Discussion
I didn’t know anything about Z4’s until a few months ago, but have to say, im very pleased with my new purchase.
Why a Z4?
For work I lug about a lot of equipment - so day to day, I have an estate car. In recent years I’ve been trying to find the do-it-all car. I tried a Legacy 2.0 twinscroll - great estate car, but did not like the massive turbo lag which made it awkward to drive around town. I now have a Saab 95 2.0t - similar story, not really a fan of turbo power delivery, although it’s a little less laggy than the legacy. However the saab scrabbles for grip at the front end. FWD and lots of power are really a bad idea.
So i've realised that having one car that does everything, is a bit like a swiss army knife - it’ll do everyting ok, but not do one thing really well. I'd be better off with a dedicated van for work, and something else for the weekends.
Last year, I bought a little old mk1 MX5 as a project - I ended up loving open top, back to basics driving. But I found myself wanting a few creature comforts - the mx5 is not really built for long road trips.
Looking back at my car history, the only car I've really loved owning, was my e46 325ti - loved the big smooth straight 6, it was built well, reliable, and fun to drive. The Z4 seemed to combine that, with the open top run of the mx5. Plus - the Z4’s are usually well specced - heated seats, parking sensors, memory seats, dim-dip rear mirror etc
Alternatives? I did have a think at what else might also do the job;
S2000 - Appeal a lot to me, but prices are very strong on these, they’ve started gaining value. Also, im a lazy driver, and I like a torquey engine, which these do not have. The Z4's seem nicer inside.
Boxster - Lovely machines, naturally will handle better than a zed. But i’m not a big fan of the looks, and they’re slightly more to insure and run than a Z4.
Leftfield choice - A TVR Chimaera? - always wanted one when I was younger. But, at my budget, id be looking a scrappy ones, and I don't want to spend all my weekends tinkering.
Research
So all signs pointed to the BMW. Research showed the mk1 Z4, had a mid life facelift which brought in new engines. The older Z4s, had the same engine series engine as my 325ti - the M54. Great engine. the 2.5 getting 190 or so bhp, and the 3.0 getting 230 bhp. The facelift changed engines- there was a cooking spec 2.5 - down in power to 170 I think. then there was a 2.5si and a 3.0si - both with the N52 engine. The 2.5si getting 220 bhp, and the 3.0si getting a large 265bhp. The Si’s, also get remarkable economy for the power, they also got a multifunction steering wheel, and generally were better specced - dim dip mirror, parking sensors, heated seats.
So the take home for me was;
- Older 2.5, if cheap, is a bargain.
- Older 3.0 is kinda not worth it. 2.5si is almost the same power, but way better economy. So if found at a similar price, the 2.5si is probably a better bet.
- The 3.0si seems to be the cream of the crop.
So why not go all in, and get a Z4m? I very nearly talked myself into the M version - its got more power, an LSD, and proper hydraulic power steering. And in theory, more likely to be a collectors item in the future. But;
- The M is almost double the cost of the 3.0si. But it's not double the car.
- Although a phenomenal engine, its an older design and gets awful mpg
- An M is in the higher tax bracket. Over a few years, that’ll add up
- Easier to pick up a low mileage Si, than a low mileage M
- The battery takes up more boot space in the M. (in the Si, its in the boot floor, but in the M its in the boot itself, due to the double exhaust taking up space). Since i plan to go away a lot, and the boot is small enough already, this is kind of important.
- Racking up miles on an M, would just feel a bit wrong
- At the same price as a Z4M, a Boxster S is a very strong, possibly better, alternative.
So overall, as much as id love the M version, the 3.0si seems like the thinking mans alternative - cheaper to run and easier to drive every day. If it was an occasional car, M all the way. But I will drive this car more than my work van, to be honest, so 3.0si was the way to go.
The Purchase
The first 3.0si I saw was lovely. It had the spec i wanted, black, with the red interior. 2 owners, and a stack of recipts. It seemed perfect..... but it had 3 bald tyres, and an mot just weeks away. It also had the no staggered alloys - which meant narrower rear tyres than the staggered setup, which would make it a little understeery. MOT history was riddled with advisories every year, including a leaky gearbox. Despie the car being lovely to drive, I walked.
