Mercedes Benz A-Class Gets an iPhone Upgrade

In the past, we've reported about the iPhone compatibility of BMW cars, but now Mercedes Benz has announced that drivers of their all new A-Class will have full use of every feature of the iPhones from interior controls that are both user-friendly and safe. Instead of gazing down at a small handheld iPhone screen, users will be able to view all media on the A-Class' built-in screen in the dash and will be able to safely navigate their phones using a very simple joystick/wheel style selector device located in the center of the cockpit. From checking the weather, shuffling through your music mix, or using GPS and Siri voice commands,  iPhones and Mercedes Benz autos will go hand-in-hand for an optimal driving experience. For more information, Mercedes-Benz-Blog has this feature. For Tulsa's dealer alternative for expert repairs, maintenance, or upgrades for Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Mini Cooper autos in the Tulsa, OK area, visit the official website of Tulsa's own European Auto Specialist. 

BMW X5 Comes Out On Top

Though many enjoy seeing how BMW automobiles stack up against Jaguar and Mercedes Benz model autos, this was quite literally the scene in one Chicago parking garage as a 74-year-old driver was returning a rented BMW X5. Not as familiar with the car as he should have been, the man accidentally pushed down on the gas instead of the brake upon entering a space which sent the X5 through multiple cables, landing on top of a 2003 Mercedes Benz E-Class and a 2005 Jaguar XJ. The man responsible was cited for driving too fast for conditions, but other than being a bit disoriented by the scene, no one was injured. For more on this peculiar story, check out this article from BMWBLOG. Had this happened in Tulsa, most of the cars involved could have benefited from the services of European Auto Specialist. Tulsa's favorite dealer alternative for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, let the BOSCH certified technicians from European Auto Specialist handle all your BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Mini Cooper repairs and upgrades. 

BMW's i3 & i8 Models Help Owners Save Money, Just Not With Their Pricetags

As BMW enthusiasts gear up for the release of the all new BMW i3 and BMW i8 electric and plug-in  hybrid models to hit the streets in 2014, it is doubtful that the drivers will be clamoring to these models just in order to save money on gas. With the i3's price tag rumored by Bloomberg to be in the +100,000 EUR ($125,510 USD) range, customers will be primarily paying for the performance, innovation, and luxury of a BMW without near the emissions. Still very much resembling concept cars, the sci-fi inspired carbon fiber bodies along with polycarbonite windows, doors, and fenders are sure to turn heads on the highway. Both of these vehicles are just as much about innovation as they are about energy conservation in order to help maintain the vision of what the automotive industry can accomplish as long as the demand is present. For more on other BMWs as well as other favorite European automotive imports, visit the official site of Tulsa's dealer repair alternative at European Autospecialist. 

Who Says Mercedes' Don't Grow On Trees?

What if instead of a car being built in a plant, it was built from a plant? With the new Mercedes Benz concept car, the Biome, it is the first automobile not built, but rather grown from organic matter that is lighter than plastic yet stronger than steel. At an astonishing 875.5 lbs, the car's all-new BioFibre body is completely biodegradable. The different parts of the car are not built, but rather grown in a lab with a genetic code that was been modified by genetic engineers. The car is rumored to run on oxygen that it absorbs directly from the BioFiber. Each wheel is grown from a seed of its own. For more information on this, one of the most innovative designs at the Los Angeles Auto Show, check out this write up on it from Gizmag. For all Mercedes autos that don't require Miracle Grow, put your auto in the capable hands of the dealer alternative at European Auto Specialist. 

The Hybrid Hype Continues: Mini Cooper Gets Bitten By The Hybrid Bug

According to a variety of sources, there has been an all-new 2014 Mini Cooper Hybrid spotted in test trial. For those of you saying "What's the big deal? Everyone is coming out with a hybrid. Why is this one special?" The difference in this hybrid is that the car is rumored to be all-wheel drive model with the rear wheels not even connected to a gas-powered engine. According to Car & Driver, the vehicle brings an innovative twist to the hybrid auto scene with rear wheels being powered exclusively by the an electric engine. Not a whole lot else is known about the car even since the story broke in March in 2011, but the scarcity of news just adds to the mystery of this upcoming Mini Cooper release. For another look, check out the break of the story at Car & Driver. For all your European auto repair, maintenance, and upgrade needs, check in with the professionals at European Auto Specialist.

