Hi, I'm new here and planning to get a 03 Z4 Manual...

bobyu · 10-19-2011, 06:55 PM

Hi everyone, I'm planning to get this 03 Z4 manual that has 50000KM. I never own a BMW car before, can any of you please tell me what to look for to make sure the car is in good condition?

I already saw some documents from the seller that he has only $1600 repair cost. No rebuilt status or anything.

Any feedback or comments would help!

THANKS! and im definitely looking forward to become a member here!

chickdr · 10-19-2011, 11:08 PM

Make sure you have the car inspected at a dealer of your choice before agreeing to buy.

aftercorbu · 10-20-2011, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickdr

Make sure you have the car inspected at a dealer of your choice before agreeing to buy.

+1

And I just pick up a 2003 - 6 speed - 3.0 myself! Good luck, hope you get it and love it!

C2 · 10-20-2011, 11:21 AM

I currently have an 03 Z4 2.5 5speed manuel with 118k miles and the only things i have have to replace was the battery and alternator. They are solid cars as long as you take care of them.

aftercorbu · 10-20-2011, 01:51 PM

[sorry for the quick hijack...]

C2 - I'm here in SC as well. Myrtle area.

greatgrandma70 · 11-01-2011, 06:48 PM

I bought an '03 automatic convertible last month. Love the car. Have had about 4 nice MD days to ride with topdown. It was a dream I never thought would come true on my "Bucket List". I must trust the dealer - which not real 'secure' with on maintenance, so this web will be of great advantage in learning about my car.
My son who is a wealth of mechanical info and keeps family cars in good shape mentioned an oil that one can go almost 25,000 miles before an oil change...it's a synthetic I believe he said and becoming 'the thing' to use. heard of it?(no, don't remember brand name).

bigbacon · 11-01-2011, 06:56 PM

looks like everyone is buying 03s or looking at 03s...

Finnegan · 11-01-2011, 07:06 PM

First, congratulations!

No one around here is going to recommend going 25K miles on the same oil, synthetic or not. Can it go that long? Possibly, but the service interval for the 2.5 or 3.0 is 15K miles. Is it a good idea? No waiting that long is asking for trouble. Oil is relatively cheap, engines are not, and if your son can do an oil change it's a breeze to do. Otherwise a nice independent shop can do relatively cheaply as well.

For a car that doesn't see the track, most of us seem to have settled on ~7,500 miles. BMW used to recommend an annual oil change, but if I recall correctly, has changed that to every two years.

Generally speaking for the type of driving you'll probably be doing, 7,500 - 10, 000 miles or 2 years seems a reasonable interval. If you drive a lot of very short trips, less than 15-20 miles where the engine doesn't get fully heated, I'd lean towards shorter intervals.

I'm sure others have varying opinions. But I'm willing to bet no one is going to say 25,000 miles!

mjposner · 11-01-2011, 09:13 PM

25k per oil change is not possible. Most I have heard of is 15k and even then you'll likely shorten the engine life. BMW likes long lead times if they are paying for the changes.

Michael

Jmanscotch · 11-09-2011, 07:56 PM

Guys, car has 50,000KM...in Canadian speak, 25,000 miles is likely meant as kilometers as well....my guess atleast.

OP; Normal car stuff really. The M54 engine suffers from a few weak points. I'll refer you to the wiki for the BMW E46 model 3 series (same engine and some parts) for a reference on what to check regarding the heart of the beast.

Other then that, make sure top is in good condition, the top drains are cleared out (clogged leads to vert motor failure) and there are no obvious signs of neglect. Overall cosmetic condition can sometimes speak towards how the car was treated and thus the mechanical state. Check for uneven tire wear, curbed wheels, front/rear bumper dings....sometimes paints a tale.

Link to E46 Wiki for their buying guide as reference: http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php/BMW_E46
Special focus on "What should I look out for?" and in there, the cooling system, bremi ignition coil recall, etc.

For me, the last item is a long test drive (none of that 10 minute crap) that usually sets the tone and will make you aware of overheating, squeaks/rattles that sound curious, handling problems indicating suspension issues, etc.

