Newbie questions - warning lights, dynamic imbalance

[Champ]

I just bought an '07 E85, 3.0 6-speed from a private owner in PA. 62,000 miles and the car is beautiful, but there are a few things I want to be sure are not too concerning.

I have a shimmy/wobble, not terrible, between 40-50 mph and am told it's common issue with these cars called dynamic imbalance. I did some research and one mechanic suggests putting 42 psi in the tires. That seems like an easy fix, but is it the smart thing to do, or should I get the wheels dynamically spun balanced?

Also, the ABS light is on pretty much all the time, as well as the Brake light and the DTS button does not turn off the indicator, so that's always on. The FTM button also doesn't seem to be operational.

Are these common problems that are easily fixed without going to the dealer? Could it be as simple as a fuse?

Finally, does anyone have a good suggestion for cleaning the ragtop? It's an unusual olive green.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Haggisman]

Welcome to Z ownership and the forum, nice looking car. I’ll let the UK based members reply re the issues, I have a similar car which (touch wood) has been relatively trouble free. Once you solve the problems you’ll really enjoy the car.

 

[Champ]

Thanks Haggisman. I'm in the states but I'll take guidance from anyone in the know!

 

[dhobbs]

Never heard of a shimmy at that speed on the z4 before. What are the shocks like? I had a terrible wobble at 50mph on a polo and that turned out to be worn rear shocks.

Before I replaced my shocks on my z4, the dsc light came on a lot over bumps, presumably as the rear wheels weren't in contact with the road. There was no sign of them being worn untill I took them out and had little damping.

 

[ph001]

The steering wobble you feel is not normal and shouldn't be there. I definitely wouldn't be inflating the tyres to 42psi to 'fix' it, and I doubt it would help anyway. It almost certainly just a wheel balancing issue (maybe you lost a lead balancing weight off one of the wheels) so any decent tyre shop will be able to rebalance them all for you for $20 or so.

The dash lights you are seeing really needs a code reader plugging in to find the exact cause. Highly likely to be the brushes sticking in the ABS pump. There are companies in the UK that can sort that for $200 or so but not sure about the US. Read about it here... https://www.ecutesting.com/common-faults/bmw/bmw-abs-dsc-pump-common-5df0-5df1-fault/

 

[Rucky]

I have a 3.0si and No the steering does not wobble at any speed. Wheels statically balanced. No brake binding.
Yes get the codes read.
Fix your ABS light, known issue with ABS pump - brushes expand and seize motor does not spin. Dont know where you can get it done in US but can be DIY if tou are moderately capable. Modified brush kit on ebay.
see
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=121145
and/or search the forum - lots of posts
good luck

 

[Champ]

Thanks for the suggestions. Because of Covid I can’t even register the car for two months, so I have some time to sort these things out.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Hi and welcome aboard. I hope you can get those issues sorted out without too much pain for your wallet.