Welcome to the club.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elwsso
The next things I want to look at is the VANOS bolts, motor mount bolts, and valve adjustment. [...] It would appear that those (3) items could be done pretty easily in a weekend.
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I would like to share my personal experience. I was in your shoes about 2 years ago, in December 2010, when I bought my 09/2006 Z4M Coupe @ 30,000 miles. Out of too much enthusiasm, I jumped on performing a series of preventive winter maintenance on my Z4M. The VANOS bolts were on the list.
Now, looking back, that was a mistake.
First, keep in mind that the S54 VANOS bolts issue is quite rare, much rarer than the forums make you believe it is.
Second, unless you have all the special tools needed for the job (and ideally you've done /seen this being done before on a S54 engine), don't even consider doing it yourself.
I did replace the VANOS bolts myself shortly after purchasing the Z4M, having only a few of the special tools mentioned in the TIS and relying on some forum threads available at the time. While taking off the VANOS bolts I discovered that they were tight, and the replacement was actually not needed at all. But that was already too late. After the job was done, the engine started up nicely just to light up half of hour later the CEL light on me - clear proof that I didn't set the VANOS correctly.
So there I was hasting to the dealer and pay them to redo the VANOS set-up.
Lots of time and money thrown out the window, plus a good deal of extra wear inflicted on the VANOS unit (by taken it out and refitting it twice) - absolutely for nothing.
Yes, this winter it's good for you to do the "normal" maintenance jobs. Such as replace all the fluids, check the brakes, etc. Very advisable, check the valve lash and correct it where needed - it's easily done by a home mechanic. While you do the valves, check the VANOS by grabbing the pulleys and giving them a series of strong jolts. It's a check-up well detailed on various BMW forums. If the camshaft pulleys are tight and there's no noise, then leave the VANOS alone. The bolts will be fine at least until the next valve inspection is due. Replace the VANOS bolts only if really needed. If they start to loosen, you'll be warned plenty of time in advance, provided that you listen to your engine every now and then, and you do your valve lash check on a regular basis.
You'll save yourself a lot of headache and you'll keep the engine virgin. No home mechanic or dealer sets it better than the BMW assembly line.
I advise you to cool off your enthusiasm. During this winter, perform only the minimal maintenance really needed. Then drive your Z4M throughout the spring, summer and autumn of 2013. When next winter comes, you'll know much more about your car, thus you'll be better prepared for more complex maintenance, than you are now.
Enjoy your E86 Z4M.