E89 Comprehensive problem list

[wu_swordsman]

My list of Z4 E89 woes in my 5 years of ownership.

1. E89 Model (3.0i Msport)
2. Year / Reg (2011)
3. Colour exterior (Silver)
4. Colour interior (Black)

5. Issues experienced, notes & status e.g.

5a. Issue description - Boot Water Ingress
5b. Current status - Resolved
5c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £1300
5d. Comments? - Spent a whole month with BMW on and off as they tested and tested...couldn't find source...eventually got back with no further issues (strange!?...you're telling me).

6a. Issue description - x2 Crack 326 Rear alloys (3 places on each)
6b. Current status - Resolved
6c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £1200

7a. Issue description - Roof failure - rear windscreen stuck above roof
7b. Current status - Resolved
7c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer £350
7d. Comments? - Faulty Micro Sensor

8a. Issue description - Oil Leak
8b. Current status - Resolved
8c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £350
8d. Comments? - Rocker Cover Gasket Replacement

9a. Issue description - Roof not latched/Roof Error, Soft Boot close Spasming/Not working, Failed boot light
9b. Current status - Resolved
9c. Warranty Claim Rejected? Cost completely paid by customer at £1300
9d. Comments? - Replacement soft boot close Mechanism (£500) & New control Module (£800) required.

April 2018
10a. Issue description - Oil Leak
10b. Current status - Resolved
10c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost Valvetronic Motor Gasket Replacement paid by customer at £240 - Rocker Gasket covered by parts warranty
10d. Comments? - Valvetronic Motor Gasket Replacement & Rocker Cover Gasket

July 2018 (But ongoing for over a year)
11a. Issue description - Constant Roof Errors Displaying on dash "Roof System", "Hardtop not Latched"
11b. Current status - Resolved
11c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer £420
11d. Comments? - Faulty Hall Sensor and x2 micro switches

July 2021 (after 3 years flaw free)
12a. Issue description - Power Steering Stopped working and threw up the following all at once:

- DBC failure
- FTM system error
- Steering assistance failure
- Park brake failure
- Driving stabilisation failure

12b. Current status - Resolved
12c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer £2650
12d. Comments? - Faulty Steering Rack, No comms from Steering rack, previously been tampered with (not during my ownership). New one Required.
Related Topic: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=82143

 

[Marlon]

Impressive that you've kept the love despite that long issues list

 

[MACK]

Holy sh!t that really is some bad luck and huge cost. Is this all at a main dealer?

 

[wu_swordsman]

MACK - yup!

Marlon - When its good its beyond good. Just been unlucky.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, nearly £4K in repairs and still more to come - that’s seriously unlucky I’m surprised the roof issues weren’t covered by the warranty - is this a BMW Used Car warranty?

 

[wu_swordsman]

Admin - realise I've posted this outside the "comprehensive problems Post" would you kindly move please?

 

[flybobbie]

"Roof not latched/Roof Error, Soft Boot close Spasming/Not working, Failed boot light"

Yes the boot pulses up and down trying to latch.

I had that problem due a manufacturing fault in that the wires to a micro switch had been chopped and weakened.
The micro switch also controls the boot light.
The wires that broke i reconnected and fixed.
I just wonder how many cars out there have the same fault.

 

[supafly]

I just wonder how many cars out there have the same fault.

Mine had this problem. Really frustrating as I essentially had to leave the boot open or the battery would be drained by it constantly trying to close the boot. I had it repaired under warranty.

 

[warmasice]

5. Issues experienced, notes & status e.g.

5a. Issue description - Boot Water Ingress
5b. Current status - Resolved
5c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £1300
5d. Comments? - Spent a whole month with BMW on and off as they tested and tested...couldn't find source...eventually got back with no further issues (strange!?...you're telling me).

Confused by this one... Did they manage to find the source of the leak? Was it pooling anywhere? £1300 is a lot of money for them to just test and test?!

Edit: Just spotted your other post on this.

 

[wu_swordsman]

It pooled under the roof motor and battery twice. The water would then be sucked up by the sponge housing.

Nope, they did not find source of leak. The boot was stripped numerous times, water tested to death for over a month....found nothing. Battery needed replaced and coded as it discharged the first time it happened. Second time was minimal, I caught it early and refused to take it back until resolved.

