Missus wants a new car and has her heart set on a bmw z4

Due to age and running costs i've suggested the 2.0l i've told her it will be as flat as a pancake but that doesnt really bother her. She has a gt tsi 170 golf so probably around same performance give or take a second to 60

Any hints or tips on a z4 as i've never owned a bmw or know anything about them

Car in question is an 08 plate with 23k miles

Cheers

IIRC Beancounter1980 had/has one....

Too late bought it

57plate

23k miles

2.0l m sport with the split rim bbs

Black

9.9k

Points for being decisive, but you didn't really give anyone a chance! Hope you enjoy it.

I dunno if they've improved them, but the N42 2.0 4 pots used to be a pretty crap engine. I hope for your sake it's not the same one if the horror stories are accurate!

Have a look at DIS/NCS/INPA - some pretty powerful software and very cheap too.

Edit - just looked, it's an N46 engine so hopefully OK. Enjoy it!

As an aside - my neighbor's got one and has had her house broken into twice for the keys since buying it about 2-3 years ago, so might be something to consider? Either way, enjoy!

Edited 15 April, 201313 yr by TriggerFish

Check the rear coil springs! They're pretty common for breaking, any questions or queries drop me a pm! I work for BMW in the parts

I think it will be quite safe around here. Not much local crime and i dont think the criminals around here are smart enough lol!!

Rear end looked quite high compared to the front so initial guess is its okay

Pics

I noticed theres a few different alloy wheel options?

This has 5 spoke split rims? Possibly bbs? Any good?

Cream leather with heated seats too

Cheers

Looks like style 108 rims to me, are which BBSs.

http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/Z/Z4-E85+

http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/108

Using the offsets etc there you should be able to get an idea of what should fit. Pretty much anything e36, e46 should fit, and some of the e90s should too (assuming the same center bore).

Why would you change them though?

All 4 are immaculate and just has a split and refurb on them. They are minty mint

I wouldn't, I just misread you post 'different alloy wheel options' as meaning you wanted to change them - my bad!

I see

Just thought they may have been an optional extra being split rims?

Also has cream heated leather and parking sensors. No idea if anythings extra!

Looks great!

I considered buying one as a replacement for the Fabia but I doubt we'd be able to fit all our camping gear in it.

Hope she's pleased with it!

Pop your VIM in here - will tell you the cars spec as it left the factory and any optional extras it had fitted.

Quite strange how many things you take for granted are optional extras IMO!

Opps - forgot the link: http://www.rubmw.ru/vincode/eng/

Edited 16 April, 201313 yr by TriggerFish

You can access the options build list through the UK site:

>snipped from PH<

To see exactly what's fitted to a particular car you need the Reg No. and VIN.

First go here:

http://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Pages/CarDetails.asp...

Enter the reg number of the car and press NEXT, helpfully it will pull up the details of the car including the VIN. Keep that page open.

Then follow these instructions courtesy of the BMW Owner's Club:

1> Click http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/homepage/

2> From the BMW Owner Area menu, choose Genuine BMW Parts

3> From the menu on the left had side of the page click Parts Catalogue

4> From the lower part of the screen click Electronic parts catalogue. Find genuine spare parts and accessories for your BMW.

5> Use the username eu111111 and the password bmwetk1

6> Enter the last 7 digits of your VIN number and click >>

7> From the top of the next window, click Options. This displays a new window with the information on extras.

The build sheet actually includes standard fit equipment as 'options' but it'll tell you exactly what is on your car and also the build date.

Chris

Just FYI, the link Chris posted above and mine give identical data, just mine is faster

Cheers guys

Not got car yet so cant check vin until weekend!

Where do you get these software things for fault reading etc?

Nice to have a scanner handy

I got a 'BMW cables' OBD-II cable off of eBay, about £20. Comes with all the official BMW dealer software on it too. Have a look at BM-Technic, it's the easiest to install option for the non-IT guys! There are cheaper ones, but it involved messing around with virtual machines, networking, .ini files and hardware emulators. The BM-Technic should just do it all for you.

