ECS News

One of the few perennial faults with the legendary BMW Inline-6 is the solenoid valve on VANOS equipped vehicles. Trouble codes are thrown that cannot be resolved with a simple OBD II reset, leaving many owners convinced their engine is permanently sick. In truth, the remedy is simple and inexpensive - the replacement of the VANOS valve itself. And with our accompanying instructional PDF, your project will take less than an hour to complete.

When addressing a vehicle's braking system, it can be easy to overlook brake fluids. It's not always clear which parts are necessary to do the job correctly - usually resulting in unnecessary time and expense. ECS has assembled three Brake Fluid Flush Kits, each containing the convenient Motive Power Bleeder, Schwaben Bleeder Wrench, and one liter of brake fluid - everything needed for a basic servicing. The level 2 Kit includes a Motive Catch Bottle Set; the level 3 kit further improves the level 2 kit with high-performance TYP 200 brake fluid.

Enjoy the rare opportunity for significant savings with Schwaben Tool Kit Bundles from ECS. Any order over $200 will be shipped free of charge - the perfect way to invest in professional-quality tools for your European car. Complete 11 piece set of External Torx Sockets are available - these sockets have become popular at many locations, such as seat rails, chassis components, and suspension. Featuring a fine satin finish that's easy on the hands and easy to wipe clean the 12 Pc Metric Combination Wrench Set includes professional grade 8-19mm metric wrenches.

Schwaben products are characterized by simple, clever designs. Their wheel storage solutions may be the best examples of these qualities. The Schwaben Wheel Tree holds up to 275lbs and allows you to safely stack your wheels without the risk of scuffing and scratching. Convenient locking casters allow you to easily move the whole set anywhere in your garage or shop at one time. And when saving floor space is the highest priority, the Schwaben Wall-Mounted Wheel Rack allows you to securely store up to four 11½" wide wheels and tires against the wall, away from your work space.

The BMW N54/N55 engine is highly responsive to performance upgrades, particularly those that maximize the effectiveness of its advanced turbocharging system. Two blow-off valve kits enhance boost pressure stability while more quickly releasing unwanted boost into the atmosphere. An ECS-engineered and Synapse kit are available, both including an atmospheric vent blow off valve, black anodized intake tube with machined flange, durable silicone hose coupler, block-off caps for the stock diverter valve recirculation, and all required clamps and hardware to complete the project.

Protect your valuable alloy wheels from damage; use Protecta lug bolt sockets from Schwaben. Each of the three common socket sizes comes wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve that shields the wheel bolt holes from damage caused when regular steel sockets are used to remove and install wheels. Available in regular and extended-reach sets, these burly 1/2-inch drive six-point sockets come in a handy carry case, and are color-coded by size. Don't risk an expensive wheel repair; keep a set of Protecta Sockets in your tool box.

South Bend Clutch has been manufacturing performance and street clutches for 40+ years. This dedication to product specialization makes today's South Bend products better refined compared to larger distributors. The torque requirements of daily drivers, track or drift cars, high-powered street cars, & dedicated race cars are covered by 425ft/lbs. through 650ft/lbs. clutch ratings.

Fresh coolant is paramount to safe & reliable engine operation. The process of bleeding the air out of your cooling system during a coolant refresh is tedious & therefore often neglected. ECS offers a highly convenient solution to the tedium & frustration associated with coolant servicing – the Schwaben Coolant Evacuation Kit. Insert the tool into the radiator service neck, attach the included Venturi adapter & allow the system to reach 25 psi, drawing out the vacuum. Use the same tool to fill your radiator, allowing the pressure to resume to 0 psi, completing the procedure.

ECS Exact-Fit stainless reinforced brake lines provide more confident and dependable stopping by maintaining consistent brake pressure, long lasting corrosion resistance, and increased protection from failure. Even when new, factory style fabric mesh lined rubber hoses are prone to expansion under the pressure of hard braking, whether it be highway panic stops or threshold braking at the track. Our lines are braided with stainless steel mesh, affording expansion resistance. This resistance to expansion creates a firmer pedal, and more direct pedal feel.

