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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
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TheKingOfSting
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by TheKingOfSting » Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:32 pm

Found them :)

Is this a job for my local tyre dealer to install? Do you feel they've made a nice difference to your cars stance?

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/311287448979?_mwBanner=1

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Steve84N
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by Steve84N » Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:47 pm

Exhaust trims will come up a treat with 5mins of wire wool or they slip off and you can get others. It's not necessary if you scrub yours up though.

Headlights will see a slight improvement with toothpaste but really you need something harsher. Yours don't look too bad so may not require sanding. Try K2 Lamp Doctor first, it's less than £4 delivered on eBay.

Sluggish performance could be a faulty eccentric shaft sensor which gets oil on it when the seal fails. An inspection 2 isn't all it's cracked up to be as a lot of it is visual checks so is unlikely to have a marked effect on running performance.

Make sure you change engine and gearbox oil, spark plugs, oil/air/cabin filters. I can recommend Redline MTL for the gearbox, you'll need two quarts. The spec says ATF but mainly to give a lighter shift action as it's less viscous. I'd rather use an oil designed more specifically for synchros and I've had no issues with shifting in cold temperatures. You'll need two plugs as well, one each for drain/fill, about a fiver each from BMW.

No real need for a flush, it's not direct injection so not prone to carbon deposits. Just start it on an exclusive diet of super unleaded, preferably V Power or similar. They all have decent cleaning additives.

The CDV is worth it all day long, BMW might refuse to remove it though and it's expensive labour for a very simple job.

No disrespect to Marlon but 23bhp from a remap is highly unlikely, if it was me I'd spend the money on handling mods. I've had good success from Bilstein B12 suspension, H&R ARBs, Wiechers strut brace, 10mm wheel spacers and most importantly a Quaife LSD.

Wheel spacers make an aesthetic and handling difference. There's plenty of debate on here and conventional wisdom is you can run 12mm front with 20mm rear. I wanted to keep the same relevant track widths as more rear track means more understeer. Lowered I'm already too close for comfort with 10mm hence not running 12mm all round.

The other bits aren't my thing...

:)
C63 AMG Estate 6208cc

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Swiftly
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by Swiftly » Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:37 pm

A set of Monkey exhaust tips really do finish the rear off nicely :D

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Replacement, G29 Z4 M40i Lci in Alpine White :wub:
Gone G29 Z4 M40i in San Francisco Red
Gone F22 M240i auto coupe in Estoril Blue
Gone 2007 E85 3.0si Sport in Silver Grey,

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Marlon
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by Marlon » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:20 pm

TheKingOfSting wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:32 pm Found them :)

Is this a job for my local tyre dealer to install? Do you feel they've made a nice difference to your cars stance?

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/311287448979?_mwBanner=1

Yes they are the ones - I've got 20mm rear and 15mm front. If you know how to change a wheel, then fitting the spacers is very straightforward :thumbsup:

Big difference see for yourself :wink:

Before:
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After:
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Screen Shot 2017-06-19 at 21.21.32.png (896.25 KiB) Viewed 463 times
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Gone: 3.0si 2008 E85
911 997 Carrera S

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TheKingOfSting
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by TheKingOfSting » Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:42 pm

Hi All,

Apologies for going completely dark on you all there I’ve been crazy with work projects and everything personal was on pause! Hopefully back to reality now…

Thanks for all the feedback for a start most appreciated :)

I’d like to do the CDV delete as I hate the gear change from 1st to 2nd its awful feels like a truck! How much do Indys charge? Does anyone know of a good indy near Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire?

Just got the car back from BMW rear brake light replaced all the front and rear suspension bushes and lower arms have been replaced and the car has been fully tracked etc properly (I hope by them)! I really like the idea of the wheel spacers but how do they affect the cars geometry etc now its all in theory been setup and calibrated properly? I can’t understand how they don’t throw things off of track - pun intended :) Looking at the photos Marlon posted I want them more than ever! Confused is it really pop them in and it only makes a visual difference?

My exhaust trim still looks awful after trying to clean it up the monkey exhaust tips look awesome! Are they expensive to buy and easy to fit?

Bought a stubby aerial and both BMW and myself can’t get it off without damaging the bottom mount etc - really hacked off about that!

I bought the K2 lamp doctor stuff - thanks - do I really need to mask the whole front of the car etc to use it?

The front nose cone on mine is badly damaged and I’ve had a quote from a spray shop of £350 to respray the whole front nose cone remove and stone chips and polish out the lights as well as wax them properly - does this sound like a fair deal? I’ve also been offered for £550 they can remove 2 small dents in the car and give it a 2 day machine polish to really bring the rest of the colour out? Is that recommended I always fear swirl marks when I hear machine polish! Or would I be better of investing that in 2-3 hand valets over the next year for example to chip away at it a bit at a time? Some people swear that a machine polish will bring the car back to life - and others scream don't do it!

I bought the ZHP gear knob and for love nor money could not remove it - the BMW dealer had to cut it off essentially as it was glued in! Haven’t driven the car yet hoping to drive it in an hour and hopefully feel a difference - I truly hope so the gear change on the Z4 is far from sporty shall we say…..

I’m thinking of getting the spark plugs changed the cars on 71,000 miles and I can see no record of them being changed at their last inspection 2 service back in Dec ’12. I’ve spent so much money on the car already I’m hesitant to take it back to BMW can this be a simple Halfords / Kwik fit job as long as I ensure I buy good spark plugs? Would they need replacing am I just wasting money?

I would love to change the oils etc but have simply run out of money at this stage need to be careful what I spend on the car…..

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TheKingOfSting
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by TheKingOfSting » Thu Jul 06, 2017 5:53 pm

Correction spark plugs where changed at the last service noted above.

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buzyg
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by buzyg » Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:54 pm

Welcome to the forum. :) The rear break light is an easy job. Be sure not to over tighten. You could consider a clear one too. :thumbsup:
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Back in a Z4 again :) Newbie but oldie :)

Post by csquire4 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:09 pm

Hi, lots of questions !!

CDV delete takes no more than 30 mins, most of that time is spent getting car on the ramp and off again. Clamp off clutch line, remove CDV, reattach clutch line and bleed the clutch, job done. Any BMW indy will sort it no problem if you're not handy (I'm not and got OC Motorsport in Essex to do it for me, he's a Ford specialist but very good).

£350 for respray and headlight polish is about right. A professional machine polish by a good bodyshop will make a big difference if your existing bodywork has swirls and minor marks. £550 all in isn't bad but maybe get a second quote but I doubt you would get it cheaper than £450 at a good place.

A lot of people struggle getting their knob off :thumbsup:
2004 3.0i, manual, toledo blue

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