How long can I drive on it before getting it fixed?

ANSWER : Hi there:

Unfortunately, without physically inspecting your BMW it’s impossible for us to tell you how long you can drive without replacing your tie rod ends. When any front end suspension parts are damaged, it’s vital to have them replaced in pairs (meaning both sides) to ensure the front end can be properly aligned. When front end parts show signs of damage, other components attached to them can also break shortly after.

ANSWER : You should have the shift cable disconnected from the transmission to make sure the hard shift problem is in the shift cable or shifter assembly and not in the transmission. The most common cause is going to be in the shifter mechanism due to problems in the shifter. Have the shifter cable disconnected at both ends and check to make sure it moves free or it binds and shifter moves free. You may need to replace the shifter or shift cable and would need to be isolated to what one is cause.

ANSWER : Hi, thanks for your question. I’d be happy to help. As long as the belt is the same width and close to the same length you can use it.

ANSWER : Wheel bearing noise will always be dependent on vehicle speed, meaning as you speed up or slow down the noise should change frequency or loudness. Cornering may affect the noise from a damaged front wheel bearing and is usually more pronounced as you make turns. I would not recommend driving with your wheel bearings in this condition too much longer. As the noise gets louder, this generally means it is getting worse. Depending on how badly they are damaged, eventually if not replaced, they can cause the wheel to lock up which can be very dangerous and may cause an accident. I would suggest having a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your home to take a look at the car and check your wheel bearings for failure.

ANSWER : This is a sign of a faulty transmission control solenoid. Modern automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car’s computer activates a transmission solenoid, which directs transmission fluid into the valve body to engage the correct gear. When this is faulty or not working properly, this can cause a delay in gear shifting or in some cases cause the car to not shift at all. If you’d like, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to inspect your vehicle, and provide a definitive diagnosis for the shifting issue.

ANSWER : Hi there. The brake system Warning Light can illuminate for two reasons: First, the parking brake is currently engaged. Second, a component within the the brake system is malfunctioning. If the brake system Warning Light is illuminated, and the parking brake is released, then there is most likely an issue with the brake system, and the vehicle should be inspected as soon as possible. It’s probably a good idea to have a brake warning light inspection completed by a professional mobile mechanic so they can determine what’s causing these issues.

ANSWER : Anything is possible with enough engineering. The changes you are looking at would take major structural changes and would definitely not be an easy job. You could possibly consult a manufacturing engineer to get more details on how this could actually be carried out and whether it would be feasible.

ANSWER : Hello. Unfortunately if the timing belt brakes it is not usually as simple as just installing a new one on this vehicle. Most of the time when the timing belt brakes on this engine the pistons will contact the valves bending them. This would require that the cylinder heads be removed and the head rebuilt so this would be quite an expense. It really then depends on how cheap you are getting the vehicle for.