Tech Tips Page 6

Meeting Minutes Page 7

Starry, Starry Night Page 5

Events Calendar Page 3

Recent Event Column Page 4

The Newsletter of the Northern Ohio ChapterNorthern Ohio Bimmer Pilot

Vol. 30 No. 2 l Summer 2019

Crawford Coffee & Cars at the Auto-AviationRestoration-Preservation Facility7950 Empire Parkway, Macedonia, OH 44056Saturday, September 14, 2019 -- 8:00 to 11 a.m.Meet up with members at this special Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum Coffee & Cars segment!

Visitors will get a rare look at the facility where restoration and preservation of the Western Reserve Historical Society's collection occurs. Included in this tour are some unusual and prized items; meet the volunteers who work on the collection.

There is a $10 admission fee for non-members ($5 for members) which supports the museum and restoration facility. You MUST register and pay individually through the Historical Society: RSVP to Crawford.

The Winds of Change The summer has brought rain, winds, and heat in abun-dance. It’s a time of change.

As the Chapter moves forward in its 28th year, we recently have seen how BMW technology and its cars are evolv-ing. So has CCA evolved as a whole. BMWCCA will mark

its 50th anniversary in October at its new site in Greer, South Carolina. There will be retrospective presentation on its past and talk about its future.

With the talk of the next 50 years ongoing within the organization, there are a number of changes to expect in the future from National which will impact our local Chapter.

Although formal information from National will be presented later in the year, there will be a dues increase in 2020. Cur-rent members will be given an opportunity to renew prior to that increase date at the current rate.

National also has decided to create a semi-annual glossy regional magazine to be distributed with the Roundel to inform you of key events or focuses in the North Central Region; each Chapter will be allocated 2 pages. This action will eliminate the requirement of a quarterly Chapter newsletter. So, prior to our Board meeting on 11 August we need to know how you feel about this. Still want a local electronic newsletter? Willing to use just the web site for information? We need to know so we can allocate our efforts and resources accordingly.

Chapter records are being processed over this summer and should be accepted by the archives in the fall.

While we have had access to the new web site template, the learning curve with this application as well as time constraints on all of those involved in the transfer of information has delayed its rollout. I hope to address this in the fall as well.

These transitions ask that you as members let us know what you want from your local Chapter. Are you interested or willing to take some time to be part of the Board to help shape our future? Please contact any Board member with your thoughts so we can experience a smooth drive into the fall of 2019 and beyond.

GRANDSTAND C. L. Harrison, NOC BMWCCA President

Search: Northern Ohio Chapter BMW Car Club of America

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Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot

President, Webmaster, & Driving Events Coordinator C.L. Harrison 330.212.9280president@nohiobmwcca.org

SecretaryC. L. Harrison 330.212.9280 secretary@nohiobmwcca.org

Vice President Jon Stupar 330.701.3399 jstupar@zoominternet.net

Treasurer Jack Steele 330.697.8344 jacktsteele48@gmail.com

NORTHERN OHIO CHAPTER OFFICERS

Facebook Facilitator Adam Harrison 330.858.1131 buckeyeDE06@hotmail.com Membership ChairDave Fisher 330.659.5000new-member@nohiobmwcca.org Newsletter Editor - VACANT editor@nohiobmwcca.org

Board Members At-Large Dennis Grabowski 440.975.6273 dennis.grabowski.jr@gmail.com

John Mok 216.375.8126 johncmok@gmail.com Lavi Miksa 440.840.1136 lavimiksa@gmail.com Tim Wing 440.224.1890 timwing3@yahoo.com

© 2019 Northern Ohio Chapter BMW CCA. The Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot is proudly published quarterly by and for the members of the Northern Ohio Chapter, BMW CCA, Inc. Unless otherwise stated, maintenance and modification procedures herein are not “factory approved,” and their use may void your BMW warranty. Ideas and opinions are those of the writers, and no authentication or approval is implied by the editors or publishers, who assume no liability for information contained herein. Correspondence should be submitted to Attn: Editor, Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot, P.O. Box 3032, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223.

Club Race Liaison Brian Nawrocki 440.679.0977 brian.nawrocki@gmail.com

Chief Driving Instructor Jon Stupar 330.701.3399 editor@nohiobmwcca.org

Members: Post your FREE classified ad to https://www.bmwcca.org/classifieds

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSDouglas Webb Wooster Shawn Pace Canton Barry Lampl Fairlawn Paul Weaver MillersburgDan Buehler Wooster Jordan Weber Broadview HeightsScot Plewacki ClevelandGary Soukenik WarrenDean Comber SolonChad Thompson HudsonJunzhi Zhang CantonLiwei Lin Canton John Parson CantonJeffrey Zhang LakewoodSoghra Homafar StowJamy Lippencott North CantonKerrie David MassillonJessica Butt Canal FultonVere Ream North CantonDouglas Kovatch ClintonVenkatesh Saravanan CantonFranscene Davis New PhiladelphiaJames Johnson Bedford HeightsChris Rininger AuroraNicholas Matuch Seven HillsJames Bennett MedinaMike Downs ChardonMichael Stefan Cuyahoga FallsBo Hans Olof Landin MassillonLoren Prysi DundeeMary Ann Barron BrunswickDarin Murphy CantonBrent Belles HartvillePeter Love CantonJohn Mayer WadsworthDon Czapski Shaker HeightsTerrence Smith North OlmstedSherley Butler ColumbusStuart Ball UnionownLee Rogers ColumbianaDennis Taylor WarrenRuedi Van Coppenolle StreetsboroThomas Erb AshtabulaKristy Slivka BrunswickBob Wilson CortlandRick Martin KentDebroah Thomas CantonStephanie Reiss Massillon

For additional information or to apply for membership, please visit www.bmwcca.org.

• Full-color monthly magazine

• Member Rewards Rebates• Discounts on parts and

supplies• Freeclassifiedads• Distinctive club decals

• Technical tips and information

• Tours & Driving Events• National Events - and

TechFest• Driving Schools at

renowned tracks

JOIN TODAY AT WWW.BMWCCA.ORG Your BMW CCA $48.00 membership entitles you to:

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Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

Get your Northern Ohio BMWCCA Chapter apparel at The Gear Shop.

MARK YOUR CALENDARAug 11 Third-Quarter Board Meeting

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Conference Room, Brecksville Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 9089 Brecksville Rd All Members Welcome

Aug 15 Submissions Due for Autumn Bimmer Pilot Email photos & copy to editor@nohiobmwcca.org

Aug 21 RSVP DUE Starry, Starry Night RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Aug 24 Starry, Starry Night Social See Page 5 for details. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. C. L. Harrison president@nohiobmwcca.org or 330.212.9280.

Sep 14 Crawford Coffee & Cars at the Auto-Aviation Restoration-Preservation Facility 8 to 11 a.m. 7950 Empire Parkway, Macedonia, OH 44056

Sep 26 RSVP Due for Fuel Tanks to Beer Vats Drive RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Sep 29 From Fuel Tanks to Beer Vats - Brew Drive Please see page 8 for details. Meet: Panera Bread, 6543 Strip Avenue, NW, Canton, OH 44720 – 10:00 a.m. Drive starts promptly at 10:30 a.m. End: Sandy Springs Brewing Company, 232 North Market Street, Minerva, OH Parma, 44657 – noon RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. C. L. Harrison president@nohiobmwcca.org or 330.212.9280.

Oct 15-19 Oktoberfest 2019 -- Spartansburg, NC Get all the details & register: https://ofest.bmwcca.org/

Nov 17 Fourth-Quarter Board Meeting 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Conference Room, Brecksville Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 9089 Brecksville Rd All Members Welcome

Nov 25 Submissions Due for Winter Bimmer Pilot Email photos & copy to editor@nohiobmwcca.org

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERSRhonda Harris RichfieldWilliam Foster Richmond HeightsKelly Beard UniontownRichard Legenza MedinaAngela Zingalis AkronPatricia Rerko AkronCynthia Hazelton Pepper PikeTim Wadsworth RichfieldDave Schutter North CantonSteve Freireich SolonDaniel Charlick North Canton

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Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

RECENT EVENTS: BMW GENIUS TECH TALK Glen Beattie, NOC BMWCCA Member

On May 18, 2019, BMW of Cleveland hosted North-ern Ohio Chapter for a 2-hour chat session with two of their “BMW Genius” representatives, Bobby Ozer-sky and Hussain Syed.

These two knowledgeable people shared a great deal of information with us and tirelessly answered our questions, while the Davis Automotive Group provided us with refreshments.

