BMW 330i Coupe (E92) owner looking to buy Z4 35i (E89)... tomorrow!!

[German_Whip]

Hi,

I'm Omar, I love my BMW coupe, but have always had my eye on the Z4, it looks beautiful!
I compared the SLK to the Z4... made me want the Z4 even more.

This is my car...



It's a 330i with all the extras like iDrive. At first I was worried about buying a 3ltr but I have to say it's bl**dy economic!

So I wanted to get the Z4 30i as I am used to the power, then I thought may as well go the whole way to 35i, never had a turbo before.

I've come to the forum seeking knowledge and help, is there anything I should know about E89's and 35i engine?

I would normally do my homework first but I think I have already found the car with all the extras I want, so I have no time, any user reading this post, if you could list your top 3 must know things, that would be great!

Thanks!

[paris1]

What is the year E89 you're looking at and a quick list of equipment?

[jparnes1]

Turbocharged engines require more frequent oil changes. I think BMW recognized this when they increased the oil change frequency from 15,000 to 10,000 miles. I would change it no more than every 7500, IMO.

Similarly, don't run it aggressively until the oil is at normal operating temperature.

Enjoy!

[German_Whip]

Thanks for the oil tip! I do no more than 8000 miles a year and will try to do a service every year.

09 with 70k on the clock, comes with 12 month unlimited mileage BMW Warranty.

Professional Navigation System
Seven-Speed Double Clutch Transmission
19" V-Spoke Alloy Wheels (these are the ones that crack, checking MOT history, it failed once because of this, so assume it was replaced?)
Electric Folding Exterior Mirrors
Extended Storage (not sure what this is)
Heated Seats
Front And Rear Park Distance Control
Enhanced Bluetooth Telephone Functionality (again, not sure what this is)

[CarAbuser]

Don't get a 35i without a warranty. The N54 engine is not known for reliability so you really need the extended BMW warranty.

I'm averaging 26mpg in mine, which isn't a big deal with the current fuel prices being so low but I imagine it's worse than the 330i.

[e89zumrut]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

Don't get a 35i without a warranty. The N54 engine is not known for reliability so you really need the extended BMW warranty.

I'm averaging 26mpg in mine, which isn't a big deal with the current fuel prices being so low but I imagine it's worse than the 330i.

I dont think that 330i more economic than N54. N/A cars always consume more fuel. If you drive it properly turbo helps the fuel consumption a lot!! and keep it in mind that N54 engine has lot of awards under that title. Highway consumption is
7.5L/100km equals
1.9G/62.15mile devided by 1.9 equals to 1galon/32.7miles... I think thats awesome for 306hp engine

[e89zumrut]

26 mpg with a combine of hgw-city driving is awesome also (which equals 9L/100km) I'm pretty sure that his consumption is under 26mpg .

[German_Whip]

The N54 engine is not known for reliability so you really need the extended BMW warranty... oh dear I put the deposit down today :-(

I do about 16 miles a day Mon - Fri, not too worried about fuel.

[ljkiter]

Get the 35i and you won't regret it. I got extended warranty through my credit union and it came out to 2,200 for 4 years/48k. Anywhere else, I got double that price.

[German_Whip]

In regards to HPFP, pulled from wiki

"HPFP problems

In at least the US market, the N54 engine has been characterized by a very large number of High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failures,[27] leading to BMW North America vehicle Lemon Law "buy backs" and reduced customer goodwill.[28] BMW's failure to solve the HPFP problem has led to serious safety concerns over dangerous sudden losses of power at highway speeds.[28] Reports of drivers being stranded are not uncommon and some have accused BMW of actively concealing the problem rather than addressing it.[28] On 26 October 2010, BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007–2010.[29]

In April 2009, a class action suit was filed against BMW in connection with HPFP failures.[30] BMW settled the suit in June 2010. On 26 October 2010, following an ABC News story about HPFP failures,[31] BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007-2010"

So if mine is an 09, should I check to see if the fuel pump has been changed, if not get it changed?

[Zyal8r]

Bwm did such a good job covering this up that few people know about it. As you probably know the key fob can be scanned and and the service history downloaded and printed out. It almost certainly has been taken care of at that mileage and if not the dealers are usually happy to do it because it is now covered for 100,000 miles. Ask the dealer for a copy of the print-out, or at least read it and write everything down. The vanos may have been serviced as well. The n54 is a very strong reliable engine. The bolt-on components (mostly Bosch) are the weak link. It should start-up quickly and not crank for more than 1 or 2 seconds and idle smoothly. The spark plugs should have been replaced at least once and BMW brake fluid supposedly should be replaced every 6000mi. Check for fluid leaks, Fuel, oil and various valve cover gaskets have to be watched. This all must sound discouraging but you have the warranty and now you know what to watch for. It is a thrilling car to drive and a truly fine car and a great roadster.

[CarAbuser]

Originally Posted by German_Whip

In regards to HPFP, pulled from wiki

"HPFP problems

In at least the US market, the N54 engine has been characterized by a very large number of High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failures,[27] leading to BMW North America vehicle Lemon Law "buy backs" and reduced customer goodwill.[28] BMW's failure to solve the HPFP problem has led to serious safety concerns over dangerous sudden losses of power at highway speeds.[28] Reports of drivers being stranded are not uncommon and some have accused BMW of actively concealing the problem rather than addressing it.[28] On 26 October 2010, BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007–2010.[29]

In April 2009, a class action suit was filed against BMW in connection with HPFP failures.[30] BMW settled the suit in June 2010. On 26 October 2010, following an ABC News story about HPFP failures,[31] BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007-2010"

So if mine is an 09, should I check to see if the fuel pump has been changed, if not get it changed?

The BMW warranty in the UK will cost you £55 a month with no excess on that car. I would consider that essential when the 1yr that comes with the car expires.

My Z4 has had a new HPFP, LPFP, 12 injectors (the dealership fucked the install for the first set and had to supply another set when they started misfiring), 2 turbos, new primary cats, 4 o2 sensors and 6 new coils all under warranty and it's only just hit 50k miles

I love the car though, it sounds great and is an awesome looking vehicle!

[German_Whip]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

The BMW warranty in the UK will cost you £55 a month with no excess on that car. I would consider that essential when the 1yr that comes with the car expires.

My Z4 has had a new HPFP, LPFP, 12 injectors (the dealership fucked the install for the first set and had to supply another set when they started misfiring), 2 turbos, new primary cats, 4 o2 sensors and 6 new coils all under warranty and it's only just hit 50k miles

I love the car though, it sounds great and is an awesome looking vehicle!

Oh jeez that is a lot of work for a car with 50k on the clock, I know it's all well and good all the things that go wrong being taken care of under warranty but still its an inconvenience. Your tip of extending the warranty will be seriously considered, even though it works out an extra £660 a year

[CarAbuser]

Originally Posted by German_Whip

Oh jeez that is a lot of work for a car with 50k on the clock, I know it's all well and good all the things that go wrong being taken care of under warranty but still its an inconvenience. Your tip of extending the warranty will be seriously considered, even though it works out an extra £660 a year

You may only have two or three of those issues but even then it will pay for itself. That warranty has saved me serious money and those are only engine issues. If the roof starts playing up or the DCT gearbox takes a dump the costs just get unreal.

Costs like that come with the territory. The Z4 makes alternatives like the Cayman look really cheap. The Porsche warranty on a used Cayman was something like 2k per year and even then there was stories of Porsche UK refusing to cover the bore scoring and IMS issues plaguing the platform.

With the BMW warranty they will sort the issues out no questions asked and provide a courtesy car. You also get to have a chat with the babes on the reception

The N54 engine is a really robust engine with loads of headroom for increased power. The problem is with the engine ancillaries, mainly the fuel supply system.

[Zyal8r]

That is a scary list. A service history is a must. The key scan can tell you if these things have been taken care of. I have heard it said that on older car with some mileage is a plus because it has been under warranty for a long time and has had the issues taken care of as they occurred. They are well built cars and the engines are robust, and the price is right.

[German_Whip]

I was considering the Cayman but the half a grand a yea road tax put me off, now it's not looking so bad lol!

How much do BMW charge for the key scan or can I get it free as I have warranty? (in the UK)

[Zyal8r]

Sorry if you are getting discouraged. In regard to the Cayman/Boxster, google known issues. A shaft bearing (IMS) pre 2010. Catastrophic engine failure, also cylinder scoring issues. Later years seem to be very good but expensive.
The key scan will be done whenever you bring the car to a dealer. No charge for that. Some dealers won't give out the results. U.K. may be different.
The Z4 is basically a fine car but you have to get the service history and determine if the issues have been resolved. Later models should be fine. I think you mentioned a warranty as well.

[jparnes1]

There is NO car that doesn't have issues. And ALL cars are expensive to fix. Basically the Z4 is a very well-built car. Let's say there are 500,000 individual parts in the car. A failure rate of just 0.005 (1/2%) yields 2500 failed parts. One tends to get a skewed view from these forums because 90% of the threads are 1. check out my new ride and 2. I have this problem, what should I do? No one ever talks about the lack of trouble they have. My 2012 has had nothing but a few minor issues, but who wants to hear that?
My warranty advice? Self insure. Take the money the policy would cost, add $100 per month to it for a year or two, then stop. That's your repair fund. If you never need it, it's still your money, not the insurance company's.

[ojo]

The nature of a forum is that we hear about whenever somebody has a problem with the car. We don’t post every time we have a year with no problem. My 35i now has 70’km, one headlamp and hpfp has been changed, that’s all.

Don’t trust the key scan, my scan did not show the hpfp error code.

The car is great, and it’s fun to drive.

Enjoy your new car

[German_Whip]

Thanks for the messages. Just been doing some research on coding, Sam (makkan00) has worked on my E92, I wonder if he could code the E89...

[Zyal8r]

Originally Posted by ojo

The nature of a forum is that we hear about whenever somebody has a problem with the car. We don’t post every time we have a year with no problem. My 35i now has 70’km, one headlamp and hpfp has been changed, that’s all.

Don’t trust the key scan, my scan did not show the hpfp error code.

The car is great, and it’s fun to drive.

Enjoy your new car

ojo the purpose of the scan is that it accesses the BMW server and can print out everything ever done at a BMW dealer. Mine shows that the hpfp was replaced in the first visit. It also makes recommendations. I have heard that it also knows how hard the car is driven.

The car IS great and very under-rated by writers who don't get it

[Zyal8r]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

There is NO car that doesn't have issues. And ALL cars are expensive to fix. Basically the Z4 is a very well-built car. Let's say there are 500,000 individual parts in the car. A failure rate of just 0.005 (1/2%) yields 2500 failed parts. One tends to get a skewed view from these forums because 90% of the threads are 1. check out my new ride and 2. I have this problem, what should I do? No one ever talks about the lack of trouble they have. My 2012 has had nothing but a few minor issues, but who wants to hear that?
My warranty advice? Self insure. Take the money the policy would cost, add $100 per month to it for a year or two, then stop. That's your repair fund. If you never need it, it's still your money, not the insurance company's.

Great point about forums. We should try to be more positive. It might help our resale too. And just to join the record my E89 is a joy and it is working perfectly. The vaunted Cayman which everyone tries to compare it to, has engine issues that are catastrophic, and the ride is downright harsh.
Great advise about warranties too. I think that for many, they are more about comfort factor than financial efficiency. Many of them pay high commissions to the salesman who is also glad to wrap it into your car payment, sometimes without telling you..I have refused so many of them that I am way ahead of the game.