As if by magic, early the next morning, I found an almost identical spec one had just been put up on auto trader. Much lower mileage (only 54,000 miles), decent tyres mentioned in the ad, very long mot, style 108 alloys which are staggered, and I think really suit the car.
I had a long trip to Bath from London (why on earth are train tickets so much??) - The owner was a great guy, picked me up from the station, and we talked a lot about cars. The Z4 turned out to be perfect - great condition, perfectly as described. It did lack a lot of paperwork - had a service book, but no stack of receipts. I’ll do a little ringing around the garages that have serviced the car to build up a better picture of whats been done. According to the book, it's had the inspection II service, but id like to check. However, mot history was super clean and tidy, as was the car itself, so a deal was stuck.
Whats Great
- The engine. The N52 is a masterpiece of engineering. Buckets of torque low down, but somehow plenty of power up high in the rev range too. Silky smooth, it's a joy to drive. Fun and engaging, but also easy to cruise with on the motorway. From what i’ve read, the N52 is reasonably reliable too.
- Remote roof and window control. Holding down the unlock button, puts both windows and roof down. Kind of a showy off trick - but in the summer if the cars got hot when parked with the roof up, it actually could be quite useful.
- Doesn’t feel like a convertible with the roof up. The roof is quite thick and padded, and on the motorway I forgot i was in a convertible. In my MX5 it felt like you were driving a tent.
- The sound is fantastic. I’ve never been a fan of the metallic, raspy noise of the s54 of the m3, but the N52 is surprisingly deep and bass sounding.
- The mpg. For the amount of power on tap, it's a remarkable balance. I somehow got 40mpg on the motorway home.
- The cabin. Its a great place to be. Looks smart, it's uncomplicated with everything where you need it to be.
- Feels a bit special. Roof down, almost sitting on the cars rear axle, the fruity exhaust note, seeing the haunches of the cars shape in the wing mirrors. It does feel a bit more special than driving a saloon beemer.
- The stereo. Surprisingly good. Balanced, loud, great tone, no 'wooly' frequencies - unexpected from a factory system. Perhaps its also to do with how small the cabin is?
Whats not so great
- The storage. I wasn’t expecting a huge amount, is it a 2 seater roaster after all. But recently I looked around a friends Boxster S. The boxsters are packaged so cleverly - engine tucked away in the middle, you get both a rear and front boot. The Z4, is reality wastes a lot of space with the big long nose, and the boot is tiny, and awkwardly shaped.
- Harsh ride. From what i’ve read, this is down to the run flat tyres. It’s not really that bad, but I will go for regular tyres when I wear these ones out.
- The black wheels. I much prefer a car to look standard, so i’ll be getting these refurbed back to standard silver.
- Electronic power steering. It’s not as bad as the reviews say. You can still feel the road through the wheel, but it is a little light. No problem on B roads or around town, but on the motorway you notice its lightness. It’s one of those things i’ve already started to adapt to.
- No LSD. Not that I should be drifting out of junctions, and to be honest, in a road car really not that necessary. But it would have been nice if it had one.
- No cruise control. It was an optional extra. I thought the multi function steering wheel meant cruise control, as it did with the e46’s. Sadly I was mistaken. However it can be retro fitted. With the older Z4s, you just add the stalk, as the wiring is there already. With mine, you add the stalk and have to do a little wiring.
- Small fuel tank. I only managed to squeeze 46 litres in filling up from almost empty.
The to do list
Overall, I want to keep this car in great condition. Im not going to fit coilovers and go mad on track days. I'll hopefully keep this for 3-4 years and clock up a fair amount of miles, but i really want to keep it in good nick while doing so.
The brake callipers and ball part of the discs, have gone an awful manky rust colour. You can quite clearly see them though the 108 style alloys, and it’s not pretty. i’ll clean these up, and paint them a standard original silver colour. - no showy red or yellow callipers for me - I’m keeping things fairly standard.
Get the wheels restored to their original silver colour. While the black car and black wheels look, has a certain bat mobile quality to it, I’d rather it looks original.
