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      05-17-2022, 05:52 AM   #1
Sirmario
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Question about the engine. And reliability.

Greetings all, I am in the market for a z4 2009+, i really find these cars attractive and need a fun car to drive. I currently own a CLS550. Love it, but I want a two seater manual. The more I research the Z the more I am starting to like it.

I would drive it alot, 300 miles per week probably.
I am set on the 6 cylinder engine. Which one is more reliable?
S30i? Or s35i?
If you have any other suggestions or tips please let me know. Looking forward to being a long time member.



Regards
M.
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      05-17-2022, 09:24 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirmario View Post
Greetings all, I am in the market for a z4 2009+, i really find these cars attractive and need a fun car to drive. I currently own a CLS550. Love it, but I want a two seater manual. The more I research the Z the more I am starting to like it.

I would drive it alot, 300 miles per week probably.
I am set on the 6 cylinder engine. Which one is more reliable?
S30i? Or s35i?
If you have any other suggestions or tips please let me know. Looking forward to being a long time member.



Regards
M.

The big difference is the 35i is turbocharged so it will have less long-term reliability. Ultimately, you could get the same life out of it as the 30i, but it may cost you more in repairs. Turbo failures can get expensive.

Both engines are pretty solid. The big watch items are the cooling system and the oil filter housing. A cooling system refresh may be needed but it's not a terrible expense. Oil leaks from the OFH are a known issue. They are not frequent, but need to be addressed promptly as the oil can drip down on the serpentine belt causing it to fail catastrophically.

Other common issues about the Z4 can be found perusing this forum.

If you're looking at a high mileage car be sure to get a good look at its maintenance history and a PPI from a shop that knows the car.

Gerry
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      05-17-2022, 10:48 AM   #3
Sirmario
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GerryC View Post
The big difference is the 35i is turbocharged so it will have less long-term reliability. Ultimately, you could get the same life out of it as the 30i, but it may cost you more in repairs. Turbo failures can get expensive.

Both engines are pretty solid. The big watch items are the cooling system and the oil filter housing. A cooling system refresh may be needed but it's not a terrible expense. Oil leaks from the OFH are a known issue. They are not frequent, but need to be addressed promptly as the oil can drip down on the serpentine belt causing it to fail catastrophically.

Other common issues about the Z4 can be found perusing this forum.

If you're looking at a high mileage car be sure to get a good look at its maintenance history and a PPI from a shop that knows the car.

Gerry

Thank you Gerry!
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      06-02-2022, 08:27 PM   #4
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My 2009 35i

Quote:
Originally Posted by GerryC View Post
The big difference is the 35i is turbocharged so it will have less long-term reliability. Ultimately, you could get the same life out of it as the 30i, but it may cost you more in repairs. Turbo failures can get expensive.

Both engines are pretty solid. The big watch items are the cooling system and the oil filter housing. A cooling system refresh may be needed but it's not a terrible expense. Oil leaks from the OFH are a known issue. They are not frequent, but need to be addressed promptly as the oil can drip down on the serpentine belt causing it to fail catastrophically.

Other common issues about the Z4 can be found perusing this forum.

If you're looking at a high mileage car be sure to get a good look at its maintenance history and a PPI from a shop that knows the car.

Gerry
I have 140,500ish miles on my 35i. It had 79,000 when I bought it. It has never left me stranded on the side of the road and up to now it’s been a daily driver during the late spring thru early fall here in Michigan. My suggestion is to check on the history of the used car you are considering and have a pre-purchase inspection done by a shop that knows BMW.

I’m working on replacing all of the plastic parts that BMW cheaped out on with the N54 since that will improve the long term reliability of the car.
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      06-03-2022, 04:02 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by Sirmario View Post
Which one is more reliable?
I expect a reliability for my two 30i motors of 300.000 milies each. The first one already has reached more than 210.000 miles without any issue.
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      06-04-2022, 01:29 PM   #6
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Hi, I own and drive on a daily basis a 2009 3.0 Z4. I really enjoy driving the Z on the twisting roads here in New Hampshire. Also, I enjoy opening it up a bit on the Interstate. Being originally from the Cocoa area of Florida, I know how hard a car gets driven on all those Interstates in Florida. So, if buying a car that has been driven in Florida over its life I'd change all the fluids, including transmission fluid, brake fluid, rear end, coolant, and engine oil. On the BMW E89 there is very little documentation or repair manuals available from a commerical source. But, I do suggest you change the salmon colored relays located on the top hydraulic motor/pump system located just aft of the battery, in the battery well under the trunk floor. Should one of these relays fail it will leave the top partway up, or down. Look closely for oil stains in both sides of the tops headliner. This indicates a hydraulic leak, and big bucks to fix. Time both the open/close function of the top. Should be close to 22 seconds each way. Look closely in the battery well for water lines, which indicate flooding in that well. Water in there will effect your hydraulic pump package eventually and cost really big money to repair/rebuild. Be sure to lube all the tops moving joints with a good spray oil, and clean all the rubber seals in the top, doors, and hood. Use a product called Gummi Pflege for those seals and rubber parts. Knowing the heat and humidity in Fla. you may have to replace any cracked or damaged seals to keep water out. Good luck on your search.
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      06-06-2022, 12:39 AM   #7
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Hi, I own and drive on a daily basis a 2009 3.0 Z4. Look closely for oil stains in both sides of the tops headliner. This indicates a hydraulic leak, and big bucks to fix. Time both the open/close function of the top.

