By Nate Risch  
  
          05/22/2017  
  
  To every BMW CCA member who in the past six months has uttered the phrase, “I’d be at Oktoberfest 2017 in New Orleans, if only it wasn’t in July,” it’s time to pony up. Oktoberfest 2017 is still in New Orleans—but not in July. The new dates are October 31 to November 4.
          By Nate Risch  
  
          05/21/2017  
  
  About a week ago, I received an e-mail from Simon Cooper, president of the Boston BMW CCA chapter, which read: Mr. Cooper, The owner of an auto shop here in Eliot Square, Roxbury, suggested I get in touch with you.
          By Nate Risch  
  
          05/15/2017  
  
  The sky began to fall last week with an alarming—dare I say a five-alarm?—report by ABC News titled BMW mystery fires: An ABC News investigation. By now, most of the BMW enthusiast community has been made aware of ABC News’ claim that an alarming number of what they term “mystery fires” are besetting BMW owners.
          By Nate Risch  
  
          05/15/2017  
  
  One of the persistent problems during my thousand-mile drive home to Boston with Louie the 2002tii was that the fan belt wouldn’t stay tight. After I arrived home, I realized that when I’d replaced the alternator’s bushings, I’d missed the one where the ear of the alternator is held to the adjustment track.
          By Nate Risch  
  
          05/07/2017  
  
  There we were, meandering up I-75 toward Atlanta and about to reach the Georgia line, where we were all but guaranteed to meet a wall of traffic. Death and taxes are certainties, but you might as well add one more.
  