Newbie first post for an E89 Sdrive2.3

[Ouroux71]

Hello Z4 owners...

It seems the polite thing to do is to introduce oneself online in these forums so here I go.....

I'm going to look at a non-facelift E89 SDrive 2.3i next week. I live in France and this car will be a car for fun - main vehicle is an 2019 Audi A4 Allroad 2.0tsfi - my practical family car and also our old workhorse a Skoda Yeti 1.2tsi.

So before looking if anyone has any advice then please chip in.... The car in question is a manual transmission, FSH, 40,000 miles, 2 owner car. From the info and the photos it looks in amazing shape. The dealer only sells MX5's and Z4's and only ones in tip-top shape - well he would say that. It's metallic sapphire black fitted with full Canberra beige leather (like new condition), auto A/C, wind deflector, dimming interior mirror, rain sensors, parking sensors F/R, extended storage, seat heating, ski hatch thru thing, lighting package and perhaps a few other things. It's sitting on 296 style 19'' alloys without run-flats (matching Hankook EVOs I think from the photos). Unfortunately prices are quite a bit higher on used cars over in France - UK prices are great.

Was Bluetooth standard on early E89's ?

I'm going to take my decent quality scan tool (once I purchase the BMW software for it) to check the car over as well as doing all the usual checks. Anybody recommend what I should be particulary look out for on the E89 Z4? Obviously the roof function, early cracked alloys (shoudn't be the case by now) and such..

It doesn't have the Idrive but I've been investigating this http://www.carnaviplayer.com/bmw-z4e89-2009-2016-radio-upgrade-p-1234
Has anyone fitted this type? There are some installation videos online and it looks do-able but if anyone has had this done correctly then a link to who does it would be kind.. I thought of getting the rear camera fitted at the same time....

On to servicing. I do some servicing myself but wondered if it's still worth going to a BMW dealer (with BMW prices) on an older car, just to get those famous stamps? Maybe you have some idea of servicing costs from them or independant dealers in the UK. I'll only do a few thousand miles a year on it during the good weather of course.

Well there we are. Any kind replies welcome.....

 

[Ouroux71]

Added a few other photos for you guys/girls to comment on

 

[Smartbear]

Hi, they’re not 296’s to my knowledge? You should be safe with a 23i at that mileage, the electronic water pump does fail but should last until north of 70k miles
Rob

 

[enuff_zed]

Hi, they’re not 296’s to my knowledge?

That's what I thought. Quite like them though, whatever they are?
Nice looking motor, good colour combination.
Someone seems to have added black BMW badges at some point?
Maybe the same person that castrated the aerial?

 

[Argyll Andy]

Hi, they’re not 296’s to my knowledge? You should be safe with a 23i at that mileage, the electronic water pump does fail but should last until north of 70k miles
Rob

276’s maybe

 

[enuff_zed]

Hi, they’re not 296’s to my knowledge? You should be safe with a 23i at that mileage, the electronic water pump does fail but should last until north of 70k miles
Rob

276’s maybe

Seems you're correct. Obviously me google practice than me.
They are certainly not so common in my limited experience, look good and most importantly, dead easy to keep clean.

 

[Ouroux71]

Thanks guys... Yes I noticed the aerial ( or is it an antenna?) was a bit shorter than others, maybe it's an aftermarket thing - thought that looked better for being shorter. I did like the B&W BMW badges - a bit different but people may not like them of course..
On the orginal factory list link the dealer sent me it mentioned 'Option S2AEA - BMW LA Wheel Turbine Styling 292 wheels' but the ones advertised said 296 19''. Maybe they're not orginal fit wheels?

Keeep the comments coming

 

[Argyll Andy]

Hi, they’re not 296’s to my knowledge? You should be safe with a 23i at that mileage, the electronic water pump does fail but should last until north of 70k miles
Rob

276’s maybe

Seems you're correct. Obviously me google practice than me.
They are certainly not so common in my limited experience, look good and most importantly, dead easy to keep clean.

No, going to fes straight up. No superior googling skills or knowledge. @Timmybountyhunter had them in his thread as possible replacements for his 294’s if he hadn’t refurbished them. I remember them from there as I hadn’t seen them before and quite liked them too.

“Only” £658 delivered for a brand new staggered set from BMW with 2 yr warranty iirc which I thought was a bit of a bargain

 

[enuff_zed]

Thanks guys... Yes I noticed the aerial ( or is it an antenna?) was a bit shorter than others, maybe it's an aftermarket thing - thought that looked better for being shorter. I did like the B&W BMW badges - a bit different but people may not like them of course..
On the orginal factory list link the dealer sent me it mentioned 'Option S2AEA - BMW LA Wheel Turbine Styling 292 wheels' but the ones advertised said 296 19''. Maybe they're not orginal fit wheels?

Keeep the comments coming

Well thanks to Argyll Andy's research it appears they are neither 292 nor 296.
I'd guess the originals were 292s and that these have been subsequently replaced. Maybe the dealer got it wrong or simply hit the 9 instead of the 7.
Still think they look a nice wheel though...............with the added bonus of no reported cracking history.

Regarding the aerial: a few quick searches through the forum will show that this is an argument that will never be answered. You're either a 'whippy' or a 'stubby' fan.
Tellingly though, several stubby owners mention keeping the whippy, just in case.
I have yet to hear of a whippy owner who keeps a stubby for that reason. :wink:

 

[Ouroux71]

I'll get a 'stubby' complex and that's dangerous at my age.... Yes it's worth having the orginal option. I don't listen to much radio these days - state run biased news channels in France, hiding the real stories and then those other stations with their rather annoying commercial breaks...

I was thinking the same idea on the orginal alloys being ditched - I'll use that idea in my haggling (knowing all along that I like the wheels that are on it

Nobody changed out their in-car radio/CD for an up-to-date infotainement system then?

 

[Argyll Andy]

Thanks guys... Yes I noticed the aerial ( or is it an antenna?) was a bit shorter than others, maybe it's an aftermarket thing - thought that looked better for being shorter. I did like the B&W BMW badges - a bit different but people may not like them of course..
On the orginal factory list link the dealer sent me it mentioned 'Option S2AEA - BMW LA Wheel Turbine Styling 292 wheels' but the ones advertised said 296 19''. Maybe they're not orginal fit wheels?

Keeep the comments coming

Well thanks to Argyll Andy's research it appears they are neither 292 nor 296.
I'd guess the originals were 292s and that these have been subsequently replaced. Maybe the dealer got it wrong or simply hit the 9 instead of the 7.
Still think they look a nice wheel though...............with the added bonus of no reported cracking history.

Regarding the aerial: a few quick searches through the forum will show that this is an argument that will never be answered. You're either a 'whippy' or a 'stubby' fan.
Tellingly though, several stubby owners mention keeping the whippy, just in case.
I have yet to hear of a whippy owner who keeps a stubby for that reason. :wink:

That’s why I remembered them as I am running 296’s and have read all the horror cracking stories and when I saw these I had a look to see if they had similar issues. As you say they don’t appear to which is part of the reason they appealed to me.

My car had a stubby on it when I bought it but the whippy was tucked up safely under the boot carpet incase I decided to change.

Ouroux71 as you say, an ideal bargaining point when you turn up and are that disappointed it’s not sitting on 296’s as expected that it may be a dealbreaker unless a hefty discount is applied

 

[Silverstar]

I'll get a 'stubby' complex and that's dangerous at my age.... Yes it's worth having the orginal option. I don't listen to much radio these days - state run biased news channels in France, hiding the real stories and then those other stations with their rather annoying commercial breaks...

I was thinking the same idea on the orginal alloys being ditched - I'll use that idea in my haggling (knowing all along that I like the wheels that are on it

Nobody changed out their in-car radio/CD for an up-to-date infotainement system then?

Decode the VIN and it will tell you exactly which wheels came on the car from the factory.

 

[Ouroux71]

I was sent a link by the seller which led me to that. It said Option S2AEA - BMW LA Wheel Turbine Styling 292 wheels' but clearly things have been changed over since that... Thanks...
I will reveal more when I go to see the vehicle - assuming it's still available...

 

[Timmyboybunter]

@Timmybountyhunter had them in his thread as possible replacements for his 294’s if he hadn’t refurbished them.

I was struggling to find many pictures fitted to a E89, I actually think they look pretty nice in 19 inch guise and would be a doddle to clean.

 

[Argyll Andy]

@Timmybountyhunter had them in his thread as possible replacements for his 294’s if he hadn’t refurbished them.

I was struggling to find many pictures fitted to a E89, I actually think they look pretty nice in 19 inch guise and would be a doddle to clean.

Me too but seeing them on this I like them more and the ease of cleaning. I was considering a set of SDM 0.05’s but like these too and genuine BM so no need to notify the insurance as when I said about the 296’s they said as long as they can be a factory fit option it was fine.

 

[Argyll Andy]

I was sent a link by the seller which led me to that. It said Option S2AEA - BMW LA Wheel Turbine Styling 292 wheels' but clearly things have been changed over since that... Thanks...
I will reveal more when I go to see the vehicle - assuming it's still available...

@Ouroux71 just mentioning this as a very slight chance but has he definitely sent you the right pictures /description?

I was having another look at those wheels and I noticed on your last picture there’s another black E89 in the frame with what looks like beige interior sitting on 296’s

 

[Ouroux71]

@Argyll Andy I hope he sent the right pictures... He specialises in Mazda MX5's and BMW Z vehicles... Perhaps there was a mix up. I'll check when I go there of course... Car looked excellent so if it's not then I'll walk away...
I'm already planning the things I need to do if I get it... Chaning those infamous 'salmon' relays for the roof mechanism would seem high on the list of to -do list..