New Z4 3.0i

Yeah, thanks everyone, the prices for everything at the dealer seemed really high.. was looking through their catalog of BMW clothing, wheels, etc., they have a huge selection and the prices are amazing. I've got to locate a good BMW mechanic in the Monterey area. If any one knows one please respond.

When the service rep mentioned I would be needing rear tires pretty soon I mentioned I was thinking of changing them to non run flats, maybe a good set of Summer tires and he got this horrified look on his face and told me the car was not designed for tires that don't have the stiff side walls the runflats have. He then went out and came back with two sliced through tire pieces to prove to me that the run flat tire is much stiffer where the tred meets the sidewals while the regular tires are not. Has anyone heard that? I can get the best set of Bridgestone Summer Potenza non RFs for almost half the cost of the RF equivalents. Also, my experience in the past was the non RFs have a less jarring ride and are quieter on the highway.
 
Do a search on the forum and you'll find lots of info on this. Most guys in here have ditched the run flats and found the ride to be much improved...myself included. I went for Pirelli P-Zero which is a huge improvement over the standard Bridgestone RF.
 
Congratulations, the Z is stunning.

As mentioned by Lars, the local BMW shop is trying to rape you. Even in California that is a bit much.

My suggestion would be to learn to DIY. Increases your appreciation for the machine. I do all my own maintenance on both my Hog and my Z. Quality time!
 
For parts, most US members seem to prefer Pelican Parts or ECS Tuning, both US based and good to deal with.
I'm not sure you have an aftermarket HID kit, as Scooba_Steve suggested - from what you posted your headlight has HID stamped on the headlight so it must be factory? One thing I've found is the headlight options seem to be very confusing.
There is a DIY guide to replacing the windshield weatherstrips somewhere, I'll try to dig it up for you if you can't find it.
Do you know what colour the car is? Look in the VIN options, e.g. mine is 416 Carbonschwarz (Carbon Black).
Great looking car, enjoy the new ride :thumbsup:
 
doane2u said:
Thanks, all... Enzed4, the color is Schwarz 2 (668) hmmm... "schwartz" do I have a black shark on my hands?
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Interesting - 668 = 'Jet Black'. I haven't actually seen that on a Z4 before. I'll bet it has a nice deep gloss when polished :thumbsup:
 
Jet Black, thanks, was wondering what Schwartz meant. It's beautiful, but like all black cars, takes constant washing to look good. I use a bucket/ no hose system on my cars here in California, where water is restricted. I use Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax with microfiber towels for the wash water and for drying, polishing. Have been using this for a couple of years now and I love the stuff. I can wash the car thoroughly in about 15 minutes, or just do a touch up doing the top parts that have droppings, etc. in about 5 Minutes.

BTW, what do you guys suggest for my black top for cleaning and preserving it? It looks like cloth, but I'm assuming it's some sort of vinyl?
 
Roof is canvas. Use 303 Aerospace Fabric Guard which is readily available there or RaggTopp Fabric Protectant.

ONR is great stuff. I use it as well.
 
Agree with owm - I've heard great things about 303 Fabric Guard. But make sure it you're going to do any waterproofing/protecting, that you wash/clean/dry it thoroughly first. There are a few threads here and around the net about cleaning/waterproofing your soft top.
Just make sure whatever you use is not silicone based, as it can interfere with the top's ability to 'breathe'
 
Thanks, Guys, I ordered the 303 Fabric Guard today.
Since I have that big rock ding right in the center of the windshield I decided to just have the local auto glass guy replace the welting at the top and sides when he replaces the green strip tinted glass. The welting is only about $35, actually less then some I saw on Ebay, etc. I'll just have to live with the deteriorating edges of the cowling piece as the only place I seem to be able to get it is BMW and they want over two hundred dollars for that piece of plastic.
 
Make sure your windshield is replaced with the same type - that is, check to see if you have the rain sensor for the auto wipers, as you don't want to lose that if you've got it.
 