My car was handed back with an all clear and the boot sprayed with a powdered coating so if it happened again they could visually see where it was coming from....needless to say i've not had a problem since...that was 2 years ago...miraculous huh!?! it remains powder coated to this day.

They originally kept commenting on user error, putting it down to me possibly being careless and leaving the boot open....now excuse me!...as many of you will know the dash bongs like mad, screams and flashes at you when the boot is left open...which I experienced when the boot lid mechanism failed recently (and I'm not stupid!)

I am still clueless as to how the water got there. Yes it was a lot of money....and that was after "good will discount"

 

[wu_swordsman]

....Latest addition....

Latest - April 2018
10a. Issue description - Oil Leak
10b. Current status - Resolved
10c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost Valvetronic Motor Gasket Replacement paid by customer at £240 - Rocker Gasket covered by parts warranty
10d. Comments? - Valvetronic Motor Gasket Replacement & Rocker Cover Gasket

* Sigh *

 

[cra3y]

7a. Issue description - Roof failure - rear windscreen stuck above roof

9a. Issue description - Roof not latched/Roof Error, Soft Boot close Spasming/Not working, Failed boot light

11a. Issue description - Constant Roof Errors Displaying on dash "Roof System", "Hardtop not Latched"

These annoying things will come be back soon or later, just because of broken harness wires in bending/pivoting points of roof arm mechanism. I'm underway of process of upgrade wires in that crucial points.

Details are here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=108814

 

[JimsZ]

1. E89 Model (28i Manual )
2. Year / Reg (2012 - 12reg)
3. Colour exterior (White)
4. Colour interior (Black)

5. Issue experienced, notes:.

5a. issue description - Cracked Wheels
5b. Current status - Resolved - Replaced with aftermarket wheels and non runflat tyres
5c. Warranty Claim? - - Non warranty - paid around £1200 by me
5d. Comments? - Ditch the OEM wheels and runflats ASAP you WILL not regret it


6. Issues experienced, notes:

6a. Issue description - Metal scraping noise
6b. Current status - Resolved - replaced rear brake discs and pads and reset electronic hand brake adjustment
6c. Warranty Claim? - Non Warranty - Paid around £300 by me
6d. Comments? - Do not trust the OBC. Mine still stated 20,000 miles left on the rear pads. On inspection the rear had worn right down to nothing and on the EHB left side the rear hand brake was sticking on so was biting harder than the RH side and started grinding away the disc at the very top edge. This led to the EHB grabbing the LH side more than the RH side. On reflection i could have picked it up from noticing the hand brake pulled to the LH side when applying the brak indicating it was grabbing the LH side more than the RH side. Worth checking yours out if you notice this symptom. Also had the OBC reset after the work was done so now it should count down properly (Suspicion is this may not have been done when the pads were done before)

Happy reading :roll:

Any questions let me know

 

[ric19]

I have a 28i and have noticed a metallic scraping noise on the nearside especially when the roof was down but could never pin it down what it was as it was so faint and I could really only hear it when it bounced off a hard surface like a wall or building, anyway Ive just had all the pads and disks replaced and now its gone so I suspect it may have been the same issue as yours

 

[JimsZ]

I have a 28i and have noticed a metallic scraping noise on the nearside especially when the roof was down but could never pin it down what it was as it was so faint and I could really only hear it when it bounced off a hard surface like a wall or building, anyway Ive just had all the pads and disks replaced and now its gone so I suspect it may have been the same issue as yours

I took a picture of the damaged disc, il try and load it when I find it...

Did they adjust and reset your handbrake and OBC?

 

[ric19]

Done at main dealer so I assume it's all done to book..mileage counter is correct

 

[Busterboo]

1. E89 Model 35iS
2. Year 2010
3. Colour exterior Melbourne Red
4. Colour interior Ivory White

5. Issues experienced, notes & status e.g.

5a. Issue description - "Very slight" leak from nsf adaptive shock absorber, "slight" leak from rocker cover gasket & leak from DCT sump plate
5b. Current status - Resolved
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under warranty
5d. Comments? - BMW extended warranty. £250 excess.

18 December 2020

5a. Issue description - "edc control fault" & leak from DCT sump plate (the latter again)
5b. Current status - Resolved
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under warranty
5d. Comments? - BMW Insured Warranty. £250 excess. Edc unit was £659 & sump plate was £337.

