BMW Tool Kit: 1990 vs 2010

What you see here is twenty years of automotive revolution.

Tool kit of my ’90 535i (5-speed, with LSD too!) included:

• 3 spanner wrenches, all appropriate size for the car
• Water pump pliers, BMW’s cooling systems are known for having issues
• Wheel Pin, helps you align the wheel with lug-bolt holes
• Spark plug wrench
• Reversible screwdriver
• Emergency window/sunroof wrench
• Space for emergency triangle
• Space for oil cloth
• Space for something else that I forgot
• Emergency jack
• Wheel wrench
• Hub-cap popper thingy
• Wheel chock
• Tow hook

Tool kit of a 2010 335i includes:

• Tow hook, for when your car craps out
• A toll-free phone number for Roadside Assistance
• A screwdriver, to stab yourself with when you realize that you’re out of cell phone range

The 335d I drove had run flat tires, and as far as I know had no jack or tire wrench, which is pretty scary. There is a number of reasons why BMW stopped providing  these tools; cost, liability, the fact that you need a $30,000 computer to fix just about anything anything, but c’mon…

If you’re interested in replacing or buying OEM BMW tools, this is an excellent website. No affiliation.