Retrofit cruise control. There seems to be a little wiring involved in this, so Im going to research it carefully. I want to do it properly, with a BMW loom, and not a bodge job using scotch-locks.
iPhone integration / Bluetooth. Ive found a nice bluetooth kit that plugs into the CD multichanger loom, and adds bluetooth audio for music - and allows you to skip tracks using the steering wheel controls. Nice way to modern up the car, while keeping it looking original. Ive got a simple magnet holder for my phone, discreetly on the dash too - nice and simple.
Stubby Ariel. A lot of Z4 owners replace the standard long ariel, with a shorter stubby one. Its not a major thing to me, but I might do it.
ZHP shift knob. Apparently it's weighted a bit heavier, and improves gear change feel.
Prevantative maintenance. I'm going to look into any weak areas of the engine (i think water pump might be one), and replace a few bits as a preventative measure.
So there we go - nicest car I’ve ever owned. Feels like a bargain, and I cant wait for summer to properly kick in. I’ll post up some better photos when I’m somewhere scenic, and i'll be updating my post as and when I do anything with the car.
Why a Z4?
For work I lug about a lot of equipment - so day to day, I have an estate car. In recent years I’ve been trying to find the do-it-all car. I tried a Legacy 2.0 twinscroll - great estate car, but did not like the massive turbo lag which made it awkward to drive around town. I now have a Saab 95 2.0t - similar story, not really a fan of turbo power delivery, although it’s a little less laggy than the legacy. However the saab scrabbles for grip at the front end. FWD and lots of power are really a bad idea.
So i've realised that having one car that does everything, is a bit like a swiss army knife - it’ll do everyting ok, but not do one thing really well. I'd be better off with a dedicated van for work, and something else for the weekends.
Last year, I bought a little old mk1 MX5 as a project - I ended up loving open top, back to basics driving. But I found myself wanting a few creature comforts - the mx5 is not really built for long road trips.
Looking back at my car history, the only car I've really loved owning, was my e46 325ti - loved the big smooth straight 6, it was built well, reliable, and fun to drive. The Z4 seemed to combine that, with the open top run of the mx5. Plus - the Z4’s are usually well specced - heated seats, parking sensors, memory seats, dim-dip rear mirror etc
Alternatives? I did have a think at what else might also do the job;
S2000 - Appeal a lot to me, but prices are very strong on these, they’ve started gaining value. Also, im a lazy driver, and I like a torquey engine, which these do not have. The Z4's seem nicer inside.
Boxster - Lovely machines, naturally will handle better than a zed. But i’m not a big fan of the looks, and they’re slightly more to insure and run than a Z4.
Leftfield choice - A TVR Chimaera? - always wanted one when I was younger. But, at my budget, id be looking a scrappy ones, and I don't want to spend all my weekends tinkering.
Research
So all signs pointed to the BMW. Research showed the mk1 Z4, had a mid life facelift which brought in new engines. The older Z4s, had the same engine series engine as my 325ti - the M54. Great engine. the 2.5 getting 190 or so bhp, and the 3.0 getting 230 bhp. The facelift changed engines- there was a cooking spec 2.5 - down in power to 170 I think. then there was a 2.5si and a 3.0si - both with the N52 engine. The 2.5si getting 220 bhp, and the 3.0si getting a large 265bhp. The Si’s, also get remarkable economy for the power, they also got a multifunction steering wheel, and generally were better specced - dim dip mirror, parking sensors, heated seats.
So the take home for me was;
- Older 2.5, if cheap, is a bargain.
- Older 3.0 is kinda not worth it. 2.5si is almost the same power, but way better economy. So if found at a similar price, the 2.5si is probably a better bet.
- The 3.0si seems to be the cream of the crop.
So why not go all in, and get a Z4m? I very nearly talked myself into the M version - its got more power, an LSD, and proper hydraulic power steering. And in theory, more likely to be a collectors item in the future. But;
- The M is almost double the cost of the 3.0si. But it's not double the car.
- Although a phenomenal engine, its an older design and gets awful mpg
- An M is in the higher tax bracket. Over a few years, that’ll add up
- Easier to pick up a low mileage Si, than a low mileage M
- The battery takes up more boot space in the M. (in the Si, its in the boot floor, but in the M its in the boot itself, due to the double exhaust taking up space). Since i plan to go away a lot, and the boot is small enough already, this is kind of important.
- Racking up miles on an M, would just feel a bit wrong
- At the same price as a Z4M, a Boxster S is a very strong, possibly better, alternative.