 

[Busterboo]

Add to above - Wheel locking nut failure.

 

[Nick9one1]

Z4 E89 faults in 2 years of ownership

1. E89 Model (35i)
2. Year / Reg (2010)
3. Colour exterior (Silver)
4. Colour interior (Red)

5a. Issue description - Turbo wastegate rattle
5b. Current status - Resolved
5c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £400
5d. Comments? - Wategates replaces at an independent specialist

6a. Issue description - Injectors leaking
6b. Current status - Resolved
6c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £800
6d. Comments? - 3 leaking injectors. All 6 replaced with the latest revision

7a. Issue description - Cracked alloys
7b. Current status - Resolved
7c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £200
7d. Comments? - Cracks repaired at wheel specialist

7a. Issue description - Cracked cam cover
7b. Current status - Resolved
7c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £250
7d. Comments? - Cam cover and gasket replaced

8a. Issue description - Rattles from interior
8b. Current status - Resolved
8c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £15
8d. Comments? - Spent a few days taking apart most of the interior and covering any mating surfaces with sticky back felt.

9a. Issue description - Exhaust flap stuck closed
9b. Current status - Resolved
9c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £5
9d. Comments? - Spent an afternoon removing exhaust, cutting out the flap and welding up the hole left from the hinge.

10a. Issue description - Thermostat heater failed
10b. Current status - Resolved
10c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £100
10d. Comments? - Replaced thermostat with OEM part

11a. Issue description - Water pump failed
11b. Current status - Resolved
11c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £400
11d. Comments? - Replaced waterpump with OEM part

12a. Issue description - Rear spring snapped
12b. Current status - Resolved
12c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £200
12d. Comments? - Replaced both rear springs with with OEM part

13a. Issue description - boot partition bracket broken
13b. Current status - Resolved
13c. Warranty Claim Rejected? - Cost completely paid by customer at £5
13d. Comments? - Repaired as per guide

 

[JimsZ]

Interesting one... Did a bit of searching and can not seem to find any similar stories so perhaps is just an unfortunate one off...

1. E89 Model (28i Manual)
2. Year / Reg (2012 - 12reg)
3. Colour exterior (White)
4. Colour interior (Black)

5. Issue experienced, notes: Oil level unexpectedly dropped by one litre after 12 months of commuting and since last service. Mileage went from around 40K to 55K during this time.

5a. issue description – Oil top up warning
5b. Current status - Resolved - Replaced with OEM crankshaft oil seal and dropped in a new 3 piece OEM clutch kit while the box was off
5c. Warranty Claim? - - Non warranty - paid around £350 (Cheap eh… )
5d. Comments? – Covered 15K in twelve months of various driving including 80 mile a day commute on mixed roads and some pleasure driving as you’d expect with a car like this.


6. Issues experienced, notes:

6a. Issue description – Oil level drop over 15K miles in 12 months, previously my regular drive for the first 3 years of ownership was around 10 miles a day commute and some pleasure driving so around 6K PA.

6b. Current status - Resolved - replaced with OEM parts, issue resolved
6c. Warranty Claim? - Non Warranty -

6d. Comments? – Initial thoughts were top up oil and check the level periodically as my driving has changed from around 6K PA to 15K in 12 months. Had an oil service change done and when up on the ramps had an inspection of the turbo (Check, all OK) engine for leaks (Check, all OK) and gearbox (Check appears to have oil in the bell chamber, we may have found the smoking gun!!

Well that got me thinking, has this been leaking for a while but my lack of mileage (Low miles for earlier years) masked it. Reason I thought was the clutch had a nasty judder from cold, I just put it down to the “normal” characteristics of the car as it always had the judder from when I purchased, it just went away after a few miles and the clutch action smoothed out so you basically forgot about it or I must have just got used to it and adapted to driving “with it”. Clutch may have been getting slight oil contamination and drying out after initial use, no slipping experienced though.

Any way post resolution of the remedial works the car drives amazingly different (Difficult to describe) gear changes are slick, the clutch pedal feels super soft and easy to work and no judder like before.

So in summary I have a new clutch and a new crankshaft oil seal and an interim oil service. The car is back on song and a pleasure to drive and I am looking forward to many more years of happy motoring

Happy reading

any questions or further details required let me know