Keeping E89 Outside

[RAYK47]

So i am definitely getting an E89 (just a question of when, winter seems most likely). However i do not have a garage and I cannot really cover the car through the winter as i don't have a driveway and the road is about 30ft or so from my house. I don't have great mechanical skills, mainly due to not having facilities to work on my car (so not really given it a go).

So my questions are,
- how reliable is the rain proofing, particularly around the folding connections, boot etc?
- What do people do in a similar situation?
- Any advice and guidance on how to keep the car protected without deep pockets and good mechanical skills.

 

[k755]

Get a cover which is of good quality so will not move in the wind that should help keep water off the electrics.

 

[RAYK47]

Get a cover which is of good quality so will not move in the wind that should help keep water off the electrics.

Thanks, is water ingress a real concern then k755? I am also concerned that the cover may get stolen or are they able to be secured?

 

[IRD]

You can secure a good cover with straps to hold it in place. But I am not aware of any security devices available. If you are going to use a cover the car has to be pristine clean before you put the cover on. Otherwise it will scratch the paintwork. This may prove a problem if you are using the car as your daily drive . It would mean giving it a clean most days, especially during the Winter. There is a history of water getting into the rear light clusters too.
Sorry to be negative. E89s are great cars but like most cars they do have some weaknesses.

 

[AnubisZed]

Mine is outside all the time, I've owned it 7 years. Previous owner had it 5 yeats and also had it outside as well. No leaking issued at all.
The roof will fail at some point, when and why is anyone's guess, but it will. This is nothing to do with having it outside though, it's just use.
I've had the obligatory paint issue with the roof panel, dealt with under warranty. No major mechanical issues though, just regular maintenance and servicing

 

[RAYK47]

Thanks IRD.

I do have another "family" car and the wife definitely will not drive the Z4 (she wont drive the 3 series E90 so not a chance she will drive the E89). However, i was not planning to leave it stationary for weeks on end in the winter (but might be an idea during the more extreme months).

 

[RAYK47]

Mine is outside all the time, I've owned it 7 years. Previous owner had it 5 yeats and also had it outside as well. No leaking issued at all.
The roof will fail at some point, when and why is anyone's guess, but it will. This is nothing to do with having it outside though, it's just use.
I've had the obligatory paint issue with the roof panel, dealt with under warranty. No major mechanical issues though, just regular maintenance and servicing

thanks Anubis, the roof going is a concern as if it goes and you cant close it. Without a garage to keep it in until its sorted there will be all sorts of issues.

 

[matsmith749]

I've had a few over the years - always kept outside, never garaged, never covered.

They are fine - it's a car. It's meant to be outside.

Clean it now & again, fix when it breaks.

 

[Phoenixboy]

Mine is outside all the time, I've owned it 7 years. Previous owner had it 5 yeats and also had it outside as well. No leaking issued at all.
The roof will fail at some point, when and why is anyone's guess, but it will. This is nothing to do with having it outside though, it's just use.
I've had the obligatory paint issue with the roof panel, dealt with under warranty. No major mechanical issues though, just regular maintenance and servicing

thanks Anubis, the roof going is a concern as if it goes and you cant close it. Without a garage to keep it in until its sorted there will be all sorts of issues.

I would probably keep a half cover in case the roof fails, and then get it to your garage to fix.

 

[B21]

A good cover has under car ties that can be secured with a lock ..two schools of thought on a kerbside covered car…out of site out of mind ..on the other curiosity killed the cat..

If it’s a weekend toy and you’re absolutely happy to always always wash the car completely clean before putting the cover on then they do help with crap, birds, road spray etc etc and even sunshine..

Some E89s do seem to leak through the rear light cluster areas and rear body vents..both mine seemed to be ok..

I guess it’s going to be driven in all weathers you need to sort those issues out if they do occur..

 

[javis20]

I've had my 2011 convertible hard top outside since 2017. No problems at all. However, if your getting a rag top, make sure not to part it under trees. Leaves and stuff will eventually block the rag top drain holes. Other than that, the car was not designed to be a garage queen.

