | Engine | Electrical | Electronic | Computer | Keys | Locks | Light Bulbs | Lighting | Mirrors | Window Regulator | Catalytic Converter | Muffler | Oxygen Sensor | Power Steering System | Shock Absorber | Starter | Thermostat | Water Pump | Radiator | Cooling System | Tire Replacement | Transmission | And More…
BMW Repair By Symptom
Poor Running | Starting Problems | Warning Lights | Check Engine | ABS Light | Brake Warning Light | Tire Monitor | SRS Air Bag and Seat Belts | Overheating | Shifting Problems | Car Noises | Oil Leaks | Shaking | Windows Not Operating | And More...
We offer the BMW factory service schedule as well as our own custom service schedule.
PLEASE CALL (805) 965-0975 FOR AN APPOINTMENT OR FREE CONSULTATION
BMW Factory Maintenance
See “CBS Service” below.
CBS Service (Conditional Based Service)
Service Inspection Intervals
Every 15K miles
Basically every other service repeats with slight variations, except at 100K. At 100K, transmission fluid, oxygen sensors and spark plugs are replaced.
Condition Based Service (CBS)
Unlike previous service schedules, the condition based service program is not strictly time or mileage based. The CBS program uses the engine control module (computer) to monitor driving conditions and the vehicle operator’s driving habits as well. This additional information helps calculate when the next service is due. If the vehicle has been driven harder, faster, put under excessive loads, the time interval between services will be shortened and more frequent services will be needed. If the car is driven fewer miles than is considered “normal,” the time interval for the service will be lengthened. Each factor contributes to the recommended service time interval. This offers the greatest balance between cost-saving and protection of the vehicle.
Fuel consumption rather than fixed mileage is used as the basis on which to calculate the contamination level of the engine oil and need for an oil change, and thus a service. An oil condition sensor communicates with the engine’s ECM (engine control module) computer. The ECM processes the information with an algorithm to evaluate when the next service is due. The data is then sent to the instrument cluster to be communicated to the driver.
When the service indicator warns of a service due, this does not mean the vehicle needs only an oil change however. The monitoring coincides with other service items needing to be performed at the same time. These service items have been calculated into the program to save the customer from having to return to the repair shop over and over again for each separate item.
Harder driving not only causes a rise in fuel consumption and dirty engine oil, but also causes greater wear on other parts of the vehicle such as transmission, differential, tires, brakes, spark plugs, etc. These harder driving conditions shorten the service intervals, making more frequent visits to the repair shop necessary.
Sensor and Virtual Based CBS Schedules
While some service items are measured directly with sensors, many service items are not. Brake pads, micro filter, engine coolant, brake fluid, spark plugs, etc., all depend on other variables (virtual sensors) such as mileage, temperature, vehicle performance as well as other factors to indirectly measure the condition of wear and tear items. The current status of these service items can be read at any time.
BMW service intervals are roughly every 15K miles. This would be considered the average or “normal” schedule. Your particular driving habits may shorten or lengthen these intervals.
BMW Pre-Purchase Check
Our car check is a bumper-to-bumper inspection of the entire automobile. This means every system in the car is inspected, not just the engine, brakes and tires. Our inspection includes electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems. This inspection can be for the purpose of buying, selling or just maintaining your vehicle. It is the same inspection we provide in our mid-level and major service when servicing an automobile. It takes approximately two hours.
*For a complete list of inspection items, see our Services page and scroll down to Inspection (Car Check).
BMW Tire Sales
We sell all brands of tires for your BMW at reasonable prices.
Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Dunlop, Yokohama, Hankook, Firestone, Bridgestone, Uniroyal, Kelly, General, Sumitomo, BF Goodrich, etc.
Call us when your BMW needs tires.
(805) 965-0975
BMW Check Engine Light
The “check engine light” is one of the malfunction indicator lights (MIL) found in the instrument cluster. It has various symbols and words: "check engine,” “service engine soon,” even a symbol of an engine with a slash through it.
When your “check engine light” illuminates, it means that something related to smog control is malfunctioning. The only way to know what that failure is, is to interrogate the engine computer (DME) and read the diagnostic trouble codes (DTC). The reading gives us some information but does not tell which part to replace. It indicates the system in which the problem has occurred and some communication readings. The rest is up to the mechanic. At Haik’s, we are specialized in such diagnostics and repair. Please give us a call when your BMW check engine light comes on.
BMW Repairs & Services
Visit our Services page.
