Z4M - Bluetooth

Z4M - Bluetooth

Author
Discussion

poordecisions

Original Poster:

198 posts

100 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
Tomorrow I am having a day off work, which will hopefully result in me driving a Z4M home and leaving my old faithful MX5 to a new owner.

I have specifically been looking for a Z4M without the Sat Nav screen (I have one in my 2004 Range Rover which is horrid to look at, but is unavoidable as you can't use the radio without it!)..

Question - If it doesn't have Sat Nav, does it still have bluetooth to listen to your phone?

Also, what specifically should I be looking for? I'm looking to spend £14k or so on one that has done less than 70k miles.

I have a weird nervy feeling as I am taking out a loan for it at £250 per month (I could afford outright, but my savings are in my ISA and are staying there hopefully beating the loan APR in the process) for 5 years. I've just come out of a lease at £420 per month, so that shouldn't be a problem.. but that had a warranty!

I'm useful on the spanners, but I'm not sure this is a car to DIY spanner on..

IIIRestorerIII

841 posts

227 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
It is possible to have bluetooth phone without a sat-nav screen as that was how my E46 M3 had been spec'd.

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
It can work, but the Z4M Bluetooth option (it's not standard) won't let you use the phone as a music source. It's just for calls.

If you are handy with spanners I can't think it's too bad to work on. Plenty of space in the engine bay.

None of the extras were that essential IIRC. Maybe cruise if you drive on motorways a lot. PDC was the other one but you practically sit in the boot as it is wink


Getting the interior out to fit a CD changer is a bh though wink


Edited by essayer on Tuesday 23 May 17:39

poordecisions

Original Poster:

198 posts

100 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
essayer said:
It can work, but the Z4M Bluetooth won't let you use the phone as a music source. It's just for calls.

If you are handy with spanners I can't think it's too bad to work on. Plenty of space in the engine bay!

Getting the interior out to fit a CD changer is a bh though wink
It wasn't necessarily an issue with the ease of work, but the prices seem to have bottomed out on these and people tend to place a lot of value on the stamp in the service book. I have in the past kept receipts for the DIY services that I've done, but that's only on £5k cars.

Shame about the music source - Is there an option for a retrofit or should I keep my trusty earphones?

Will

ocrx8

867 posts

195 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
Intravee for iPod/iPhone connection, or 2007+ models had aux-in from factory.

CrouchingWayne

682 posts

175 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
I've got a Z4MR which I fitted a GROM Bluetooth adapter to. I can take calls and stream music through the OEM stereo fine.

I have the DSP sound system - if you have this option it requires an additional adapter.

MOTK

308 posts

133 months

Tuesday 23rd May 2017
quotequote all
poordecisions said:
Tomorrow I am having a day off work, which will hopefully result in me driving a Z4M home and leaving my old faithful MX5 to a new owner.

I have specifically been looking for a Z4M without the Sat Nav screen (I have one in my 2004 Range Rover which is horrid to look at, but is unavoidable as you can't use the radio without it!)..

Question - If it doesn't have Sat Nav, does it still have bluetooth to listen to your phone?

Also, what specifically should I be looking for? I'm looking to spend £14k or so on one that has done less than 70k miles.

I have a weird nervy feeling as I am taking out a loan for it at £250 per month (I could afford outright, but my savings are in my ISA and are staying there hopefully beating the loan APR in the process) for 5 years. I've just come out of a lease at £420 per month, so that shouldn't be a problem.. but that had a warranty!

I'm useful on the spanners, but I'm not sure this is a car to DIY spanner on..
I looked for a car without the sat nav like you, unfortunately I didn't consider the bluetooth, which I should have as it's a pain in the ass to retrofit requiring additional loom. Most cars were specced with BT though and that doesn't require the sat nav and can only be used for voice calls, no music.
I think the general wisdom is to use some kind of parrot thing these days?
There are two 10 speaker options, the highest spec being the 'carver' dsp, and then there's the standard 6 speaker option. I have the standard 10 system and it's fine I guess (I can hear radio 4smile). TBH I never really use the stereo or the phone when I'm driving that car, most of the options are pretty irrelevant really depending though on how you use it. For me, if I was doing it again I would look for extended leather, heated seats (if you want the roadster) and maybe pdc, otherwise that's it really.

ETA: If you're handy with spanners it's no big deal to work on this car or the engine. It's all m3 e46/36 engine/chassis stuff so there's a load of info out there on them.
Personally if I was buying one I would drop the oil immediately (and inspect) and get the cam cover off to do the valve clearances (and inspect the cams/followers). Depending on history I'd be inclined to the diff and gearbox oil, so yeah basically an inspection II.

Edited by MOTK on Tuesday 23 May 23:17

Billy_Whizzzz

1,989 posts

142 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
My Z4M is a non sat nav but does have Bluetooth and I retrofitted an aux in - really easy to do

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
To be honest you're better off pulling over for a phone call - they're not a quiet car and I can't say I think BT is a good option for them.

mmm-five

11,227 posts

283 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
I've tried the built-in bluetooth, a Parrot kit and a Jabra kit, and none of my conversations have been what you'd call 'clear'.

Don't bother even pairing the phone any more and will just call them back when I get home.

If I'm expecting a call during the journey (i.e. conference call for work) then I'll use a wired earpiece/microphine instead.

tonymor

1,476 posts

171 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
Can't comment re Bluetooth but I'd be inclined to research the options on a warranty as I've always understood that these are complex engines and expensive if go wrong.

AW10

4,422 posts

248 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
I think the OP will struggle to get a warranty worth the money unless it's the BMW/Mondial warranty which won't be cheap on a car as old as the Z4M and will require the car to have a full main dealer service history with *no* gaps. Better to get the engine checked over for known faults by a knowledgeable indie and perhaps do some preventative maintenance and/or put the warranty money aside in a rainy day fund.

poordecisions

Original Poster:

198 posts

100 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
I might have just bought a Z4M....

Full service history, 68k miles, just been detailed, 19" CSL alloys (probably going to change to 18") and an aftermarket exhaust with the original in the boot (again, probably going to change).

Living up to my username? We shall see..... Though it does have a "parrot" installed, so the above was largely irrelevant, though interesting!

PS. How did you fix an aux easily? I shall be doing that as the radio does my head in...

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
poordecisions said:
I might have just bought a Z4M....

Full service history, 68k miles, just been detailed, 19" CSL alloys (probably going to change to 18") and an aftermarket exhaust with the original in the boot (again, probably going to change).

Living up to my username? We shall see..... Though it does have a "parrot" installed, so the above was largely irrelevant, though interesting!

PS. How did you fix an aux easily? I shall be doing that as the radio does my head in...
If original and in good nick I's def be interested in the rims. Also who is the exhaust by?

MOTK

308 posts

133 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
poordecisions said:
PS. How did you fix an aux easily? I shall be doing that as the radio does my head in...
Look underneath the dash below the right hand ventilation knob. You may mind you have it installed already.
https://goo.gl/images/vixZy2
If not it's a case of buying the lead and plugging it into the back of the stereo and a little dremelling.

poordecisions

Original Poster:

198 posts

100 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
Olf said:
If original and in good nick I's def be interested in the rims. Also who is the exhaust by?
Hi,

It turns out I'm talking complete bks - They are a strange CSL Style alloy, though with a twist - probably not worth coveting.

ratty6464

628 posts

209 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
quotequote all
poordecisions said:
I might have just bought a Z4M....

Full service history, 68k miles, just been detailed, 19" CSL alloys (probably going to change to 18") and an aftermarket exhaust with the original in the boot (again, probably going to change).

Living up to my username? We shall see..... Though it does have a "parrot" installed, so the above was largely irrelevant, though interesting!

PS. How did you fix an aux easily? I shall be doing that as the radio does my head in...
Did you buy it in the end? Was it a roadster or coupe?

I'm considering selling mine which has nearly 2 yr approved BMW warranty and just had an inspection 2.

ian in lancs

3,769 posts

197 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
quotequote all
It can work, but the Z4M Bluetooth option (it's not standard) won't let you use the phone as a music source. It's just for calls. - yep

What you can do is 3.5mm headphone to aux-in socket (it was a BMW accessory at the time) and do it that way.

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
quotequote all
ian in lancs said:
It can work, but the Z4M Bluetooth option (it's not standard) won't let you use the phone as a music source. It's just for calls. - yep

What you can do is 3.5mm headphone to aux-in socket (it was a BMW accessory at the time) and do it that way.
This actually does work strangely enough - just find a good iPhone mount thats close enough to you and use the aux connection for the speakers and the iPhone uses it's mic for your voice.

ian in lancs

3,769 posts

197 months

Saturday 27th May 2017
quotequote all
Olf said:
ian in lancs said:
It can work, but the Z4M Bluetooth option (it's not standard) won't let you use the phone as a music source. It's just for calls. - yep

What you can do is 3.5mm headphone to aux-in socket (it was a BMW accessory at the time) and do it that way.
This actually does work strangely enough - just find a good iPhone mount thats close enough to you and use the aux connection for the speakers and the iPhone uses it's mic for your voice.
Yesterday I had the iphone playing via headphone socket and making calls via BT - all worked well enough