Calum's Z4 35i - new Chinese rear lights...!

[MarshMA10]

Hi all

First timer with an e89 35i, previously owned an e85 3.0si. Never been on any of the BMW forums but used to be on MR2 SW20 forums back in the day!

Basics about the car -
70k mi
2010 year
Tuned to 362hp in 2019, at "Maxtreme" in Wisbech
Had a prang, was insurance repaired.
CarPlay headunit + some better speakers
Aftermarket alloys, have not established the brand / if they're reps / anything about them yet.
Non-RFT tyres, but they're a mixed set of Goodyears in front and Falkens in rear. I would choose Michelin Pilot Super Sports or PS4s unless there's a lot of club wisdom for something better?



It wants a few little odds and sods done:

- Tightened up interior plastics, replace a few, reglue a few...

- New rear tyres (Currently 255/30/19 I think - is this worth changing?)

- Clean, clay bar, polish, wax..............

- Very 'wallowy' suspension compared to most of the fast cars I have driven. Is it worth looking at lowering springs, stiffer springs, shocks, etc? I don't want to ruin the lovely soft town-friendly ride quality, but the brakes and the engine vastly outperform the suspension whereas the e85 was a more 'balanced' offering. It dives quite a bit on deceleration after a full throttle pull, it even gets a bit light at the rear.



It would be GREAT to get some owners club knowledge about things I should look at in terms of preventative maintenance, things to look out for, things to check for in the service history. I have evidence of water pump and fuel injectors being replaced. I am not sure if I saw HPFP replaced.



Lots of love and nice to meet you all ! 8) 8) 8)

 

[Special Kay]

Welcome to the forum, you've passed the first test with flying colours, just by posting pictures . It looks a stunning car, I love a contrasting interior to exterior

 

[B21]

Welcome..a lot of questions with a lot of debate about many of the items..my build threasd shows my journey..quite an extreme trip, others have been much more constrained..

For some (me) the dampers even when working were wrongly set up..taking wear and tear they are badly out of shape for any form of decent handling..Bilstein B8s and Supplex springs seem to be the cost effective road biased option..

If you are on 19" wheels then the Conti Sports Contact 7 is undoubtedly the best tyre today..

Goodyear Assy 6 shades the Michelin PS4S into 3rd place..still a good tyre but no longer top dog on an E89 chassis, especially the heavier more powerful versions..

Shame about the stubby..it was all going so well! oke: :tumbleweed: :fuelfire: :rofl:

 

[MarshMA10]

Haha - the aerial?? Is it non-standard / is there something better?

Thanks for the notes especially on the tyres and suspension, and I'll look for the build thread.

Much happier with the silver exterior than I expected to be, was always going to be a black one for me but couldn't say no as this had everything else I was after (I think).

 

[B21]

Haha - the aerial?? Is it non-standard / is there something better?

Thanks for the notes especially on the tyres and suspension, and I'll look for the build thread.

Much happier with the silver exterior than I expected to be, was always going to be a black one for me but couldn't say no as this had everything else I was after (I think).

The 'whippy' was the factory fit, untold aerodynamic negative things will happen if you replace it with a stubby..

FWIW the wheels are some aftermarket items..I assume cheap cast wheels..could be wrong..

 

[buzyg]

Welcome on board.MPSS every time, for dry weather fun. If you can get them in correct size for an 35i. otherwise MPS4 8)

 

[Mr Tidy]

Hi and welcome to the forum - I do love a red interior! And I really like those wheels, whatever they are!

MPSS every time, for dry weather fun.

My E86 M Coupe came with MPSS fitted when I bought it in December. They were hopeless in colder damp conditions, which meant most of the next 5 months, and half of the next year.

So I 'd avoid them if you want to drive your Z4 all year!

I fitted Kumho Ecstas in April 2021 and they have been great, plus they were surprisingly cheap.

 

[MarshMA10]

Thanks chaps. I enjoyed using MPSS / MPS4 on a previous car, corvette c5. Never had them on e85. The Corvette is sort of similar in character to the e89, similar power, soft suspension, so I figured it might translate. They really revolutionised that car which came on Goodyear eagle f1 run flats.


SO - I also need some pointers on the following little tweaks……all help appreciated / any pointers on where to dig!

Upgrade reverse light bulb - the standard one is shocking.

Fit reverse sensors - I saw a video on YouTube for this. Is there a particular recommended product / supplier? Would like to have decent ones (gf insured…!!!!!)

Fix armrest usb - the slot in the arm rest is dud. The cig lighter here works, though. Any thoughts? I have android CarPlay head unit.

Rear LED indicators - some gap tooth going on! There are a few LEDs in the row out. Is there any cheap fix for this…..

Soft closer or something for sunvisors - they really slam shut.

Drivers side interior bulb - dud - is there anywhere I can find info on which bulbs etc go where?

Arm rest storage cover very loose - need to somehow refit this as it’s wobbly. Is this common / is there an interior disassembly reassembly guide?

Exposed screw in drivers door handle - little plastic covering is missing. Where can we get these tiny pieces?

