Discussion
Good morning,
New to the BMW section but it looks like there are some knowledgable people on here...
The time has come to swap my 306 Rallye for something a bit more special and the more thought I give it, the more the M roadster makes sense. They appear to represent good value for money in my eyes and since I never use the back seats in my car and rarely use the boot, I figure it may be time to get a 2 seater out of my system. Ideally I would prefer the M Coupe but I can't comfortably stretch to those prices. I have also been very pleasantly suprised with low insurance quotes for the Roadster so it looks like I'm set. I will be looking at s50 models with 60-80k on the clock, using it as my daily driver covering 12-15k pa
I've spent the past couple of days searching forums (on hear, z3m coupe forum etc)for what to look for but thought I would just ask a couple of specific questions but any input from owners is welcome!!
Vanos (yes I know, but I had to ask) Still a little unsure of what this actually is/does/what happens when it goes wrong. From what I can gather most of these will have been replaced so it's something I will be looking for RE service history. It also appears that even once replaced they can fail again. If the Vanos is noisy should I walk away? If they have failed in the past can this result in causing other damage to the engine which may result in further problems? Also are there any cars out there that are still on the original unit? I gather that regular servicing and engine warm up is crucial here (something I am used to doing with my Rallye anyway)
Boot floor welds. Do they actually rip the boot floor off?? Were there any recalls for this issue to stregthen it. Guessing with the age of vehicle this may be more of a problem as time progresses.
Sloppy gear change. Again should I walk away or is it an easy fix?
All cars have there problems, but as long as i'm aware of what to look for I wont let it put me off. I know the internet has probably hyped the vanos issue out of proportion for example but i want to avoid getting stung. I researched Rallyes for about a month before i bought one so i knew exactly what to look for which has resulted in 18 months and 20,000 miles of trouble free motoring. Hoping to do the same with an M car now
Thanks for any help!!
Cheers
New to the BMW section but it looks like there are some knowledgable people on here...
The time has come to swap my 306 Rallye for something a bit more special and the more thought I give it, the more the M roadster makes sense. They appear to represent good value for money in my eyes and since I never use the back seats in my car and rarely use the boot, I figure it may be time to get a 2 seater out of my system. Ideally I would prefer the M Coupe but I can't comfortably stretch to those prices. I have also been very pleasantly suprised with low insurance quotes for the Roadster so it looks like I'm set. I will be looking at s50 models with 60-80k on the clock, using it as my daily driver covering 12-15k pa
I've spent the past couple of days searching forums (on hear, z3m coupe forum etc)for what to look for but thought I would just ask a couple of specific questions but any input from owners is welcome!!
Vanos (yes I know, but I had to ask) Still a little unsure of what this actually is/does/what happens when it goes wrong. From what I can gather most of these will have been replaced so it's something I will be looking for RE service history. It also appears that even once replaced they can fail again. If the Vanos is noisy should I walk away? If they have failed in the past can this result in causing other damage to the engine which may result in further problems? Also are there any cars out there that are still on the original unit? I gather that regular servicing and engine warm up is crucial here (something I am used to doing with my Rallye anyway)
Boot floor welds. Do they actually rip the boot floor off?? Were there any recalls for this issue to stregthen it. Guessing with the age of vehicle this may be more of a problem as time progresses.
Sloppy gear change. Again should I walk away or is it an easy fix?
All cars have there problems, but as long as i'm aware of what to look for I wont let it put me off. I know the internet has probably hyped the vanos issue out of proportion for example but i want to avoid getting stung. I researched Rallyes for about a month before i bought one so i knew exactly what to look for which has resulted in 18 months and 20,000 miles of trouble free motoring. Hoping to do the same with an M car now
Thanks for any help!!
Cheers
TBH just look at the car carefully to see if it's been looked after. Vanos is over reported IMHO and so long as the car has been regularly serviced and warmed up before revving it hard you will be unlucky to have any issues. Worth having a read up on Dr Vanos web site as doom good info there.
A mate just got the 2.8 version and it's great fun although the driving experience is a little different. Don't be fooled into thinking they are proper sports cars, just competent when driven well as they are a little long in the tooth now with no driver aids to control the 300+ hp.
A mate just got the 2.8 version and it's great fun although the driving experience is a little different. Don't be fooled into thinking they are proper sports cars, just competent when driven well as they are a little long in the tooth now with no driver aids to control the 300+ hp.
Thanks for that!! RE it being no modern sports car, that's no problem, I'l take it on its merrits. I drive modern stuff everyday as I'm a car salesman and to be honest I prfer driving my own car to 99% of the new stuff we have on the forecourt even with 102,000 miles on the clock. My taste in cars just leads me to finding things that are interesting and put a smile on your face, and unfortunatly I can't afford the modern equivelent like a Z4 M but I do seem to prefer older stuff. Wierd as I'm only 22. I'm sounding old before my time.
Thanks everyone. Going to look at this tomorow:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2773136.htm
Usually I spend months looking/researching but having spoken to the seller tonight this may be th biggest whim I've ever had.
Going straight after work tomorow and I've agreed that if I like it I will put a deposit on it. Will be nearly dark by the time I get there but I bought my last car in pitch black with snow on it so has to be better then that.
Asked him about Vanos, all he said was that he had never had any issues, always warms car up before going over 3k rpm. He didnt know if it had ever been replaced though. If it is still on the original unit should I be put off??
It's his weekend toy and has only covered 1,000 miles in the last 18 months... Again, could this cause any problems?
I've just written up my ad for my Rallye so wheels are well and truley in motion
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2773136.htm
Usually I spend months looking/researching but having spoken to the seller tonight this may be th biggest whim I've ever had.
Going straight after work tomorow and I've agreed that if I like it I will put a deposit on it. Will be nearly dark by the time I get there but I bought my last car in pitch black with snow on it so has to be better then that.
Asked him about Vanos, all he said was that he had never had any issues, always warms car up before going over 3k rpm. He didnt know if it had ever been replaced though. If it is still on the original unit should I be put off??
It's his weekend toy and has only covered 1,000 miles in the last 18 months... Again, could this cause any problems?
I've just written up my ad for my Rallye so wheels are well and truley in motion
Well, I put a deposit on it! 
Pick it up on a week or two after it's been MOT'd. Very happy with the condition, only thing I could fault was the boot lid was ever such a slightly different shade so has been painted at some point but not enough to put me off what so ever.
Very excited! I'm keeping hold of my Peugeot for winter use so i can use the M as a summer car.
All the history checked out, and I took a friend who works at a BMW dealership to check the car, he also checked all the service records through BMW.
The only slight niggle in the back of my mind was a slightly noisy engine at 1,500 rpm. It idles perfectly but when I rose the revs slowly it seemed a bit off. It was fine when driving, just seemed an odd spot in the rev range... Anything to worry about? Maybe I'm being over the top, my mate said don't worry about it and it wasn't anything loud enough to be concerned by, just being picky.
Any way I think the only thing I may change is the induction set up. Are there any good mods for this to improve pick up but more importantly give the car more of a bark? I would look down the exhaust route but costs put me of and the pipes on it look brand new so wouldnt want to ditch them really
Pick it up on a week or two after it's been MOT'd. Very happy with the condition, only thing I could fault was the boot lid was ever such a slightly different shade so has been painted at some point but not enough to put me off what so ever.Very excited! I'm keeping hold of my Peugeot for winter use so i can use the M as a summer car.
All the history checked out, and I took a friend who works at a BMW dealership to check the car, he also checked all the service records through BMW.
The only slight niggle in the back of my mind was a slightly noisy engine at 1,500 rpm. It idles perfectly but when I rose the revs slowly it seemed a bit off. It was fine when driving, just seemed an odd spot in the rev range... Anything to worry about? Maybe I'm being over the top, my mate said don't worry about it and it wasn't anything loud enough to be concerned by, just being picky.
Any way I think the only thing I may change is the induction set up. Are there any good mods for this to improve pick up but more importantly give the car more of a bark? I would look down the exhaust route but costs put me of and the pipes on it look brand new so wouldnt want to ditch them really
Adam BA said:
The only slight niggle in the back of my mind was a slightly noisy engine at 1,500 rpm. It idles perfectly but when I rose the revs slowly it seemed a bit off. It was fine when driving, just seemed an odd spot in the rev range... Anything to worry about? Maybe I'm being over the top, my mate said don't worry about it and it wasn't anything loud enough to be concerned by, just being picky.
If it sounded like a load of marbles rattling in a tin can, thats the Vanos.Sir_Dave said:
If it sounded like a load of marbles rattling in a tin can, thats the Vanos.
Nah, just me being picky then, that's what I was worried about but don't think it was that dramatic. I'm sure I'l end up tacking it to BM to get it checked over anyway, and if i cant get mates rates there is an indy BMW specialist not too far awayWelcome to the Z3m club ;-)
Get yourself over to Zroadster.net for inspiration re modding (induction etc....).
Vanos is over rated problem and is a £600 fix nowadays thanks to exchange units if needed. These are highly tuned engines so can feel a little rough when cold. The easy check for the Vanos rumble is to rev to 2.5k and let it back to idle, if you get the marble sound, its the VANOS. The vanos itself does not cause any damage its just annoying. The real culprit is when there is severe oil loss (as the vanos runs at such high pressure) so make sure your make checks it had the VANOS bolts replaced (it was a warranty recall item).
Lots of these cars run on original VANOS, most were changed under warranty because of the noise and not through any damage to the engine.
Oh and to the guy who said the Z3m is not a proper sportcar, what a load of crap. I drive a new GTR as a daily and regularly drive an F430, guess which I enjoy the most, proper old school driving and the biggest grin per £ you can buy, try one you might be surprised! (ps do't tell anyone the secret though).
Get yourself over to Zroadster.net for inspiration re modding (induction etc....).
Vanos is over rated problem and is a £600 fix nowadays thanks to exchange units if needed. These are highly tuned engines so can feel a little rough when cold. The easy check for the Vanos rumble is to rev to 2.5k and let it back to idle, if you get the marble sound, its the VANOS. The vanos itself does not cause any damage its just annoying. The real culprit is when there is severe oil loss (as the vanos runs at such high pressure) so make sure your make checks it had the VANOS bolts replaced (it was a warranty recall item).
Lots of these cars run on original VANOS, most were changed under warranty because of the noise and not through any damage to the engine.
Oh and to the guy who said the Z3m is not a proper sportcar, what a load of crap. I drive a new GTR as a daily and regularly drive an F430, guess which I enjoy the most, proper old school driving and the biggest grin per £ you can buy, try one you might be surprised! (ps do't tell anyone the secret though).
jonttt said:
Welcome to the Z3m club ;-)
Get yourself over to Zroadster.net for inspiration re modding (induction etc....).
Vanos is over rated problem and is a £600 fix nowadays thanks to exchange units if needed. These are highly tuned engines so can feel a little rough when cold. The easy check for the Vanos rumble is to rev to 2.5k and let it back to idle, if you get the marble sound, its the VANOS. The vanos itself does not cause any damage its just annoying. The real culprit is when there is severe oil loss (as the vanos runs at such high pressure) so make sure your make checks it had the VANOS bolts replaced (it was a warranty recall item).
Lots of these cars run on original VANOS, most were changed under warranty because of the noise and not through any damage to the engine.
Oh and to the guy who said the Z3m is not a proper sportcar, what a load of crap. I drive a new GTR as a daily and regularly drive an F430, guess which I enjoy the most, proper old school driving and the biggest grin per £ you can buy, try one you might be surprised! (ps do't tell anyone the secret though).
Great info! thanks. I'l check when I go to pick it up just to be sure but at £600, even if it does go, not the end of the world Get yourself over to Zroadster.net for inspiration re modding (induction etc....).
Vanos is over rated problem and is a £600 fix nowadays thanks to exchange units if needed. These are highly tuned engines so can feel a little rough when cold. The easy check for the Vanos rumble is to rev to 2.5k and let it back to idle, if you get the marble sound, its the VANOS. The vanos itself does not cause any damage its just annoying. The real culprit is when there is severe oil loss (as the vanos runs at such high pressure) so make sure your make checks it had the VANOS bolts replaced (it was a warranty recall item).
Lots of these cars run on original VANOS, most were changed under warranty because of the noise and not through any damage to the engine.
Oh and to the guy who said the Z3m is not a proper sportcar, what a load of crap. I drive a new GTR as a daily and regularly drive an F430, guess which I enjoy the most, proper old school driving and the biggest grin per £ you can buy, try one you might be surprised! (ps do't tell anyone the secret though).
Not that much more than the cambelt on my 306 and that was a similar weakness so good news to my ears.I really can't wait to pick it up. I've even decided to sell my Yamaha R6 to fund it. The seller sent me a message today to confirm it has just pased it's MOT with no advisories so looks a good'n
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