The software lets you alter stuff like DRLs, coming home light options, key-memory options, auto-rear demister, remote roof/window operations and various other stuff. Also comes with the BMW service manuals and workshop guides and instructions etc - really, really useful.

RealOEM is an online copy of the BMW parts system (like EKTA) which is free to use too and pretty useful.

If you've got a KKL VAGCOM cable, they can work with the BMWs, depending on what chips in them, so that might be worth trying first.

Im not tech at all that just bamboozled me!

I have a vagcom lead. Ebay jobby that works with mk4 golf's etc?

Anyhoo an interior pic. From what i can work out the seats are standard sport ones, unsure if leather colour is extra but the seats are electric movement and heated which i believe is an option

From what i can work out

Extras

Heated seats

Electric seats

Rear parking sensors

Alloys were a £275 upgrade

Metallic paint

Then i'll have to have a full study of it see what else its got

Yeah, it is a bit of a pain. It took me a while and I'm doing a degree in computers! Thinking about it, the post 07 cars have a different cable type, so the VAG ones probs won't work anyway. If you did want to install the software, here's a guide on what's needed. Should give you a fair idea if you're able to manage it: http://www.bimmerfes...id=281514&d=...

If not, the BM-Technic one is meant to be as simple as installing iTunes or something, although you do pay more for that feature although I'e never used it.

Looks nice though - seats look nice and fresh too.

Edited 16 April, 201313 yr by TriggerFish

Okay i'll see what i can do!

Yeah its clean as anything! Only done 22k! I can nearly do that in a year

I find itunes hard!

Wow, that's pretty low for the age.

Ah, might not be the best bit of software in the world then for you. An alternative that sprang to mind is PA Soft. This one you just double click and it runs, then it's a load of tick boxes to turn functions on and off. Dunno why I didn't think of it sooner really! http://www.bmw-scanner.com/ I think I paid £30 for my copy/dongle off eBay!

Just FYI, the link Chris posted above and mine give identical data, just mine is faster

Ooops - hadn't spotted your link Either way, very useful sites and I wish more manufacturers did this

Yeah, it is a bit of a pain. It took me a while and I'm doing a degree in computers! Thinking about it, the post 07 cars have a different cable type, so the VAG ones probs won't work anyway. If you did want to install the software, here's a guide on what's needed. Should give you a fair idea if you're able to manage it: http://www.bimmerfes...id=281514&d=...

Mine is a post 07 car and I opted for an OBD-II bluetooth dongle (which works fine with Torque on my phone) and a USB lead but I'm struggling to make the PC software that came with it work. I originally bought when I thought the battery was on its last legs and I could save some money by re-coding a new one myself, but as it turned out the battery just needed an "Italian tuneup" and it went on the back-burner. I think I'd come to the conclusion that my using 64-bit Windows was the problem where most of the software seemed to be 16-bit, and my next plan was to go down the virtual machine route. May have a look at BM-Technic though before I invest a lot of time in doing that and see if it'll work out of the box

I think most of the config options like DRL, indicator flash, auto-locking, etc can be configured via the OBC too....

Chris

Edited 17 April, 201313 yr by ScoobyChris

Anyhoo an interior pic. From what i can work out the seats are standard sport ones, unsure if leather colour is extra but the seats are electric movement and heated which i believe is an option

Very nice and tidy!

Chris

Either way, very useful sites and I wish more manufacturers did this

Agreed - there's loads more official documentation/tools out there for this than any VAG I've owned, which is a bit surprising IMO given how big VAG are.

Ah, yeah - there's issues with running it on 64bit systems, I've had to dual boot my laptop with a 32bit version of Windows. The BM-Technic stuff is meant to be able to work on the 64bit OSs though, but I'm yet to try it.

That's a good point about the OBC - I've not got that option on mine, so didn't think of that!