Question: Wife was in the car the other day and folded the passenger sun visor down to do the typical look at self test and she couldn't slide the cover on the vanity mirror. I checked and the driver vanity mirror cover also doesn't open? Am I missing something, or are these dummy mirror covers and there actually is NO mirror?
 
If they can't open, means the covers have not been used for some time. Some lubricant like a vinyl cleaner/restorer will aid in loosening things up to allow the sliding action to happen.
 
doane2u said:
The other thing I need to do is replace the welting around the windshield. The top strip is completely rotted out and missing and the rest is badly cracking. I'm surprised at the quality of this mateiral in a BMW.. it's only 8 years old. The "pan" part below the windshield is starting to go too, the edges are cracking. I coated them with preservative yesterday. I'm going to check into getting the parts for it this morning while at the BMW dealer where I have the appointment to get my oil change. The dealer parts are about twice as much as any other place though and the problem is they seem to be the only source for a lot of things. If anyone has any other sources it would be greatly appreciated.
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Your car may have had a windshield replacement due to a crack from a stone at some point. If so the 3rd party glass installer may have used an aftermarket rubber seal trim. Here in England several members have had this experience and the non BMW windshield trims are not a good fit and will almost certainly be inferior quality rubber that would degrade rapidly in your climate.
 
Owm: I'll try that and see if I can get them to open.. didn't seem like they would have a dummy cover, maybe I'm the dummy.

GreyZed: I asked the owner and the glass has never been replaced. The reason I'm replacing it is because of the fine etching 8 years of driving does and there is a rock ding right in the center. The BMW rep admitted the seals were prone to deterioration like this and also the glass guy said he has seen a lot of it on Z4s. The glass guy convinced me to spend about $5 more to get the OEM seal though, because he said it is made for the glass with the built in two corners, where as aftermarket ones are just a long piece of stripping that has to be mitered at the corners. He suggested that if I use a good vinyl/rubber protestant regularly it probably will last a lot longer.
 
I've got a new, beautifully clear, windshield with new welting and before they removed the cowling piece I carefully cut most of the broken/cracking edgeing off using the hood edge to guide my cutting hand. Then, while they had the cowling piece off I took a belt sander to it with a couple of grits to even my cutting and smooth it down. A coating of Mothers Black and it's looking almost new again. Eventually I'll have to replace it, but this will give me another year or so.
 
What's the deal with the rear view mirror? It has this funny looking semi clear bulb on the bottom that I think has the alarm red diode in it, but in order to dim the mirror you have to turn/twist this bulb and it ends up pushing the mirror out of visual alignment. Is my mirror too loose and if it is, how do I tighten it? (I don't have the auto dimming sensor)

Some pix with the top down... I like this Jet Black!

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Thanks,
 
doane2u said:
What's the deal with the rear view mirror? It has this funny looking semi clear bulb on the bottom that I think has the alarm red diode in it, but in order to dim the mirror you have to turn/twist this bulb and it ends up pushing the mirror out of visual alignment. Is my mirror too loose and if it is, how do I tighten it? (I don't have the auto dimming sensor)
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I thought they all had auto-dimming mirrors, so no need to adjust it for bright headlights? Perhaps it was an option like nearly everything else on the Z4, which would explain if you don't have it (or your mirror has been replaced with standard glass at some time).
Edit - had a look, and yes, it's option S430A
"S430A - INNEN-/AUSSENSPIEGEL AUT.ABBLENDEND" (Interior/outside mirror with auto dip)
You can check if you have this option.
 
Yes, I think it was an option as there is no sensor at the top or bottom of the mirror. But, hand adjusting it is a really bad design on this one. It's hard to turn it.. it sort of snaps into position and in the process throws the mirror out of alignment, that's why I was wondering if there is a way to tighten up the mirror pivot point so it has more resistance?
 
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