The impact driver is a fast and effective way to remove tight or corroded screws and bolts, reducing the chance of rounding off--or rounding out--the fastener head. Insert a slotted or Phillips head screwdriver bit into the driver. Place the screwdriver bit into screw head, and strike the driver with a hammer. The impact drives the bit inward as it rotates the screw, breaking it loose. Reverse the tool to tighten fasteners. For stubborn bolts, remove the black screwdriver bit adapter head, and replace it with any 3/8 - inch drive socket.

BMWs come with an excellent handling package, but there's always room for improvement. Let H&R up your game with suspension products that pick up where BMW left off. Made in Germany, H&R sport springs, sway bars, and adjustable coilovers are built on decades of experience designing world class suspension upgrades; then manufactured to old world standards where "excellence" is more than just a word.

An exceptional offering from Ziza, the H8 LED Angel Eye kit brings state-of-the-art illumination technology and a tasteful, clean appearance to your E82/E88 1 Series. Soft-yellow halogen bulbs are installed from the factory as a cost-cutting measure, depriving your luxury car from the stunning brilliance and modernity delivered by light-emitting diode technology. The Ziza LED kit is a plug-and-play, error-code free kit, with OEM-quality fitment and effortless installation.

Don't let your performance disappear into thin air. The front mount Mishimoto intercooler makes a good thing better with improved air flow and faster heat removal. This intercooler is a direct-fit unit and features a 22% increase in core volume while requiring no modification to your vehicle. The Mishimoto Performance Intercooler reduces intake temperatures by up to 35°F and provides an increase of up to 20+ hp while retaining factory boost pressure across the core.

Most of us have to admit to sleeping through a chemistry class--or two--after a rough night. The good news is the Chemical Guys didn't. Now they've put the power of Raw Science to work in a complete professional car care line that combines surface-safe cleaners with lasting protectants and sealers. Stop squirting dish detergent into a bucket. Remove the toughest dirt, even from alloy wheels, and restore your car's exterior and interior finishes to a rich, lasting luster.

The E82/E88 135i comes with excellent handling packages, but there's always room for improvement. Let H&R up your game with suspension products that pick up where BMW left off. Made in Germany, H&R sway bars are built on decades of experience designing world class suspension upgrades; then manufactured to old world standards where "excellence" is more than just a word.

To secure shocks and struts to their mounts, the retaining nut must be torqued to its proper specification using a torque wrench. Strut nut sockets allow for the use of an allen wrench to hold the damper shaft while utilizing your torque wrench on the socket to achieve proper torque. An improper torque value may result in premature mount failure - or worse. Some aftermarket strut nut sizes differ from what was originally found on the vehicle. Please measure your nuts to be sure - alternatively, pick up our Schwaben 5 Piece Strut Nut Socket Set and be covered for all common sizes.

Creak. Moan. Shimmy. If any of these words apply to your RWD BMW suspension, we have the cure. Don't just fix your car, make it better with a meaty rear control arm kit, straight from M Series cars. Unlike stamped steel arms with conventional rubber bushings, these cast aluminum arms are stronger for less flex under stress, with unique mono-ball mounts for smooth articulation over bumps. These premium arms come ready to roll, and include snap-in-place harness clips for secure mounting of critical ABS wiring.

To keep your driving machine in top shape, regular maintenance is imperative. BMW recommends the Inspection II at 40,000 miles & at each 40,000 miles thereafter. Doing all of the necessary inspections will keep your vehicle running much longer and cleaner. However, if you're out of warranty, the out of pocket expense from the dealership can be a little hard to handle. Luckily, ECS Tuning is here to help. After consulting with all of BMWs available information, the engineers at ECS Tuning have assembled a comprehensive kit to address all of the issues covered during Inspection II.

This brawny 12-point socket set is a great set to have on-hand for any European car owner. The hefty ½ inch-drive shank accepts breaker bar, impact guns, or torque wrenches. Specially hardened to take the added abuse from a impact gun, these sockets are also coated for added protection and so you can tell them apart from non impact rated sockets. Significant internal depth allows for use with a range of applications with varying length shafts. Made of durable chrome vanadium steel, these sockets are tough enough to get the job done.

