New Owner Collection Tips

M

MaisieMay

Member
Hi Out There
I am changing my wife’s i3 for a Petrol Z4 Roadster 2014 and 10k miles from new, so overall seems a nice car.
We are collecting on Friday from BMW main dealer but having never owned a Z4 and had some dreadful hand overs of other cars during all the restrictions, I just wondered if there are any particular points or issues I should check out on collection of the Z4.
It doesn’t have sat/nav but not a problem as my wife rarely goes more than 20 miles from home but it does have auto a/c which she did want.
With only 10k miles the car is almost as new but we are paying top dollar for a 2014 (£22k) so I want it to be right.
Thank you in advance
Michael
 
First and foremost check every electric item works, every indicator, light, horn etc, run the roof up and down a few times. Obviously the car has not done a lot of miles so one would hope the engine is just fine, these cars are sensitive to weak batteries so at the age yours may want replacing if it hasn't been done recently. Give it a good run fairly locally before making your way home in case any warning lights flash up.. if you know anyone that has a decent bmw code reader it could be handy to take along and plug in ..other than that hopefully you get a decent warranty with the car should you have any issues in the first few months :thumbsup:
 
Thank you for that, the warranty is a bmw approved so should cover most things, but you made some very good point re electrics.
Michael
 
Hi and welcome.
Worth searching on here for 'salmon relays' which are in the roof operating circuit. If they fail then they can cause the pump motor to run until it fails or severely overheats.
Recommendation is to change them every five years. (Based on age, NOT mileage)
They may look ok from the outside, but the internal contacts corrode and break down.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum
A 2014 will be the e89 hard top convertible, you haven’t said which model though, 18,20,28 4 cylinder turbocharged or 23,30 6 cylinder, or 35i,35is twin turbo
Which ever model you are collecting I’m sure you will love it,
Have a good look at the paintwork before you take it away and check the interior for any marks or damage, any other issues you find later should be covered by the BMW warranty.
And don’t forget to post some photos once you have collected it.
 
MaisieMay said:
According to the V5 it is a LL32 Variant, 1997cc engine
I will try to find out more on collection
Michael
Click to expand...
I think it'll be a '20' on the side. Although it's a 2 litre engine, this 20 is the model code, not engine size (just happen to be the same in this case)
If you lifted the bonnet on a '18', '20' or a '28' you would see the same engine, but the engine map would give differing amounts of power.

If you search for remapping of the N20 engine on the forum you'll see that all three versions have huge potential for some relatively cheap extra grunt.
(ie. my 20iS has gone from 181bhp to 279bhp, for around £300, and many others have done the same).

The MSport moniker means you have slightly more detailed front and rear bumpers, a bit lower and stiffer suspension and a plethora of '///M' badges on every available surface. :roll:
 
All good advice above.
I would also check the paintwork on both roof panels, especially in each corner. Make sure there is no bubbling (tends to be right in the corners) of the paint.
Also lift the floor carpet in the boot, check around the battery for any signs of water or watermarks (you may need a torch). Check the foam panel in front of the battery to make sure it isn't wet. Under the foam is the roof motor, this should be clean with no water marks or rust.
Check front and rear light units for any signs of water, although this time of year there shouldn't be any anyway, so check for any discolouration of the reflectors.
If it has 19" wheels, they are probably 326m (double five spoke). I would ask the dealer to confirm in writing that they have never been cracked and repaired (not kerb damage). You can also check this by looking at the MOT history online, if you haven't already.
Check the dates on all tyres too. An 8 year old car with little mileage could easily have 8 year old tyres on which can perish and will unlikely be covered by any warranty (MOT history should pick this up too).
Oh and check outside driver's seat bolster for wear and/ or foam distortion. Even on low mileage cars this can be a problem and hard to get back if damaged.

As you said, you are paying top dollar for the car, I would expect it to be pretty much perfect.
 
Pondrew said:
If it has 19" wheels, they are probably 326m (double five spoke). I would ask the dealer to confirm in writing that they have never been cracked and repaired
Click to expand...

Les, this should be ok, it’s an AUC car and they routinely change any wheels with issues. My 35iS was traded in with a repaired wheel and replaced before retail. VG point about the tyres :thumbsup:
 
Hi and welcome aboard. :thumbsup:

And enjpy the drive home on Friday. :driving:
 
Hi,
Well I drove it back in the rain and seems a nice car overall, my wife is not so keen.
She wants the drivers seat higher than it adjusts to as she can’t see over the bonnet and is a bit unsure about the old style tech compared with her i3.
We will see if the sun comes out tomorrow maybe she will be happier with it🤞🏻
Are there any easy tips for raising the seat?
Michael
 
MaisieMay said:
Hi,
Well I drove it back in the rain and seems a nice car overall, my wife is not so keen.
She wants the drivers seat higher than it adjusts to as she can’t see over the bonnet and is a bit unsure about the old style tech compared with her i3.
We will see if the sun comes out tomorrow maybe she will be happier with it🤞🏻
Are there any easy tips for raising the seat?
Michael
Click to expand...
It goes fairly high.
Are you sure it's right up?
 
The bonnet is very long and it does take some time to get used to it - she needs to play with the seat but it is always going to be difficult to see over the bonnet, is it tilted forward - does it have PDC.

Tech is going to be different to an i3 as the car is a different generation, mine is far worse than my old 3008 but it certainly compensates in other ways.

Trust me when the roof is down it will change her mind for certain :thumbsup:
 
Welcome to the forum. If you search the forum for "MMI" you will find info from others who have added Apple Carplay or Android Auto to their Z4's.

My other half is probably about 5ft4 and had no problem driving my previous e89 Z4 so I think it's probably just a case of getting used to the view after an i3 which has a pretty high seating position - it is part of the personality of the car and does take a bit of getting used to. Hopefully a bit of sunshine and roof down driving might help change her mind!

I don't mean to be a d!ck, but did she not test drive a Z4 or research/test the tech before you committed to buying (especially with it being such a change of style compared to her previous i3)?
 
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