Should be close to 22 seconds each way. Look closely in the battery well for water lines, which indicate flooding in that well. Water in there will effect your hydraulic pump package eventually and cost really big money to repair/rebuild.

Be sure to lube all the tops moving joints with a good spray oil, and clean all the rubber seals in the top, doors, and hood.
1) If there is a hydraulic leak in the roof, it doesn't work anymore. No need to search for anything, just open & close the roof once for testing.

2) Absolutely no lubrication is required for any joint.

3) I've never seen a "too slow" roof, if it opens & closes properly. No requirement for any timing measures.

4) Each roof will run into troubles with the hydraulic harness in the top, sooner or later. Can't be avoided by any maintenance action.

5) Checking for water in the battery area is absolutely important before buying.
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      06-08-2022, 08:04 AM   #8
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So when I bought my Z4 (2009) I specifically sought out the 30i (N52 motor) because I once owned a 2008 535xi with the same turbo motor found in the 35i (N54 motor).

Now, I never had turbo issues with that car, but I went through a water pump (typical for BMW's), coils, VANOS solenoids, and fuel injectors (which is expensive because at a minimum you have to change at least one bank (3 injectors). I did all 6, used, was still $400). And I did the work myself. That car finally refused to hold idle after a minute. I suspect it was the hook seals (a metal o-ring at the end of the cam) that was letting too much/not enough oil to pass through for the VANOS to do it's job. I also had vibration issues with the front diff, but that's unrelated to the Z4.

So, as much as I love the power and all the upgrade potential the N54 has, I simply couldn't put my trust back in that motor (to be fair, the "motor" wasn't really the issue).

Do I sometimes wish I had bought a turbo'd car, absolutely, especially seeing how I have 3 cars to drive. But I also love not spending extra money on it, be it maintenance or upgrades.

Oh, my car had around 155k miles when it stopped wanting to drive.
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      06-26-2022, 04:11 PM   #9
Sirmario
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scowlingtuna View Post
So when I bought my Z4 (2009) I specifically sought out the 30i (N52 motor) because I once owned a 2008 535xi with the same turbo motor found in the 35i (N54 motor).

Now, I never had turbo issues with that car, but I went through a water pump (typical for BMW's), coils, VANOS solenoids, and fuel injectors (which is expensive because at a minimum you have to change at least one bank (3 injectors). I did all 6, used, was still $400). And I did the work myself. That car finally refused to hold idle after a minute. I suspect it was the hook seals (a metal o-ring at the end of the cam) that was letting too much/not enough oil to pass through for the VANOS to do it's job. I also had vibration issues with the front diff, but that's unrelated to the Z4.

So, as much as I love the power and all the upgrade potential the N54 has, I simply couldn't put my trust back in that motor (to be fair, the "motor" wasn't really the issue).

Do I sometimes wish I had bought a turbo'd car, absolutely, especially seeing how I have 3 cars to drive. But I also love not spending extra money on it, be it maintenance or upgrades.

Oh, my car had around 155k miles when it stopped wanting to drive.

Wow good to know, how come you didn't go for a 35i?
The 30i is on my list but I maybe pull it.
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      09-06-2023, 01:28 AM   #10
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非常实际的建议,谢谢
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      11-27-2023, 03:31 PM   #11
Carl Annessa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirmario View Post
Greetings all, I am in the market for a z4 2009+, i really find these cars attractive and need a fun car to drive. I currently own a CLS550. Love it, but I want a two seater manual. The more I research the Z the more I am starting to like it.

I would drive it alot, 300 miles per week probably.
I am set on the 6 cylinder engine. Which one is more reliable?
S30i? Or s35i?
If you have any other suggestions or tips please let me know. Looking forward to being a long time member.



Regards
M.
Greetings! Transitioning from a CLS550 to a Z4 sounds like an exciting shift. For reliability, both the N52 (s30i) and N54 (s35i) engines are robust, but the N52 is generally considered more straightforward and reliable in the long run. Given your preference for a manual two-seater, the Z4 is a fantastic choice for a fun and engaging drive.

Considering your weekly mileage, ensure the car's maintenance records are solid, and perform a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
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