Visit our Repairs page.
*Or give us a call at 965-0975 for a free personal consultation.*
BMW Innovation
Economy
Luxury Comfort
Performance
- Twin Power Turbo (direct fuel injection with turbo)
- Steptronic is BMW’s automatic transmission with a dynamic sport mode which can be shifted manually if desired. This feature essentially transforms the six-speed automatic transmission into a six-speed manual transmission. Activate the Steptronic mode and use the gear selector to shift up or down. Or use the finger tip paddles on the steering wheel to shift, and keep your hands on the wheel. The two buttons on the front of the steering wheel (one left, one right) serve to downshift, the two buttons at the rear (one left, one right) serve to upshift.
- High Precision Injection (direct fuel injection where fuel under high pressure is sprayed directly into combustion chamber, rather than into tubes of the Intake manifold)
- VANOS is BMW’s variable camshaft timing mechanism which adjusts camshaft timing for various driving conditions. Double VANOS utilizes the variable timing of both intake and exhaust camshafts.
Safety
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
- Dynamic Traction Control (DTC)
- Night Vision with Dynamic light spot
*Early Traction Control System
Auto makers BMW and Mercedes-Benz were the earliest innovators of what today is called electronic stability control (ESC). Both BMW and Mercedes introduced their first traction control systems in 1987. Traction control applies individual wheel braking as well as throttle control to keep traction during acceleration in order to maintain vehicle control. Unlike the advanced ESC system today however, it was not designed to aid steering. (Mercedes, working together with Robert Bosch, was first to add steering to the traction control system and called it ESP.) BMW developed the dynamic traction control system together with Robert Bosch GmbH and Continental Automotive Systems. In 1992 BMW applied this system to its entire model line up.
Styling
Some Unique BMW Problems and Symptoms We’ve Experienced and Repaired
- Body sags in one or more corners. Air bag suspension problem, if so equpped.
- Car suddenly autonomously activates ABS system while driving on freeway and in town on surface streets. Customer was not applying the brakes at the time. ABS braking system was activating intermittently, but as it turned out, the ABS system was not at fault. 2001 BMW 325i
- Check Engine Light, code reads coolant mapping, thermostat stuck open, but there were no cooling system symptoms or overheating.
- Clattering noise from front of engine VANOS area. M Series
- CV boots crack and leak front outer constant velocity joints of AWD (all-wheel-drive) vehicles.
- Engine could not be turned off. Ignition key switch was spinning in tumbler. 1998 M3 BMW
- Growling noise from front of engine
- Leak at power steering fluid reservoir
- Rattling sound from engine intake air plenum (intake manifold)
- Smoke coming out of exhaust pipe (possible PCV failure). Try pulling off oil filler cap with engine running. If it is difficult, the engine suction is leaking through the PCV valve or valves.
- Thick smoke coming from exhaust pipe after idling for a period, then revving quickly. 2006 BMW 550i. We suspected valve stem seals, but needed to run other tests to confirm. We found that the PCV diaphragms were torn and replaced them. But that did not correct the problem. We pulled the heads and found the valve guides were worn. We replaced the valve guides and valve stem seals and performed a valve job. End of story.
BMW Specific Terminology
- Active Steering
- Auto Start Stop
- Autobeam
- Automatic Stability Control (ASC)
- Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T)
- CBS (Condition Based Service)
- Cornering Brake Control (CBC)
- Dynamic Drive
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and (DSCIII)
- Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) BMW is the co-engineering partner and inventor with Robert BOSCH GmbH and Continental (TEVES).
- Electronic Damper Control (EDC)
- Electronic Height Control (EHC)
- Engine Failsafe Program (“limp home mode”) See our Repairs page for details on "Limp Home Mode."
- EWS immobilizer
- High Precision Injection
- IDrive (navigation, entertainment, communication system)
- Night Vision with Dynamic light spot
- Park Assist
- Park Distance Control (PDC)
- Passive safety
- Rotational Rate Sensor See yaw sensor or angular sensor on our Repairs page.
- Steering Angle Sensor Lew
- Steptronic
- Twin Power Turbo
- VANOS See variable camshaft timing on our Repairs page.
- xDrive, all wheel drive (AWD)
Historical Note
Did you know?…
BMW was founded in 1917 during WWI as as aircraft engine manufacturer. It provided such powerful and reliable airplane engines that its contribution to the victories of Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and Ernst Udet, who claimed 80 and 62 victories, respectively, cannot be denied.