165k mile BMW Z4 2.5 - 3 Careful PH Owners
Discussion
bolidemichael said:
Good work. I like the way that you get yourself into trouble before the dramatic redemption. Scripted for the entertainment of your readers, possibly? 
ps would love an Aga /le creuset combo. No civilised alternative
When that garage door slides open, who knows what level of peril and incompetence is likely to follow? My status of 'Amateur' has been achieved on merit, I'll have you know! ps would love an Aga /le creuset combo. No civilised alternative
Getting into a spot of hot water and managing to scramble out of it (sometimes) is a scenario that most DIY-ers have had personal experience of and can likely relate to, I guess.
Sticks. said:
Aiui the main cause was over tightening of the spring screws at the factory. When I did mine I tightened it the least I thought I could and it's been fine.
Yes, I'd read that too and did the same as you, anticipating that it might need some extra tightening but so far, so good.Sticks. said:
Enjoying your write ups, hope you're enjoying the car.
Very much so - more than I had imagined. A disproportionate amount of fun for the money, these Z4s.Glad you're enjoying the blether!
:thumb up:
While I'm here, another couple of quickies. Firstly, I know the DISA valve was mentioned by several posters early in the thread and I forgot to say that it was one of the first things I checked. Pleased to report that it looks like a reasonably new unit, the 'flap' operates as it should and the rogue pin is firmly in place.
Secondly, I had the surprise pleasure of a random chap walking into the practice a few weeks back, asking if the car outside was mine. Fearing that I'd cut someone up in traffic, I almost said "no" but it transpired that he's a long-standing member of the Z4 forum, is local, owns a 3.0Si himself and has one of the Carly plug in boxes which he very kindly offered to code-read my car with.
Think I fell on my feet there - he's been a fantastic source of help & info.
And I'm secretly hoping he'll let me have a go in his car soon. For research purposes, you understand.
lemansky said:
Think I fell on my feet there - he's been a fantastic source of help & info.
And I'm secretly hoping he'll let me have a go in his car soon. For research purposes, you understand.
There are quite a few things that can be coded with Carly as I found out, and z4forum is a pretty friendly place. And I'm secretly hoping he'll let me have a go in his car soon. For research purposes, you understand.
But if you do get to have a go in a 3.0Si be prepared to want one!
I only ever wanted a Coupe which only came as 3.0Si or M models. After 5+ years of 3.0Si I drove a couple of Ms, so inevitably I got an MC a couple of years ago.
Budget creep and man maths in action!
Next instalment – clearing the dash of all the warning lights.
If you’ve followed the thread, you may remember a few pages ago that 0a reported the infamous ‘Trifecta’ of orange lights that had appeared, coincidentally very soon after the rear tyres were replaced. It seems to be a well-known phenomenon in BMW circles and the most likely causes, reading suggestions here and elsewhere, included wheel speed/ABS sensors, brake pressure sensors and more worryingly, the ABS pump.
I was hopeful that something had been disturbed on the rear hubs during the tyre changes. Getting a code reader plugged into the car was the intended first step and my new local acquaintance had kindly volunteered his time and Carly box of tricks.
The codes were read and boom – Fault code: 005E40, Wheel speed sensor back right; signal edge is missing. Ordered up a new sensor from ECP and got it fitted one evening fairly quickly. Put it all back together, road tested the car and no change – all dash lights still illuminated.
Looking again at my Carly PDF file, Fault code 005E40 also made reference to the Steering Angle Sensor signal being “implausible,” which sounded politely authoritarian. There’s a procedure to reset the sensor by turning the steering wheel lock to lock which I tried without success.
One thing I had wanted to get done from Day 1 on the Z, however, was an alignment because, although the car drove straight, the steering wheel was canted off to the left. Not good for the OCD.
A visit to KwikFit revealed that adjustment for both track rod ends wasn’t happening as the nuts/threads were rusted solid.
An hour with the blowtorch/hammer and two new track rod ends were fitted, followed by a Hunter 4-wheel alignment.
