nfbr's 2007 Ruby Black Z4 Coupé! Blog/Build-Thread
- Thread starter nfbr
- Start date
So it's been a while since I updated this, Mostly because my goings on with the car have been rather Humdrum...
Recently I've done the following:
* New Pollen Filter
It's been a year since the last one, so in with the new
* New Bosch 'S5' 110 Battery
The S5 seemed to have the best spec, highest output, charge capacity and a good track record for longevity, plus my old battery had been in the car since 2007, so I figured I might as well put a good new one in
* New air freshener - California Scents Palm Tree in 'Laguna Breeze' flavour
Just because...
* Another good polishing and around 6-coats of FK1000P over a 2-week period (yes, cleaned and dried before each additional coat...)
To help protect it from the horrible weather we've had around here...
Anyway - Here's a few gratuitous pictures.
My next update will hopefully be inline with the release of the new Scorpion Exhaust system for the 2.5si and 3.0si models as my vehicle will be going to them for development work very soon!
Recently I've done the following:
* New Pollen Filter
It's been a year since the last one, so in with the new
* New Bosch 'S5' 110 Battery
The S5 seemed to have the best spec, highest output, charge capacity and a good track record for longevity, plus my old battery had been in the car since 2007, so I figured I might as well put a good new one in
* New air freshener - California Scents Palm Tree in 'Laguna Breeze' flavour
Just because...
* Another good polishing and around 6-coats of FK1000P over a 2-week period (yes, cleaned and dried before each additional coat...)
To help protect it from the horrible weather we've had around here...
Anyway - Here's a few gratuitous pictures.
My next update will hopefully be inline with the release of the new Scorpion Exhaust system for the 2.5si and 3.0si models as my vehicle will be going to them for development work very soon!
Me too, however there's been a bit of a delay on that since then 
On my way to Scorpion on Sunday, my waterpump decided it was going to play up. Luckily, I spotted the temp gauge as it got to 75% and pulled over quickly to allow the car to cool down, and made my way back home (only a short distance away) very slowly.
So... Some new parts have arrived so I can get this sorted this week...
I also have some genuine BMW coolant and some distilled water to go with it, so will be doing a bit of a cooling system overhaul one night this week, then getting back in touch with Scorpion to see when they can get me slotted back in for the exhaust development.
On my way to Scorpion on Sunday, my waterpump decided it was going to play up. Luckily, I spotted the temp gauge as it got to 75% and pulled over quickly to allow the car to cool down, and made my way back home (only a short distance away) very slowly.
So... Some new parts have arrived so I can get this sorted this week...
I also have some genuine BMW coolant and some distilled water to go with it, so will be doing a bit of a cooling system overhaul one night this week, then getting back in touch with Scorpion to see when they can get me slotted back in for the exhaust development.
nfbr said:The first of another bunch of jobs on the Coupé this weekend! A diff oil change.
For the first part of this job, the Heatshield/Undertray protecting the diff needs to be removed to give you access to the Drain and Fill Plugs:
Next up, You need to located the fill plug, and make sure that comes out cleanly! If it doesn't come out, then stop what you're doing and do not drain the oil!
Once you have confirmed the fill plug comes out nicely, you can now locate the drain plug and eject the original diff oil! The Drain plug is just below the right hand inner CV Joint.
Here's a quick snap of a Sample of the fresh diff oil.
And now for a quick snap of the Sample of the old diff oil. I'm happy with how it's come out! Have seen this stuff much much blacker, so this shade of Cola was good news to see! Not bad at all for 75,000 miles!
As I'd lost my gearbox oil filling tool, I had to rig up a temporary filling device! This came in the way of a 18mm Silicone hose and a funnel to fashion a gravity feed
The hose needs to be inserted by around 1-2 inches to properly fill the diff.
Once in position, the funnel will need holding up high and the first litre of the oil pouring into said funnel.
This bit takes a while and you'll probably need to swap hands a few times.
Once the first litre is in, Get a spotter under neath the car and pour in another 250ml.
Once the spotter sees the oil coming out of the fill plug, that's when you're full! Get the pipe out, and pop the fill plug back in!
That's it! Done
Next job to come soon!
What diff oil did you use, and is it different for a manual gearbox? Just done the CDV delete and bled the clutch. Want to do the diff oil change this weekend.
GedS said:
For the Diff Oil, I used Castrol Syntrax Long Life 75W-90. The Oil is the same on the Auto and the Manual and the capacity is 1.2 Litres.
I have been told that the 'Manual' diff for the 3.0si doesn't have a Drain plug, so you'll need to get an oil suction pump/tube to remove the oil from the diff via the Filling hole.
