165k mile BMW Z4 2.5 - 3 Careful PH Owners
Discussion
Sticks. said:
Yes, most probably ABS sensor if it's just had the wheels off. Carly should show which one it is iirc. I also had a ABS ECU fault which showed the same lights. They're every expensive but can be repaired, as mine was. Sensor is a DIY job for most, apparently.
This.The standard BMW response to a knackered ABS sensor is to throw up multiple codes.
Should be cheap and easy to replace.
Bit of a resurrection here, folks, now that the Z4 belongs to yours truly.
I hope you don’t mind me being a bit of a cuckoo with your thread, 0a.
Rather than starting one from scratch, it made sense to carry on with the story you started about this leggy Z4.
Got to say, an intra-thread purchase Is always rather a nice way to buy a car and this is the second time that I’ve had the great pleasure of dealing with the thoroughly decent 0a and taking ownership of one of his cars.
The first one in 2018 was a gold W124 300e with a fabulous brown interior, fondly known as the Ferrero Rocher.
More recently was the deal we had on this Z4, where we swapped cars and now my old LS430 resides with Oa, as per his RR thread:-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Petrol pump shot the day of the swap, a few weeks ago - the exact same location and pump as the 300e above. Not deliberate or planned even, but definitely a bit of a saddo moment!
There were a few known faults and warning lights on the car but the plan was to get stuck in with my limited spannering abilities and see how much of it I can sort out myself - early progress has relieved my knuckles of blood & skin but I’m definitely having some fun.
I’ll get some updates posted soon.
(NB: I’m keen not to appear to be moaning about the car, if it looks like I’m just listing a load of faults as we go. Yes, there’s bits that need sorting but the car swap was my idea and I knew about all the things I was going to be getting stuck into, for better or worse.)
I hope you don’t mind me being a bit of a cuckoo with your thread, 0a.
Rather than starting one from scratch, it made sense to carry on with the story you started about this leggy Z4.
Got to say, an intra-thread purchase Is always rather a nice way to buy a car and this is the second time that I’ve had the great pleasure of dealing with the thoroughly decent 0a and taking ownership of one of his cars.
The first one in 2018 was a gold W124 300e with a fabulous brown interior, fondly known as the Ferrero Rocher.
More recently was the deal we had on this Z4, where we swapped cars and now my old LS430 resides with Oa, as per his RR thread:-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Petrol pump shot the day of the swap, a few weeks ago - the exact same location and pump as the 300e above. Not deliberate or planned even, but definitely a bit of a saddo moment!
There were a few known faults and warning lights on the car but the plan was to get stuck in with my limited spannering abilities and see how much of it I can sort out myself - early progress has relieved my knuckles of blood & skin but I’m definitely having some fun.
I’ll get some updates posted soon.
(NB: I’m keen not to appear to be moaning about the car, if it looks like I’m just listing a load of faults as we go. Yes, there’s bits that need sorting but the car swap was my idea and I knew about all the things I was going to be getting stuck into, for better or worse.)
Here’s the link to the thread that 0a started:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I tend to drip in and out of PH - you may have spotted my rare/sporadic/inconsequential posts on the Barge thread - so I’ve never had a go at a RR thread!
I believe the gold 300e resides in Ireland these days.
The interior was spectacularly brown and so, so cool.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I tend to drip in and out of PH - you may have spotted my rare/sporadic/inconsequential posts on the Barge thread - so I’ve never had a go at a RR thread!
I believe the gold 300e resides in Ireland these days.
The interior was spectacularly brown and so, so cool.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Whilst you're here, any chance of a garden update before too long?
Ha!Not a great deal to report there, in terms of new (and interesting) progress.
I'm not sure the Zombie Gardening brigade fancy reading "standing in a pile of f
king leaves up to my belly button. Picked millions of them up and put them into a wheelie bin. Around about 75 times now."Basically I pass off my old and broken cars to lemansky, who is at the opposite end of the mechanical capability spectrum to me (I reside at CDG's end)!
Great to hear the progress on the car.
I really did like it.
In fact, I have to say it was more fun than the SLK55 across the A7 (I did the same route today as I did a few months back in the Z4). That straight 6 / manual combination is lovely. The lack of speed is in many ways an asset. Fast enough, but not so much that you can't cane it most of the time. You cannot do that in the SLK!
Great to hear the progress on the car.
I really did like it.
In fact, I have to say it was more fun than the SLK55 across the A7 (I did the same route today as I did a few months back in the Z4). That straight 6 / manual combination is lovely. The lack of speed is in many ways an asset. Fast enough, but not so much that you can't cane it most of the time. You cannot do that in the SLK!
Edited by 0a on Sunday 7th November 23:14
So - 300e and gardening queries dealt with - what was the draw of the Z4?
I fancied something quite raw and basic, to be honest. I'd seen the Z referred to (loosely) as an MX5 with more grunt and I quite liked the idea of that.
Some 25 years ago, I really enjoyed a period of time driving an E30 325i. It was nippy and looked cool and I loved it - although it had Pirelli P6000's on it, which were hopelessly dangerous. Or dangerously hopeless.
