Z4 e85 - new 2007 coupe owner with noob questions...

Hello everyone,

Please be gentle, its my first post!

I just recently purchased a 2007 Z4 3.0si hardtop coupe. I have precisely 190km driven in it so far so not a ton of driving experience with it - but it seems to be a wonderful car with very nice handling and pickup. It is montego blue with a pearl gray interior (I believe those are the colors anyway). It has 18,000 kilometers on it so is fairly low mileage which is nice (well, either that or someone shady reset and odometer but I don't believe that to be the case).

As I am new to owning BMW (my other vehicle is a Mercedes), I am wondering some things about servicing. I gather from the manual there are 'I' services and "II' services (with the difference seeming to be II has spark plugs replaced and transmission fluid etc.

With such a low mileage vehicle, I am planning to take it to the dealer for a 'touch up' servicing as I really don't know the service history of the vehicle well - there was some BMW servicing done in 2010 and a battery replacement this year at BMW but I believe most servicing was not done at BMW. Is there anything in particular I should be on the lookout for in terms of known issues? Any thoughts on what I should be on the lookout for going forward (for instance, my Mercedes is infamous for door locks and window regulator issues).

I am also wondering about the basics of the vehicle. It is a 3.0si. As such I gather it has the higher horsepower engine tune of about 255 hp. It definitely has 18 inch tires and has paddle shifters. Oddly though, inside it seems more basic than I would have expected - there is no cruise control, no audio controls on the steering wheel and a BMW Business cd. Is this the 'base' 3.0 si configuration? Is that stereo then the 'good' one - I can only seem to find 6 speakers (2 door, 2 by the rear mirrors and 2 behind the seats). The lack of cruise control I already know will cost me at some point - I rely on cruise to stay outta trouble hehe.

The only 'odd' thing I have noticed so far is that you can pivot the mirrors up and out of the way. Cool! Oddly though, the car is not setup to automatically put them back in place if/when it starts moving. I would have thought that to have been a very basic safety type thing. Just seemed odd anyway.

Thanks for reading.

Whoa, whoever ordered your car went totally base spec. I've never seen a Z4 without the steering wheel controls. On the pre-facelift models (2003-2005) you can retrofit such options pretty easily, but I don't know about the 2006+ cars. Oh, and coupes are internal code E86, the roadsters are E85.

Sounds like you will have a great time doing Mods to upgrade the car.

Welcome to the club.

Regards

Well, I got it for a great price so although its base, at least its base SI. Its got the 'medium' sized engine (could have been a 2.0 or 2.3) and 18 inch wheels and paddle shifters so thats all nice.

Audio controls on the steering wheel would be nice - not sure if that is a post manufacture upgrade that is available. I don't think its an upgraded stereo though - I saw in a guide to installing something (Alpina iirc), that there are speakers below the storage spaces behind the seats (yea, the comically small ones that you can't get at with the seat back ) that are behind 'covers' of some kind. I have no covers over anything under those storage bays so I am pretty sure that means a very base stereo. Again, not sure that could be upgraded by BMW post manufacture either.

The ONE thing I would really like though if it could happen (the stereo is plenty decent enough for my tastes at the moment), would be to get cruise. Around town there are just so many spots where the limit goes from 50 to 70 to 50 again and if you brainfart while in the 70.....you know the popo is going to get you. Anyone know off hand if that is a possibility?

I talked with a friend about the mirror thing - he said no, its not supposed to automatically come back into position when you start driving. They system would be assuming you put them up because the spot was tight and if it automatically went back to 'open' when you started driving you could automatically break your rear views (if it was really a tight spot). Ok, fair enough.

Hi,
If you have the 18" wheels I suspect that you may have the "Sport package"? Button on the console just forward and to the right of the shifter.........
The 3.0si only came with the 255 hp engine.

Are you sure that you don't have cruise? Stalk just below the directional stalk?

If the car was ever serviced by BMW any dealer will have all of the records.

Pretty car........I love the blue!

Mine is also an e86,....black with black leather, sports and premium package.
6 speed.......

Good luck with it!
david