Ta-da! Only gone and fixed it - a quick road test showed all the dash warning lights were now gone.
It just goes to show – all the horror stories online about expensive ABS pumps, etc and the car just needed tracking with the steering wheel straight. The car has been code-read since and Fault 005E40 has disappeared, great stuff. Maybe the wheel speed sensor was faulty, too? Who knows, but it's got a nice new one fitted now anyway.
If you’ve followed the thread, you may remember a few pages ago that 0a reported the infamous ‘Trifecta’ of orange lights that had appeared, coincidentally very soon after the rear tyres were replaced. It seems to be a well-known phenomenon in BMW circles and the most likely causes, reading suggestions here and elsewhere, included wheel speed/ABS sensors, brake pressure sensors and more worryingly, the ABS pump.
I was hopeful that something had been disturbed on the rear hubs during the tyre changes. Getting a code reader plugged into the car was the intended first step and my new local acquaintance had kindly volunteered his time and Carly box of tricks.
The codes were read and boom – Fault code: 005E40, Wheel speed sensor back right; signal edge is missing. Ordered up a new sensor from ECP and got it fitted one evening fairly quickly. Put it all back together, road tested the car and no change – all dash lights still illuminated.
Looking again at my Carly PDF file, Fault code 005E40 also made reference to the Steering Angle Sensor signal being “implausible,” which sounded politely authoritarian. There’s a procedure to reset the sensor by turning the steering wheel lock to lock which I tried without success.
One thing I had wanted to get done from Day 1 on the Z, however, was an alignment because, although the car drove straight, the steering wheel was canted off to the left. Not good for the OCD.
A visit to KwikFit revealed that adjustment for both track rod ends wasn’t happening as the nuts/threads were rusted solid.
An hour with the blowtorch/hammer and two new track rod ends were fitted, followed by a Hunter 4-wheel alignment.
Ta-da! Only gone and fixed it - a quick road test showed all the dash warning lights were now gone.
It just goes to show – all the horror stories online about expensive ABS pumps, etc and the car just needed tracking with the steering wheel straight. The car has been code-read since and Fault 005E40 has disappeared, great stuff. Maybe the wheel speed sensor was faulty, too? Who knows, but it's got a nice new one fitted now anyway.
I’ve had fun with the wheel sensors in my other half’s 125i this year.
First one was easily fixed with a Bosch jobbie. The other side died this summer so ordered another and I was sent a front instead of a rear. GSF we’re out of stock so being impatient I bought on via Amazon prime but it didn’t sort the issue.
After sone head scratching I relented and took it to the garage and they were able to determine that there was no signal from the sensor hence the lights stating on. So I got stung for their diagnostic costs plus an OE sensor. Lesson learned though; stick to proper branded parts for sensors.
First one was easily fixed with a Bosch jobbie. The other side died this summer so ordered another and I was sent a front instead of a rear. GSF we’re out of stock so being impatient I bought on via Amazon prime but it didn’t sort the issue.
After sone head scratching I relented and took it to the garage and they were able to determine that there was no signal from the sensor hence the lights stating on. So I got stung for their diagnostic costs plus an OE sensor. Lesson learned though; stick to proper branded parts for sensors.
Court_S said:
I’ve had fun with the wheel sensors in my other half’s 125i this year.
First one was easily fixed with a Bosch jobbie. The other side died this summer so ordered another and I was sent a front instead of a rear. GSF we’re out of stock so being impatient I bought on via Amazon prime but it didn’t sort the issue.
After sone head scratching I relented and took it to the garage and they were able to determine that there was no signal from the sensor hence the lights stating on. So I got stung for their diagnostic costs plus an OE sensor. Lesson learned though; stick to proper branded parts for sensors.
It’s depressing that BMW’s sensors are so crap, and the replacements offer duff. Both this car and my e39 left me with the dashboard lights on. Really puts me off owning another. First one was easily fixed with a Bosch jobbie. The other side died this summer so ordered another and I was sent a front instead of a rear. GSF we’re out of stock so being impatient I bought on via Amazon prime but it didn’t sort the issue.