 

[AnubisZed]

Mine is outside all the time, I've owned it 7 years. Previous owner had it 5 yeats and also had it outside as well. No leaking issued at all.
The roof will fail at some point, when and why is anyone's guess, but it will. This is nothing to do with having it outside though, it's just use.
I've had the obligatory paint issue with the roof panel, dealt with under warranty. No major mechanical issues though, just regular maintenance and servicing

thanks Anubis, the roof going is a concern as if it goes and you cant close it. Without a garage to keep it in until its sorted there will be all sorts of issues.

Not trying to scare you, but it is a real problem, or can be. The issues can be, but not limited to, the following....
Failed microswitches (Hall Sensors)
Broken wires to the sensors
Split hydraulic hoses
Leaking pistons
Failed pump

Mine had a split hose, so I replaced the whole hose and wiring loom assembly as I didn't want to just replace one hose and then another one goes as it's a big job. Fortunately this didn't stop me from operating the roof to get it back in the closed position, but did leak fluid all down my drivers seat. Other members have been in the position of the roof not being able to be moved once either all the way open or partially, so yes this is a big issue and can be a headache to resolve, there are many posts on this subject throughout the club pages.

 

[AnubisZed]

I've had my 2011 convertible hard top outside since 2017. No problems at all. However, if your getting a rag top, make sure not to part it under trees. Leaves and stuff will eventually block the rag top drain holes. Other than that, the car was not designed to be a garage queen.

There aren't any E89 rag tops, they are all metal roofed

 

[RAYK47]

thanks for all the responses. I am more at ease now to be honest.

I am just going to get one and enjoy it, whatever happens, happens. I will deal with it when it does. I am very laid back and dont really worry about anything (some say there are things i should be).

The wife wants me to wait until next summer but its my 50th in January so i am hoping to get one around then (hopefully when at the lowest price point).

 

[Mr Tidy]

So it sounds like it won't be a particular problem with an E89.

All 3 of my E86s have lived outside with no ill effects.

Good luck finding the right one in time for the big day.

 

[PointedMarlin]

So my questions are,
- how reliable is the rain proofing, particularly around the folding connections, boot etc?
- What do people do in a similar situation?
- Any advice and guidance on how to keep the car protected without deep pockets and good mechanical skills.

I own a 2011 23i & it lives outside

Gotta be honest here (those with a weak disposition look away now!)

Mine lives outside 365 days a year & probably for this forum gets treated like sh1te - it’s washed regularly & interior is spotless but I have lime trees at the end of my drive so it’s always getting sap &/or leaves on rain on it all year


Yes I think mine does let a small bit of water in but I also think it lets more water in when I pressure wash it so honestly I wouldn’t be concerned

I don’t have a cover as I was advised not to get one on the basis of it needing to be put on when the car is clean & dry even then it might get scratched with the wind moving the cover

I wash mine either myself or with the Albanians in town & to be fair when it’s cleaned it always comes up good, like I say this is with the leaves & lime sap

I tend to do this once a month

 

[Mr Tidy]

I don’t have a cover as I was advised not to get one on the basis of it needing to be put on when the car is clean & dry even then it might get scratched with the wind moving the cover

That's one of the reasons I've never bothered with a cover for mine. My current one came with a Stormforce cover but I couldn't see me being able to use it much because of the need to have the car clean and dry before I could fit it - and I would have had to put the cover in the house when I used the car. So I sold the cover!

 

[Pondrew]

My 2p worth:

The 'to cover or not to cover' has been done to death. They are impractical unless you are very diligent and have somewhere to store the (huge car-sized cover) while it dries. Usually the reason people want car covers is because they don't have the space to store the car in the dry. You need that size space to dry the cover anyway, so impractical!

I would never buy a convertible car (fabric or hardtop) and leave it outside in the UK. Convertibles were not made for our climate, they were all made for Southern California.

But as the old, over-used, saying goes "each to their own".

 

[Ole gits rule]

I have always had convertibles and they have always lived outside, even when I had a 3 car garage.

My Z4 and now M4 live outside with no issues at all, regards a cover, only useful if you don't use the car for a few weeks at a time, inits a daily just not worth it, in fact the only car I had a cover for was a Lotus Elan M100 as the seals were shyte

 

[Deepseaskateboard]

They are fine to leave outside, it’s a car!

I leave a damp trap in the cabin and boot and they fill up every couple of months. Other than that, make sure it’s waxed and you are good to go.