Some Z3 to Z4 questions

[peteslag]

Hello all. I have just bought a Z4 3.0 and so far I'm very happy with it. I had a Z3 for a few years so I'm aware of most "newbie" type things. Just a few quick fire questions for the stuff I don't know:

1, What does the sport button do? (manual transmission)
2, There is a small amount of oil pooling on the floor of the boot, I'm guessing I'm in for some roof motor related problems?
3, The roof doesn't latch down on it's own, it needs to be pushed down the last inch to engage the down lock mechanism. Is this related to problem 2 or do I need to adjust or lubricate something ?
4, the rear tyres are the same size as the fronts, is this normal? (every powerful rear wheel drive car I've owned has had wider rear tyres)

That's it for now, more stupid questions to follow I'm sure.

Thanks, Pete.

 

[billz]

Hi Pete
The wheels i believe should be Staggered
The Sport Button makes the responsiveness of the car better

 

[billz]

Just looking at your wheels they look like LA Type 103 and if so on realoem they only show one size which is 8J 17" ET47
So it looks as though they are not Staggered

 

[GazHyde]

Staggered wheels on the Z4 depend on the rim size. Most of the standard 16's and 17's aren't staggered.

 

[Redline]

When you say pooling on the floor - is that in the well where the battery is or the floor of the boot. Crack in the third brake light is a common problem.

 

[t-tony]

My 3.0 doesn't have staggered wheels, ................ yet! Give it 4 weeks. A set of 108's on Goodyear Eagles going on.

Tony.

 

[peteslag]

When you say pooling on the floor - is that in the well where the battery is or the floor of the boot. Crack in the third brake light is a common problem.

It is oil, not water. The only thing I can think of that could leak oil is the roof motor if hydraulics are involved. I thought it might be a common problem on the 4's.

 

[GazHyde]

The bigger issue with the Z4 and hoods are that the drainage channels block and the motors end up being submerged in water and fail. It's possible there is a leak in the hydraulics but I've personally not heard of that happening. It would be the only source of an oily fluid in that area that I can think of though.

 

[peteslag]

Staggered wheels on the Z4 depend on the rim size. Most of the standard 16's and 17's aren't staggered.

The back of the car feels a bit slippery compared to my old z3. I think some new alloys are in order so I can fit wider tyres. CSL'S look nice, might invest in some of them.

 

[GazHyde]

The back of the car feels a bit slippery compared to my old z3. I think some new alloys are in order so I can fit wider tyres. CSL'S look nice, might invest in some of them.

Will be the usual list I'd imagine... Incorrect tyre pressures, crap tyres, old tyres and so on. Also you can add run flats to the equation. That said when I was on Bridgestone runflats mine stuck like gum on the bottom of your shoe! They were 255 rears though, so a bit wide than what you have

 

[peteslag]

The bigger issue with the Z4 and hoods are that the drainage channels block and the motors end up being submerged in water and fail. It's possible there is a leak in the hydraulics but I've personally not heard of that happening. It would be the only source of an oily fluid in that area that I can think of though.

Bum. I was hoping it was a common thing. Further invest required on that one. I'll do some research into the water drainage thing when i get a chance. The roof goes up and down ok, it just needs a bit of help locking down.

 

[billz]

You can get some really nice Concave ones now look really smart

Very Similar to mine

 

[peteslag]

Will be the usual list I'd imagine... Incorrect tyre pressures, crap tyres, old tyres and so on. Also you can add run flats to the equation. That said when I was on Bridgestone runflats mine stuck like gum on the bottom of your shoe! They were 255 rears though, so a bit wide than what you have

225's aren't up to the job, it just doesn't feel planted at all. I have plans to take this thing on the track so definitely need an upgrade.

 

[peteslag]

You can get some really nice Concave ones now look really smart

Very Similar to mine

They look fantastic. I'll need to do a bit of digging and find out if they are good enough quality to trust on a track day. I've never bought after market alloy wheels before.

 

[MAURICE THE MARTIAN]

Hi Pete,
The sport button tightnens up the steering, great on the twisty bits, and also makes the throttle more responsive, again useful on a cruz,
As to the oil strange one that, coz the roof motor is buried in the passenger side rear wing , accesible when the roof is removed,
Roof motor failure is a common prob due to the drain holes getting blocked and the motor being sat in water,
As to the latching makes sure the rollers wher the roof catches aren't siezed,
M

 

[MAURICE THE MARTIAN]

P M, sent

 

[zedonist]

The Z4 had a staggered rear and front track.

 

[peteslag]

I've just had her on a ramp to give it a full service. This car has lead a very sheltered life. The mechanical bits are like new. I've found a few minor imperfections on the bodywork that look like they occurred whilst it was being parked, also a bit of kurbulence on one of the alloys. The roof looks brand new.

I've cleaned up the oil in the boot and it hasn't returned. The roof still won't latch down on its own but it is getting better. Who knows, maybe the oil wasn't from the roof hydraulics and was just from a spillage. Fingers crossed that the roof will start latching on its own if I just keep using it.

 

[smiffy]

The back of the car feels a bit slippery compared to my old z3. I think some new alloys are in order so I can fit wider tyres. CSL'S look nice, might invest in some of them.

Maybe the Z3 was just better!

 

[peteslag]

Maybe the Z3 was just better!

Ha ha, nothing like a good z3 vs z4 argument. Having owned both. ........ .......The jury is still out!