Hey Bimmer nuts, try this little trick that I thought of when having a beer.

Next time you change your engine oil, have a look at the 17 millimetre sump plug and you will notice that it is drilled out in the centre to about 8 millimetres diameter (sorry, all you experts have already noticed this long ago). Go to a hardware shop or medical magnets store (there's one in almost every city it seems - for hypochondriacs and faith healers, I think) and buy a cylindrical magnet about 7 millimetres across and 4 centimetres long.

Get some electrical solder wire and place a length of it in the sump plug hole and place the lot on a hotplate or heat it up with a gas torch until the solder melts. Get the cylindrical magnet and place it in the hole - wipe away any excess solder that may flow out. Wait for it to cool and bingo you have a neat little metal filings trap - use solder and not two part expoxy glue, as this softens with the heat and may loosen the magnet.

You will be surprised with how much metal burr accumulates around the magnet when you next change the oil. I'm a bit of a freak and I even put a large flat magnet on the actual sump exterior right near the drain hole and remove it when I change the engine oil - all the metal wear sediment sits there until you drain out the old oil. Put it back when finished and you have a perfectionist's method of keeping the engine free of metal crud. If you are a perfectionist like me, you might like to do this double whammy bit as well. I figure every little bit helps.

Love that car and it loves you right back - sorry guys, this is my second post and I'm already getting the hang of it. Might bore you all with more useless information soon.

All the best from Australia - especially to all you American Bimmer Nuts - always had a great time in the States - been over many times - love the people and love the country.