Hello New Member E89 Z4

C

CYCOLOGY

Member
 Cumbria
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Hi my wife has just bought an E89 Z4 3.0is in silver with black leather, we had an E30 325i Sport back before we had kids, and she always said she'd like another BMW straight six, but with a metal folding roof.
20+ years later, she finally got one.
Very happy so far, just intend to keep an eye on it and keep it in good condition, maybe OEM+?
Run flats long gone, but the un-named OSR and Pirelli NSR replaced with Michelin Pilot sports to match the fronts.(after this photo)
Other than that, it needs a machine polish to sort out a few blemishes and get it driven.
Few quick questions,
Is there anything anyone would recommend for preventative maintenance?
She'd like android auto, any recommendations compatible with the factory I-drive and screen? (I can fit it myself if needs be)
 
Welcome to the forum, lovely looking zed. Mr12volt for the android auto. Depending on mileage, water pump and thermostat.
 
There are some Chinese alternatives to the Mr12volt MMI too. Check Ali Express. I installed one in my 2012 35IS and it works great. Integrates wireless Apple Car Play into the existing display. As for maintenance, unless you know the service history, I'd recommend all fluids and the air filter. The transmission fluid is advertised as lifetime... it is not. Well, technically it is because if you don't change it then after a while it will mechanically total your car. The roof can be temperamental. There are a lot of sensors that all have to send the correct information and the wires in the loom are not very flexible so after some number of cycles they will break. Mine stopped working at about the one month of ownership point. Repair requires removal of the roof to access the wires. Not hard if you are detailed and have some mechanical skill but definitely tedious. The salmon relays are also a known failure point so replacing them is cheap insurance. There is a stickied article on things to check and how to maintain roof health on the E89 page (I think...). RobbieZ4 was the author and is a wealth of knowledge on roof issues. If you can't find something, just ask... most of the folks on here are very helpful and ready to share what they know. Congrats on the car. Buying a used BMW will make you rethink your life choices, but when they are working, they are a blast!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

Congratulations on finding a 30i as they seem to be quite thin on the ground and the 3 litre N52 engine is a real gem.

As ARCS said water pump, although they are £250/300 (so long as you don't buy from BMW). They do die at some indeterminate point and when they do you generally get no warning before the engine overheats in a mile or so. If you can live with that sort of inconvenience just replace it when it dies!

Look out for oil leaks from the cam-cover and oil filter housing gaskets as they get brittle over time, but I wouldn't bother replacing them if they are still oil tight.

Then just enjoy, after all your wife has had a long wait!
 
Welcome to the forum and to Z4/E89 ownership. The car looks in great condition. Private purchase or from a garage/mileage? (Just curious). Auto or manual? As has been mentioned, Salmon Relays are the cheapest and easiest preventative work. 5 Minute job and available from your local dealer for about £35 for a pair. Mines is silver too.

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Thanks for the replies.
Auto, with manual mode (that I'm trying to get to grips with!) black leather manual seats with I-drive and 8.8" screen, from a dealer, he seems to be very good at finding them!
She's very happy with it, just trying to confirm which android auto box would be compatible, the Mr 12volt seems to be a good option,but waiting on replies from a couple of other places (who don't seem to monitor emails) and I'll likely fit it myself, just need a trim tool kit.
Will talk to her mechanic before it gets its next service re-preventative maintenance parts.
:thumbsup:
 
Just a quick update,
I have fitted an android auto/carplay kit. I chose to go with one from a company called 'Luxin'.
It was reasonably straightforward to fit, but the one hour job took about three and I had most of the interior around the glove box and center console out of the car to fit everything properly and not take any shortcuts.
Works superbly, and I really like the integration of the existing 'i-drive' hardware. I think I prefer the use of the cursor rather than a touch screen.
After doing a couple of thousand miles we've had to put a liter of oil in, from what I've heard this is normal for the N52 but just wanted to check?
Can anyone point me in the direction of a part number resource, I'd like to replace the 'salmon' relays? and also the BMW wing roundel badges and as we have a main dealer nearby, might as well do it properly.
Other than that just enjoying driving it especially using the shifter as a sequential in manual mode, my wife only has a short work commute, so I take it to work once a week to ensure it gets warmed through properly.
 
That oil consumption isn't excessive for an N52, but it is pretty high so it might be worth checking for any oil leaks from the oil filter housing or the cam-cover as they are prone to that as the gaskets get brittle with age. If either is leaking you'll see it.

For Part Numbers try "realoem".

You can get parts from BMW Direct and Vertu Motors on Ebay. Alternatively Cotswold BMW and Group 1 in Lincoln give a discount if you mention the forum.
 
CYCOLOGY said:
Just a quick update,

After doing a couple of thousand miles we've had to put a liter of oil in, from what I've heard this is normal for the N52 but just wanted to check?
Click to expand...
Mr Tidy said:
That oil consumption isn't excessive for an N52, but it is pretty high so it might be worth checking for any oil leaks from the oil filter housing or the cam-cover as they are prone to that as the gaskets get brittle with age. If either is leaking you'll see it.
Click to expand...

Re:- oil consumption !

As Mr Tidy posted 1litre/2000 miles seems pretty high , but you do not mention the milage covered or the service history.

For comparison/refrence my N52 2.5L has covered 1908 miles since the last oil service, milage 127,536, and the oil check shows that I have used 0.25 L .

oil z4.jpg
 
Thanks for the replies.
Just to qualify my comments, it last had a recorded oil service at 107,599 in Dec 24. We've had it since around 113,000, now on 115,699. So nearly 3k in our ownership. Unsure if it had any service since so probably better if we monitor once we have it serviced and can gauge useage more accurately. What is regarded as normal consumption?
 
CYCOLOGY said:
Thanks for the replies.
Just to qualify my comments, it last had a recorded oil service at 107,599 in Dec 24. We've had it since around 113,000, now on 115,699. So nearly 3k in our ownership. Unsure if it had any service since so probably better if we monitor once we have it serviced and can gauge useage more accurately. What is regarded as normal consumption?
Click to expand...
It’s due an oil change ..get some decent oil in it and see how it unfolds..official statement is upto 0.7 litre per 1,000 km ..pretty close to a litre per 1,000 miles
 
That's the plan, thanks for confirming oil use. Plan on yearly oil service regardless of milage and all other fluids this year (diff/gearbox) along with water pump and thermostat at MOT time in a few months.
 
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