New, sorta

R

RonEats

Member
 Twentynine Palms, CA (USA)
I'm a new member here, but do not currently own a Z4. I found this forum in my attempts to research the vehicle. So, Hello to all. I have owned a vehicle of this..."persona" before, that being my 04 Mazda RX8 that I boosted and build from the ground up. Not exactly the same I know, but they are similar in that they are small cars and spirited for the road and a very sexual line of creation in their curves.

As any responsible car person should do I am trying to research a vehicle before I purchase. Which brings me to why I am posting here. I am just looking for links / documents that can help me along the way into learning the common issues and pro/cons of this car. Not looking for a spiel here as I would never collect the information desired that way, just looking for already manufactured conversations and, threads, and documents that can I can read :)

Oh it may help that I'm wanting to purchase one in the E85 & E86 range.

Thank you in advance for any help procured!
 
Hi,

One of the main issues you will experience with an E85 is that the roof motor is located in the drainage wells for the soft top and therefore if the drains get blocked the motor becomes soaked and eventually stops working. There is a simple fix for this where the motor is relocated to the boot. There are a few members on here that offer the service and also a chap in the North East. So most parts of the country are covered. Of course you can do it yourself too as there are guides available in the forum (I did my own).
I'm sure some more members will be along soon enough with other issues that are common, such as the failing rear springs (something I haven't experienced) so can't help with much sorry.
 
Thank you very much! I guess I should state that I am in the states :)

But then again, I'm a DIY guy. I'm stuck as a "backyard" mechanic until I can get out of the military and back to one and pop's shop back home!
 
RonEats said:
Thank you very much! I guess I should state that I am in the states :)

But then again, I'm a DIY guy. I'm stuck as a "backyard" mechanic until I can get out of the military and back to one and pop's shop back home!
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ah, maybe a bit far to travel then :D
It is a fairly straightforward task as there is no disconnecting of anything. Providing you are relatively flexible you can do it without removing the roof. Otherwise you have to just remove the roof first.
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85266.
 
Welcome to the forum, you may find this forum buying guide useful:

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21281
 
chapeau said:
ah, maybe a bit far to travel then :D
It is a fairly straightforward task as there is no disconnecting of anything. Providing you are relatively flexible you can do it without removing the roof. Otherwise you have to just remove the roof first.
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85266.
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I'll save that link for later if I do pull the trigger on buying one.

Is this forum mostly UK based / Other side of the pond from me?

I can make my GF do the flexing if that's the case :rofl: She's the small one of the relationship.

I'm assuming since I am 6'2" and can fit in an RX8 just fine that I can sit comfortably in the z4 as well?

If you don't mind answering, what are your preferences to the model ranges? What you like about which and your two cents about the car?
 
Marlon said:
Welcome to the forum, you may find this forum buying guide useful:

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21281
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You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman. Thank you. :D
 
Welcome on board the forum. :)

I find this site has some good threads.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=181&t=1638042

Enjoy your research.
 
Hi and welcome! I'm pretty certain most of the members in Z4-Forum are UK based. I think ZPost has more "international" members, a more even split which is literally world-wide. Model preference is entirely dependant on individual, budget, use (daily or weekend car), Coupe/Roadster, etc. My preference when looking is/was: 3.0, SMG, cruise, electric (heated) seats, Sat Nav, low(ish) mileage, and good service history. Good luck with you search! :thumbsup:
 
Well, she'll be a daily. Budget is TBD right now. 6-7K (US) will be minimum.

What I really want to expect is reliability, and from what I'm reading that's the M54 over the N52, though the N52 has more spirit and economy. So, if in my research I find a way to squeeze more juice outta the M54 through mods, then I shall do that. Fuel economy isn't so much of an issue so long as it's a manual. Anything get's more than my truck and the old RX8 :rofl:

Heated seats is like, the ONE amenity that it MUST have. I've been driving around my GF's 2016 Forester up here in NY for the holidays and god the seats have spoiled me. Lol
 
Don't automatically rule out a car without, it's normally a simple swap for the seats. Haven't needed to myself, but there's a guide to fitting heated seats in a stock non-heated Zed somewhere... If everything else is perfect then could be more effective to get the car you want, with a tad more effort.