I got my oil off a vendor on eBay for £28.00 for 2 litres. Here...
Great thread. Just wondering what size S5 battery you fitted? I see there are 'BCI Group Size' 47, 48 and 94R but I can't find anything on my OEM battery to indicate which one would be best to replace it with.
Also, noob question, but does it matter that you're replacing (at least in my case) a 640CCA battery with an 850CCA? Just more power to crank the engine? It's still putting out 12V after all....
Cheers.
Edit - I see they also do an S5 650CCA battery ('Mega Power Silver' - seems to be aimed at 4WD vehicles)
Very confusing, so many choices :|
Also, noob question, but does it matter that you're replacing (at least in my case) a 640CCA battery with an 850CCA? Just more power to crank the engine? It's still putting out 12V after all....
Cheers.
Edit - I see they also do an S5 650CCA battery ('Mega Power Silver' - seems to be aimed at 4WD vehicles)
Very confusing, so many choices :|
Thanks enzed4,
Regarding the battery; Over in the UK and in Europe it's called a "110"
Specs as follows:
Amp Hours: (Ah): 85Ah
Cold Cranking Amp: (CCA): 800CCA
Length: 315mm
Width: 175mm
Height: 175mm
BOSCH DIN: 585 200 080
Having extra headroom in a battery's Cold Cranking power just means that it's less likely to ever struggle.
Your cars electrical system will only ever draw as much current as it requires.
Regarding the battery; Over in the UK and in Europe it's called a "110"
Specs as follows:
Amp Hours: (Ah): 85Ah
Cold Cranking Amp: (CCA): 800CCA
Length: 315mm
Width: 175mm
Height: 175mm
BOSCH DIN: 585 200 080
Having extra headroom in a battery's Cold Cranking power just means that it's less likely to ever struggle.
Your cars electrical system will only ever draw as much current as it requires.
Managed to get an evening in the workshop tonight to went ahead and sorted out the thermostat and waterpump
Having watched a few different peoples interpretations of how it should be changed on youtube, I set out with a good idea of what to do and a few tips and tricks under my belt.
Much to my surprise, the Z4 is actually a hell of a lot more accommodating than the E9x and the 1-Series models. This pleased me somewhat.
Just look at all that room!
Here's a pic of the pump and thermostat in position - Not sure how, but this one came out looking like a studio shot!
Another view from a different angle - Everything was relatively straight forward, nothing that really challenged me.
With the pump removed and the majority of the coolant drained, the thermostat was super easy to access
And here's a couple of comparison shots, Firstly Old vs. New Waterpump
and finally Old vs. New Thermostat
With everything all fitted back in place and tightened up, I then drained the header tank and the radiator to make sure I was getting as much coolant as possible.
Just a quick note regarding the coolant, all the usual motorfactors were totally useless and couldn't work out what coolant the vehicle actually needed. In the end, I phoned BMW Head office and asked for the Specification of the anti-freeze and found that any BASF G48 coolant was compatible, which is often known as 'Green Longlife' anti-freeze. I finally settled with Bluecol OE 48 from my local Andrew Page motorfactors in a 50/50 mix with De-Ionised water for optimum performance and longevity.
Then the full cooling system was refilled (around 6 litres before the coolant started to appear at the bleed point). I then carried out the Self Bleed procedure which was very easy. Once the first self bleed was done, I then checked the level and topped it up with a further 0.7 litres and carried out the Self Bleed procedure again. After this - All was good and time for a road test
Road test - Everything went swimmingly. Car felt great, wasn't too quick to reach temperature, heater blowers warmed up gently, rather than not at all... A good 40 miles covered on the road test and the car behaved perfectly. My next step will be to check the levels tomorrow, then get her back on the ramp on Friday evening for a quick hose clip check.
Next up - Scorpion Exhaust development! This I am really looking forward to... Then if things go to plan, Gearbox Oil Change and a Quaife diff.
Having watched a few different peoples interpretations of how it should be changed on youtube, I set out with a good idea of what to do and a few tips and tricks under my belt.
Much to my surprise, the Z4 is actually a hell of a lot more accommodating than the E9x and the 1-Series models. This pleased me somewhat.
Just look at all that room!
Here's a pic of the pump and thermostat in position - Not sure how, but this one came out looking like a studio shot!
Another view from a different angle - Everything was relatively straight forward, nothing that really challenged me.
With the pump removed and the majority of the coolant drained, the thermostat was super easy to access
And here's a couple of comparison shots, Firstly Old vs. New Waterpump
and finally Old vs. New Thermostat
With everything all fitted back in place and tightened up, I then drained the header tank and the radiator to make sure I was getting as much coolant as possible.
