Enjoying my E85 - what pro-active maintenance?

[CharlieBrown]

Hi all.
As per other threads, i've recently purchased a manual 2006 Z4 3.0Si E85 Roadster via this forum.
The car is great and i'm really enjoying "proper" driving again (after years of fast auto diesels).
I plan on keeping the car long term and it will only come out of the garage in good weather and for the occasional trackday. I therefore want to do some pro-active maintenance to make sure that the car keeps working well. Is there anything i should add to the list below?

Unblock drain plugs near rear wheels.
Drill front fog lights due to condensation.
Relocate roof motor.
Replace rocker cover gasket (small oil leak which is causing tiny amount of oil to burn on startup).
Replace water pump and thermostat.

[CharlieBrown]

Sorry, should have said, i live in Uckfield in East Sussex. Are there any other members from Uckfield? I spotted a nice Z4 Coupe and 53 plate Roadster around Uckfield whilst out running yesterday morning.

[Chris_D]

All good things to do.

Plus, check oil every weekend or always after long spirited drives, for consumption.

I also opt for intermediate all changes now mine is up to 130k miles. Not absolutely necessary but if youre modus is preventive maintenance then it can’t not help to give good peace of mind that your engine is always bathing in good clean oil.

Check suspension every so often for worn bushings, droplinks etc.

Stay on top of any corrosion occurring on the brake lines, a common issue and potential mot fail f they get bad.

Intake boot can split. Inspect every so often.

CCV system can clog up and fail, esp when driven regularly for <20mins each time. Check for mayo in oil cap.

[Jembo]

Carry 1 litre of spare oil in the boot for when the oil light will come on

[srhutch]

Sorry, should have said, i live in Uckfield in East Sussex. Are there any other members from Uckfield? I spotted a nice Z4 Coupe and 53 plate Roadster around Uckfield whilst out running yesterday morning.

I’m the nearest to you that I know of in Heathfield. Silverzedtom is in Crowborough.

[Mr Tidy]

Stay on top of any corrosion occurring on the brake lines, a common issue and potential mot fail f they get bad.

That's a good tip - my car had advisories for rear brake pipes 2 years running when I got it. So I had them replaced in copper.

They seem to suffer most around the end of the cover just in front of the passenger rear wheel - it seems to collect road debris which keeps them damp!

Not sure I'd change a water pump and thermostat as a preventative measure as it won't be a cheap job - they seem to last 8 years or more. But I guess if you don't know if or when it's had one swapping them would give you some peace of mind.

Seeing as there is no dipstick on the Si I make a point of checking the oil level every time I use the car just to be sure the oil level sensor is working!

[CharlieBrown]

Sorry, should have said, i live in Uckfield in East Sussex. Are there any other members from Uckfield? I spotted a nice Z4 Coupe and 53 plate Roadster around Uckfield whilst out running yesterday morning.

I’m the nearest to you that I know of in Heathfield. Silverzedtom is in Crowborough.

I'll keep an eye out. I'm in Heathfield occasionally and go through Crowborough at least once a week (although often in my daily 3 series).

[CharlieBrown]

Thanks for the advice on things to check. I will check the oil each time i drive and will get litre of spare oil (I'm not sure exactly what's in it).

I plan to change the oil every year even though I'll be doing less than 3k per year.

Is there anything else worth doing whilst I'm doing the rocker gasket? I haven't worked on a car in years but quite fancy doing the gasket and a few other jobs on the car myself.

[Mr Tidy]

Thanks for the advice on things to check. I will check the oil each time i drive and will get litre of spare oil (I'm not sure exactly what's in it).

I plan to change the oil every year even though I'll be doing less than 3k per year.

Is there anything else worth doing whilst I'm doing the rocker gasket? I haven't worked on a car in years but quite fancy doing the gasket and a few other jobs on the car myself.

As far as engine oil goes, for a top up anything that meets BMW LL04 ought to be OK.