I'm in agreement, the heated seats make the world of difference. Particularly on the cold winter mornings we have here in the UK.
 
kis said:
Don't automatically rule out a car without, it's normally a simple swap for the seats. Haven't needed to myself, but there's a guide to fitting heated seats in a stock non-heated Zed somewhere... If everything else is perfect then could be more effective to get the car you want, with a tad more effort.

I'm in agreement, the heated seats make the world of difference. Particularly on the cold winter mornings we have here in the UK.
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Not above it at all. There's been times when I wanted a manual but bought a auto and swapped, all because it was the more viable option for the time and money. Labor is no issue. I grew up a mechanic and will take over the family mechanic and auto body business. :)

Though I can live without heated seats vs the rest of the care being perfect for what I want, I won't hesitate.
 
Quick question to some of what I am reading,

What is MOT?
If I buy a Z4 from a private owner, how do I get the warranty of the car, or apply a new warranty if necessary? (I have never owned a vehicle under warranty. I always buy with flat out cash and maintain myself, but seems with these BMWs it is smarter to have a warranty no matter what)
 
MOT is a UK think. It's a certain standard of mechanical performance for a vehicle to meet once a year. Obviously older cars tend to have more issues and it's to ensure that vehicles are all to the governments "roadworthy" standard... Which probably doesn't meet yours (or my own) personal standard for roadworthy-ness.
 
Ah, appreciate the quick response on that matter. Was confusing and worrying me all at the same time :tumbleweed: Like, no articles or ads that I've seen had mentioned it.
 
Thank you sir. All caught up on that. Lol.

Any idea about the warranty of things? I don't really know how they work for cars at all so any information or link would be appreciated.
 
Warranty? Normally goes out of the window after 3-5 years? On an e85 or even e86 I'd say you're 99% out of any BMW warranty unless you're paying something additional for it. Much like buying an Apple phone/product? They give you warranty for one year and the option to buy extended coverage for up to 3 years I think? Then that's it, you're on your own. Had WMS on a car before, useful maybe depending on car age and the previous maintenance regime. Not sure what sort of stuff you might have that's comparable on the other side of the pond!!
 
Welcome OP. :thumbsup:

I think you can learn loads from the buying guides one here.

FWIW I think you will find the M54 engine more spanner-friendly for DIY work - the later N52 is more powerful for the same size but is a bit less analogue - it uses an electric water pump for example and when mine failed a year ago the OEM replacement part was £500! :eek:

Plus I have learnt from being on here that the earlier (as in pre-facelift) models that used the M54 engines were pre-wired for most of the options so if you got one without the heated seats and swapped them the wiring would already be there. (Sadly I only wanted a Coupe so it has to be a facelift for me).

Anyway, the other advice is always to go for a 3 litre - the M54 2.2 and 2.5 cost pretty much exactly the same to run on maintenance and economy so after a while you would probably regret it!

There are a few other US-based members on here by the way.

So good luck with the search - hope you find one you like soon. :thumbsup:
 
Mr Tidy said:
Welcome OP. :thumbsup:

I think you can learn loads from the buying guides one here.

FWIW I think you will find the M54 engine more spanner-friendly for DIY work - the later N52 is more powerful for the same size but is a bit less analogue - it uses an electric water pump for example and when mine failed a year ago the OEM replacement part was £500! :eek:

Plus I have learnt from being on here that the earlier (as in pre-facelift) models that used the M54 engines were pre-wired for most of the options so if you got one without the heated seats and swapped them the wiring would already be there. (Sadly I only wanted a Coupe so it has to be a facelift for me).

Anyway, the other advice is always to go for a 3 litre - the M54 2.2 and 2.5 cost pretty much exactly the same to run on maintenance and economy so after a while you would probably regret it!

There are a few other US-based members on here by the way.

So good luck with the search - hope you find one you like soon. :thumbsup:
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Thanks for this! I'm still piecing together what I should what what comes with what and what I am gonna want lol
 
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