New Z4 owner since 5th Dec 2009 - Advice needed

L

LoneRanger

New member
 Nottingham
Hi All,

I bought a merlot metallic 2005 2.2i SE Z4 (30,000 miles) on Saturday from an independent dealer. Whilst I am really excited about owning a Z4, I do not feel massively confident that the dealer actually had the car serviced (think he got one of his mates just to stamp the book and change the service indicator in the car). I only have one months warranty and I am desperate to get the car fully checked out before the month is up as I don't want to be left with enormous bills. Can anyone recommend a good vehicle inspection firm in the UK? Will the RAC or the AA generally do a good job? Or what about having a service at Sytner (BMW dealer in Notts)? Will a service pick up any suspension problems, as the car has ridiculous 19" Allesio alloys. The N/S/F wishbone and bush have also been replaced at 17000 miles, so I am hoping it hasn't been in some kind of severe accident - although the car was HPI clear.

Sorry for all the questions, but I am hoping that someone can provide me with some expertise!
 
Welcome LoneRanger - great to hear you have joined the Zed clan BUT why on earth did you not have a full vehicle check done before you parted with your hard earned cash. There several threads on this site that list the checks you should do before purchase a second-hand Zed including a check to see if the vehicle has been in an accident and what category of damage sustained (and many similar links on the Internet in general). I'm not sure about AA and RAC inspections and what they consist of, perhaps they are just a detailed 'visual' check of condition, others may know and respond.

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=13484&p=201080&hilit=+check#p201080 - this suggests are series of checks to do; which you could do now as a check for vehicle status and condition.

The registration document should list the previous keeper - contact them and ask about the vehicle. The mileage is not 'high' for a 2005 vehicle and from what you say about the seller it could have been 'clocked'. AND why buy a car from someone who you believe has effectively 'forged' the service document. When was the last MOT done - it should have come with 12 months test - this will have checked the suspension and identified a broken spring (or should have). Personally I would take the vehicle to a dealer or good independent for a thorough check. A few £s now may save a lot of heartache in the future.

I hope everything works out and OK and the Zed gives you many miles of trouble free motoring.
 
Loneranger,

I picked up my Z4 about 3 weeks ago and I had the RAC do a full inspection for me prior to the purchase. All went well and I managed to knock some money off the asking price to take the results into account (Just the cost of a couple of tires).

Feel free to PM me if you want some more details about the RAC inspection - they really do pick lots up as they have to justifty their costs, you can then filter the important from the nice to haves.

Dan
 
Welcome!

What Alan said. Personally I'd either get a dealer inspection or a respectable BMW indi - actually, probably take to my indi first! Have a look at the log book and check the dealers stamps and call them too. I'm sure it's just post sale nerves, but if you act fast buying from a dealer gives you some rights... I think?

Reference your concern about the wishbone; if the bush on that side went they replace the wishbone at the same time and bushes are one of those things that can go.

Once you rid of the wheels you may want to get the geo done - there's a few active threads at the moment. There are some 108s and Elips in the buy and sell section IIRC!

Great colour by the way - we seem to have a few merlot cars on here recently and I for one am a big fan!
 
Most dealers do a warranty expiry check, if you visit your delaer and book in- it will say if there is any problem and u can sort it within warranty. good luck.
Welcome to the club.
 
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments and general insight. This forum is really useful.

I do have up to date MOT's for the car (VIN numbers & mleage all match and correlate) and I did do an online HPI check before I bought the car and it didn't show anything sinister. I'd like to think that the dealer is just a bit lazy (the engine was so dirty) and cheap and not trying to hide any issues with the car. I did notice today that the electric wing mirrors don't move right or up (only left and down - wonder if this is expensive to fix - but this will be covered in my warranty).

I think I will get the RAC to do a vehicle check and possibly also take it to BMW to do a Winter Safety check (the 'service' guy said he could check a couple of extra things for me) - just for peace of mind.
 
you will probably find the mirrors have seized due to lack of use, when I bought a car with elec mirros the saleman recommended moving them one a month or so to prevent from seizing. You may find some physical assistance whilst trying the electric movement may free them up.
 
srhutch said:
you will probably find the mirrors have seized due to lack of use, when I bought a car with elec mirros the saleman recommended moving them one a month or so to prevent from seizing. You may find some physical assistance whilst trying the electric movement may free them up.
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Good advice - had this problem with a previous car (non BMW) and same advice given by the dealer. Quick squirt of WD40 or similar also helps - but not too much as it can drip onto your bodywork.
 
LoneRanger - welcome to ZedWorld.

To set your mind at rest YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE MONTHS WARRANTY! You have SIX at the very least - the dealer knows it, so calm down.

Check with Trading Standards if you need to rely on it in an argument, but trust me on this one, I'm right. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
Hi All,

Thanks again for the advice. I have spoken to the chap who did the oil service for the car before it was sold to me and he said that the rear suspension springs are gone and that the brake discs are corroded. He was surprised that the dealer didn't tell me. About £400 worth of repairs.... I did say to the dealer that I would expect these type of faults to be covered in the warranty before I bought it, but I'm not entirely convinced he is going to fix it now (a gut feeling!). Also, I have been fiddling with the wing mirrors and then trying them electrically and the up/left manoeuvres still don't work. :x :headbang:

The good news is that I found the tel number for the previous owner and had a long convo with him! He has provided the extra assurance I needed about the history of the car.....re wishbone and bush etc.

Can I also ask a thick question - when you get into the Z4 and shut the door, does the window wind up a bit?
 
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