Z4M Open warning lights flash & other bad news updates

tomscott

Lifer
 Manchester
Hi guys,

Quick question,

After having BMWs in the family for 20+ years all of our cars when opened with the key the warning lights flash, gives you a signal that you have opened and closed the car. Picked up my Z4M 2 weeks ago and when opened the lights dont flash. All I get is the interior light. At night I can tell I have opened it but in the day I have to listen to the doors unlocking. Is this normal!? The lights flash when it closes, just not when it opens. Its not major, but its just a habit from owning BMWs in the past and is a signal that the car is in-fact open.

I took the car into my local BMW garage to ask, they recon that it comes like that from the factory... which I find ridiculous and they want to charge me £45 to put it on a BMW diagnostic machine to turn it on! Do any of the other forum members cars do this? Also I used to own a newer BMW which had the indicator 3 click mode which is useful on the motorway, I have read in the manual that it can be turned on is this also a trip to BMW with a £45 diagnostic machine charge??

I wasn't happy to say the least.

*UPDATE*

Bad News/Bad Experience

The reason my car went to the garage was that the alloy wheels on the car had been resprayed by the previous owner a shadow colour. They hadn't been done very well and they had some pitting on the front two wheels. They said they would boil wash the wheels because it was contaminant, but it had clearly gone through the paint. (trying it on, I thought ok il let them try) I said I wasn't buying the car unless they were sorted, came to pick up the car and guess what exactly the same. First time it slipped thorough the net. So they agreed to refurb them after being shown they clearly hadnt been sorted. The front left had a lot of curbing half way round the wheel too (not deep, minor damage but unsightly), I said do you call that presentable?

Anyway.. It went in on Monday and returned to me on Tuesday, comes back with the front and rear passenger side done. They have done a really good job looks great, as the dealer with a beeming face clearly happy with the work showed me around, he explained that to get a good finish they did both because of colour discrepancy. So I said you did the other side right? He says ohh... I didn't realise! I was just like I told you when I bought the car that I wasn't having it unless the two fronts were done! Then I showed you when I bought it and pointed it out when you picked it up the second time round!!!! :headbang:

So frustrating that they cant even do that right, if they had just refurbed the wheels in the first place there would be no issue. So atm I have one side of the car looking amazing and the other looking awful! The fact they thought that doing two good refurbs on one side would be satisfactory clearly leaving the other side looking awful is beyond me, and not checking the others were ok!!

Anyway he was fine with it and said he would be in touch to get the other two wheels done, so 4 refurbs for free which I cant complain about. I was just so mad that they feel like they can try it on! They deal with a lot of older clients which im sure wouldn't notice but really the finish to me is the most important bit, especially when buying a car from a dealer. They are supposed to detail the car to a sellable condition before the client buys, which includes refurbing alloys and its in BMW approved used mantra.

The point it that if they had just done it in the first place so much time wouldn't have been wasted. The wheels have been 'boil washed', taken back refurbed, now on its third trip! Oh I also forgot to mention the dealership is a 40 mile round trip, left 130 miles in the tank with an MPG figure of 32.5, comes back with 60 miles and 21.6!

NOT A HAPPY MAN!!

Tom Scott
 
Yikes, that sounds like a real pain. It's always annoying when you get hassles just after getting a new car. Hope the dealer gets their finger out.
 
The indicators don't flash when you open the car. My old one didn't, and my current one doesn't either. It's normal.
 
Really sorry to hear your problems Tomscott.. It seems everyone is having problems with dealers at the minute. You would think with times being as they are they would be bending over backwards to give good business so that recommendations etc are made.

Ive said it already once today on another post but i will say it again. I HATE BMW dealers. I point blank refuse to take my car to them for anything other than anything for warranty which they still manage to f*ck up!! Every time any of my cars have gone to them it has come out with more problems than what it went in with. Absolute knickle dragging monkeys they employ!!!!

£45 to plug into a computer and tick a box is ridiculous. I had mine programmed to bleep and flash on locking and unlocking. It pays off to have two friends owning a BMW indipendant garage sometimes :D

Hope you get things sorted soon
 
Thanks for the replies!

Yes I meant when opening with the Key. Well at least the dealer wasn't lying! Why does every other BMW model except the Z4 do this then. My family have had BMWs for 20 years and all the ones that had central locking had this option. Never mind its going in to be done, at the same time it is having the 3 click indicator option turned on too because I liked that on my old 3 series.

As for the wheels after giving them a quick clean they have made a great job and look fantastic! So really happy with them, just need the other side doing now. They are coming to pick the car up this week so will post a pic when their all done.

I too don't really like BMW doing much on the car but its under warranty so thats the only reason.

Tom Scott
 
Yep, got an indie to programme mine so they flash/beep when locking/unlocking, got remote closing done at the same time.

BMW dealers are poor but the best I've found are up your way at Lindale. Really looked after me at Insp 1. :thumbsup:
 
Mine was standard with remote opening / indicator flash. Just a standard setting from the sheet I got to fill in prior to delivery of the car.

I bought mine new, so no charge.
 
There's lots of programming options with the Z4 keys.

3 blink indicators are only available on facelift models from 2006 (my aug 05 just missed out)

With opening & closing, there's quite a few options you can choose from & am assuming ur saying the indicators don't flash when entering the vehicle.

The guys at Grosvenor Motor Co have a firm that produce their own V
BMW diagnostic computers, so things like the hood close function on the keyfob can still be enabled with their kit.

With the alarm, I like the fact that no lights or alarm beeps sound when u open up, as doesn't attract unnecessary attention... but again using their kit u can set it to do what u want as an option... at a cost...
 
My 2004 model also had the light blinking for lock / unlock, also programmed by the dealer on delivery.
 
Its a visual thing for me, im one of those guys that checks the car 3 times to make sure its locked... Sad i know but...

I like the lights giving me a signal to say the car is open and closed. The BMW dealer rang me today, its one figure to add as many of the key activated jobs as you want. So at the same time my driver side wheels are being refurbed they are going to do the 3 blink indicator and the open lights feature. Its going to cost £45 so im going to go through my manual to make sure I don't want any of the other options turning on. £45 is bad but not terrible, I dont want to pay it again lol!

Tom Scott
 
Check all options, like one touch indicator = 3 blinks, auto lock on drive away, follow me home lights etc etc
 
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