The idea of a roadster on a platform not dissimilar to that was appealing - but with better tyres, natch.
I've dallied with more powerful stuff - most recently an SLK55, which was fantastically bonkers in many ways - but had begun to see what everyone else already had, which was that the performance was becoming less usable on UK roads. Plus, I'm getting on and slowing down a bit. It's nice to make some swift-ish progress without scaring yourself half-to-death.
Initial impressions are very good. It's no spring chicken but the brakes, tyres and suspension bits are all in good shape.
The engine is strong (for what it is), pulls very well and sounds happy.
What else do you need? It goes pretty well, sounds good, rides and handles well enough and stops in time.
It didn't take very long for the "hairdresser's car" comments to start when I got home, but I genuinely think it's so much more than that.
It's no paragon of handling or performance but it's just what I fancy!
I fancied something quite raw and basic, to be honest. I'd seen the Z referred to (loosely) as an MX5 with more grunt and I quite liked the idea of that.
Some 25 years ago, I really enjoyed a period of time driving an E30 325i. It was nippy and looked cool and I loved it - although it had Pirelli P6000's on it, which were hopelessly dangerous. Or dangerously hopeless.
The idea of a roadster on a platform not dissimilar to that was appealing - but with better tyres, natch.
I've dallied with more powerful stuff - most recently an SLK55, which was fantastically bonkers in many ways - but had begun to see what everyone else already had, which was that the performance was becoming less usable on UK roads. Plus, I'm getting on and slowing down a bit. It's nice to make some swift-ish progress without scaring yourself half-to-death.
Initial impressions are very good. It's no spring chicken but the brakes, tyres and suspension bits are all in good shape.
The engine is strong (for what it is), pulls very well and sounds happy.
What else do you need? It goes pretty well, sounds good, rides and handles well enough and stops in time.
It didn't take very long for the "hairdresser's car" comments to start when I got home, but I genuinely think it's so much more than that.
It's no paragon of handling or performance but it's just what I fancy!
0a said:
In fact, I have to say it was more fun than the SLK55 across the A7 (I did the same route today as I did a few months back in the Z4). That straight 6 / manual combination is lovely. The lack of speed is in many ways an asset. Fast enough, but not so much that you can't cane it most of the time. You cannot do that in the SLK!
You bought the wrong Z4! Edited by 0a on Sunday 7th November 23:14
I had a few Mercs, but they were mostly wafty auto barges, and I'm not ready for that yet.
My current Z4 is an M Coupe so straight 6, manual gearbox and SLK performance if you are in the mood.
lemansky said:
0a said:
The lack of speed is in many ways an asset.
My thoughts entirely, as bizarre and backward as it sounds. Maybe I'm late to a party which was started here many, many years ago, where 'MX5' was the answer to everything.
It's a bit of fun, if nothing else.
Very enjoyable!
Mr Tidy said:
0a said:
That straight 6 / manual combination is lovely. The lack of speed is in many ways an asset. Fast enough, but not so much that you can't cane it most of the time.
You bought the wrong Z4! I may be speaking out of turn, but it sounds like SLK55 was bought to fulfil a different brief to the Z4
As alluded to earlier (and documented earlier in the thread) the Z was carrying a few niggles that would need attention.
And as with any 18 year-old car with 159000 miles up it, you also anticipate a few other things becoming apparent as you get to know it.
So, let's get the number one and top priority job sorted out - fit a new ZHP gearknob.
It looks and feels great (ignoring the M logo, which you can't get it without) and falls to hand in just the right place.
At £70-odd, it wasn't cheap but the difference it makes is worth every penny.
I also fitted a cheap stubby aerial; mandatory as a new owner, apparently. I think the aerial is a Fiat or Renault part but costs £9 off eBay, looks much neater that the original whip thing and actually improved the radio reception. I'll call that a win.
Two super-quick changes with instant positive results.
I enjoyed the euphoria while it lasted, because I knew there was fun and games ahead with trying to fish the hood motor out of it's own little mini-jacuzzi of rusty water and relocating it in the dry (hopefully) sanctuary of the boot.
And as with any 18 year-old car with 159000 miles up it, you also anticipate a few other things becoming apparent as you get to know it.
So, let's get the number one and top priority job sorted out - fit a new ZHP gearknob.
It looks and feels great (ignoring the M logo, which you can't get it without) and falls to hand in just the right place.
At £70-odd, it wasn't cheap but the difference it makes is worth every penny.
I also fitted a cheap stubby aerial; mandatory as a new owner, apparently. I think the aerial is a Fiat or Renault part but costs £9 off eBay, looks much neater that the original whip thing and actually improved the radio reception. I'll call that a win.
Two super-quick changes with instant positive results.
I enjoyed the euphoria while it lasted, because I knew there was fun and games ahead with trying to fish the hood motor out of it's own little mini-jacuzzi of rusty water and relocating it in the dry (hopefully) sanctuary of the boot.
spreadsheet monkey said:
Mr Tidy said:
0a said:
That straight 6 / manual combination is lovely. The lack of speed is in many ways an asset. Fast enough, but not so much that you can't cane it most of the time.
You bought the wrong Z4! I may be speaking out of turn, but it sounds like SLK55 was bought to fulfil a different brief to the Z4
'Spank' the SLK, and you rapidly run out of road and talent. This Z4 can really be driven.
I think the 3.0 engine is probably a good upgrade, but the last thing I felt the Z4 needed was vastly more power and an even harder suspension set up. I drove a mate's Z4M coupe and it was no E46 M3, in my opinion.
Roaring success with the first few superficial tweaks meant it was time to tackle the non-operational electric hood. It shouldn’t really have been a priority, living in the West of Scotland and heading into November, but I figured if there was water collecting in the car where it shouldn’t, you always wonder what else it might affect or damage.
The Z4 Forum online is a veritable goldmine of useful tips and info, so I had already read plenty about owners’ experiences of hood motor relocation. There are also a number of relevant YouTube clips out there and I felt that it would be something I could tackle.
The problem with the hood motor on Z4 roadsters is well documented, but for those that don’t know; the motor was designed to sit down in a bodywork void, kind of in between the back outer edge of the passenger seat and the front of the NSR wheel. At the bottom of this void space is a drain plug which gets blocked with leaves/twigs/gunge, causing the water level to rise. Before you know it, the motor (although enclosed in its own plastic container, sadly not waterproof) is sitting in several inches of water and stops working.
0a reported that the hood had been working perfectly until he washed the car one day and this made perfect sense.
Looking in the boot to get some feel for the task in hand led to instant deflation. First, you can't see a ruddy thing. Secondly, how on earth were we going to squeeze an old, overweight bloke into this tiny space?
Let the fun commence...
The Z4 Forum online is a veritable goldmine of useful tips and info, so I had already read plenty about owners’ experiences of hood motor relocation. There are also a number of relevant YouTube clips out there and I felt that it would be something I could tackle.
The problem with the hood motor on Z4 roadsters is well documented, but for those that don’t know; the motor was designed to sit down in a bodywork void, kind of in between the back outer edge of the passenger seat and the front of the NSR wheel. At the bottom of this void space is a drain plug which gets blocked with leaves/twigs/gunge, causing the water level to rise. Before you know it, the motor (although enclosed in its own plastic container, sadly not waterproof) is sitting in several inches of water and stops working.
0a reported that the hood had been working perfectly until he washed the car one day and this made perfect sense.
Looking in the boot to get some feel for the task in hand led to instant deflation. First, you can't see a ruddy thing. Secondly, how on earth were we going to squeeze an old, overweight bloke into this tiny space?
Let the fun commence...
Paperwork with the Z showed that a few years back, someone had paid for this job to be done (including a brand new motor) for something like £800 inc VAT (ouch!). This could well have included lifting the hood assembly (frame/fabric) completely out of the car but the job is doable without going to such lengths, particularly if you've got arms like Mr Tickle.
Hindsight is great, but paying an arm/leg to get your electric hood working again, only to have the new parts exposed to the same danger as before (ie - blocked drain, closely followed by waterlogged electric motor) seems a little odd.
Relocating the motor/hydraulic pump assembly to the inside of the boot, away from where water can collect, is the sensible and obvious choice. There are a number of specialists dotted around the country who can do this job quickly and with their eyes shut by now and the closest to me was a guy near Durham who only charges £80 apparently, which sounded bargainous.
But it would still be a whole day off work to do a return trip. Factor in the cost of lost earnings, fuel, lunch etc and it suddenly didn’t look quite so cheap. Plus, I’d taken the car on in the first place with the intention of doing as much myself as possible. That was that, then – I was going to give it a shot.
One positive – the motor had the good grace to stop working with the hood in the ‘up’ position, so even if I made a hash of it all (likely), or couldn’t complete the job in one instalment (dead-cert territory), it meant that the car was still watertight and driveable.
Another source of hope was that the motor wouldn’t necessarily be dead, but just need a good drying on the Aga after a rinse-out with WD40 (which cures absolutely everything, as any fule kno).
Hindsight is great, but paying an arm/leg to get your electric hood working again, only to have the new parts exposed to the same danger as before (ie - blocked drain, closely followed by waterlogged electric motor) seems a little odd.
Relocating the motor/hydraulic pump assembly to the inside of the boot, away from where water can collect, is the sensible and obvious choice. There are a number of specialists dotted around the country who can do this job quickly and with their eyes shut by now and the closest to me was a guy near Durham who only charges £80 apparently, which sounded bargainous.
But it would still be a whole day off work to do a return trip. Factor in the cost of lost earnings, fuel, lunch etc and it suddenly didn’t look quite so cheap. Plus, I’d taken the car on in the first place with the intention of doing as much myself as possible. That was that, then – I was going to give it a shot.
One positive – the motor had the good grace to stop working with the hood in the ‘up’ position, so even if I made a hash of it all (likely), or couldn’t complete the job in one instalment (dead-cert territory), it meant that the car was still watertight and driveable.
Another source of hope was that the motor wouldn’t necessarily be dead, but just need a good drying on the Aga after a rinse-out with WD40 (which cures absolutely everything, as any fule kno).
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