Daily driver z4

[basuni90]

Hello all! I'm in the midst of purchasing a zed (2006 z4 3.0i with 110k) and wanted to get some input on all those who use their z4's as their daily drivers.

I will be driving my zed to work approximately 40 miles per day (there and back) with a breakdown of ~12 miles city and ~28 miles freeway.

I just wanted to get advice/opinions from those who use their z4's as daily drivers and any type of specific routinized maintenance performed to keep the car in good condition.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[angelr]

Just oil changes and washes really. I drive my z4mc about 100 miles daily with a similar mix of highway and city to yours. Car has been great thus far. Enjoy it far more than the '12 gti or '97 jetta glx that I occasionally drive in it's place. Mileage isn't quite as good as the other two but not far off from the jetta since it has a 2.8l vr6 in it.

[gas-can]

I've been driving the same car as you for the last couple of years - I put about the same exact mileage everyday too - ~30hw, 8 city.

B/c of the highway driving, my oil change schedule is very long - ~15k on average. And the oil looks fine when I pull it. So far, only been needing brakes, tires and oil (and gas!). I also did coolant, manual trans fluid, and brake fluid changes for peace of mind.

If the previous owner hadn't done it, it's a good idea to check the diff and gear oil. Also check the coolant - highly recommend changing it if it hasn't been done. Brake fluid is also a good one to change regularly if you can't find a record.

Has yours had a change in water pump? I was planning on proactively changing mine when I hit ~75k. That seems to be the Achilles heel for the N52.

-gc

[basuni90]

Originally Posted by gas-can

Has yours had a change in water pump? I was planning on proactively changing mine when I hit ~75k. That seems to be the Achilles heel for the N52.

-gc

I'm not too sure yet but this is definitely a concern to me as it has 110,000 miles on it. Bright side is, the person I'm buying it from is the original owner and he bought the 6 year extended warranty. I should receive most, if not all, record documents from him when the final purchase is done. I might also just head to the dealer and request the records to be certain of its history.

RE the water pump, are there any DIY writeups for the N52 z4's?

[jliuod]

I have a 2007 3.0si with only 27,000 miles. I thought the coolant is lifetime?

[gas-can]

basuni - I haven't see one specifically for the Z, but there are ones for the other users of the n52. I don't think it should be very difficult - definitely easier than a conventional waterpump. When I was under the car during the coolant replacement, the pump and thermostat were right there. Unless there is a stupid bolt somewhere, it should be a pretty easy job. The pump is expensive, however.

jliu- I'm not sure if bmw calls that coolant lifetime (like they do with other stuff), but it's a good idea to replace it imho. Coolant has additives that break down with age/heat. This plus the rust that naturally forms is not good for cooling + the water pump. It's a simple and cheap preventive maintenance item for peace of mind...

-gc

[PilotAlan]

Originally Posted by basuni90

I will be driving my zed to work approximately 40 miles per day (there and back) with a breakdown of ~12 miles city and ~28 miles freeway.

Mines 40 miles. 36 highway at 70mph, 4 in city (unless I have to take the back way that's all city).

The Z4 drives every day. My wife and I have joint custody, I drive one week, she drives the other. We both have Mercedes vehicles, and prefer the Zed.

[bdc]

Bought my 2007 Z4 14 months ago and have been using it as my daily driver. I've put 20,000 miles on it in that time. I've done an oil change and replaced the tires. It's almost due for new brakes. Other than that, it's been a dream to drive. I smile every time I get into it. I love driving this car!

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by jliuod

I thought the coolant is lifetime?

Its pretty cheap either way, you can get the Pentafrost coolant from Napa/etc. for like $16. Its the same bright blue coolant BMW sell you. I keep a 16 oz bottle of it in the trunk just in case. The 16 oz bottle is at 100% strength, so if I ever have a leak or something I can cut it down to at least 50% with bottled water.

[M-Power M3]

Before I got my new job last month I would daily my Z 60+ miles a day. Besides oil changes and usual upkeep there was nothing that would keep it from being a perfectly reliable DD. Plus it's a lot more fun than a beater

[m3griff]

If it has not been done then you should do the cooling system: water pump, thermostat, hoses and coolant. Don't forget the overflow or expansion tank. Not sure there are any Z4 specific write ups but the n52 was used widely on 3series , 5series etc. I did it all on my Z4 at 78-80k miles since I was daily driving it. Parts are expensive but it was easy. Replace the belts and tensioner pulleys as well. Cheap compared to inconvenient failures. I found all kinds of DIY online.

[Patrick Gent]

If you want to make any BMW last well past 100k, do not use BMW's maintenance schedule. Get the Mike Miller Lifetime Maintenance Schedule (sorry, don't have a link right now) from the BMW Car Club of America and follow it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by basuni90

I'm not too sure yet but this is definitely a concern to me as it has 110,000 miles on it. Bright side is, the person I'm buying it from is the original owner and he bought the 6 year extended warranty. I should receive most, if not all, record documents from him when the final purchase is done. I might also just head to the dealer and request the records to be certain of its history.

RE the water pump, are there any DIY writeups for the N52 z4's?

I wrote the N52 waterpump replacement DIY for the E90 back in 2011. You can search for it under N52 Water Pump and it should come up. It should be the same procedure for the Z4 except I'm not sure how you trigger the bleeding procedure since the Z4 has a real key rather than a key fob like the E90. I'd assume it's similar, which is set the ket to ignition, max out the temp on the HVAC, and hold the gas pedal down for 10 seconds, the pump should start.