So overall, as much as id love the M version, the 3.0si seems like the thinking mans alternative - cheaper to run and easier to drive every day. If it was an occasional car, M all the way. But I will drive this car more than my work van, to be honest, so 3.0si was the way to go.
The Purchase
The first 3.0si I saw was lovely. It had the spec i wanted, black, with the red interior. 2 owners, and a stack of recipts. It seemed perfect..... but it had 3 bald tyres, and an mot just weeks away. It also had the no staggered alloys - which meant narrower rear tyres than the staggered setup, which would make it a little understeery. MOT history was riddled with advisories every year, including a leaky gearbox. Despie the car being lovely to drive, I walked.
As if by magic, early the next morning, I found an almost identical spec one had just been put up on auto trader. Much lower mileage (only 54,000 miles), decent tyres mentioned in the ad, very long mot, style 108 alloys which are staggered, and I think really suit the car.
I had a long trip to Bath from London (why on earth are train tickets so much??) - The owner was a great guy, picked me up from the station, and we talked a lot about cars. The Z4 turned out to be perfect - great condition, perfectly as described. It did lack a lot of paperwork - had a service book, but no stack of receipts. I’ll do a little ringing around the garages that have serviced the car to build up a better picture of whats been done. According to the book, it's had the inspection II service, but id like to check. However, mot history was super clean and tidy, as was the car itself, so a deal was stuck.
Whats Great
- The engine. The N52 is a masterpiece of engineering. Buckets of torque low down, but somehow plenty of power up high in the rev range too. Silky smooth, it's a joy to drive. Fun and engaging, but also easy to cruise with on the motorway. From what i’ve read, the N52 is reasonably reliable too.
- Remote roof and window control. Holding down the unlock button, puts both windows and roof down. Kind of a showy off trick - but in the summer if the cars got hot when parked with the roof up, it actually could be quite useful.
- Doesn’t feel like a convertible with the roof up. The roof is quite thick and padded, and on the motorway I forgot i was in a convertible. In my MX5 it felt like you were driving a tent.
- The sound is fantastic. I’ve never been a fan of the metallic, raspy noise of the s54 of the m3, but the N52 is surprisingly deep and bass sounding.
- The mpg. For the amount of power on tap, it's a remarkable balance. I somehow got 40mpg on the motorway home.
- The cabin. Its a great place to be. Looks smart, it's uncomplicated with everything where you need it to be.
- Feels a bit special. Roof down, almost sitting on the cars rear axle, the fruity exhaust note, seeing the haunches of the cars shape in the wing mirrors. It does feel a bit more special than driving a saloon beemer.
- The stereo. Surprisingly good. Balanced, loud, great tone, no 'wooly' frequencies - unexpected from a factory system. Perhaps its also to do with how small the cabin is?
Whats not so great
- The storage. I wasn’t expecting a huge amount, is it a 2 seater roaster after all. But recently I looked around a friends Boxster S. The boxsters are packaged so cleverly - engine tucked away in the middle, you get both a rear and front boot. The Z4, is reality wastes a lot of space with the big long nose, and the boot is tiny, and awkwardly shaped.
- Harsh ride. From what i’ve read, this is down to the run flat tyres. It’s not really that bad, but I will go for regular tyres when I wear these ones out.
- The black wheels. I much prefer a car to look standard, so i’ll be getting these refurbed back to standard silver.
- Electronic power steering. It’s not as bad as the reviews say. You can still feel the road through the wheel, but it is a little light. No problem on B roads or around town, but on the motorway you notice its lightness. It’s one of those things i’ve already started to adapt to.
- No LSD. Not that I should be drifting out of junctions, and to be honest, in a road car really not that necessary. But it would have been nice if it had one.
- No cruise control. It was an optional extra. I thought the multi function steering wheel meant cruise control, as it did with the e46’s. Sadly I was mistaken. However it can be retro fitted. With the older Z4s, you just add the stalk, as the wiring is there already. With mine, you add the stalk and have to do a little wiring.
- Small fuel tank. I only managed to squeeze 46 litres in filling up from almost empty.
