Jim Blau is a lifelong European car enthusiast with deep roots in the automotive industry. His passion for Audi began in his family's shop, where he grew up watching his father and technicians work on European cars. This early exposure fostered a strong affinity for Audi, especially models featured in vintage Audi VHS tapes like "The Audi Quattro Experience."
At the age of 15, Jim purchased his first Audi, a B3 90, and transformed it into a B4 RS2 Sedan. He advanced his driving skills through Audi Quattro Club seminars and spent time at racetracks such as Road America and Grattan Raceway.
With over 17 years of experience as an independent Audi and VW technician, Jim has worked on everything from routine maintenance to tuning. He has also collaborated with major OE part manufacturers, contributing to the development of BLAU® Automotive Maintenance Kits and instructional content.
Jim continues to enjoy hands-on work with Audis, VW models, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, and American diesel trucks. His enthusiasm for car parts remains strong, and he takes great pleasure in joining the warehouse team in handling shipments from Europe. Through his blog articles, Jim aims to share his passion and expertise, helping readers with vehicle maintenance and part purchases.
Blauparts is pleased to announce our U.S. distributorship of another world-class, premier European brand of lubrication products for your vehicle—Eurol. With more selection, we will better our commitments to providing our customers with superior oils and lubricants of the highest quality that are a step...
As an independent Audi parts and Audi service garage with over 30 years of hands-on experience, we've seen many mechanical breakdowns on vehicles. Experience has shown that changing your fluids is the single most important preventive maintenance routine you can perform to avoid vehicle breakdowns. Yet...
Common concerns and questions regarding Audi water pumps are addressed and explained. We discuss symptoms of a worn or bad Audi water pump. What are the symptoms of a defective water pump? Did you recently install a new water pump and are now experiencing problems? What causes an Audi water pump to fail...
Blauparts recommends that installers take the necessary time to thoroughly follow the steps outlined in this service bulletin to prevent future premature water pump trouble after installation. It has been noted that due to time constraints, inconvenience, and profit, many do not take the extra time needed...
Common concerns and questions regarding VW water pumps are addressed and explained. We discuss symptoms of a worn or bad VW water pump. What are the symptoms of a defective water pump? Did you recently install a new water pump and are now experiencing problems? What causes an VW water pump...
Blauparts LLC is an independent auto part and lubrication specialist and is not affiliated with Volkswagen of America (VwoA), Volkswagen AG, Audi of America, Audi AG, or any other vehicle manufacturer. The publication of any trademarks is not authorized by, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. All trademarks and OE specification part numbers referenced in our blog articles are for identification purposes only. They are not intended to denote any affiliation with their corresponding owners.
The statements and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and may not be shared by the manufacturers. This blog article is provided for educational purposes only. Always consult your vehicle manufacturer owners or service manual to confirm the specific repair procedures, fluid, and oil requirements for your application.