BMW and Stitcher Radio Collaborate to Bring Internet Radio to the Road

Think cars and cell phones don’t mix? In most cases, you’d be right, but with the innovative iDrive infotainment system from BMW, BMWs and iPhones go so hand-in-hand, you don’t even need your hands on your phone to safety use many applications of your iPhone. With this idea of safe access in mind, BMW is proud to announce collaboration with the Stitcher Radio application. If you enjoy great radio show programming online, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for within Stitcher Radio’s 5,000+ radio shows with topics ranging from news, tech talk, politics, sports, religion, arts, and culture; all streaming from your iPhone. With this new announcement in integration of Stitcher with the BMW iDrive system, access to all your favorite radio shows is right at your fingertips. BMW recently announced their collaboration with Stitcher at SXSW 2012 and plans on featuring more of user’s favorite iPhone apps for the iDrive system in the future. For more information on the BMW iDrive system, visit your local professionals at European Auto Specialists.

As The Wrench Turns: Stories from the Shop

It’s funny how people’s perceptions and actual reality works out sometimes. We had a customer’s vehicle towed into the shop the other day. It had lost power and had broken down on the road. After opening the hood and inspecting the damage, we had found that an idler pulley bearing was failing. The pulley had locked up, causing the main fan belt tensioner to literally break and pull out of it’s mounting bolt holes in the oil filter housing. After making an estimate, I had also noticed they were due for their oil service, past due actually. The customer told me that they had already had the oil service done at some quickie lube place about a week ago. They said they had received our notification that it was due, but thought our price was too high and our hours to inconvenient.

Upon reflection, they found their perception to be false. After the oil service at the “cheap” lube center was performed, it was no longer the advertised price, in fact, it turned out to be more expensive than ours. Also, had they brought the vehicle into the shop, we would have noticed the pulley and told her about the pending failure of her vehicle. See, these are the only cars we work on. There is a reason for that: we know these cars. We could have told her abut the pulley being worn, how it was making noises it shouldn’t.

So, with our expensive oil service and inconvenient hours, they potentially would have been without the car for one day and a bill of about $600.00. Instead, they got the cheaper oil change that was more expensive, a vehicle that had broken down conveniently on the side of the road, then had the convenience of waiting for the tow truck, us having the car for 2 days with a bill that added $750 to the normal repair.

OK, we may not have the most convenient hours, but this is our job, just like you have yours. But in this world of instant gratification and convenience, be careful, some things are better with a little time, thought and inconvenience.

BMW History and Facts

After years and years of working on BMW's, I've amassed a fair bit of knowledge about the Bayerische Motoren Werke as it is known in Germany. These are a few little tidbits of info about our favorite German car company.

• Many believe the BMW roundel is designed after an airplane propeller spinning. Actually, it’s design is based in the Bavarian flag's blue and white checkerboard.

• BMW was originally an airplane motor manufacturer as well as motorbokes. After World War II, Germany was banned from building any vehicles that could be used for warfare. For survival, BMW bought the car company DIXIE and began building car engines.

• In the late 1920’s, an experimental train called "The Rail Zeppelin" used a BMW IV aircraft engine. On June 21st, 1931, the "Train" covered a distance of 160 miles in 98 minutes, reaching a speed of 143MPH, a record that was held for almost 25 years. The German National Railway deemed the propeller drive too dangerous. Due to the braking technology of the time, it was too difficult to integrate the "Rail Zeppelin" into the railway network. The "Train" was sent to the scrap yard in 1939.

• Most car advances that car manufacturers advertise have been on most BMW models for at least a couple of years. ABS brakes were standard on BMW’s in the late 80s’

For all of your European auto needs, come to European Autospecialist at 4121 S. 72nd E. Ave. in Tulsa, OK.

