New member, new to the bmw world.

Mcaff · Post by **Mcaff** » Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:43 pm

Hello all!

I bought myself a 3.0i auto e85 today. I’ve been eyeing up a 3.0 variant of the z4 for the past year however having other projects on the go meant I could never commit to one. I sold off my “main” weekend car due to lack of use and increasing bills. I don’t like having a space in the garage and this z4 popped up on faceache marketplace with a poor advert local to me.

I had my heart set on a manual however the condition of the car and price I couldn’t really grumble so went for it. Still to pick the car up tomorrow. I’m a total novice to the bmw world as I’ve been French car mad for the past 15 years.

First questions I have are:
What oil do you recommend for a service, weight and brand?
Is there an easy or recommended way to add Bluetooth?
Other than that I’m just going to get out and drive it as it is meant to be driven. I will probably change the tyres and take a cruise over to Germany in the next few months.

: IMG_9596.jpeg (225.02 KiB) Viewed 490 times

I look forward to browsing and learning!

adnan.exe · Post by **adnan.exe** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:47 am

Hey mate,

I use Castrol edge long life 5w30 it worked well for me and it's what the manual recommends.

As for Bluetooth, you can pull the radio out unplug one of the cables, plug in an adapter to the radio, plug the old cable back into the adapter and it gives you Bluetooth. The car sees it as a CD selector.

It looks like this -

: s-l500.jpg (25.89 KiB) Viewed 462 times

DMike · Post by **DMike** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:44 am

Hi and welcome to the forum! Beatiful zed, from 2003 or 2004 i presume and from the looks of the brake saddle, owned by an enthusiast at some point.

I also recommend Castrol Edge, that was the oem oil back in time, and Mann filters. Browsing the forum you’ll find plenty of advice maintaining these cars. With proper maintenance the M54 engine can just go on and on. With age, some typical weak spots to keep an eye on are the DISA flap (easy DIY) and VANOS (medium-hard, not critical but affects power and mpg). Roof motor problems are fairly typical in these cars if stored outdoors during their lifespan, but fortunately several members have developed magical skills to revive & relocate it into the boot (medium DIY).

adnan.exe · Post by **adnan.exe** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:51 am

First thing I'd do if buying a z4 would be replacing the brittle expansion tanks. Extremely prone to cracking and leaking due to the age of the plastic. You can get OEM ones for less than £100 or aftermarket ones on eBay for as little as £20, it's a reasonably simple job too.

paddy wright · Post by **paddy wright** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 7:17 am

Looks great- health to drive

Mcaff · Post by **Mcaff** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 1:33 pm

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

It’s a 2003 on a 53 plate! Yes it’s got reams of history so enthusiast owned in its life. The previous owner had a z3 before this.

Im going to change the callipers back to oem either silver or black.

I’ve ordered the Bluetooth thing as you’ve said and will most likely get it up on the ramp at work and just do the fluids for peace of mind. They said it was serviced in May but I like to just do it for my own records.

As I say I will most likely just drive it the way it is for the time being. I like to do track days but not sure if I will enjoy them with the auto box so might just leave this as a road car only. However might upgrade the suspension and put some good discs and pads / fluid in there ar some point if I feel it warrants it.

The car came with a fitted indoor cover too and will be garaged most of its life with me so I’m hoping that it won’t have the roof problems. Can’t see me using it much on rainy days.

As I say I’m looking forward to learning the dos and don’t s of bmw/z4 ownership and doing the must have mods.

adnan.exe · Post by **adnan.exe** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 3:55 pm

Cup holders! If you don't already have them, it's every owners first upgrade!

raymond.harper · Post by **raymond.harper** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 5:09 pm

May she give you many miles of troublesome motoring! Replace the cooling system, reservoir, thermostat, and pump as they tend to be made of plastic which has a nasty habit of fracturing. The Disa valve is another component you may want to replace. https://classicsworld.co.uk/guides/bmw- ... ers-guide/

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 5:12 pm

I do love those pepper pot style wheels on the original Z4.

Welcome aboard.

MikeyH · Post by **MikeyH** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 5:23 pm

Welcome, lovely looking car in a great colour

Mr Tidy · Post by **Mr Tidy** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 6:04 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Z4-forum.com

Z4-forum.com