Hi all I’m Steve the owner of a red 97 z3 which weve owned for 13 years and driven all over Europe with my wife Lucy, with no problems at all, due I suppose to the fact that it had been garaged most of its life, until we moved home. It was then kept under a cover outside our new house until I built a block of 4 garages, it took 3 years before I could build, and the car has really suffered as a result. The paint has deteriorated the lacquer is peeling due I’m told to the cover baking the paint, the roof leaked as a result of the rear widow separating from the fabric despite the cover being on, and has created untold issues. The list is as follows, the tension cables on the roof left and right have come out of the channels, and now will not tension the roof over both doors, the rear light cluster holders were rusty, so none if the rear lights worked, the dash and heater lights didn’t work, the rev counter didn’t work, the window mechanisms fell to bits inside the door cards and wouldn’t operate, the light switch seized and the rheostat in it had broken, the indicator/washer column fell to bits, the screen washer didn’t work, central locking and Alarm not functioning, both motors on the electric adjusting seats seized, the ignition lock was seized, the car wouldn’t start, the head lamp adjuster seized, and finally both block remotes batteries died along with the car battery and the car remote locking/alarm not functioning! Phew! So that was a month ago! The car was pushed into its new dry lit space, and I have been beavering away at the above list to bring the poor old thing back from the brink. Most of the list has been done with the FABULOUS help of this forum apart from the roof the paint and the remote locking. I’ve tried everything with the remote locking thats been suggested including a new box under the dash, and as yet still nothing! I am determined to resolve this, I’ve even looked at the ‘loom of doom’ as suggested, but all cables seem fine. does anyone know of a fix for the roof tension cables, I’m being told it needs a new roof, it seems a shame for such a small problem and the fabric is still in good Order, finally it’s booked it for a repaint so I’m hoping that by the end of this summer we will be driving with roof down again, sorry for the length of this.
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- Thread starter Steve coveney
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Welcome @Steve coveney You’re in the right place for useful tips and advice about our Z cars. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to answer your question. Perhaps a photo of the roof parts might help.
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- Model of Z
- Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
Thankyou still no joy but I’ll keep at itHi Steve andto the forum from me too in Stafford. That's an impressive list you've sorted, hope you can get the locking working too.
Re: the central locking. Is the car alarm unexpectedly going off?
Are you able to lock the car with the key fob?
Are you able to lock the car with the key fob?
The alarm is not working at all it won’t arm from the block remote or activate the central locking! Both the car battery and the fob batteries went flat! I’ve tried recoding and I’ve even tried a new black box but still nothing! The central locking wasn’t operating from the key until I fiddled with the drivers sensor in the lock, so now it at least locks from the key
I ask because my Z wouldn’t lock from either the alarm fob or manually meaning it wasn’t alarmed. I ended up putting insulation tape around the inner of the driver’s side door striker and it worked in that I could set the alarm and lock the car off the alarm fob. As the insulation tape wore thinner, the alarm would go off. The door striker was replaced and it eliminated the issue.
I do wonder if you need a good auto electrician.
I do wonder if you need a good auto electrician.
Thankyou for that I’ll try that I’ve had an auto alarm chap come to me twice and he has failed at resolving it
Further to our discussion, I went out to the car this morning and now the central locking is NOT working by the key again, the fault whatever it is, seems very sporadic
Perhaps you need someone here to recommend an auto electrician close by to you that they have used?
Good thinking but not sure how to do that on here
Thankyou it’s a wonderful place to be part of so much information!
Welcome to the Forum Steve, just out of interest I have had a look online, maybe this link might be of some help ?
www.rmsdiagnostics.com
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CALL US ON 01304 619580
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Home | Computerized Car Care
Contact Us
CALL US ON 01304 619580
REAR UNIT,
GOODWIN PARK,
SANDWICH IND EST,
SANDWICH,
KENT,
CT13 9LN,
Many thanks I’ll give them a ringWelcome to the Forum Steve, just out of interest I have had a look online, maybe this link might be of some help ?
Home | Computerized Car Care
Contact Us
CALL US ON 01304 619580
REAR UNIT,
GOODWIN PARK,
SANDWICH IND EST,
SANDWICH,
KENT,
CT13 9LN,
Start a new post asking for such a recommendation where you are. Nothing ventured…