The BMW Genius program started in 2014, right when Connected Drive was introduced. The Genius-es can answer most product questions that pertain to vehicles from the 2014 model year onward.

The new paradigm for a customer walking into a BMW dealership is that they first consult with a Genius, who can explain the features of the various models and help them decide what they want before they speak with a sales representative….excuse me, a “Client Advisor.”

(Of course, those of us in CCA know exactly what we want before we ever set foot in the dealership, right down to Option 4LR Fineline Stream Wood Trim.)

We picked up some interesting information.

First and most important, the M cars will soon be electrified. In a hybrid mode, they may be able to deliver a mind-numbing 1,000 horsepower in a fuel-efficient package. (My Ford Focus doesn’t stand a chance at the red light.)

Secondly important, manual transmissions are not going to go away entirely. BMW will continue to of-fer “pure” models, that are RWD and have a manual

transmission option. (There just won’t be very many of them.)

With iDrive-7, BMW has introduced “Personal As-sistant”, which is likened to Siri. You can speak to it in plain-English phrases and it will respond. It understands such things as, “My feet are cold” and can take appropriate action. It also can distinguish where the person speaking is seated: driver, passen-ger, or back seat.

There’s a wave of new technology coming soon to our doorstep. BMW has the technology to do semi-autonomous driving, where the driver only has to touch the steering wheel once every 30 seconds to show that they’re still there (and still conscious).

The i3 has technology that could allow the car to pick up the driver in a shopping mall from its park-ing spot (but, this feature doesn’t have regulatory approval, so it’s not available). Collision avoidance could not only include braking, but lane-changing if the adjacent lane is clear.

BMW will soon have digital-key capability, that will allow you to give your keys to anyone with a smart-phone, and revoke them later, if you like.

Back to the here-and-now, blind-spot detection is only enabled when the vehicle is moving faster than 15 MPH. (Those of us who learned how to adjust our mirrors at the BMW Performance Driving Cen-ter don’t really need blind-spot detection.) And the lane-departure warning is only enabled when moving faster than 40 MPH. This topic generated considerable discussion, especially since the owners with ECU coders know that these parameters can be

changed.

BMW has introduced a car-sharing service called Reach Now. It’s currently available only in Seattle and Portland, but other major cities will see it soon. It allows you to enter a destination and choose to drive it yourself or get a ride.

One final note: Spotify was removed from iDrive-7 due to the fact that the connec-tion couldn’t be guaranteed to be secure.

I found this event to be far more interest-ing than I anticipated. (And yes, I was the guy complaining loudly about the new cars not having a manual transmission option.) It’s too bad that more members didn’t attend.

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Starry, Starry NightSaturday, August 24, 2019Meal: Grand River Cellars, 5760 South Madison Road (Route 528), Madison, OH -- 5 p.m.Star-Gazing: Observatory Park, Geauga Park District, 10610 Clay Street, Montville, -- 7:30 p.m.

We’re adults. We’re allowed to come out after dark! So, we are! Join us at one of only 39 Dark Sky Parks in the country to star-gaze, look for the remains of the August Perseid Meteor Shower, and check out an observatory as well as the Nassau Astronomical Station on Saturday night, 24 August 2019.

First, of course, we need to fortify ourselves for an evening of star-gazing, so we’ll start the night at 5 p.m. at Grand River Cellars Winery and Restaurant, 750 South Madison road (Route 528) in Madison, Ohio (https://www.grandrivercellars.com). We can choose from any of the menu offerings of appetizers, salads and sandwiches or entrees. Just keep in mind that we shall be driving after the meal, so designate a driver beforehand to keep us all together and legal for the rest of the evening!

After our respite we’ll do a short drive to Observatory Park, part of the Geauga Park district. I hope to gather us into a corner and have time to wander the grounds which include a sundial, life-sized cornerstone replicas of the Great Pyramid of Giza, eathern mounds, Stonehenge-like pillars, and via a woodland trail, access to the Nassau Astronomical Station.

Weather-permitting, there will be a free Night Sky Viewing from 9 to 11 p.m. with astronomers and telescopes and access to the Astronomical Station just down the street (or through the trail) from

the parking lot and Oberle Observatory and the Science Center. Make certain you go to the web site and scroll down to the Dark Sky Park section and click Learn More to get a link to a free chart of the night sky for our visit. If it’s cloudy or rainy, there will be a program in the Science Center instead.

Please make a reservation before Wednesday, August 21, by contacting C. L. Harrison (president@nohiobmwcca.org or 330.212.9280). Provide your membership number, a contact phone for the day of the event and how many in your party. You will receive a confirming email or phone call.

Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org

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Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

TECH TIPSCopyright© 2019 Bavarian Autosport. Reproduced with permission of the owner. Available online at http://blog.bavauto.com

Well, well, your “Check Engine” or MIL (Multi Information Lamp) is on and you have used an OBD-II diagnostic tool, such as the Launch Millennnium tools, to verify that you have the very common OBD-II fault codes of P0171 (system too lean, Bank-1) and P0174 (system too lean, Bank-2). This is indicating that the pre-cat oxygen sensors (the sensors mounted in the exhaust pipes before, or in front of, the catalytic converter) are reading a lean fuel mixture. In other words, there is not enough fuel for the amount of air flow through the engine. This would typically be due to a vacuum leak in the intake system, a dirty or failing MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor) or a faulty intake manifold adjusting valve (on engines that use this), commonly called the DISA valve (Differential Intake System Adjuster Valve). Of course, there are other possibilities, but these are by far the highest probability issues for these two faults coming up together.

The first course of action is to assume that there is a vacuum leak in the intake system. This would allow air to enter the intake, which has NOT come through the MAF. The MAF measures the air entering the intake and tells the engine management which then adjusts the amount of fuel injected into the cylinders. A leak anywhere in the intake system will allow air to enter that is not “metered”through the MAF and, therefore, no additional fuel is being added to go with this extra air.

Visually inspect all of the rubber boots, bellows and hoses that carry air (intake boots, PCV hoses, vacuum hoses, etc.). If there are no obvious potential vacuum leak areas (such as the rubber upper and/or lower intake boot or the plastic “F” vacuum hose connector on the boot), the intake system should be smoke tested.

Fix It With SMOKE!

This involves using a specialized diagnostic smoke machine that injects a special smoke into the intake system, under light pressure. The smoke fills the intake system and will begin to leak out where there are any voids. This would indicate a vacuum leak . . ..

Common vacuum leak areas would include the main intake boots/bellows, the hoses and oil-separator/check-valve for the crankcase ventilation system, the throttle-body gasket, the intake manifold gaskets and the various smaller vacuum hoses that run under the intake manifold as well as o-rings that seal any hose or pipe connections.

Fix all the vacuum leaks and still have faults?

While vacuum leaks certainly are the most common reason for lean fault codes, they certainly are not the sole reason. Dirty/failing MAF, weak O2 sensors, dirty injectors, clogging fuel filter, faulty fuel pressure regulator, weak fuel pump and anything else that could cause a reduction in fuel delivery could be at fault. A full diagnostic using fuel trim values may be in order.

A couple further items to check before full diagnostics?

If there are no apparent vacuum leaks and no MAF specific fault codes (the engine management does not, at this point, see the MAF as faulty), clean the MAF with the CRC MAF Cleaner spray.

Finally (with no apparent vacuum leaks or MAF issues) the DISA valve (Differential Intake System Adjuster Valve) may be faulty (on engines that have DISA valves, such as the M54 6-cylinder). The DISA’s flap door breaks or the silicone seals on the flap frame fail and the valve no longer properly controls the intake air flow through the manifold. There are no obvious external clues to this, but this failure can cause the lean mixture fault codes (various different codes can be generated as well, in this case). The valve must be removed and the control flap inspected for broken pivot pins and the seals for deterioration. The valve is relatively easy to remove. It is secured to the driver’s side of the intake manifold.

As noted above, these are the most common issues for the P0171 and P0174 fault codes showing up together. If none of the above diagnostics and resultant fixes clears the faults, further diagnostics will be required.

BMW Fault Code P0171 and P0174, Lean Bank-1, Lean Bank-2, Diagnostic Smoker

CLASSIFIEDS

PRINTED CLASSIFIED LISTINGS: Ads in the Bimmer Pilot newsletter are free to BMWCCA members. Non-member cost is $48 which includes a 1-year BMWCCA membership. Send your classified ad text / photos to: editor@nohiobmwcca.org.