Just a quick note regarding the coolant, all the usual motorfactors were totally useless and couldn't work out what coolant the vehicle actually needed. In the end, I phoned BMW Head office and asked for the Specification of the anti-freeze and found that any BASF G48 coolant was compatible, which is often known as 'Green Longlife' anti-freeze. I finally settled with Bluecol OE 48 from my local Andrew Page motorfactors in a 50/50 mix with De-Ionised water for optimum performance and longevity.
Then the full cooling system was refilled (around 6 litres before the coolant started to appear at the bleed point). I then carried out the Self Bleed procedure which was very easy. Once the first self bleed was done, I then checked the level and topped it up with a further 0.7 litres and carried out the Self Bleed procedure again. After this - All was good and time for a road test
Road test - Everything went swimmingly. Car felt great, wasn't too quick to reach temperature, heater blowers warmed up gently, rather than not at all... A good 40 miles covered on the road test and the car behaved perfectly. My next step will be to check the levels tomorrow, then get her back on the ramp on Friday evening for a quick hose clip check.
Next up - Scorpion Exhaust development!
This I am really looking forward to... Then if things go to plan, Gearbox Oil Change and a Quaife diff.
Ed Doe said:Sounds awesome dude! One thing - did you replace the bolts with blue paint on the heads? They're one-use and can end up seizing in the engine if used again...!
Looking forward to the exhaust and diff upgrades!
Yep, my supplier provided the three genuine BMW replacement aluminium bolts with the Pierberg OEM replacement Waterpump
z4pilot said:
I got the Waterpump and Aluminium bolts from Sam at BM Autoparts in Birmingham. Sam is a very helpful bloke and will even check the part number against your Chassis number to ensure correct fitment. Really good guy to deal with and even answered my e-mails at 6.30pm on a Sunday evening!
They trade on eBay and are the Cheapest in the UK for a Brand New Pierberg pump
- eBay Listing - N52 Pierberg Waterpump + Bolt set
The thermostat I bought from GSF car parts as they were the only place I could find a BEHR thermostat.
Sam at BM Autoparts also does a Pump + Bolts and Thermostat kit for £285.00 inc Delivery which is a cracking price!
- eBay Listing - N52 Pierberg Water Pump + Bolt set + Wahler Thermostat
The American N52 owners seem to swear by the Wahler Thermostats, but I went for a BEHR one on account of my local BMW dealer friend checking a brand new BMW one on the shelf and it having the BEHR logo on it
The Bluecol OE48 coolant I got from Andrew Page, but this can also be got cheapest from Motorworld's eBay Store
- eBay Listing - Bluecol OE48 Anti-Freeze - 5 Litres
Just don't forget to mix it 50:50 with De-Ionised water.
nfbr said:z4pilot said:
I got the Waterpump and Aluminium bolts from Sam at BM Autoparts in Birmingham. Sam is a very helpful bloke and will even check the part number against your Chassis number to ensure correct fitment. Really good guy to deal with and even answered my e-mails at 6.30pm on a Sunday evening!
They trade on eBay and are the Cheapest in the UK for a Brand New Pierberg pump
- eBay Listing - N52 Pierberg Waterpump + Bolt set
The thermostat I bought from GSF car parts as they were the only place I could find a BEHR thermostat.
Sam at BM Autoparts also does a Pump + Bolts and Thermostat kit for £285.00 inc Delivery which is a cracking price!
- eBay Listing - N52 Pierberg Water Pump + Bolt set + Wahler Thermostat
The American N52 owners seem to swear by the Wahler Thermostats, but I went for a BEHR one on account of my local BMW dealer friend checking a brand new BMW one on the shelf and it having the BEHR logo on it
The Bluecol OE48 coolant I got from Andrew Page, but this can also be got cheapest from Motorworld's eBay Store
- eBay Listing - Bluecol OE48 Anti-Freeze - 5 Litres
Just don't forget to mix it 50:50 with De-Ionised water.
Another great post fella, keep up the good work.
But am a little confused. Before I bought my Zed, there was a lot said about failed water pumps\thermostats and the high cost of replacement. I could have sworn I read something that the high cost was due to labour, as the water pump wasnt accessible without dropping the engine off its mounts. From your pics and post, that clearly isnt the case ! So what is all this scaremongering regarding water pumps about ? I appreciate they arent the cheapest, but still they are hardly the £1000+ repair bills that some Z4 sellers were claiming. (Unless of course we are talking main stealer prices, and then it would be less of a surprise.)
Cheers
Kam