The to do list
Overall, I want to keep this car in great condition. Im not going to fit coilovers and go mad on track days. I'll hopefully keep this for 3-4 years and clock up a fair amount of miles, but i really want to keep it in good nick while doing so.
The brake callipers and ball part of the discs, have gone an awful manky rust colour. You can quite clearly see them though the 108 style alloys, and it’s not pretty. i’ll clean these up, and paint them a standard original silver colour. - no showy red or yellow callipers for me - I’m keeping things fairly standard.
Get the wheels restored to their original silver colour. While the black car and black wheels look, has a certain bat mobile quality to it, I’d rather it looks original.
Retrofit cruise control. There seems to be a little wiring involved in this, so Im going to research it carefully. I want to do it properly, with a BMW loom, and not a bodge job using scotch-locks.
iPhone integration / Bluetooth. Ive found a nice bluetooth kit that plugs into the CD multichanger loom, and adds bluetooth audio for music - and allows you to skip tracks using the steering wheel controls. Nice way to modern up the car, while keeping it looking original. Ive got a simple magnet holder for my phone, discreetly on the dash too - nice and simple.
Stubby Ariel. A lot of Z4 owners replace the standard long ariel, with a shorter stubby one. Its not a major thing to me, but I might do it.
ZHP shift knob. Apparently it's weighted a bit heavier, and improves gear change feel.
Prevantative maintenance. I'm going to look into any weak areas of the engine (i think water pump might be one), and replace a few bits as a preventative measure.
So there we go - nicest car I’ve ever owned. Feels like a bargain, and I cant wait for summer to properly kick in. I’ll post up some better photos when I’m somewhere scenic, and i'll be updating my post as and when I do anything with the car.
Edited by Fordo on Monday 28th May 10:22
SouthHamsGaz said:
Agree with you on the wheels, will look much better when changed back to silver. I recently re furbed mine and went with anthracite centres, which look even better than just silver IMO.
Splitting them can be a massive pain. If the bolts are stuck they snap really easily, and being titanium are a pig to remove and cost a fortune to replace. Think I snapped more than 10 of the little feckers.
Oh that does great with anthracite! Good info about the bolts, thanks - I'd didn't realise split rims were such a pain to paint. I might have a rummage around the net for a silver set of 108s, and then just sell on the black ones, that might be an easier approachSplitting them can be a massive pain. If the bolts are stuck they snap really easily, and being titanium are a pig to remove and cost a fortune to replace. Think I snapped more than 10 of the little feckers.
Edited by SouthHamsGaz on Saturday 26th May 16:54
SpudLink said:
Well written article. Lovely car.
I use the 3.0 si Coupe as my daily, and my MPG is pretty poor, but I love the engine.
I would be interested to know what Bluetooth kit you have. I’ve got one that plugs into the AUX port, but it sounds like yours is a neater solution.
Thanks for the kind words! - The bluetooth kit was made by connects2, model number CTABMBT009. Cheapest place I found was eBay - and its not super cheap, but I wanted a neat installation, and the ability to skip tracks through the steering wheel controlsI use the 3.0 si Coupe as my daily, and my MPG is pretty poor, but I love the engine.
I would be interested to know what Bluetooth kit you have. I’ve got one that plugs into the AUX port, but it sounds like yours is a neater solution.
It actually came in the post today, and i've just finished installing it. It was a little bit of a gamble, as I couldn't find reviews online, but im very pleased with it. The audio is super clean, and the system works very well. The only downside, is it doesnt display track names on the stereo, but thats not a deal breaker for me. in my old e46 i had a dice audio adapter that also plugged into the CD multi changer loom - it wasn't bluetooth, so you hooked phone in via iPhone cable, and that displayed track listing on the stereo, which was a nice touch. I wanted bluetooth this time round, so it would work with whatever phone I get in the future.
Installation was pretty easy.
The connect 2 came with all the correct bits, and even a little cradle that you can sit the device in. It also came with a mic that you can tuck somewhere, for voice calls. The main device also has a 5v usb port for charging - but i won't need that since i have a very neat and slim double usb charger in the cigarette lighter. So I opted to mount the whole thing out of site behind the dash under the stereo itself.
The wiring took me a little moment to figure out - theres another bit of wiring loom included, which isnt in the picture.
