Roof question & new key cost

[heavymetalthunder]

Hi, I am currently on the hunt for a Z4 and have seen a potential candidate which I am hoping to go and see this weekend. However the seller has mentioned that the roof needs a little push to open the first inch but then opens the rest on it's own and closes fine. I am wondering if this is a sign that an expensive repair may be around the corner, or if this is a common issue that may be easily fixed (lubrication?) I tried a search but couldn't see anything.

And the second thing, it only has one key. Does anybody know how much (roughly) a dealer would charge to supply a second? I'm assuming this is something only dealers can do?

Thanks in advance

 

[russ67]

There's a guy in Blackburn on Gumtree who says he can provide a spare (including Bentley style flip keys) for £100 if you go to him.

 

[PboroRyan]

Regarding the roof, that's exactly what mine does. It's a sign the motor is on the way out, but isn't neccesarily expensive, as you can usually refurb the existing motor if it's still working to an extent. You can also clean out the drains and get a hairdryer to the motor for half an hour which will dry everything out a bit. To be honest, the roof is likely to go sooner or later if it's on the original motor so I wouldn't let that put you off the car if it's decent, and while the roof still goes up and down, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[McDade]

Sounds like the hydrolic oil needs topping up. Has the roof motor been relocated to the boot? If so its easy enough to top up

if it hasnt been relocated get it moved as soon as you get the car

Cheers

 

[Scooba_Steve]

Keys are about £150 from a dealer. BM keys in london will supply for less than £70 and Ben is a top bloke. If you're not close you can post the GM5 module to him. For £80 I got a bentley style flip key and service key. Service key alone is £40 from a dealer.

 

[heavymetalthunder]

Thanks for the responses. I've just been reading through the motor relocation thread, I'll find out if it has been moved and if not, I'll look at getting that done (if I do go for the car). And thanks for the tip on BM Keys, I'll bear that in mind (do they offer the regular diamond style keys?)

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the hydrolic oil needs topping up. Has the roof motor been relocated to the boot? If so its easy enough to top up

if it hasnt been relocated get it moved as soon as you get the car

Cheers

Sorry but unless the roof hydraulic system has a leak, it is unlikely to need more oil . It's a sealed system . The issue the OP refers to is classic " motor sitting and corroding in a casing fill of water " with motor relocation , this issue can easily be sorted in most cases .

 

[McDade]

Sounds like the hydrolic oil needs topping up. Has the roof motor been relocated to the boot? If so its easy enough to top up

if it hasnt been relocated get it moved as soon as you get the car

Cheers

Sorry but unless the roof hydraulic system has a leak, it is unlikely to need more oil . It's a sealed system . The issue the OP refers to is classic " motor sitting and corroding in a casing fill of water " with motor relocation , this issue can easily be sorted in most cases .

Perhaps, after relocating mine and not having enough oil it it suffered from a similar symptom. Seen other posts detailing similar. You're right its more likely on the way out, although im sure a couple of days in diesel will resolve it

 

[Scooba_Steve]

Thanks for the responses. I've just been reading through the motor relocation thread, I'll find out if it has been moved and if not, I'll look at getting that done (if I do go for the car). And thanks for the tip on BM Keys, I'll bear that in mind (do they offer the regular diamond style keys?)

Yes, regular keys for about £50, have a look on their website and speak to Ben

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the hydrolic oil needs topping up. Has the roof motor been relocated to the boot? If so its easy enough to top up

if it hasnt been relocated get it moved as soon as you get the car

Cheers

Sorry but unless the roof hydraulic system has a leak, it is unlikely to need more oil . It's a sealed system . The issue the OP refers to is classic " motor sitting and corroding in a casing fill of water " with motor relocation , this issue can easily be sorted in most cases .

Perhaps, after relocating mine and not having enough oil it it suffered from a similar symptom. Seen other posts detailing similar. You're right its more likely on the way out, although im sure a couple of days in diesel will resolve it

Whome ever relocated yours didn't cycle the roof after relaxation then . This ensues you can add the correct amount of fluid .

The OP doesn't know if it's relocated or not , if it's been relocated then whome ever did the relocation hasn't cycled the roof correctly befire topping it up ( schoolboy error ) otherwise it has a hydraulic leak or the motor is in need of some TLC .