Cruise control retrofit - has anyone done this? It seemed simple on e85. Would like to add it if it is simple.

Plastic for OBDII - the cover of the port has broken off. As above are these interior plastics findable?

Change roof system to one tap - is it possible to change the working of the roof, so you don’t have to hold the button and/or the key fob for 20s? Kind of annoying bit of programming !



Oh and I forgot to mention the best bit…… the car is straight piped so it’s a pretty loud beastie!!!

Ta

 

[Chippie]

Welcome to the forum, very nice and a great colour choice, bonus point for the photos.

Rear LED indicators - some gap tooth going on! There are a few LEDs in the row out. Is there any cheap fix for this…..

The seal fails on the rear lights and water finds its way in, I’ve seen a YouTube video where it’s been stripped down and repaired, they have now stopped making them and it’s becoming very hard to find replacements, there are some aftermarket ones but they are quite expensive

Exposed screw in drivers door handle - little plastic covering is missing. Where can we get these tiny pieces?

Have a look on the floor down the side of the seat, you may be lucky and find it there, otherwise it’s a trip to the main dealer, I think they are handed as well.

Cruise control retrofit - has anyone done this? It seemed simple on e85. Would like to add it if it is simple.

Quite a simple upgrade, use the search function on the forum for info.

Change roof system to one tap - is it possible to change the working of the roof, so you don’t have to hold the button and/or the key fob for 20s? Kind of annoying bit of programming !

It can’t be coded you will need to buy a “smarttop” module from “mods for cars” there not cheep around £400.00, or find a used one for about half the price.

 

[B21]

OBD11 cover is part of the footwell trim..not available separately..try a breaker…

Rear lights Chinese now make a version …

USB needs checking to see what fault..?

You need to become au fait with realoem.com for parts

Also need a bmw specific quality coder / reader unit

 

[Nictrix]

To fix the centre console lid the whole console must come out. It's not too difficult a job.
The reason it has to come out is that there is a plastic cover over the hinge pins that must be removed before pressing the hinge pins back into place. The plastic cover is screwed on from the underside.

 

[Jollyjoiner]

Hello and welcome from another 35i owner. You could swap the suspension out to Eibach lowering springs and Bilstein B8 dampers like I've got, made to car feel less crashy but like you say from hard acceleration to hard braking at a higher speed can still unsettle the car a bit, mine got a bit worse doing this when I went from 255/30/19 to 265/35/19

 

[B21]

Hello and welcome from another 35i owner. You could swap the suspension out to Eibach lowering springs and Bilstein B8 dampers like I've got, made to car feel less crashy but like you say from hard acceleration to hard braking at a higher speed can still unsettle the car a bit, mine got a bit worse doing this when I went from 255/30/19 to 265/35/19

Wider tyres will increase the tendency to tram line especially as they wear down…rear camber tends to increase with age (like many things) which also increases the tendency to tramline..

 

[MarshMA10]

Amazing stuff here thanks chaps.

One of my one true love in exchange. It will take some work for the Z4 to replace this for first place in my garage……!

 

[DonDon]

To fix the centre console lid the whole console must come out. It's not too difficult a job.
The reason it has to come out is that there is a plastic cover over the hinge pins that must be removed before pressing the hinge pins back into place. The plastic cover is screwed on from the underside.

AnubisZed (Dave) has a youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@BMWZ4Mods that is well worth knowing about in general. The video about adding the mr12Volt MMI box shows how to remove the centre console.

 

[Owdgit]

Door handle screw covers are available on eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203165877386

 

[MarshMA10]

Hi all - anyone got a recommendation for a specific e89 car cover?

I store mine outdoors and after a bit of weekend reading I can see that water ingress is an issue for these cars lights - boot area.

Thanks!

 

[B21]

Hi all - anyone got a recommendation for a specific e89 car cover?

I store mine outdoors and after a bit of weekend reading I can see that water ingress is an issue for these cars lights - boot area.

Thanks!

I used these guys

https://www.specialisedcovers.com/stormshield-plus-car-cover

Not the cheapest but I live 600 ft up a Scottish hillside..

Really good quality and very good even in 80 mph winds (with the optional underbody straps)

No flapping no marking..not was good as a well built garage but a lot better than leaving it to the elements.

Breathable so I didn't see any mildew type issues.

Other cover is the BMW lightweight version…single layer good for keeping the dust off..

 

[MarshMA10]

Out for another spin today—definitely bonding with the e89 now. The power is great, the suspension when driven around town is perfect…..but in anger in the twisties it’s totally pants, haha. She will need some work before her first Scotland trip. I found it drives much more happily in Sport or Sport+ than in normal. The traction control is quite intrusive in normal. I also learned I have the roof module thing—I can operate it whilst going 10/20mph. Which I don’t think I’ll ever really do but still.

Stiffer ARBs?

Really don’t want to ruin the manners but do want to sort out the suspension dive / squat / roll in corners.

 

[B21]

Handling will take several parts if your fussy..ARBs are only part of the problem..wonder where the insurance damage was?