For an oil change BMW used to specify Castrol, but have now changed to Shell. But plenty of people on here have used other brands that meet the LL04 spec.

You've probably read this already, and if you have sorry! But the bolts securing the rocker cover are single use aluminium ones, so you'll need a new set of bolts as well as the gasket. Everything attached to the block of the N52 engine uses single use aluminium bolts.

[Chris_D]

Thanks for the advice on things to check. I will check the oil each time i drive and will get litre of spare oil (I'm not sure exactly what's in it).

I plan to change the oil every year even though I'll be doing less than 3k per year.

Is there anything else worth doing whilst I'm doing the rocker gasket? I haven't worked on a car in years but quite fancy doing the gasket and a few other jobs on the car myself.

If you don't know what kind of oil is in it maybe it's a good first job to replace it immediately with something decent.
5W30 is the norm and many here swear by Millers oil. Personally, I use Castrol LL which isn't sold as 'BMW spec' anymore since BMW started sponsoring Shell oils but it's still fine to use.

Some on the forum including myself favour using a 'PELA' pump to do oil changes. Quite a sound investment and I find it's way easier to use than jacking up and draining.

When you replace the cam cover gasket make sure you clean all mating surfaces thoroughly and use a smear of Permatex gasketmaker around the corners and half moons. Febi Bilstein parts are the way to go.
I made a monster post somewhere documenting the process amongst a few other things if you can be arised to seek it out.

Another good check while your pulling the cam cover off is to check the plugs for any bad signs and replace as necessary.
ALso listen out for any rattles from the DISA valve and inspect and replace/recondition as necessary. They can and do fail and the results can be scary if any broken parts end up being sucked into your engine. Buy a replacement gasket for it and whip it out to see if there's any play or looseness in the flap. Hold your finger over the breather hole to see if the flap holds position. If it moves, it's a goner. Look for vids on youtube. Nathans DIY is a good channel.

An OBD scanner is also a good investment to see if ur car is hiding any spurious fault codes. Carly and Torque pro are good apps and there are a bazillion other plug-in units available on amazon etc.

Use the Forum! Don't be afraid to shout out for help. You sound like you can/are willing to tackle jobs as they arise so it's always good to get advice / second opinion / help from here. The forum has proved invaluable for myself and my zed when I first got it, particularly addressing my dodgy throttlebody issue for which I am eternally indebted to MachineMonkey

Good luck

Edit: Oh it's an N52. twin DISA's on that, someone ?
Edit no. 2: you won't be able to use a PELA pump cos you don't have a dipstick. drrrr lol

[srhutch]

Sorry, should have said, i live in Uckfield in East Sussex. Are there any other members from Uckfield? I spotted a nice Z4 Coupe and 53 plate Roadster around Uckfield whilst out running yesterday morning.

I’m the nearest to you that I know of in Heathfield. Silverzedtom is in Crowborough.

I'll keep an eye out. I'm in Heathfield occasionally and go through Crowborough at least once a week (although often in my daily 3 series).

Sunday driver mine, although odd trip to work in it on a dry day.

[bearded_ed]

I'm near Uckfield! I'm in Hailsham, so only down the road. About to pick up my '04 3.0i in a week or so, very excited and this a great thread for me to pay attention to

[Mr Tidy]

I'm near Uckfield! I'm in Hailsham, so only down the road. About to pick up my '04 3.0i in a week or so, very excited and this a great thread for me to pay attention to

In that case welcome to the forum.

Maybe you can post in the "Newbies" section once you've collected it - if you do remember we like to see photos!

[bearded_ed]

In that case welcome to the forum.

Maybe you can post in the "Newbies" section once you've collected it - if you do remember

In my short time on this forum I've learnt that you all love pics! Plus given that until very recently I used to take photos for a living, I'm sure I can manage something

[g3org3y]

Congrats on the new Z4.

Plus, check oil every weekend or always after long spirited drives, for consumption.

What kind of oil consumption is considered in normal tolerances?