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Don't Just Take Anyone's Word For It

We have worked hard to be one of the best service facilities where you can bring you car. We hold ourselves to high quality service and repairs. One of the areas we’ve held true to is, we do not work off of other people’s diagnoses, and this includes the Dealership’s. Everyone makes mistakes/misdiagnoses, including us, we are human. One thing I get a kick from is a tow truck driver’s diagnosis. Have you ever had the unfortunate luck of having your car break down on the road, requiring the service of a tow truck and had them tell you what wrong with car as they are loading it onto their truck? Really? If these gentlemen really knew what was wrong with your car, why are they tow truck drivers? We spend a lot of time and money to keep up with the technology that goes into these cars. Our technicians go to classes yearly to keep up with the changes these car manufacturers come out with every year. We focus on only the cars we work on. We purchase diagnostic equipment from the factories and the people who build the vehicles, not a generalized version of diagnostic equipment, to give you the best possible service we can.

I get a lot of phone calls where someone has gone to an auto parts store that will give you a free diagnostic reading of your ‘CHECK ENGINE’ or ‘SERVICE ENGINE SOON’ warning lights. These generic OBD II readers are just that, general reading. For example; one of the most common complaints I see and hear is: you go in with a ‘CHECK ENGINE’ light and the store reads the code. The code comes up as an oxygen sensor fault or failure. You have the oxygen sensor replaced, but the light remains on and the fault returns. How can that be? You were told that was the problem, or was that really the problem? The fault is more than likely the result, not the cause. Oxygen sensors on the cars we work on have come a long way and do not fail that often. Usually what we see is this: your ‘CHECK ENGINE’ light comes on, we check for the faults, and the fault comes up with an oxygen sensor fault or failure. After running a diagnostic check of the system, we find that the fault is a ‘lean running condition’ or too much air in the air to fuel mixture and the oxygen sensor cannot adjust the ratio because it is outside of its parameters. Further investigation will probably find a vacuum leak or old and cracked intake induction boot allowing too much air into the engine, and THAT is the problem, not the oxygen sensor. This is why, no matter what kind of car you drive, you should always find an independent shop that specializes in your car that you like and trust. Let them look into you problem, this is what they do, this is their job.

Welcome to Our Blog!

European Autospecialist is the best auto repair shop in town that specializes in European cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Mini Cooper and more. Our technicians are ASE Certified and factory trained in automotive repair, so you know that your prized automobile is being taken care of properly. We work on all aspects of car repair including air conditioning, exhaust, electrical, engine, suspension, transmission, and brakes. We also have specialty services and products such as tune-ups, restoration, service, maintenance, diagnostics, and even performance parts! We service vehicles from all over the Northeastern Oklahoma including Tulsa, Jenks, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby and everywhere in between.

Locally-owned, European Autospecialist has been serving customers for over 27 years! We have loyal customers in Tulsa, Jenks, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby and all over Northeastern Oklahoma! We service European cars like Mercedes Benz, BMW and Mini Cooper because we love them. It’s that simple. We are one of three auto repair shops in the state of Oklahoma that own GT-1—BMW's factory diagnostic computer. The other two are in dealerships. If you are in need of service for your air conditioning, exhaust, electrical, engine, suspension, transmission, brakes or just want to know more about our tune-ups, restoration, service, maintenance, diagnostics, or performance parts, give European Autospecialist a call today! We are experts in car repair for all of your European vehicles. If you need your automobile checked out by an automotive expert who is factory trained or ASE certified, look no further.

Do you own a European automobile such as a Mercedes Benz, BMW or Mini Cooper and live in Tulsa, Jenks, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby or anywhere else in Northeastern Oklahoma? As experts in all of these makes, we can provide you with tune-ups, restoration, service, maintenance, diagnostics, and performance parts such as exhaust, air conditioning, electrical, engine, suspension, transmission and brakes with better service, more experience and for less money than the dealerships can. Why go to any other auto repair shop for car repair? We’re cheaper than the dealerships and we provide better service, all without voiding your warranty. Visit the ASE certified, factory trained automotive enthusiasts at European Autospecialist. We can service a variety of vehicles for less. We’d love to work on all of the cars you own. Stop by our shop, visit us online at www.europeanautospecialist.net or give us a call at 918-627-2002 today!