You disconnect the giant quad lock connector from back of the business stereo. Attach the new quad lock loom supplied with the connects2. Take the other end of this short new loom, and connect it to the BMWs loom (the quad lock you just unplugged form the stereo. Then finally, theres a little tail coming from that new bit of loom you've just put in, and you can connect up the actual connects2 unit, to that.
Its nice that everything is done with connectors - makes it all feel very proper and secure. No splicing and dicing thank you very much.
All finished. The round black thing is a very simple magnet phone mount, sits neatly in the grill there. Back of my phone has a slim stock on magnet, and my phone just sits there held on my the magic of magnets. I use my phone for nav, and its a perfect position for it. Cig lighter + charging cable can be hooked up just below, when phone needs charging.
Overall, very pleased - the car now is fully modernised!
Edited by Fordo on Sunday 27th May 08:24
Just realised ive missed a trick!
Since the connects2 unit has a usb port, and is mounted not far behind the vent where my phones sit - i should feed a short lighting cable from the unit, and poke it out the air vent. Then when my phone is there, the cable is right there, and I won't have a cable dangled across the cabin to charge it.
Oh well - a little job for another time
Since the connects2 unit has a usb port, and is mounted not far behind the vent where my phones sit - i should feed a short lighting cable from the unit, and poke it out the air vent. Then when my phone is there, the cable is right there, and I won't have a cable dangled across the cabin to charge it.
Oh well - a little job for another time
pstruck said:
Lovely Zed and a nice write up. If you’re not already a member of Z4-forum.com get yourself over there. Loads of good info and a friendly bunch. I suspect you’re already signed up though.
I see someone else commented on cleaning your roof drain. Good advice. You really don’t want your roof motor drowning and needing replacement. There are some guys on the Z4 forum that will, for a modest fee, move the motor into boot, where it will never get wet.
Thanks for the recommendation - i'll join up, as i plan to keep the car for a while.I see someone else commented on cleaning your roof drain. Good advice. You really don’t want your roof motor drowning and needing replacement. There are some guys on the Z4 forum that will, for a modest fee, move the motor into boot, where it will never get wet.
I'm quite lucky, in that where I live, I get an underground carpark - still i'll give the drains an inspection
Mr Tidy said:
I'm also planning to swap to non-runflats soon.
Looks like this might happen sooner than later; todays fun = found the rear left was flat. Annoyingly the puncture detection system didn't work, so presumably wasn't calibrated.If it can't be repaired, I'll probably replace the rear pair with non runflats, and then do then front when they wear out
Edited by Fordo on Monday 28th May 11:21
Mr Tidy said:
Nothing wrong with the 230 bhp option!
Agreed! It might actually be the smartest choice - im making a little list of preventative maintenance jobs, and im discovering all the parts for the N52 are far more costly than than the older M54. Water pump, for example £230 vs £30.The older 3 litre Z4's, might be a bit of a bargain, if you think about running costs too
Thanks for pointing out what a terrible car i've bought guys! 
Thanks to a puncture, i've switched the rears out to non-runflats today, and the ride has improved significantly. What I thought was bump steer from the rear, was just the runflats being too stiff over potholes. Runflats are the devils work!
Oh and quite randomly, glass from one of the wing mirrors fell out yesterday. Im also going to blame that on runflats
Thanks to a puncture, i've switched the rears out to non-runflats today, and the ride has improved significantly. What I thought was bump steer from the rear, was just the runflats being too stiff over potholes. Runflats are the devils work!
Oh and quite randomly, glass from one of the wing mirrors fell out yesterday. Im also going to blame that on runflats
Cruise Control Retrofit
Unfortunately most Z4s weren't specced with cruise. But I was keen to see if it could be retro fitted, as I always get a sore foot on long journeys, and cruise makes average speed camera zones easier to navigate.
Early Z4's have the cruise control loo wiring already in place - you just need to fit the cruise control stalk in place, and plug it in - no programming required. The facelift Z4s, like mine, however, don't have the loom.
BMW do sell a retrofit kit, including the wiring - however, after a bit of research, it turns out the BMW kit isnt actually that great - it involves cutting and splicing into the existing car's loom, which i didn't like the idea of. Also, it turns out BMWs own retrofit instructions aren't correct for the N52 engined models.
