Z4 35is

[Smallboatman]

Hi
Just looking at buying my first z4, is there any issues with the 35is or the duel clutch gearbox that I should be aware of , the one I have driven has done less than 20 k
Many thanks

 

[mr wilks]

Yep its a twin turbo N54 that's been around long enough to a create a certain amount of predictability so there certainly are issues you should be aware of .
HPFP
Injectors
Water pump
Adaptive suspension ( if its specced)
being the main hitters , the DCT box shouldn't give you any problems if its all ok when you buy

 

[john-e89]

Adaptive is standard on the 35is Andy.

 

[mr wilks]

Adaptive is standard on the 35is Andy.

Ahh never knew that , its something i specifically avoided when hunting the 35i manual but now i know why it was hard finding a 35is without it must add its a great feature that made a massive difference to how the E89s handle when you hit the twisties :driving:

 

[R.E92]

Yep its a twin turbo N54 that's been around long enough to a create a certain amount of predictability so there certainly are issues you should be aware of .
HPFP
Injectors
Water pump
Adaptive suspension ( if its specced)
being the main hitters , the DCT box shouldn't give you any problems if its all ok when you buy

The variable dampers are a common failure point, not aware of any water pump issues at all with the Z4.

They fixed the HPFP in 2010 and the injectors in 2014 so depending on model year those might not be a problem.

 

[Busterboo]

Hi
Just looking at buying my first z4 ... the 35is ... less than 20 k
Many thanks

Buy it quick, before someone else does.

 

[mr wilks]

Yep its a twin turbo N54 that's been around long enough to a create a certain amount of predictability so there certainly are issues you should be aware of .
HPFP
Injectors
Water pump
Adaptive suspension ( if its specced)
being the main hitters , the DCT box shouldn't give you any problems if its all ok when you buy

The variable dampers are a common failure point, not aware of any water pump issues at all with the Z4.

They fixed the HPFP in 2010 and the injectors in 2014 so depending on model year those might not be a problem.

Waterpump replaced on my 35i (2010 Msport) around the 7yr point at 42k , the injectors & hpfp had already been done by that point
Regardless of uprated/ upgraded parts i would still class the hpfp + injectors as potential issues if i was buying a N54 of any age , the later cars are now hitting the 6-7 yrs age 40k-50k so will be interesting to see how they get on .

 

[Busterboo]

Hi
Just looking at buying my first z4 ... the 35is ... less than 20 k
Many thanks

Buy it quick, before someone else does.

At last look, there were 435 of the 35iS in the UK, which makes it quite a rare car. Add to that its performance and usually high spec and it's an excellent car, especially for the money.

Add to your price a BMW extended warranty and you'll have a very good buy. Hesitate much longer and you won't.

 

[mcbutler]

Get yourself a full warranty with Warranty direct, at that mileage you will get 3 years complete cover for around £1100. Its a far better product than BMW warranty.
I bought my 35i, (same car mechanically) a year ago with 24k on the clock, full history and annual safety checks from BMW.
I purchased as an upgrade from my 23i following advice from my local indy who are excellent.

In my one year of ownership it has cost nearly £600 for a DCT sump, gasket, gearbox filters and oil, all paid by warranty direct, (not covered by BMW warranty).
The DCT sump is plastic and WILL warp and leak. You can buy a CNC machined replacement for around £1000 but they are thicker and you cannot replace the undertray which leaves the DCT exposed to the elements :thumbsdown:

From my own pocket,
1. Oil/filter change - £70ish with labour.
2. Swapped out the adaptive suspension for an eibach kit, a massive improvement in all aspects
3. Swapped out bridgestone run flats for Pilot Sport 4s £616 = £30 fitting

All the items others mention above are weak spots, water pump is electric and notoriously dodgy as pretty much any mechanic will tell you, HPFP and injectors are the same.

You could buy a 35i for less without the expensive suspension and simply replace the std suspension with eibach for around £750!

 

[R.E92]

Get yourself a full warranty with Warranty direct, at that mileage you will get 3 years complete cover for around £1100. Its a far better product than BMW warranty.
I bought my 35i, (same car mechanically) a year ago with 24k on the clock, full history and annual safety checks from BMW.
I purchased as an upgrade from my 23i following advice from my local indy who are excellent.

In my one year of ownership it has cost nearly £600 for a DCT sump, gasket, gearbox filters and oil, all paid by warranty direct, (not covered by BMW warranty).
The DCT sump is plastic and WILL warp and leak. You can buy a CNC machined replacement for around £1000 but they are thicker and you cannot replace the undertray which leaves the DCT exposed to the elements :thumbsdown:

From my own pocket,
1. Oil/filter change - £70ish with labour.
2. Swapped out the adaptive suspension for an eibach kit, a massive improvement in all aspects
3. Swapped out bridgestone run flats for Pilot Sport 4s £616 = £30 fitting

All the items others mention above are weak spots, water pump is electric and notoriously dodgy as pretty much any mechanic will tell you, HPFP and injectors are the same.

You could buy a 35i for less without the expensive suspension and simply replace the std suspension with eibach for around £750!

A warranty is a good call but I just wanted to point out that the BMW warranty does cover DCT leaks, I had the warranty in place for around 5 years and in that time they didn't once reject or even try to worm out of a claim. The BMW extended warranty option cost around £600 a year when I had it, that was with £0 excess so comes out about a third more expensive.

They covered the adaptive dampers too, did warranty direct not cover this?

 

[Beeacon]

The waterpump is rated to go between 60k & 80k miles from my googling; mine failed at 69k miles. As above, injectors and high pressure fuel pump.

It is also worth listening out for a high pitched rattling coming from the turbo wastegate. Its not common, but sorting it can be a headache, requiring either a very adept mechanic to fix the part, or a very expensive replacement at BMW.

Every car has its problems, these are the common culprits to watch out for with the E89. Its actually a surprisingly small list of things that typically go wrong considering it has a folding metal roof, pumps out 340hp and has a hefty number of mod-cons. I remember looking in the engine bay of an old Jaguar XKR8 and thinking "I do not know enough garage-fu to live with this car". Quite the opposite for this.

 

[mcbutler]

Get yourself a full warranty with Warranty direct, at that mileage you will get 3 years complete cover for around £1100. Its a far better product than BMW warranty.
I bought my 35i, (same car mechanically) a year ago with 24k on the clock, full history and annual safety checks from BMW.
I purchased as an upgrade from my 23i following advice from my local indy who are excellent.

In my one year of ownership it has cost nearly £600 for a DCT sump, gasket, gearbox filters and oil, all paid by warranty direct, (not covered by BMW warranty).
The DCT sump is plastic and WILL warp and leak. You can buy a CNC machined replacement for around £1000 but they are thicker and you cannot replace the undertray which leaves the DCT exposed to the elements :thumbsdown:

From my own pocket,
1. Oil/filter change - £70ish with labour.
2. Swapped out the adaptive suspension for an eibach kit, a massive improvement in all aspects
3. Swapped out bridgestone run flats for Pilot Sport 4s £616 = £30 fitting

All the items others mention above are weak spots, water pump is electric and notoriously dodgy as pretty much any mechanic will tell you, HPFP and injectors are the same.

You could buy a 35i for less without the expensive suspension and simply replace the std suspension with eibach for around £750!

A warranty is a good call but I just wanted to point out that the BMW warranty does cover DCT leaks, I had the warranty in place for around 5 years and in that time they didn't once reject or even try to worm out of a claim. The BMW extended warranty option cost around £600 a year when I had it, that was with £0 excess so comes out about a third more expensive.

They covered the adaptive dampers too, did warranty direct not cover this?

Same here £0 excess and adaptive is covered, even mot fail items are covered! I replaced adaptive because it’s just not that good and it gave me more confidence than I should have had, if you know what I mean!
The BMW warranty covers gearbox leaks where the gearbox has to be removed. WD is the same but they are more negotiable. At the end of the day it’s in BMW interest not to pay and it’s their BMW payrolled tech who makes the decision, and as you mention it costs more.
Example, 23i with ticking sound on head. BMW will not replace the offending lifter because it has not failed. WD replace all 24 as warranty covers items ‘wearing’. That one claim saved me nearly £1500, before that a valve cover (blocked breathers) £600 and a full gearbox rebuild for a slight whining sound in 2nd.

 

[R.E92]

Same here £0 excess and adaptive is covered, even mot fail items are covered! I replaced adaptive because it’s just not that good and it gave me more confidence than I should have had, if you know what I mean!
The BMW warranty covers gearbox leaks where the gearbox has to be removed. WD is the same but they are more negotiable. At the end of the day it’s in BMW interest not to pay and it’s their BMW payrolled tech who makes the decision, and as you mention it costs more.
Example, 23i with ticking sound on head. BMW will not replace the offending lifter because it has not failed. WD replace all 24 as warranty covers items ‘wearing’. That one claim saved me nearly £1500, before that a valve cover (blocked breathers) £600 and a full gearbox rebuild for a slight whining sound in 2nd.

The BMW extended warranty is provided by Mondial so it differs from the manufacturer warranty in who pays so there is no hesitance from the workshop when it comes to repairs, I'd estimate my car had over £15k of work done and not once had to push them. The bonus over other warranties is that you still get the perks of the manufacturer warranty regarding recovery and courtesy cars. I gave up on the warranty after the big ticket items had been replaced, if buying another 2009/2010 35i I'd certainly hold onto the warranty until the dampers, HPFP and injectors had been replaced, after that the chances of a big bill diminish hugely.

 

[craig3.2]

Adaptive is standard on the 35is Andy.

What I was thinking,lol

 

[Busterboo]

Hi
Just looking at buying my first z4, ... the one I have driven has done less than 20 k
Many thanks

Are you going to buy it? Or has it gone?

If neither, share it with us all.

 

[Smallboatman]

Hi
I know it’s a while ago , bad year etc , the 35is had sold unfortunately, but have bought a 2015 35i dct with 16k and immaculate so very happy , it has been a great way to put a smile on your face !, so which way to go for extended warranty? We will keep the car for 3 or 4 years I expect.

 

[N4LLY]

Congrats Pictures, we like pictures

 

[Ole gits rule]

Congrats - get this pics up

 

[Mr Tidy]

Glad you got a Z4 in the end.

Now we just need to see some photos!

 

[Smallboatman]

Hi
You have made me realise I don’t really have any that’s suitable. I’ll take some and get them posted ! Too busy driving it