Now you can stack your extra wheels without the danger of scratches and scuffs. This wheel storage rack keeps your wheels spaced apart, and being on locking casters, allows you to easily move the whole set anywhere in your garage or shop at one time. Sturdy steel construction and a wide base means this wheel rack won't tip over. Holds up to 275lbs - enough for most any wheel & tire set. Fits up to 8½" wide wheels, depending on offset.

Massive rotors, multiple-piston brakes, and advanced pads are glamorous, eye-catching upgrades to your vehicle. But experienced enthusiasts know that all that stopping power relies on adequately bled brake lines. Your brake fluid is incompressible, like a metal; but air is compressible, so ridding your lines of this gas is imperative for fully realized braking power and response. ECS has an array of solutions to tighten up your braking system, including a Power Brake Bleeder, multiple synthetic Brake Fluid options, and a premium Schwaben Brake Bleeder Wrench.

To improve your shift feel from factory, replace the soft rubber bushing with virgin Teflon rod, an advanced formula that contains no fillers or impurities, resulting in a long lasting and extremely precise feel. Even new cars will feel the difference. The ECS-assembled OEM rebuild kit includes everything you need to rebuild your shifter assembly, from the bushings and clips to the dowel pin. Don’t let loose and vague shift action destroy your driving confidence, Teflon goes the extra mile, even when your BMW is running smoothly and your suspension is tight.

Store your wheels and tires without taking up floor space! Supporting up to 250 pounds, the adjustable rack allows you to store up to four 11½" wide wheels and tires. The parts are all steel and the rack folds upwards out of the way when not in use. Mounting holes spaced 48" apart to conveniently adapt to standard center studs.

The specialty tool experts at Schwaben have released a series of superbly engineered, exceptionally reliable car ramps, now available from ECS tuning. The new 30" to 67" Car Ramps are available with a regular or low-profile design. Specially made to accommodate vehicles with low bumper clearance, the low-profile ramps eliminate the risk of body damage & the dangers of sliding ramps. These Schwaben Ramps are made from advanced EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam with a special anti-skid coating, preventing sliding while adding additional structural strength.

Schwaben Specialty Tools is known for releasing clever, highly useful automotive tools that make owning a European car less frustrating and more fun. Two new exciting product releases - the Mechanic's Stethoscope and the Scraper, Pick and Hook set - are superb examples of Schwaben reliability and ingenuity. Featuring an aluminum probe & rubber trumpet, the Schwaben Stethoscope makes finding vacuum leaks, pressure flow noises, and knocks infinitely more simple. The Scraper, Hook And Pick Set is an indispensable kit with endless uses, from carbon cleaning to picking out o-rings.

The European style dedicated fog light switch is simpler and smarter than the North American assembly. An especially classy and convenient addition to your BMW, the fog light switch gives you needed control of your visibility to following drivers. Installation video makes this OEM replacement a breeze.

Give 'em what they really want the most: cold, hard cash. Buy a traditional ECS Tuning plastic gift card and include it as a sweet surprise for a special someone. Need something fast? We have an entirely new virtual gift card for last-minute shoppers (and those who don't want to wait for delivery of a plastic card). Just order an ECS virtual gift card in any denomination from 5 to 1000 dollars, and we'll fire it off to your email box in minutes. Then pass it along to friend or family member and let them activate the card and order anything they like from the ECS site.

Make wearing your seat belt more comfortable and add a little Motorsports style to your car at the same time. Goes over your factory seat belt and adds a layer of extra cushion to make wearing your seat belt on longer road trips, or track days, more comfortable. 5" in width, 12" in length for long-lasting comfort.

A highly effective method of unseating over-tightened or corroded screws and bolts, the impact driver accomplishes two important tasks with the blow of a hammer—positively engaging the bolt or screw head while twisting it counter-clockwise. Stripping a critical bolt or screw can stop your project in its tracks, and necessitate hours of tedious labor. Choose the tool professionals use for the job, and leave time for more enjoyable pursuits.

The Fumoto 14mm oil drain valve replaces your Volkswagen or Audi OE drain plug for fast, easy oil changes. Its spring-loaded valve has a quick release tab that makes changing oil a snap. Just push and turn to drain. All metal construction assures years of trouble-free service. Includes a threaded brass extension for oil pans with recessed drain plugs. A good idea. Long overdue.