Helping my daughter shop for her next car I came across a 2005 Z4 2.5i with only 21,750 miles on the clock. I refused to believe the mileage until (1) I went to see and drive the car (and loved it), and (2) had a trusted mechanic I have been with since the late 1980's perform a thorough inspection. By all accounts the mileage is legitimate. So she bought the car. I am now in the process of updating it per her requests. The first thing is an updated sound system. I have put a down payment on a new radio and installation to be performed by a well-reviewed local shop that has been in business for over 20 years. My daughter wants all the existing steering controls to work with the new system, meaning an additional wiring harness is required. May I ask if there are any pitfalls to swapping the radio for a modern unit? We understand that the screen will block the two center A/C vents, but with the cockpit being so small we can't imagine that being an issue. Any other things to keep an eye on? Thanks in advance for the members sharing their wisdom!
Hello and welcome, it never rains in California! As with all BMWs of that age, parts of the cooling system are made out of nasty plastic, expansion tank, pipes, etc that have a nasty habit of fracturing. The thermostat is also plastic, so change that along with the water pump. You don't want your daughter breaking down in the middle of nowhere, so overhaul the cooling system rather than the sound system. Also, get a model-specific code reader; it will find so many little faults you don't know about. Join the club! https://z4-forum.com/threads/the-exclusive-club-maldives.32071/