der Bayerische July/August 2020 - 7

Phil and James were happy to lead
NCC's first virtual tech talk.

NCC Virtual Tech Talk with
BimmerWorld
By Jacques Raymond and Steve Tenney | Photos and screenshots courtesy of BimmerWorld

O

n April 30, NCC held its
first-ever virtual Tech Talk using
Zoom. Our special guests
were James Clay and Phil Wurz
of BimmerWorld. More than 60
enthusiasts from across the country
RSVPed for the session.
BimmerWorld was founded in
1997 by James Clay and started as
a supplier of used BMW parts.
It quickly grew to offer replacement
parts, performance parts, and race
parts for all BMWs. They estimate
that BimmerWorld has nearly 30,000
cataloged parts in their inventory,
making BimmerWorld a leading BMW
parts supplier with customers both
nationwide and around the globe.
Located in southwest Virginia,
BimmerWorld's staff have extensive
street and racing experience which
they leverage to help customers
achieve their car setup goals.
BimmerWorld has been a sponsor
for BMW CCA Club Racing for over
a decade and is a HPDE sponsor
for NCC. Their website is

July I August

https://www.bimmerworld.com/.
After an introduction from DIY
program chair, Chris Wootten, and
NCC president, Paul Seto, the
microphone was turned over to
James and Phil.
To start off, James and Phil
made the distinction between
maintenance and repairs. In order
for a vehicle to perform properly,
maintenance is necessary! There are
items we deem "consumables" that
have a readily known maintenance
schedule and lifespan. Consumables
include things like fluids, tires,
wipers, brake pads and rotors, and
lightbulbs. These items wear out with
time, mileage, or both. Other items
are ones that we keep an eye on and
replace before they fail in order to
preserve reliability and performance
of the vehicle overall. Preventive
maintenance can be thought of as
a "scheduled repair" instead of a
by-the-side-of-the-road fix. These
"preventive maintenance" items
include the transmission, engine

components (gaskets, belts, hoses,
water pump, thermostat, rod
bearings),
and
suspension
components such as bushings.
These items work in concert with
others and deteriorate over time with
normal wear and tear. Remember
what your father told you: the oil isn't
going to change itself (although these
days, it may check itself using oillevel sensors, if you trust the
technology not to fail. Personally,
I prefer an old-fashioned dipstick.)
James suggested that BMW's goal is
to achieve a no failures situation, even
with the M4 GT4 race car.
Repairs, on the other hand, are
needed when a part fails and the
vehicle is no longer working properly,
or isn't working at all. Not only are
repairs inconvenient, they can cost
more time and money than preventive
maintenance. It's true: an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you're not paying attention when
your car's serpentine belt snaps, the
fact that the water pump is no longer

circulating coolant can quickly lead to
grossly overheating the engine,
warping the head, and destroying
the motor. Not all repairs can be
prevented, but many can be caught
early, and possible damage can be
lessened with proper maintenance.
Do not ignore warning signs, such as
odd sounds, deteriorating steering,
or the warning lights on your dash
or messages on your information
screens.
Next, James and Phil discussed
the difference between OE, OEM, and
aftermarket parts - a potentially
confusing designation, which can
mean different things to different
suppliers making it even more so!
To BimmerWorld, OE means Original
Equipment (Genuine BMW). These
are parts that are packaged for sale
from BMW and have BMW labels on
them. "Official" BMW parts carrying
the roundel logo are typically more
expensive than OEM or aftermarket
parts, but you can be confident that
they're the same (and of the same

7
https://www.bimmerworld.com/ https://www.bimmerworld.com/
der Bayerische July/August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of der Bayerische July/August 2020