After sone head scratching I relented and took it to the garage and they were able to determine that there was no signal from the sensor hence the lights stating on. So I got stung for their diagnostic costs plus an OE sensor. Lesson learned though; stick to proper branded parts for sensors.
All sounds very familiar!
I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
Mr Tidy said:
All sounds very familiar!
I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
The bloody track rods are a pain in the arse. I got away with it on my car; I bought a set of rods and ends when it went for alignment but they were not needed on the end.I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
Court_S said:
Mr Tidy said:
All sounds very familiar!
I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
The bloody track rods are a pain in the arse. I got away with it on my car; I bought a set of rods and ends when it went for alignment but they were not needed on the end.I got the same 3 amber lights earlier this year when my Z4 battery died. New battery didn't cure them but my Indy reset the steering angle sensor setting and they all stayed off.
It is now getting a 4 wheel alignment and sure enough new track rod ends because they were seized solid!
But it is 15 years old so I suppose that's hardly surprising.
0a said:
It’s depressing that BMW’s sensors are so crap, and the replacements offer duff. Both this car and my e39 left me with the dashboard lights on. Really puts me off owning another.
Having a code reader (or access to someone else's, FOC) is a great help, but I get the feeling diagnosis can still be fairly hit and miss.lemansky said:
0a said:
It’s depressing that BMW’s sensors are so crap, and the replacements offer duff. Both this car and my e39 left me with the dashboard lights on. Really puts me off owning another.
Having a code reader (or access to someone else's, FOC) is a great help, but I get the feeling diagnosis can still be fairly hit and miss.I was pretty sure it was something relatively simple as it happened when I changed the tyres and a couple of suspension bits.
Cloudy headlights were the next thing to see to on the list. Actually, it wasn’t just the lenses that were cloudy on the outside; the headlights were also pretty wet inside and there were also indicator bulbs blown.
The usual access to the headlight assembly is from the rear, via a plastic flap in the front wheel arch liner. There is also a hard plastic cover with a rubber seal that fits to the rear opening of the headlight itself and this is held on with a tension clip.
A quick glance revealed that the OSF arch flap and the headlight rear cover were missing – that might explain the water ingress! However, both covers were in place on the NSF and that headlight was just as wet.
Pic below; all looks a bit grim and those water beads are on the inside.
The car had come to me with 2 brand new headlight rear covers supplied, loose in the boot. Access to the rear of the headlights is really very tight/awkward, so I fully understand why 0a had procured the covers but not fitted them
After some deliberation, I decided to remove the headlights from the car, not only for better access to the bulbs and for fitting the covers but to make drying them out a whole lot easier and to negate the need for any masking when it came to polishing the cloudy lenses.
The whole front bumper has to come off to get at the headlight fixings. This actually sounds worse than it is - the reality is a dozen or so screws/plastic fixings that have to be removed and it was quite quick and painless. Removing the headlights themselves was more of an embuggerance thanks to the corroded fixings.
The elusive indicator bulbs (2 for each light assembly) were eventually found in their own strange individual finger holders. I’d seen the crosshead screws on the end of these things and wrongly assumed they were something to do with the beam adjust. Durr.
Also, I’ve never come across these bulbs on any car before – it’s a Philips 12356CP 12v 21W mini bayonet cap doofer (every online resource tells you to fit a boggo W5W capless bulb, but this is patently incorrect).
The headlights were dried out overnight (any excuse to shoehorn the Aga into an update) followed by a sanding and polishing frenzy using a random kit from Amazon which cost around a tenner. New sidelight bulbs as well as indicator bulbs were fitted and then the whole units sealed with the new rear covers which were a reassuringly tight fit.
Before bolting the headlights back in place, I fitted the new wheel arch flap covers I’d got off ebay just so I could see they were on right. Headlights and bumper were then bolted back on and the job was done.
The ‘after’ pic shows lens imperfections still but some of that is on the inside and they’re 100 times better than before. Replacement units – even 2nd hand ones – seem disproportionately expensive to me, so I'll stick with these ones for now.
