Dirk

@NZ00Z3. Many thanks. Yup. 3.0 m54

OMG! I hope I don't have to do that again! It is ridiculously tight. Mini socket set and bent nose pliers are essential. Just getting the nuts and bolts off was a task. I opted to pull the front brace forward with a ratchet strap. This gave me much more control and free hands to wrestle the pod out. Servicing the vanos pistons was a walk in the park after that. There was no chance of squeezing a torque wrench in there so I had to guess by hand putting it back together. My hands are cut to ribbons. But! It was worth the effort. She runs smooth as a button

I have found this on another forum: https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/vanos-removal-on-z4.394732/ It doesn't sound like BMW thunk this one through on this model. So unless anyone has a different experience I'll be going for the pry bar method.... D

I'm experiencing typical symptoms of a "worn" VANOS. The engine has done 140,000km and I doubt this maintenance has been done recently. So I have bought a seal kit and I'll have a crack myself. Has anyone done this on this model car? It looks like there is very little clearance for actually removing the VANOS pod from the front of the engine...... Any tips welcome. D

Update: It seems my control arm bushings are shot.... Kinda irritated it wasn't spotted by either the alignment shop or the mechanic back in January but also glad I have a diagnosis. Have ordered new tyres too. That and a fresh wheel alignment and I should be good to go. Thanks Dirk

Thanks Eagle.

Fair enough! And I wouldn't want that M as a daily driver. It only ever made sense when I was hammering it.... any other time it was a chore to drive. This wee 3.0 is my daily driver. I'm not expecting epic handling. I just want to get it as good as it can be without modifications. For the most part I like the handling and appreciate the comfort on long trips (which I make often). The amount of power and handling is perfectly accessable for my skill level.

Here ya go.

Thanks both for your responses. The clunk is beyond my mechanical expertise. I've booked it in to get looked at. I'll get them to check the suspension and steering components while there at it. Regarding tires. They are Bridgestone re003. Not my favourite tire for NZ roads but they are in good condition so I'll go with it unitil they're worn out. My go to would be Michelin PS4. I've have great experiences with them on all sorts of sports cars. I also remebered that the chap at the wheel shop bumped the pressures up (without me asking) so they are higher than spec. I will drop them back to spec and see how that goes. I threw out the alignment sheet... I'll swing by and ask them to print me a copy and I'll post it here for your comments. On another note.... It does burn a bit of oil. about a litre per 3000k. I've read the comments on these engines burning a bit and I'm not going to cry over it. Too late for that. Just incase though I've ordered a new PCV. You never know I might get lucky with a cheap fix.... Cheers!

Hallo! I'm the proud new owner of a e85 Z4. 3.0 6speed manual softtop :) It needs a bit of TLC but I think (hope) nothing too serious...... I would love some direction in finding the answers to the following questions. 1. The history is a little suspicious. It was purchased new in NZ but the first owner let the registration lapse and registered when he sold it. No km driven the the latter two years of ownership. Sounds like maybe an acident? Is there anyway I can find out? There is evidence of a resprayed front wing. The car is registered as a 5 speed... but clearly it has 6. 2. To add insult to injury the wheel shop could not get the wheel alignment in spec. The camber of the front right wheel is not as negative as it should be but the shop assured me it was close enough. To be honest the steering does feel a bit vague especially on a straight road. I may be a little spoilt as the last BMW I drove a lot of was a e85 Z4M with sport suspension and 20" rims. The steering was sharp even if the ride was hard as nails.... 3. There is a quiet clunk as I decelerate and accelerate in 1st gear. any ideas? Many thanks Dirk