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Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

The meeting was called to order Sunday, 7 April 2019, at Brecksville Branch, Cuyahoga County Public Library by President Cynthia Harrison.PIT BOARD

The Secretary’s Report was accepted after a noted correction indicating $740 in membership fees were monies from 2018.

Treasury• As of 5 April 2019, the current balance was

$12,984.40.Board Member Reports• Membership: In lieu of Chair Dave Fisher, Jack

Steele reported 715 members and 96 associates.• Newsletter: Cynthia continues work on the next

issue to ensure continued receipt of membershiprebates from National, while seeking a resolution tothe editor responsibilities. The Board will continueto offer a stipend to the editor and will pursuealternative printers for next year.

• Web Site: Cynthia stated work is ongoing, butthere is a learning curve for all.

• Facebook: There was nothing to report.• Chief Instructor: Due to the resignation of

Dennnis Hall from the Board, Jon Stupar hasagreed to take the position.

Old Business• Chapter Records Management: Cynthia hopes

for formal approval around June and transfer ofmaterials thereafter.

• Winter GoKart Series: Jon Stupar has data for afuture newsletter.

• Cleveland Auto Show—Sunday, 3 March 2019:Jack Steele a meet-up with 8-10 people at the newBrew Kettle Restaurant.

• Tire Rack Street Survival—28 April 2019:Cynthia reported 6 registrants to date.

By Cynthia Harrison, President

New Business

• BMW Genius—18 May 2019: John Mok hasscheduled a presentation at BMW Cleveland byBMW Geniuses.

• Winery Drive—2 June 2019: Cynthia has createdthe route to Sarah’s Vineyard in Cuyahoga Falls.

• Shine N Show—15 June 2019 (Rain date 16June): Jack presented budget details for TimWing and Mike Morton whereby the boardapproved the event and pricing.

• Gervasi Vineyard Cruise-In—24 July 2019: DaveFisher is coordinating with the winery and Cain.

• Starry, Starry Night Social—24 August 2019—Observatory Park, Geauga Park District: Cynthiahas arranged for from-the-menu dining at GrandRiver Cellars in Madison followed by a short driveto the park to participate in the Night Sky Viewingevent. There is a limit of 25 persons for the dinner.

• Beer Drive (TBD)—29 October 2019: Cynthia hascompleted details; there is a 30-person limit.

• Tire Rack Street Survival—TBA Fall: Cynthiareported co-host Mahoning Valley Regional SCCAis trying for a date in Boardman Park.

• Oktoberfest—15-19 October 2019: Registrationinformation is on the web site and linked toNational’s web site.

• November (TBD)—Date TBD• December (TBD)—Date TBD

The Board agreed upon on Sunday, 11 August2019, for the Third-Quarter 2019 meeting atBrecksville Branch, Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Northern Ohio Bimmer Pilot I www.nohiobmwcca.org Vol. 30 No. 2 I Summer 2019

From Fuel Tanks to Beer VatsSunday, September 29, 2019Meet: Panera Bread, 6543 Strip Avenue NW, North Canton, Ohio 44720 -- 10 a.m.

Drive starts promptly at 10:30 a.m.Meal: Sandy Springs Brewery Company, 232 North Market Street

Minerva, Ohio 44657 – noon

This fall we’re traveling back in time and into the countryside to meld a visit to a historic town and its first gas station with our yearly sampling of a brewery: This year--it’s a single venue!

We’ll start at the Panera Bread located in the Strip Mall just south of Portage Street and north of Dressler Road in North Canton.

After selecting coffee and snacks to keep alert, the caravan will explore the country south and east of North Canton. There’s a mansion to spot as well as some quaint

towns. Who knows? Maybe we’ll go to Louisville? Or Paris? And, as always, it’s a mystery as to what we’ll see along the way!

We end the drive at Sandy Springs Brewing Company in Minerva. This brewery was once

the first gas station in town and was on the historic Lincoln highway. The office space next to the originl building hosts the bar and some of the service bays house brew tanks. As usual, you may order your meal from the menu with separate checks.

After your meal you can explore some of the nearby towns or head back toward civilization and Canton. the choice is yours!

To reserve your tour spot, contact C. L. Harrison before Thursday, 26 September, at noon (president@nohiobmwcca.org or 330.212.9280). Please include your name and membership number, a contact phone for the day of the event, the number in your party and their names. You will receive a confirming e-mail or call that your reservation has been received.