Happy to note that there’s been no evidence of water ingress or any condensation so far and it's certainly a good time of year to be testing it.
The usual access to the headlight assembly is from the rear, via a plastic flap in the front wheel arch liner. There is also a hard plastic cover with a rubber seal that fits to the rear opening of the headlight itself and this is held on with a tension clip.
A quick glance revealed that the OSF arch flap and the headlight rear cover were missing – that might explain the water ingress! However, both covers were in place on the NSF and that headlight was just as wet.
Pic below; all looks a bit grim and those water beads are on the inside.
The car had come to me with 2 brand new headlight rear covers supplied, loose in the boot. Access to the rear of the headlights is really very tight/awkward, so I fully understand why 0a had procured the covers but not fitted them
After some deliberation, I decided to remove the headlights from the car, not only for better access to the bulbs and for fitting the covers but to make drying them out a whole lot easier and to negate the need for any masking when it came to polishing the cloudy lenses.
The whole front bumper has to come off to get at the headlight fixings. This actually sounds worse than it is - the reality is a dozen or so screws/plastic fixings that have to be removed and it was quite quick and painless. Removing the headlights themselves was more of an embuggerance thanks to the corroded fixings.
The elusive indicator bulbs (2 for each light assembly) were eventually found in their own strange individual finger holders. I’d seen the crosshead screws on the end of these things and wrongly assumed they were something to do with the beam adjust. Durr.
Also, I’ve never come across these bulbs on any car before – it’s a Philips 12356CP 12v 21W mini bayonet cap doofer (every online resource tells you to fit a boggo W5W capless bulb, but this is patently incorrect).
The headlights were dried out overnight (any excuse to shoehorn the Aga into an update) followed by a sanding and polishing frenzy using a random kit from Amazon which cost around a tenner. New sidelight bulbs as well as indicator bulbs were fitted and then the whole units sealed with the new rear covers which were a reassuringly tight fit.
Before bolting the headlights back in place, I fitted the new wheel arch flap covers I’d got off ebay just so I could see they were on right. Headlights and bumper were then bolted back on and the job was done.
The ‘after’ pic shows lens imperfections still but some of that is on the inside and they’re 100 times better than before. Replacement units – even 2nd hand ones – seem disproportionately expensive to me, so I'll stick with these ones for now.
Happy to note that there’s been no evidence of water ingress or any condensation so far and it's certainly a good time of year to be testing it.
lemansky said:
I'm learning as I go, but it seems that the TREs are treated pretty much as consumables on these Z4s (as well as the coil springs).
I think it’s BMW thing, no matter the model. I was bloody surprised when mine weren’t seized when it was aligned recently. Suspension components on my E46 seemed to be consumable if I’m honest.The light bulbs are always a pain in the arse to get to even with the access flaps etc.
Edited by Court_S on Wednesday 1st December 15:50
lemansky said:
The car had come to me with 2 brand new headlight rear covers supplied, loose in the boot. Access to the rear of the headlights is really very tight/awkward, so I fully understand why 0a had procured the covers but not fitted them
This sums up our relative levels of talent and dedication.I am an enthusiastic pre-mechanic. I will look up issues, and even buy bits. But rarely does it progress beyond there. And when it does, it’s frequently a disaster with the most basic jobs.
I have your passenger seat back by the way! It’s in the midlands, but next time I drive up (probably post Christmas as I drove up today), I will bring and travel via the M6/A74 Glasgow route. Apologies - it kept falling off. So I repaired the issue by removing it.
Your swap LS430 did super service today, nailing the 300 miles north in super comfort and without complaint. The sports suspension makes it Merc like at 90+.
I nipped onto the dual section of the A1 just as they were putting the closure cones out. It’s actually rather fast beyond 100. And beyond that.
Dare I say I am warming to it a lot more!
It’s really good to see this little z4 come back to life. They are very underrated. Yes if you want to go round a track, there are better options. But for blatting about back roads they are brilliant. Like an old British straight 6 roadster (but much better in every way).
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