10-19-2011, 06:55 PM	#1
bobyu Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: Z4 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (0)	Hi, I'm new here and planning to get a 03 Z4 Manual... Hi everyone, I'm planning to get this 03 Z4 manual that has 50000KM. I never own a BMW car before, can any of you please tell me what to look for to make sure the car is in good condition? I already saw some documents from the seller that he has only $1600 repair cost. No rebuilt status or anything. Any feedback or comments would help! THANKS! and im definitely looking forward to become a member here!
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

10-19-2011, 11:08 PM	#2
chickdr Lieutenant Colonel 140 Rep 1,992 Posts Drives: 2006 M Roadster Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buford, GA iTrader: (0)	Make sure you have the car inspected at a dealer of your choice before agreeing to buy.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-20-2011, 11:21 AM	#4
C2 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: 2003 BMW Z4, 2004 BMW X5 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: South Cacalaki iTrader: (0)	I currently have an 03 Z4 2.5 5speed manuel with 118k miles and the only things i have have to replace was the battery and alternator. They are solid cars as long as you take care of them.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-20-2011, 01:51 PM	#5
aftercorbu First Lieutenant 405 Rep 380 Posts Drives: 20 M2C, 20 S3 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (1)	[sorry for the quick hijack...] C2 - I'm here in SC as well. Myrtle area.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2011, 06:48 PM	#6
greatgrandma70 Registered 1 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2003 Z4 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I bought an '03 automatic convertible last month. Love the car. Have had about 4 nice MD days to ride with topdown. It was a dream I never thought would come true on my "Bucket List". I must trust the dealer - which not real 'secure' with on maintenance, so this web will be of great advantage in learning about my car. My son who is a wealth of mechanical info and keeps family cars in good shape mentioned an oil that one can go almost 25,000 miles before an oil change...it's a synthetic I believe he said and becoming 'the thing' to use. heard of it?(no, don't remember brand name).
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2011, 06:56 PM	#7
bigbacon Private First Class 21 Rep 162 Posts Drives: 03 Z4 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	looks like everyone is buying 03s or looking at 03s...
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2011, 07:06 PM	#8
Finnegan Dog Listener 707 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	First, congratulations! No one around here is going to recommend going 25K miles on the same oil, synthetic or not. Can it go that long? Possibly, but the service interval for the 2.5 or 3.0 is 15K miles. Is it a good idea? No waiting that long is asking for trouble. Oil is relatively cheap, engines are not, and if your son can do an oil change it's a breeze to do. Otherwise a nice independent shop can do relatively cheaply as well. For a car that doesn't see the track, most of us seem to have settled on ~7,500 miles. BMW used to recommend an annual oil change, but if I recall correctly, has changed that to every two years. Generally speaking for the type of driving you'll probably be doing, 7,500 - 10, 000 miles or 2 years seems a reasonable interval. If you drive a lot of very short trips, less than 15-20 miles where the engine doesn't get fully heated, I'd lean towards shorter intervals. I'm sure others have varying opinions. But I'm willing to bet no one is going to say 25,000 miles! Last edited by Finnegan; 11-01-2011 at 09:34 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-01-2011, 09:13 PM	#9
mjposner Brigadier General 904 Rep 3,071 Posts Drives: 2020 Z4 40i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Southwest Florida iTrader: (3)	25k per oil change is not possible. Most I have heard of is 15k and even then you'll likely shorten the engine life. BMW likes long lead times if they are paying for the changes. Michael
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-09-2011, 07:56 PM	#10
Jmanscotch is a Texan 49 Rep 387 Posts Drives: '09 135i - 6MT SOLD Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Colorado Springs iTrader: (6)	Guys, car has 50,000KM...in Canadian speak, 25,000 miles is likely meant as kilometers as well....my guess atleast. OP; Normal car stuff really. The M54 engine suffers from a few weak points. I'll refer you to the wiki for the BMW E46 model 3 series (same engine and some parts) for a reference on what to check regarding the heart of the beast. Other then that, make sure top is in good condition, the top drains are cleared out (clogged leads to vert motor failure) and there are no obvious signs of neglect. Overall cosmetic condition can sometimes speak towards how the car was treated and thus the mechanical state. Check for uneven tire wear, curbed wheels, front/rear bumper dings....sometimes paints a tale. Link to E46 Wiki for their buying guide as reference: http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php/BMW_E46 Special focus on "What should I look out for?" and in there, the cooling system, bremi ignition coil recall, etc. For me, the last item is a long test drive (none of that 10 minute crap) that usually sets the tone and will make you aware of overheating, squeaks/rattles that sound curious, handling problems indicating suspension issues, etc. __________________ *- Jake* Last edited by Jmanscotch; 11-09-2011 at 08:01 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote