New Z4 M Coupe owner: some questions

[Screamer]

Hi all,
I've just bought myself an Imola Red Z4 M Coupe (picking up on Sat) I've got a few questions i'd appreciate someone answering:

1 - From what I read, the car has 2 dynamic 'issues': understeer and brakes. Obviously, I plan on keeping the car stock to see which, if any, of these things actually effect me, but assuming that they both do, I'm after some advice. Firstly, I gather that the BMW-original strut brace is regarded as the safest and best-performing brace and that goes a long way to curing the understeer. Is it right to say that the brace should be the first understeer-reducing measure, followed by some new tyres (and CSL wheels if the budget allows it)? I'm in the UK - anybody got an idea as to how much I should be able to negotiate off the brace's list price? As for brakes, I've read a lot of info that seems to suggest that you should replace the pads first (Pagid?), then brake fluid (Racing Blue or AP Racing) and hoses - if that still doesn't go far enough, you have to make the extra step towards a proper full brake kit (AP Racing seems a popular choice)..? If I were to buy new pads/fluid/hoses and then upgrade the entire brakes to, say, AP's, would I keep using the 'stage 1' Pagid pads/fluid/hoses, or would they be replaced as part of the AP kit?

2 - My car is specced with: Sat nav, bluetooth, connecteddrive, hi-fi sys dsp, seat heating, storage pack, cruise & park distance. I'm interested in the voice control aspect of the car - from what I read here, the sat nav system itself comes with built-in voice control. If that's the case, what does the £285 optional 'voice control system' give me? Control of other car functions e.g. stereo, perhaps? Seeing as my car doesn't have it, can it be retro-fitted and for how much?

3 - My car is 10 months old with 1.5k miles on the clock - I've read on BMW's site that Approved Used Cars come with 1 year's warranty. I realise that this is in place for cars that might well be older than the usual 3 year warranty, but does it also mean that the remaining 2 years, 2 months warranty that I should have had has been cut down to 1 year?

4 - Engine remap/air filter (K&N?): worth it/costs?

5 - 6CD Changer: can this be added as well as an Intervee II iPod adapter? More for completeness' sake than anything else :wink: Is it true that the changer can accept (6, obviously) MP3 CD's?

6 - Auto-dim exterior mirrors to match auto-dimming interior mirror: worth it & how do they work?

7 - CDV (Clutch Delay Valve): worthwhile upgrade? Where's the best place to order from, and how easy is fitting?

8 - Clubs/forums: which ones should I be signing up to? My previous car was an RX-8 PZ, and there was simply a UK and a USA owners club - doesn't seem to be so simple with the Z4's!

9 - Are exhaust finishers available for the M cars? Will the official BMW finishers for the 3.0 fit the M?

Think that's about it for now - should be enough for y'all to get on with :wink:
Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[Color]

1 - From what I read, the car has 2 dynamic 'issues': understeer and brakes. .... Is it right to say that the brace should be the first understeer-reducing measure, followed by some new tyres (and CSL wheels if the budget allows it)?

7 - CDV (Clutch Delay Valve): worthwhile upgrade? Where's the best place to order from, and how easy is fitting?

Congrats on your new purchase Screamer!!


I'll just answer what I can. I'm not the expert on this matter and will just repeat others opinion so somebody else will probably provide a better answer:

1) The strut brace should help a bit, but some will argue that you should replace the front bushes and spring mountings to something better & more rigid than OEM first and then put on a strut brace to keep that in place. This is supposed to provide a much better fix for understeer (Don't ask me all the details about this).

New high performance tires will probably help more to improve the grip, ride comfort and tramlining, than affect the understeer of the car.


7) It seems the difference is not so obvious on the M model. I have never changed mine and drive effortlessly.
Some will says it's an improvement, some will say they never had any problems with it (including me). Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to what the clutch feels.

 

[ovrkll]

Drive the car yourself for a bit then decide if you want to change anything. I honestly do not see a reason to upgrade much of anything besides the tires unless you are going to track the car.

 

[Screamer]

Thanks for the welcome & replies both!

Color: Thanks for the info - I know you've said not to ask about the details, but I will :wink: At least if someone else knows, they'll be able to answer them: where do you get these bushes/mountings & what are the costs?
I'm with you on the tyres - if you replace all 4 at once, I can't see how the 'balance' of the car is going to be much affected: if it understeers now, it still will.
As for the CDV, i'm definately thinking i'll stick with the OEM one for a good while before making a decision - I went out with a dealer in the car, and his shifts were quick and smooth, so it seems to me to just be something to adapt to, rather than throw money at.

ovrkll: Completely agree - as I said in my first post, I fully intend to keep the car in stock form and 'discover' areas of improvement myself. Many of my questions (the handling-related ones especially) were asked simply so that i've got a better understanding of my options etc in advance of my requirements. I'd still appreciate answers to all the questions if that's possible.

Thanks again - seems like a great forum (with some very helpful users ), so I think i'm gonna be sticking around for a good while :wink:

 

[Breaker]

Hi all,

3 - My car is 10 months old with 1.5k miles on the clock - I've read on BMW's site that Approved Used Cars come with 1 year's warranty. I realise that this is in place for cars that might well be older than the usual 3 year warranty, but does it also mean that the remaining 2 years, 2 months warranty that I should have had has been cut down to 1 year?

I have just bought a 7 month old Z4 3.0si and that has the remainder of the BMW warranty in place. I think you'll find that the 1 year warranty is for used cars out of the official warranty period.

 

[Color]

Screamer, You are most welcome to ask about the detail! Unfortunately I won't be able to help you.
But there's a lot of knowledgeable people here so you will most surely get your answer sooner or later!

 

[Screamer]

Thanks Breaker - that's reassuring! I hoped/thought it would be the case that i'd have the total remaining warranty period, but good to be sure :wink:
Color: hehe thanks Sure they'll be along soon enough

 

[Wondermike]

3 - My car is 10 months old with 1.5k miles on the clock - I've read on BMW's site that Approved Used Cars come with 1 year's warranty. I realise that this is in place for cars that might well be older than the usual 3 year warranty, but does it also mean that the remaining 2 years, 2 months warranty that I should have had has been cut down to 1 year?

No, you'll have the balance. Has the 1200 mile service been carried out properly?

4 - Engine remap/air filter (K&N?): worth it/costs?

You don't want any MAF problems, I'd be tempted to leave it standard.

6 - Auto-dim exterior mirrors to match auto-dimming interior mirror: worth it & how do they work?

Personally I wouldn't bother, when all the mirrors dim it makes it difficult to spot the cops behind you

8 - Clubs/forums: which ones should I be signing up to? My previous car was an RX-8 PZ, and there was simply a UK and a USA owners club - doesn't seem to be so simple with the Z4's!

It *is* simple, there's only one Z4 forum :wink:

:ilz4f:

 

[Screamer]

Thanks Mike (from another Mike :wink: )!
Thanks for the further confirmation re warranty - i'm pretty sure the car will have had the service, seeing as an AUC car has to have had it to be approved, and it's currently at just over 1400 miles.
Engine tweaks have already been relegated to the bottom of my list of potential mods - I think approx 340bhp is enough to be getting on with
Hehe - your mirror comment is very true! I'm guessing they work simply by using a coating that dims when subjected to light, so that more light (e.g. direct hit from headlights) = more dimming..?
I'll admit that this easily seems to be the best Z4 forum (and the only one i've signed up to so far), but surely the bimmer and zed forums (and others) are worth signing up to..? I should probably point out that I know you're kidding, but knowing which other ones exist would be helpful :wink:

Any further answers to the original questions will be much appreciated!

 

[Wondermike]

When I had my Z4 I had the dimming interior mirror only, and I never liked the fact you couldn't see what was behind you in it. I once blew off a cop car, who admittedly was tailgating me over some speed humps (they never did anything to me) because the mirror had dimmed and I wasn't paying 100% attention. I prefer a manual mirror where you choose what happens. If the side mirrors did it too that would be a nightmare.

When Z4um went down last July (the original Z4 forum) the guys at Zpost http://www.zpost.com/forums/ were brilliant, especially Mark (one of the admins), and most people here are probably members there too, although it's a bit more specific to US/Canada and a lot of the topics can be duplicated, it's still well worth a read.

...I'll admit that this easily seems to be the best Z4 forum...

I can see you getting an extra star from our leader for that comment

 

[Wondermike]

...i'm pretty sure the car will have had the service, seeing as an AUC car has to have had it to be approved, and it's currently at just over 1400 miles.

And just on that, trust no-one, I'd be checking the book before you seal the deal just in case, 'cos it's not too late at 1400 miles anyway even if it hasn't been done.

 

[Caddyshk]

Hi all,
I've just bought myself an Imola Red Z4 M Coupe (picking up on Sat) I've got a few questions i'd appreciate someone answering:

1 - From what I read, the car has 2 dynamic 'issues': understeer and brakes. Obviously, I plan on keeping the car stock to see which, if any, of these things actually effect me, but assuming that they both do, I'm after some advice. Firstly, I gather that the BMW-original strut brace is regarded as the safest and best-performing brace and that goes a long way to curing the understeer. Is it right to say that the brace should be the first understeer-reducing measure, followed by some new tyres (and CSL wheels if the budget allows it)? I'm in the UK - anybody got an idea as to how much I should be able to negotiate off the brace's list price? As for brakes, I've read a lot of info that seems to suggest that you should replace the pads first (Pagid?), then brake fluid (Racing Blue or AP Racing) and hoses - if that still doesn't go far enough, you have to make the extra step towards a proper full brake kit (AP Racing seems a popular choice)..? If I were to buy new pads/fluid/hoses and then upgrade the entire brakes to, say, AP's, would I keep using the 'stage 1' Pagid pads/fluid/hoses, or would they be replaced as part of the AP kit?

OE STB - takes some of the understeer out - On the track you need to run 4 psi Front > Rear

Brakes - On the street they're more than you'll ever need
2 - My car is specced with: Sat nav, bluetooth, connecteddrive, hi-fi sys dsp, seat heating, storage pack, cruise & park distance. I'm interested in the voice control aspect of the car - from what I read here, the sat nav system itself comes with built-in voice control. If that's the case, what does the £285 optional 'voice control system' give me? Control of other car functions e.g. stereo, perhaps? Seeing as my car doesn't have it, can it be retro-fitted and for how much?

3 - My car is 10 months old with 1.5k miles on the clock - I've read on BMW's site that Approved Used Cars come with 1 year's warranty. I realise that this is in place for cars that might well be older than the usual 3 year warranty, but does it also mean that the remaining 2 years, 2 months warranty that I should have had has been cut down to 1 year?

4 - Engine remap/air filter (K&N?): worth it/costs?

K&N - Oil in the filter can cause big problems with MAF
Remap - NO appreciable gains to be made - do not be persueded it will
5 - 6CD Changer: can this be added as well as an Intervee II iPod adapter? More for completeness' sake than anything else :wink: Is it true that the changer can accept (6, obviously) MP3 CD's?

6 - Auto-dim exterior mirrors to match auto-dimming interior mirror: worth it & how do they work?

7 - CDV (Clutch Delay Valve): worthwhile upgrade? Where's the best place to order from, and how easy is fitting?

CDV - Best first Mod - best place to get one of the modified ones (keeping in mind you can just remove it
http://www.zeckhausen.com/CDV.htm

8 - Clubs/forums: which ones should I be signing up to? My previous car was an RX-8 PZ, and there was simply a UK and a USA owners club - doesn't seem to be so simple with the Z4's!

Bimmerfest Z forum & this site

9 - Are exhaust finishers available for the M cars? Will the official BMW finishers for the 3.0 fit the M?

Think that's about it for now - should be enough for y'all to get on with :wink:
Thanks in advance for any info!

Consider a ZHP weighted shift knob and exhaust too. Many of us have springs or coilovers as well, do some searches.

Congratulations,
Dave

 

[Z4Golfer]

People get too obsessed with understeer and oversteer in my view. Drive the car and get used to it. I've previously owned the M3, and have driven the Z4M (same engine), and never found understeer a problem with the car (and I drove the car on one of the twistiest nicest roads in the south). Voice control is the same as I had with the M3. It's very useful, especially if you can be bothered to program names in to the system. If you speak the whole number it can sometimes miss understand and you need to cancel and restart etc. However, once you get used to it, it's not a novelty that simply wears off but rather a feature that becomes genuinely useful.

Voice control is an added option, and doesn't automatically come with sat-nav pro.

I wouldn't do anything to the car from stock that can possibly affect any future warranty claims, you'd be surprised how complicated things can become if you mess around with the car, especially a performance car like that.

 

[Screamer]

Mike - big thanks for your info. Auto-dim mirrors are definately on their way into the ideas bin along with performance mods :thumbsdown: Thanks for the forum link - hadn't come across that one. I like to throw as many resources at myself as possible so I can hopefully get up to speed on various car-specific things asap..! Hopefully results in me asking fewer questions that have been answered many times before Now I don't know what sort of significance a star has on this forum, but it can't be bad (pretty much the same mindset that found me signing on the dotted line in the first place :roll: )! Thanks for the tip re the service - i'll double check before handing over the money..!

Dave - big thanks for that, so sounds like the bar is probably a good enough investment. I'm amazed, given usual car manufacturer pricing, that BMW aren't asking more for what's essentially a rather large slab of metal! Any ideas as to what I should/could expect to pay (i.e. size of dicount beyond £233 list)? Are you saying that, on track, the front tyres should be 4psi more inflated than the rears?! Surely that's going to rob the front end of grip and therefore add more understeer? As for the brakes, i'm definately thinking i'll give them a good while for evaluation before making any rash decisions. I guess that if I feel that they're not up to the job, i'll probably also have an idea as to how much of an upgrade is needed - pads/hoses/fluid, or the 'whole hog'. Are you saying that getting oil in a K&N filter is a distinct possibility and therefore as unadvisable as engine remapping etc? How about the Gruppe-M intake? Does the same apply there? SixSpeed's YouTube videos sound excellent and i'd be interested just for that as long as there aren't any reliability concerns. Actual added performance would simply be a bonus So what does the modified CDV do? Is it simply a device to make it easier to shift from the get-go, or will it always have a benefit even if you master shifting without it? As for the ZHP knob, i'm aware of that - think i'll be going for it. Other than the removal of the back lighting (shame), it seems to look better than the OEM M shift, what with its silver rim and clearly much nicer stitching (and materials?). You mention exhaust - which one, and which bits would I need for the M (I notice that they're often sold in bits)? Thanks for the congrats!

Z4Golfer - thanks for your input. I'll get a good few days of driving it before adding anything at all, so should be able to make a decision myself. As you say, part of me says "the stock car is the way its supposed to be and was intended to be - you've bought the wrong car if you don't like it" but another part of me (especially as BMW themselves offer the strut brace) says that the car might not be 'spot-on' right now, but if it's nearly there, the balance can be tweaked relatively cheaply to make it 'just so' for me. I think the best approach is to consider whether the stock car is 'spot-on' for me, and if not quite, then consider the brace. Thanks for the info on the voice control - I always thought that without the option selected, but with sat nav, you got voice control only for the nav and not for anything else..? Oh well. So, when you do have the system added, what does it let you control? Bluetooth? The rest of the stereo system? Other gadgets like folding mirrors? Point taken on the insurance front :wink: I'm 23, so i'm going to have to be particularly carefull on that front

Thanks to you all for the replies - think I just need replies to the questions in this post, and i'll be just-about all-set for now... Well, until the weekend anyway! I really appreciate people spending the time to divulge info and hopefully i'll soon be able to do the same for other members.

 

[Caddyshk]

Dave - big thanks for that, so sounds like the bar is probably a good enough investment. I'm amazed, given usual car manufacturer pricing, that BMW aren't asking more for what's essentially a rather large slab of metal! Any ideas as to what I should/could expect to pay (i.e. size of dicount beyond £233 list)? Are you saying that, on track, the front tyres should be 4psi more inflated than the rears?! Surely that's going to rob the front end of grip and therefore add more understeer? As for the brakes, i'm definately thinking i'll give them a good while for evaluation before making any rash decisions. I guess that if I feel that they're not up to the job, i'll probably also have an idea as to how much of an upgrade is needed - pads/hoses/fluid, or the 'whole hog'. Are you saying that getting oil in a K&N filter is a distinct possibility and therefore as unadvisable as engine remapping etc? How about the Gruppe-M intake? Does the same apply there? SixSpeed's YouTube videos sound excellent and i'd be interested just for that as long as there aren't any reliability concerns. Actual added performance would simply be a bonus So what does the modified CDV do? Is it simply a device to make it easier to shift from the get-go, or will it always have a benefit even if you master shifting without it? As for the ZHP knob, i'm aware of that - think i'll be going for it. Other than the removal of the back lighting (shame), it seems to look better than the OEM M shift, what with its silver rim and clearly much nicer stitching (and materials?). You mention exhaust - which one, and which bits would I need for the M (I notice that they're often sold in bits)? Thanks for the congrats!

- OE STB's are going for $275-$325 U.S. over here
- Well known from anyone that tracks just about any BMW with OE suspension and tires - Inflation in the front dials up the turn in
- The Oil in the K & N (thats how they trap dust particles) has caused havoc with the Mass Air Flow sensor on many S54's. In addition - all recognized brands of CAI/Filter combinations that I'm aware of have negatively impacted Dyno results v.s. the stock box
- CDV - use the link I posted - It tells you everything you need to know
- Exhaust is subjective - I have the SuperSprint Race cans on the OE mid pipe and I like it. It's an easy install too, especially if the car is leased and you may want to put it back to stock for for return - The Supersprint Powerloop sounds good too, however, you must install the SuperSprint X-Pipe too to have any appreciable sound vs. OE

Dave

 

[Screamer]

Thought i'd come back to this thread to answer some of my own questions, for other new users who might have the same questions as I did. Hope no-one minds.

2 - Voice control is actually part of the car's bluetooth module, situated on the back wall (that separates the cabin from the boot) of the boot. It controls telephone functions as well as navigation ones, if nav is fitted. There have been suggestions that a code is simply needed to upgrade a non-voice-enabled bluetooth module to one with the voice functions. I've yet to find whether there's any definate truth to this, but the easy option seems to be to buy a voice-enabled bluetooth module from eBay (or if you've got a taste for being robbed, your local dealer). Photos of such modules seem to show labels relating only to the bluetooth segment of the device's abilities, which to me would suggest that non-voice and voice-enabled units are indeed the same physically. The only problem is finding such a unit that's at least as new as the one already in my car (there have been 13 generations of the bluetooth module at the time of writing, each with further compatibility than the last). A dealer did mention to me something about a code that has to be purchased from BMW for around £300. This could be a code required for enabling the voice functions of a bluetooth module, or it could just be a reference to the code required to sync a mobile phone with the module for handsfree use.

4 - Engine remaps do seem to yield additional performance, but are (presumably?) expensive, and seem to have been conducted by customers based in the States mostly. Other benefits include removing the car's speed limiter (would still like info on this - I believe it's related to the 5th-to-6th gear change) and setting the car's sport mode to be selected by default when turning the car on.

5 - BMW's 6CD changer is no longer an option with the Intravee II iPod adapter, but Alpine's changer is. This can be achieved by purchasing an Alpine AI-Net switchbox and Alpine's AI-Net 6CD changer. Your car stereo's CD changer cables connect to the Intravee just as they do when you only have the Alpine iPod adapter (KCA-420i), but instead of connecting the Intravee directly to the KCA-420i, you connect it to the Alipine AI-Net switchbox. The switchbox then connects to both the KCA-420i and Alpine's 6CD changer. The Intravee's firmware allows switching and control of both the iPod and 6CD changer. Like BMW's, Alpine's changer supports MP3's on all 6 CDs. Given the cost of the switchbox and Alpine changer, i've decided against this, as I was only interested in it for completeness' sake, and fitting a CD changer in the OEM location, underneath the nav system disk reader would be pretty tight, given than the easiest location for the Intravee is directly underneath it, with the KCA-420i located on the wall between the cabin and boot (on the boot-side). That layout might still be achieveable, but you might have to move the Intravee into the boot as well as the KCA-420i, which is also tricky given the short length of the car's CD changer cables into which the Intravee plugs.

6 - The auto-dim mirrors function via a little sensor in the rear-view mirror (and possibly separate sensors in the wing mirrors if they're auto-dimming too, but not likely). I've found the function to be pretty good on my rear-view mirror and am tempted to look into switching my wing mirrors to the same thing. Then again, having both auto-dimming and non-dimming mirrors on the car gives you more flexibility - there might be certain lighting conditions that don't suit one or the other, and having both covers for that scenario ever occuring.

7 - Will probably look to do this when I change my wheels/tyres. Seems to be most beneficial to the 1st-to-2nd shift, which is the one I find more problematic. I find I have to be extremely ginger with the shift and throttle until I reach 2nd, and have fully engaged it.

9 - Depends on whether the finishers for the other Z4's will fit the M. Presumably the best chance will be the finishers for 3.0 models. It's worth noting that the exhausts, as standard, are chrome-finished, while the finishers have a brushed metal finish.