NZ00Z3

Time and effort are free, I'm retired and fixing the car up will help fill the days. Is it worth the money and expense? Only if I don't spend too much in the initial purchase. The worst case parts list is known and priced with an allowance for the unexpected, as is the market price for the completed car. The total $ outcome is positive at the moment.

Thanks KwS, a good read of the basic process. Its a 1999 car, so the higher level inspection/re-certification process will apply.

Hi I'm looking at buying a BMW with dead Rego and bringing it back and getting it registered and warranted. As it is an "out of service" car, are there any restrictions on the work that I'm allowed to do? E.g. do the brakes have to be repaired by a mechanic? I'm looking at doing suspension and brake work among the wide range of general fix ups. Regards Murray

Would love to see photos of the Z1

While the Duttons S54 M Coupe was a special car at a special price, I still agree with you that the car on Trademe is over priced. $50,000 to 55,000 landed and fully N.Z complied is the going rate for it considering the mileage. Not $50,000 plus shipping and compliance. Having been a member of various UK Z3 forums for years, I've seen some horror photos of rust under Z3's with similar mileages as the M Coupe that would not get through the N.Z compliance system. It may be pristine, but it is an area to keep in mind and get photos of the under side during any negotiations.

Another nice M Coupe on Trademe, this time right hand drive, but where in the world is it located? Waiting for the auction questions to be answered. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=1957720037&tm=email&et=45&mt=2A1A6709-5791-44E1-AFDB-C46190AEDD43

I agree the price is on the silly side. Would like one, but out of my budget.

Thanks for the link to the NZTA motor vehicle register. I've been after this sort of data access for a while and have had a fun morning digging through it all.

Nice car I do wounder how long the engine will last with 15 PSI boost on a high compression ratio engine.

Hi John Wow, that's one expensive motor. EBay pricing for a 54347193448 gives - motor only NZ$330 delivered, you need to be able to do the motor change on the hydro unit - complete Hydro unit NZ$920 delivered (around 4 -6 weeks delivery time) Bet the BMW dealer will only put the new motor back into original position, ready for it to fill with water again and fail. Better off doing the job yourself and doing a relocation job at the same time. I have not had to do a hydro relocation on a Z4 but have an electrical fitting background and I'm willing to give you a hand. I'm based in Timaru. Regards Murray

Hi John No I have not done the roof motor relocation on a Z4 myself. Below is a link to a "How To" for the job. https://zroadster.org/threads/z4-roof-motor-relocation-to-boot.19256/ Hope that helps Regards Murray

When you get the com's fault when trying to connect to the DME, it often gives you some small type message that tells you which DME is installed. Its then a matter of finding a model with the same DME as per the message.

If you purchase a second hand ABS unit. it will need to be coded to the car with a computer. You would need to find someone in the BMW world in Invercargill with a program called NSCexpert and the right cable to do the coding for you. A better approach would be to get your unit repaired, then all you have to do is put it back in.

Yes the part numbers need to be the same and the new unit needs to be coded to the car. The coding is not too difficult as long as you have NSCexpert and the correct cable.

Do they make Right Hand Drive mats?

Love the 3.0L Z3 on a summers day drive.

Hi There's one posted over the weekend on the Timaru, South Canterbury buy sell and exchange face book page for $40. Comes with airbag and slip ring. It has the extra buttons for cruise control etc as well. Hopefully there is enough data in the picture to allow you to track it down. Regards Murray

Add fuel injector top and bottom O Rings to the list of spares to have on hand.

Hope it stayed in the country.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1877748359.htm?rsqid=c6469cd241664051bbc16dd972fa9aca Nice to see such a rare car in N.Z.

The photo shows 3 ports, 1 x 7 mm and 2 x 3.5 mm. Its a M54B25 manifold and all three ports are blanked off. The blanking caps will split over time, especially the 7 mm one. If you have a secondary air pump, it will be controlled by one of the 3.5 mm lines.

Also check the vacuum lines and blanking cap on the ports at the rear of the manifold as they crap out too, see picture.

Have you tried the USA and Canada BMW sites? The S52 being very common in the USA Z3M's and E36M's will give you a wider net to get one.

Its likely to be a vacuum leak between the MAF and throttle body/idle control valve. Check your short term fuel trims with your scanner to see if they are high. Look for a crack in the rubber tube that goes to the idle control valve, its a very common problem. Also check the tubes for the crank case ventilation system for breaks. The vacuum leak is large enough to give you misfire codes but not large enough to push the long term fuel trims to the end of range and trigger lean codes. The problem goes away when the engine is warm because the engine management is in closed loop mode and uses the O2 sensors to detect the lean mixture then compensate by adding more fuel.

Get yourself a wiring diagram for your car so you can get the right connector terminal numbers. All you need to do is move the fog light wire from the light switch and connect it to the supply wire going into the light switch. This bypasses the light switch. Ensure that the light switch supply is "hot in run and start" and not "hot all the time".