ABDUL'S GARAGE

BRINGING BACK THE BMW 325i

Synopsis

In my family's garage sat a 2006 BMW 325i for nearly a decade, collecting dust and not being used. In my junior year of high school, as I started to gain a deep interest in cars and their functions, I asked my dad if we could take a shot at reviving it. It took some convincing, but he eventually agreed. After all, the amazing engineering of the BMW 325i would go to waste if we just left it. So, we started our journey in bringing back the car to its former glory. Little did we know, we had a long road ahead of us.

Challenges

Facing challenges when trying to successfully repair the car

Diagnosis

Identifying and analyzing key issues after coming across challenges

Repair

Conducting further research based on diagnosis, and successfully repairing the car

Our Journey

October 2023

Issue #1: Startup

The car wouldn't start. After some research, replaced the battery and the car started again!
Challenge: Turning the key in the ignition crank the engine despite displaying lights on the dashboard. Below, you can see the RPM at 0.
Diagnosis: Me and my dad decided, after some research and brainstorming, the cause was the battery. We ordered and installed a new battery
Repair: Our diagnosis and solution was correct! After replacing the old battery with the new one, the car started! Below, you can see the RPM above 0.
November 2023

Issue #2: Old Suspension

Discovered the front suspension system was completely broken. We removed it and ordered new struts and shocks.
Challenge: The car was sitting extremely low after pulling it out of the garage, and the tires were flat, and stuck in place even when the car was moving
Diagnosis: While inspecting the wheel area, we found that the springs and struts were completely broken and decided they needed to be replaced
Repair: We ordered new front struts and shocks and removed the old ones. It was time to install the new suspension system!
December 2023

Issue #3: New Suspension

After much research, some breaks and time to think, we finally fully installed the new front suspension system and replaced all the tires.
Challenge: While trying to install the new struts and shocks, we were running into real-estate issues in the hub area, and didn't have space to install them.
Diagnosis: After examining our setup, we determined that the height the car jack was lifted affected how much space we had, so we decided to jack up the car more
Repair: Our decision to jack up the car was correct, and the strut assembly now fit!
Result: Below is the resulting strut assembly installed in the wheel hub
January     2023

Final Verdict

Me and my dad had successfully solved all of the main issues with the car: no crank due to discharged battery, broken springs and suspension system, issues with installation of new struts and shocks.
Below are a couple videos of the BMW running and me taking it for a spin around the block!

Final Thoughts/Reflection

Despite the many struggles that me and my dad went through in repairing the vehicle, the process taught me the importance of doing what I love and what I am passionate about, and gave me further motivation to discover the field of the engineering behind physical processes and objects as well as the cohesion and behavior in which software works with the hardware of various technologies in our world.


The ultimate repair of the BMW was not only a culmination and testament of all the effort I put in with my dad, but it was also a symbol of my own learning and repair of myself. It was through this journey that I learned about the difficulties that were behind the physical processes in vehicles, as well as how hardships occur in the real-world, and how they can forge us and make us better, more resilient learners.


If there is something that you want to accomplish, whether it's repairing a vehicle or not, but you are hesitant to do so because of the seemingly overwhelmingness of the task, this is my call to you to start. It is through challenges that you learn and become a better person. It may seem like the task is too difficult, but if you take everything in small steps and keep persevering, you, too, can accomplish big tasks and complete amazing journeys like my own.

Take the first step, remain dedicated when facing obstacles, and finish the job.

I hope you learned something from my journey of repairing my old family BMW, and that you can implement some of my learning moments in your own journey of life.

Thanks for reading - Abdul

Any questions or concerns?
Contact me at abdulkosgi7@gmail.com