Car Viewing worries and OBD reader

[highflyer79]

Hi all.

I’m very much loving the look of a 2007 Z4 3.0 Si conv with 75k miles on the clock. One thing that worries me is the apart from this year there hasn’t been an MOT for 5 years ( I guess off the road ) but are there any worries with this? I’m going to take a reader with me, is there anything I should be particularly checking in sun menus etc??
Also I’m not sure if the MOT checker has been a bit OTT or should I be worrying about previous MOT advisories as they’ve had noisy gearbox a long time ago, but not been mentioned since, but the checker had also snagged daft things like bonnet catch or fuel filler seal etc (see pics).

Thanks for your time

Russ

 

[smorris_12]

Sounds like the brake pipes have been rotting for years and the previous owner has tried getting out of doing them. Use it as a haggling point if the rest of the car looks good.

Old MoTs are useful to see faults that never go away but some garages will see and some won't.

 

[9designs]

Read this on FB, but easier to reply here.....
Why was it tested in March and May 2023 when the March test said a PASS, tested again 2 month later and failed.

I would say any car this age it's more about are you able to do most repairs and fixes yourself, have the budget, time and equipment?
They all need TLC and repairs doesn't matter about mileage and service history, just the nature of an aging car.

Doesn't read like this has been looked after.... but if your prepared to go through the whole car and fix and sort anything you find, then at the right price it can be worth it.

If it was an untroubled example it would be worth? 8K. maybe .. So make list of all parts to refresh suspension, brakes, tyres, wheel refurb, service items, assume cam cover gasket, serpentine belt, water pump, etc etc etc and work out an offer price to fix it up.
You will easily spend 2-3K if you do all the work yourself on the above list.

 

[colb]

Really good to scan the car with a code reader pay particlar attention to airbag faults if they come up and monitor the airbag light on the dash when ignition is turned on and it turns off when the engine is started. If the car has been left sitting for an extended period check for rodent damage to wires under the bonnet. Brake pipes are all replacable but a faff to do if you have the kit to make and bend new pipes, all doable pay atterntion to the rear nearside wheel arch area where the rear pipes emerge from the plastic undertray channel and split to each wheel. The pipes here are exposed and get all the muck from the rear wheel blasted on it over the years. The pipe that passes through the rear subframe to the offside is a fiddle to replace it can be done without dropping the fuel tank by feedong the replacement across with the old pipe removed. Pipes in the front wheel arches also need checking where they are exposed. Flex brakepipes on all four corners are worth upgrading with stainless braided hoses, good kits on ebay to do this. Look for any oil leaks across the engine Cam cover gaskets are prone to leaking on the exhaust side oil drips down onto the exhaust heat sheild and burns off causing smell and smoke in the engine bay. The centre plug well gaskets leak and fill the plug wells with oil. These gaskets go hard with age and heat cycles and is not uncommon. The small gasket between the oil filter housing and the engine block also fail with age, replacement involves taking the alternatour out to get at the oil filter housing bolts, the gasket for this is circa £5 on ebay. Tell tale sign of it leaking is oil down the side of the engine block.
All the suspension ball joints and rubber bushes will need checking, these should show up on a MOT and would be difficult to take a good look at when viewing the car without access to a car lift. If you do buy the car change all fluids as a first jon, engine oil, gearbox and Diff so you know whats in it. Check the roof works and if not already done move the motor/pump to the boot where it can't get drowned from blocked drain holes in the cavity where the factory put it.

 

[highflyer79]

Thanks for the replies. My only guess it was re MOT was when it was sold to the garage? I’ll ask the question when I rock up today. It does seem to me that it’s not been that well looked after. It’s already at a premium price of £9600. If it hasn’t folders of paperwork I’ll probably walk away. Plus on HPI check it has issues with the mileage. My worries were the 5 years sitting and other times of gearbox noise etc.
I’ll try attach the screen shot of the Mileage report.

 

[abar121]

I certainly wouldn't be paying any premium for that example. Quite the opposite.

OP, keep looking.

 

[smorris_12]

Oof. The odd MoT where they cock up the mileage is quite common but that definitely sounds like it's had a haircut.

However, that's a crazy price, any day of the week. It's getting towards coupe money. Nobody would get that for a last-of-the-line, low mileage garage queen which, from the corrosion problems of the brake pipes alone, this isn't. You could nearly buy two slightly older Z4s for that money.

Just to be clear I'm not saying run away, I'm saying bend down, pull on your trainers, run to the bus stop, get off at the airport and book a ticket to Australia.

 

[9designs]

Another option where I got my roadster from...... 1 owner example.... https://www.binca.co.uk/cars/bmw/z4/3.0siseeuro42dr/943359/#overviewdiv

Just checked it's MOT, equally patchy..... Which goes to show the common faults to expect on these.

What I think these types of histories show more than any service book/history will is how bothered the owner was to get things fixed at each service, before it went for an MOT... It suggests these cars had nothing done, just waited to see what fails at an MOT.
A service history, says the oil got changed.

Unless you buy from say this forum from someone who's done all the work as required, bank on spending 2K fixing one up.

 

[coldel]

Massively overpriced. Wouldn't even bother to go look at it.

 

[brillomaster]

this is going to make me look really bad, but... i also normally wait for an MOT before checking things like suspension bushes and brake line corrosion?!? i don't rummage around under my car normally - and i wouldnt know what was an MOT failure even if i did.

however, if something is identified at an MOT, then i get it fixed. does that mean i dont look after my cars very well? :tumbleweed:

 

[9designs]

That’s what a “service” should be; an inspection, maintain and fix, An MOT is just a safety check, I like to know the state of my cars and plan ahead. Not had an MOT failure in 38 years!