Horrible Sound - Tought Something Terrible had Happened

[Old-Duckman]

I can't even describe the sound. I thought some suspension part had broken and was being dragged down the road and bouncing around. Pulled off the side of the road, took a quick look underneath.....the oil pan access panel had lost its retaining bolt and the cover was hanging down getting ground away. Would anyone know what size the bolt is to attach the cover. Being in the States I don't have an assortment of metric bolts to try. If anyone knows it would make my life at the hardware store easier.

I'm so glad that is all this was...of course you think of the worst case scenario first !

 

[gzman1]

googled it and it just looks like a big wood screw!

 

[groovy_hippy]

This happened to me! I pulled over and looked to see what the noise was - couldn’t do anything about it where I was, so carried on the short distance to work. I got a very funny look from the people on the gate when I drove in. Managed to remove it in the car park!! I didn’t lose the screw though....to be honest, I removed the cover after that - it doesn’t really do anything much....
If you want to put it back though, the screw is a coarse self tapping looking thing - it goes into a metal clip - not metric or anything.

 

[Swiftly]

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT53-USA-01-2004-E85-BMW-Z4_30i&diagId=51_4957#51617199687


Screw isn't shown, but I think you require this part number 07-14-7-177-492


https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partsearch?id=BT53-USA-01-2004-E85-BMW-Z4_30i&diagId=51_4957&q=07-14-7-177-492

 

[Old-Duckman]

Thank all, I appreciate !

 

[RJ237]

I replaced the captive nut with a threaded type.