Z4MR Newbie

[srhutch]

Welcome to the forum
You can’t beat a blue MR with CSL’s but I might be biased :wink:
There’s a meet at the Ace Cafe which you ought to put your name down for

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=111865

Enjoy the car, they really are great fun

....but yours is black :?

only at midnight

Thought that was the only time it was blue.

 

[Vijay]

Welcome
That looks really nice! You’ll have a fun drive home ...

 

[paddy wright]

Welcome- lovely looking z!

 

[jabber]

Hi and welcome lovely looking //m

 

[alex.baker1989]

Nice looking car , even with a few issues to sort you should have a good summer :driving:
The diff whine doesn't sound good not the norm & would be the first thing to address if it was mine , its a 2006 & if that INS2 its just had was its first then the diff oil most likely been in 13 years & no telling in all that time if its been running with low fluid as they are prone to weeping .
Similar with the gearbox , possibly same oil since 2006 up to the ins2 & id want to see the actual receipt as we know that many garages don't fully understand exactly what a Ins1 / Ins2 entails on these cars . Is it a well known indy who did the ins2 ?

It's L&B Automotive in Camberley. A quick google search shows that they're BMW specialists. The place I bought it from called L&B up and got confirmation that valve clearances had been done in August, and that the garage remember the car being a good example. I'll be calling them today to verify everything said though...

I went through all of the receipts and the gearbox oil was changed mid-way through the car's life at a BMW dealer, so at least one of those INSPI's in the service book must have involved it. I've read various threads on here about diff whine being common if you listen out for it. Would the car being on CSL wheels make any difference?

 

[mr wilks]

Can't imagine wheel size /style would create diff noises especially on a relatively low miler though obviously different widths, offsets & tyre sizes could have some effect from stock 224s.
However the high number of forum cars on aftermarket wheels with no significant diff issues suggests it shouldn't be the problem.
Re the gear change also worth checking the CDV has been removed , my 3rd ZM hadn't & the difference was night & day once it was gone., with fresh gearbox & diff oil the gear changes became easy as opposed to a challenge ( 1st 2nd 3rd mainly)
Also bear in mind these cars do come with noises that initially can alarm new owners or prospective buyers :wink: they can generally feel gruff & unrefined if not driven a lot & especially if you're used to something less "involving"

 

[alex.baker1989]

Thanks - that's helpful.

I think it's an element of both being unfamiliar with such an involving car, and perhaps a few genuine concerns. I only really heard the whining diff very slightly on lift off, probably at about 60 mph or so. Once warmed up the gear change improved loads. 1st-2nd still was a bit notchy, but that's just how they are I guess.

On a separate note, I called up my local BMW dealer to ask if they could type in the VIN and give a bit more information on where it's been serviced in the dealer network. They declined due to GDPR (although they did me the same favour on my car a few months ago). Now I apparently have to go in with a log book to prove I'm the owner.

 

[Jembo]

The S54 & running gear is much more mechanically sounding than my old 3.0.

If you’re overtly concerned, suggest u take your new baby to one of the upcoming forum meets & ask for a ride in a member’s car & then ask for their opinion in yours

 

[Mad Professor]

I really wouldnt be too concerned abut the diff and gear box -it may well improve the more you use it -maybe needs a change of lubricants
Anyway sounds like you picked it up failry cheap so you have some leeway in your pocket for things like this
Drive safe Alex and enjoy your fabulous purchase -looks fabulous but then they all do IMHO

 

[alex.baker1989]

Hi all,

Finally got the car home today and of course, buying a car without a few problems wouldn't be normal!

Before I drove the car away I tested the roof (the seller said they'd greased the catches for me). The catches released fine but the roof pump is dead, and I get a red flash from the release button. They told me they had tested the roof 10-15 times this morning and everything was fine. When I got about 15 miles towards home I tested the roof again and still nothing, but can hear the relay under the glovebox clicking.

When I called them to explain that it's still dead they said that they may have blown a fuse by accident, but I'm not sure. The good news is that the pump has been relocated next to the passenger side seat, next to the rear bulkhead, so access is relatively easy albeit tight to hook up a multi meter and test for voltage / current drain.

Does anyone have any advice? It's a trade sale so the likelihood of me getting any recompense are slim, but may be able to persuade the seller to contribute towards a recon unit if I replace it myself (shouldn't be a difficult job if it's located in the cabin.