However, a clever chap under the name srhutch, on Z4-forum, has figured it all out, and makes up a much better loom. He's wired the loom to terminate in pins, that can be slotted into the cars loom plugs. Very neat.
So i got hold of the new loom, and a new cruise stalk from BMW.
First step, cut the lower cowling to fit in the stalk. Thankfully there's already markings on the cowling where it needs to be cut. Using a drummel, and a little sandpaper, it fit perfectly.
Then the wiring. Initially this seemed a complex, but it was actually fairly easy.
The new loom from the cruise stalk needs to connect to the cars loom in a few places. First off, behind the light control switch - picture below shows the light switch removed, and the loom plug disassembled.
All the cables going into the plug terminate in pins, that are designed to pop out. There's two particular pins / cables, that need to be removed. These are then replaced with two cables / pins, from the new cruise loom.
Then, the two cables removed from the cars loom plug, need to T back into the new loom, so they end up connected back to where they were from. The new loom is all made up with little cables for this - so you just connect up the cables you removed, from the tail cables coming off the new loom. It's all designed to just plug together.
Picture below shows one of the new cables fitted into the connector block, and the cable it replaced hooked up to the tail cable. After this picture, I added some heat wrap to keep the connection neat.
Then, there is one cable left which needs to be run to the engine bay. Routing the cable isnt too tricky - theres a cover under the AC controls that pops off, and theres another cover under the glovebox, where theres a grommet where a large amount of the cars loom goes through to the engine bay.
In the bay itself, the cable pops up in the box on the right, where the cars ECU and a nest of cables are routed. For the N52 engined Z4s, the cable has to be routed through to the black box on the left, which meant it needed to be routed alongside a loom bundle through a black rubber tube.
To get the cable through, I unplugged all the connectors int he black box, and straightened up tube to make it easier. I then used a blunt, thin, bamboo BBQ skewer - gaffer taped cable to one end, and gently pushed the skewer alongside the cars loom in the black tube, and out the other side to feed the cable through. It was a pretty tight fit, but i took my time as i didn't want to accidentally jab or stab into the loom bundle.
Once routed through to the box, the cable just need to be slotted into the correct pin of the grey loom plug.
And that was it, all done - I put everything back together and it works perfectly. Im very pleased with the installation.
Unfortunately most Z4s weren't specced with cruise. But I was keen to see if it could be retro fitted, as I always get a sore foot on long journeys, and cruise makes average speed camera zones easier to navigate.
Early Z4's have the cruise control loo wiring already in place - you just need to fit the cruise control stalk in place, and plug it in - no programming required. The facelift Z4s, like mine, however, don't have the loom.
BMW do sell a retrofit kit, including the wiring - however, after a bit of research, it turns out the BMW kit isnt actually that great - it involves cutting and splicing into the existing car's loom, which i didn't like the idea of. Also, it turns out BMWs own retrofit instructions aren't correct for the N52 engined models.
However, a clever chap under the name srhutch, on Z4-forum, has figured it all out, and makes up a much better loom. He's wired the loom to terminate in pins, that can be slotted into the cars loom plugs. Very neat.
So i got hold of the new loom, and a new cruise stalk from BMW.
First step, cut the lower cowling to fit in the stalk. Thankfully there's already markings on the cowling where it needs to be cut. Using a drummel, and a little sandpaper, it fit perfectly.
Then the wiring. Initially this seemed a complex, but it was actually fairly easy.
The new loom from the cruise stalk needs to connect to the cars loom in a few places. First off, behind the light control switch - picture below shows the light switch removed, and the loom plug disassembled.
All the cables going into the plug terminate in pins, that are designed to pop out. There's two particular pins / cables, that need to be removed. These are then replaced with two cables / pins, from the new cruise loom.
Then, the two cables removed from the cars loom plug, need to T back into the new loom, so they end up connected back to where they were from. The new loom is all made up with little cables for this - so you just connect up the cables you removed, from the tail cables coming off the new loom. It's all designed to just plug together.
Picture below shows one of the new cables fitted into the connector block, and the cable it replaced hooked up to the tail cable. After this picture, I added some heat wrap to keep the connection neat.
Then, there is one cable left which needs to be run to the engine bay. Routing the cable isnt too tricky - theres a cover under the AC controls that pops off, and theres another cover under the glovebox, where theres a grommet where a large amount of the cars loom goes through to the engine bay.