The system does not need topping up unless someone has made an error or it's leaking or leaked .

 

[heavymetalthunder]

I asked the seller about the roof motor and he said it has not been relocated and there is nothing in the history to suggest it has ever been replaced. Apparently the roof has had the 'little push to get going' issue for over a year, so I gather failure could be imminent unless the motor is relocated ASAP?

I just need to decide what I want to do as the car is a good 1.5-2hr journey from me and a bit more than what I want to spend, but has a very good spec and seems well looked after - the roof is the main issue really (the missing second key isn't a huge issue or as expensive to sort!)

 

[Scooba_Steve]

There should be plenty about, either get the seller to fix it, reduce the price accordingly or walk.

 

[Anonymous]

I asked the seller about the roof motor and he said it has not been relocated and there is nothing in the history to suggest it has ever been replaced. Apparently the roof has had the 'little push to get going' issue for over a year, so I gather failure could be imminent unless the motor is relocated ASAP?

I just need to decide what I want to do as the car is a good 1.5-2hr journey from me and a bit more than what I want to spend, but has a very good spec and seems well looked after - the roof is the main issue really (the missing second key isn't a huge issue or as expensive to sort!)

These motors are pretty tough and normally can be revived and brought back to full working health, but this isn't guaranteed . Relocation is the way to go ,then it's easy to get too and won't suffer from the " getting soaked " issue . If you need a replacement motor they are available for around the 250 mark, a quick search on eBay should find you one . Generally you only need the motor , but they seem to get sold ,reconditioned , as a motor and pump unit .

If you like everything else about the car go and look at it and be prepared to haggle , pictures of a car normally only tell half a story in my experience , the car could be far worse than your expecting or far better , but sure is eggs is eggs, the car you really want isn't like to roll up at your door step, you have to go through the pain of travelling and looking at loads of cars to find what you want . , them is just the facts my friend .

 

[heavymetalthunder]

Just to update the thread as I went to see the car today. It seemed very well looked after and drove well, obviously some signs of age related wear but nothing major (although the seats were in very good condition considering it had done 138k miles! Not sure if the sports seats are made of better quality leather than the regular ones?) But the roof appeared totally dead, it unclipped and then refused to go any further. The seller is going to take it to his mechanic to see how much he would charge to fix it, and update me next week.

I am now considering negotiating a price for the car with a non working roof and getting it relocated/replaced myself. I saw Bowser's thread and have sent him a PM to check if he is still doing the motor replacement/relocation as he hasn't posted on here for a while. Is there anybody else in the South who also offers a relocation service? I am located in Brighton but would be prepared to travel a bit (I know there was somebody who is in the north who does it for £80 but that is a bit too far to travel!)

 

[d3matt]

I am now considering negotiating a price for the car with a non working roof and getting it relocated/replaced myself. I saw Bowser's thread and have sent him a PM to check if he is still doing the motor replacement/relocation as he hasn't posted on here for a while. Is there anybody else in the South who also offers a relocation service? I am located in Brighton but would be prepared to travel a bit (I know there was somebody who is in the north who does it for £80 but that is a bit too far to travel!)

Seems Bowser isn't a regular on here, so he may take a while in returning your message, but he is doing the roof motor jobs. He did mine a few weeks ago.
Sounds to me as if you could get a bargain there and get the roof fixed yourself.

 

[heavymetalthunder]

Seems Bowser isn't a regular on here, so he may take a while in returning your message, but he is doing the roof motor jobs. He did mine a few weeks ago.
Sounds to me as if you could get a bargain there and get the roof fixed yourself.

Thanks, hopefully he will get back to me soon (I'm guessing he doesn't have a company website or anything?) How much did he charge and was it just a relocation or did you get the motor replaced?

 

[d3matt]

No, he's a BMW technician by day and does these roof motor jobs in the evening as he's saving up for his wedding. He charges £200 for the motor relocation to the boot. If it needs a new motor, it's the BMW price for the part, less his staff discount. I think it's about £500 all in if the motor needs replacing.
He does a good job. And he'll free up the vent holes too.