To top it off, on the way home I also noticed a xenon bulb which isn't working, but that's the least of my worries!

 

[Haggisman]

Hi all,

Finally got the car home today and of course, buying a car without a few problems wouldn't be normal!

Before I drove the car away I tested the roof (the seller said they'd greased the catches for me). The catches released fine but the roof pump is dead, and I get a red flash from the release button. They told me they had tested the roof 10-15 times this morning and everything was fine. When I got about 15 miles towards home I tested the roof again and still nothing, but can hear the relay under the glovebox clicking.

When I called them to explain that it's still dead they said that they may have blown a fuse by accident, but I'm not sure. The good news is that the pump has been relocated next to the passenger side seat, next to the rear bulkhead, so access is relatively easy albeit tight to hook up a multi meter and test for voltage / current drain.

Does anyone have any advice? It's a trade sale so the likelihood of me getting any recompense are slim, but may be able to persuade the seller to contribute towards a recon unit if I replace it myself (shouldn't be a difficult job if it's located in the cabin.

To top it off, on the way home I also noticed a xenon bulb which isn't working, but that's the least of my worries!

Can’t offer any advice on the roof but agree with your comments re that no matter how much you research the purchase there is always something that needs attention. When I bought my M3 the pre purchase inspection by a “respected” BMW race engineering firm didn’t tell me it had been converted from LHD to RHD and it had the colour changed amongst other things. Fortunately I did know this already and it had been well executed as proven by 7 years of hard track usage. W

When I bought the Z4 the pre purchase inspection didn’t report the worn bushes that I replaced immediately.

I hope that the “Trade” deal helps compensate for any work you need to do to the car and at least you will know you have done the work properly.

Enjoy the car, warts and all.

 

[alex.baker1989]

Sorry about the thread spam, but I couldn't help but go and fiddle myself in pitch black! Checked fuses and seemed fine, then decided to get full access to the pump and remove the sock-type cover someone used to conceal it, only to find the connections were loose and one of the spade plugs had fallen off.

Re-connected and sure enough, the roof lives! Bit disappointed by the shoddy workmanship to re-locate the motor though, but that can be sorted easily. The only remaining issue now is that the roof needs a nudge off the catches most times I open it - more than it did before. It looks like the seller has used white lithium grease on the catches - not sure if this is a good idea or not?

 

[Jembo]

Hi Alex, glad you arrived safely home.

If it’s a trade sale, it’s covered by the sale of goods act which means it must be of merchantable quality for 3 months unless specifically mentioned/defects itemised on your sales invoice.

Firstly follow up in writing (email) covering todays events - someone telling me they tested it 15 times sounds like they knew there was a problem when it doesn’t work when u test it before leaving & problem continues.

In the email ask what they suggest to do to rectify the matter... put the ball in their court, rather than u dance around & let us all know the outcome

 

[alex.baker1989]

Thanks for everyone's input here so far.

Being on gardening leave for a month I've got ample time to play around with and get used to the car. Today I decided to tackle the roof sticking issue once I realised the hydraulic pump was fine. The garage had previously sprayed a load of white lithium grease in the catches which got the roof stuck on every attempt to open it.

I cleaned all of the gunk out, replaced with all purpose grease and decided to lube the frame hinges at the same time. Now the roof opens and closes without getting stuck at all, so that problem is solved and am relieved it turned out not to be a weak pump.

The next thing to have a look at is the drivers head light. It constantly steams up and the Xenon bulb has died (conveniently waited until after I picked it up). Has anyone ever attempted a DIY fix to stop water ingress? The only other option is an expensive one....

I've also tried dabbing the throttle to see how consistent the clunky diff is, and you do get clunking when I do that. I hope a fluid change could fix this.

Other than that, I managed to get her nice and clean today inside and out, which is always a good way to get to know the car. As always though, this introduced me to more stone chips, scratches and swirls. Next up is a bit of detailing and a decent polish!

 

[mr wilks]

Headlight problem Alex , i had similar woes on recent Z with zenon,s .
Start by checking the ballast / self level are working & also the pop up washer is working correctly & not ( like mine ) spraying water onto the bottom of headlight where those control units are ?
Bulbs are fairly simple to replace ( don't touch with power on ) then finally dry the inside out with hair dryer before getting a new rear cover as the seal on the rear does perish
Diff / you could do with meeting up with forum guy to compare as they can feel gruff if not used to them