In the bay itself, the cable pops up in the box on the right, where the cars ECU and a nest of cables are routed. For the N52 engined Z4s, the cable has to be routed through to the black box on the left, which meant it needed to be routed alongside a loom bundle through a black rubber tube.
To get the cable through, I unplugged all the connectors int he black box, and straightened up tube to make it easier. I then used a blunt, thin, bamboo BBQ skewer - gaffer taped cable to one end, and gently pushed the skewer alongside the cars loom in the black tube, and out the other side to feed the cable through. It was a pretty tight fit, but i took my time as i didn't want to accidentally jab or stab into the loom bundle.
Once routed through to the box, the cable just need to be slotted into the correct pin of the grey loom plug.
And that was it, all done - I put everything back together and it works perfectly. Im very pleased with the installation.
G600 said:
How much was the stalk? I've been thinking about fitting one to mine.
About £100 - The people on z4-forum, recommend this dealer - http://www.soperbmw.co.ukFLGirl said:
Great choice! I have a black with red interior but mine is the coupe. It’s my daily and on over 100k miles. It’s been extremely reliable and cheap to run. I’ve owned it for over 3 years and can think of nothing I’d replace it with. Most cars get changed after a year but this has really got under my skin!
Someone mentioned tyres - Contis vs the Pilot Sports 4s. I had the Conti 6s on mine for the last couple of years. They’ve lasted brilliantly but I’ve never found them very good in the wet. I’ve driven the car in every condition except snow.
I’ve just swapped to the Michelin’s and they’ve done about 400 miles now. I already prefer the feel of them. They seem somehow more ‘nimble’.
Not tested in the wet yet but they get good reviews for wet grip hence the change.
Gratuitous pic (mine also came with black wheels, but it’s known as the BatCar so I kept them). It’s also a YR reg so they must be brothers
My car has a brother!Someone mentioned tyres - Contis vs the Pilot Sports 4s. I had the Conti 6s on mine for the last couple of years. They’ve lasted brilliantly but I’ve never found them very good in the wet. I’ve driven the car in every condition except snow.
I’ve just swapped to the Michelin’s and they’ve done about 400 miles now. I already prefer the feel of them. They seem somehow more ‘nimble’.
Not tested in the wet yet but they get good reviews for wet grip hence the change.
Gratuitous pic (mine also came with black wheels, but it’s known as the BatCar so I kept them). It’s also a YR reg so they must be brothers
Thanks for the tyre info. Had a peek at your garage on your info- did you previously have a non SI 3.0? How’d they compare?
Just had the car's 4 wheel alignment looked at;
It had previously felt a little 'wandery' on the motorway - and it feels much more planted now.
Looked like the geo was way out before. I blame BMW's awful choice to use runflats, I bet the hard sidewall transmits a lot more vibration and shock through the whole setup, which must over time really not help keep things aligned correctly.
It had previously felt a little 'wandery' on the motorway - and it feels much more planted now.
Looked like the geo was way out before. I blame BMW's awful choice to use runflats, I bet the hard sidewall transmits a lot more vibration and shock through the whole setup, which must over time really not help keep things aligned correctly.
FLGirl said:
Glad you’re enjoying yours. I bought the Connect2 you recommended will fit it soon so thanks for the write up 
Cool! If you're not far from London, and want a hand fitting it, give me a shout. Be good to have an excuse to look around a coupe! Ive never actually been in oneMet up with FLGirl, to help her fit the same bluetooth module I used on my car.
Great to finally get a closer look at a coupe - The spec of hers is so similar to mine. Very surreal to see them side by side - there really is something infinitely cooler about the Coupes.
Naturally we went for an impromptu photoshoot:
Great to finally get a closer look at a coupe - The spec of hers is so similar to mine. Very surreal to see them side by side - there really is something infinitely cooler about the Coupes.
Naturally we went for an impromptu photoshoot:
sjj84 said:
Great write up. How much was the loom? Looks a pretty simple install.
£20, which I thought was a bargain. - That chap who makes them 'srhutch' from Z4-forum.com, also helpfully labels up all the wires, for the particular engine you have, which made installation very simple.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff