common issues around 80-100k miles: coolant expansion tank, valve cover gasket, disa valve, oil filter housing gasket, and ccv system. After taking care of these as preventative maintenance, these cars with the M54 engine should be fairly reliable.
these M54 engines are very good, used in almost all BMWs around 2000-2005, changing the oil every year is very important, I recommend 5w40 LL04. They easily run 400,000 km
@@johanslecht2636 I had x3 different m54 great engines loved all of them but everyone ended the same way using oil etc , my 330 clubsport used to need oil all the time, but I still bloody loved all of them tho lol the n52 isn't perfect either but have had alot less issues, I think either engine is worth owning love them both
Not being rude but you knocked on a electrical box when you were talking ab the expansion tank wich is towards the front , again not being rude just letting yk
Got a beautiful red 07 with 39,000 Mi on it. ABS light coming and going off and on hydraulic pump motor hydraulic pump connector is faulty. Oil leak coming out of the transmission oil pan and electrical connector. Just found all this out at the shop the other day getting ready to get it in. Love the car though
What I really like about them is that there is no touchscreen no other extra junk, but there are many features that come standard that are either optional or not available until the past few years in regular cars. So if you consider it a beater car it is the best little thing ever. It’s no fire breathing dragon, but it is very solid and handles confidently. I definitely wouldn’t say it slow but it doesn’t push you back in ur seat like a 350
Very good video, just want to mention a possibly detrimental common issue that wasn’t mentioned. TheDISA valve can come apart. Car will skip pretty bad,but is just a easy parts swap, but the metal pin that holds the flap to redirect the air flow though the intake can come out and go into the engine 💥. Happened to me on one of my 2003s. Pin was half way out,lucky. 30 min job. I went ahead and replaced it when I bought second one with 150k. It lasted to 200k on the first one
The N52 Motors in these Cars are Bullit Proof!! Just perform the maintenance on a regular basis. The expansion Tank, Water Pump, Thermostat housing, Oil cooler seal, Oil filter seal, Valve cover gasket, and Vanos, should be changed at 60 to 70.000 miles
Great video. the valve cover gasket issues in common on all straight six BMW motors along with the variable timing sensor which is a total pain on the 3 series cars and less on the z4 because of the position of the motor in the engine compartment. The biggest problem with the z4 is the run flat tires. Ride hard and don't handle great. Continental extreme performance and a can of fix a flat solves the whole problem.
@@gsgcarreviews steering starts getting notchy/ heavy then it loses all power assistance,usually happens on hot days because the grease in motor housing gets thick and burns out the motor.
@@ImErice rarely happens. I have been driving various M52 and M54 for 15 years, never had to replace them. But you can indeed replace them as a precaution now that they are getting really old, perhaps a good idea.
5:11 I definitely test drove one of these that felt like it was going sideways when you accelerate it hard. It may be that issue or it may be what is an extremely common issue on these I’m surprise he didn’t mention the bushings and ball joints. They go bad very quickly you can’t feel them because it’s electric power steering, and you have to replace the entire control arm instead of replacing individual bushings. Really probably the best thing to do anyway because there can be damage that you don’t realize but you can wear your tires very quickly.h
Nice Car :) I am lucky to have a 2006 E85 Z4 2.5i SE Manual with only 37k miles I need to do some minor work after driving it for 2 years, it is a beautiful car and so much fun to drive :) The Issues that I now have are: the electric steering has set itself slightly at an angle so I always steer very slightly to the right, I need to disconnect the battery, reset the steering to a far-off angle and restart, It's a bit more complicated than this but I should be able to reset the steering straight again. 2nd is The battery is getting old for the distance I travel and causes a weird low-voltage issue that only shows up in the rain with the heater on, the electric window defrost in winter and the windscreen wiper turned on, If I fail to keep the engine revs up the power to the wipers is too low and they stop moving to protect the motor, this is fixed by stopping the car turn off and restart, I will need a new battery in a year or so or I need to drive further each day to keep the battery fully charged.
Get the hardtop conversion, it makes it look so much better. Im thinking about getting one. I will say if you buy one (or any bmw) get one w/manuel trans. If you get an automatic an previous owner didnt take well care of it then the transmission failsafe pops up an you go into limp made. I know that its a safety feature but damn it was annoying. Dont buy any bmw just bc it looks good, always check the receipts. One more thing always bring a code reader (i perfer iCarly) to check it out. And when you test drive it, drive it staright to a bmw mechanic to really look at. Mistakes ive learned the hard way... sry post was so long lol
Bruhh I remember the first few months I was driving mine I always had a problem with the coolant like to the point I had two gallons of water on me (in summer) ik you’re not always supposed to put water but I had to and I had a really big hole on one of the pipes bc it was leaning against the motor so yeah 2 months of hell
I wrapped another z4 and did a review... the thing was overheating while I drove to my clients house 🫠 He did a lot of things to the cooling system but seemed to not work 100%
i have one of these and love it. but i wouldn't say that the closing of the door or anything from the interior seems well built to me. engine 10/10. trnasmision 10/10. interior and build quality 1/10
Damn interior 1/10 holy cow , I’m looking at one with 185k miles on it , so far only problem I found was windows won’t go up or down , and convertible to only works manually…..don’t know if I should get into it yet😢
What a lot of rubbish😂😂😂. Yes, things can go wrong, but most can be done yourself for peanuts. Honestly... All cars have and develop issues over time, all of them! I have 4 (5 with my lady's one) and all have various different issues... Porsches, BMW, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Mini (BMW) etc... the key thing is to maintain them, and fix things as they arise. If not, buy yourself a Toyota... They indeed don't often go wrong, but exciting cars they certainly are not!😂
Had none of the aforementioned problems with my Z4( zee 4 or zed four as we say in the UK😅) 2006 2.5si,though trouble with the roof motor which has stopped working due to water ingress because pf the ridicules place that bmw mounted it,probably ok for you as it hardly ever rains in Califonia,going to Mount it in the boot(trunk!) when I get around to it!,don't agree with the build quality,I also have a bmw f31 which is so much better,though that was built in Germany & not the USA!.😏
dont forget the injectors,coils,o2 sensors,oil filter housing issues and auxialry belt pulleys and the dual vanos & vanos filters engine wise n52/53/54/55 all suffer from these issues
What would you add to the list and would you still consider owning?
Get your BMW wrapped by me! 👇 👇
instagram.com/gsgwraps?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
My bmw z4 passenger door is stuck for no reason
common issues around 80-100k miles: coolant expansion tank, valve cover gasket, disa valve, oil filter housing gasket, and ccv system. After taking care of these as preventative maintenance, these cars with the M54 engine should be fairly reliable.
these M54 engines are very good, used in almost all BMWs around 2000-2005, changing the oil every year is very important, I recommend 5w40 LL04. They easily run 400,000 km
The n52 ones like the si coupe are get rid of most of these issues buy a later one and save doe in the long run
I couldn't have said it been myself
@@richardking6425 no the old M54 is better with less issues and cheaper to maintain.
@@johanslecht2636 I had x3 different m54 great engines loved all of them but everyone ended the same way using oil etc , my 330 clubsport used to need oil all the time, but I still bloody loved all of them tho lol the n52 isn't perfect either but have had alot less issues, I think either engine is worth owning love them both
Not being rude but you knocked on a electrical box when you were talking ab the expansion tank wich is towards the front , again not being rude just letting yk
Yeah I realized that when I was adding in the B-roll 😅
Got a beautiful red 07 with 39,000 Mi on it. ABS light coming and going off and on hydraulic pump motor hydraulic pump connector is faulty. Oil leak coming out of the transmission oil pan and electrical connector. Just found all this out at the shop the other day getting ready to get it in. Love the car though
What I really like about them is that there is no touchscreen no other extra junk, but there are many features that come standard that are either optional or not available until the past few years in regular cars. So if you consider it a beater car it is the best little thing ever. It’s no fire breathing dragon, but it is very solid and handles confidently. I definitely wouldn’t say it slow but it doesn’t push you back in ur seat like a 350
Well spoken!
Very good video, just want to mention a possibly detrimental common issue that wasn’t mentioned. TheDISA valve can come apart. Car will skip pretty bad,but is just a easy parts swap, but the metal pin that holds the flap to redirect the air flow though the intake can come out and go into the engine 💥. Happened to me on one of my 2003s. Pin was half way out,lucky. 30 min job. I went ahead and replaced it when I bought second one with 150k. It lasted to 200k on the first one
The N52 Motors in these Cars are Bullit Proof!! Just perform the maintenance on a regular basis. The expansion Tank, Water Pump, Thermostat housing, Oil cooler seal, Oil filter seal, Valve cover gasket, and Vanos, should be changed at 60 to 70.000 miles
This is the older M54, the N52 is for the facelift 2006.
The n52 tax is real, 2006 - 2008 is much more than the 2003 - 2005
@@RaabsIn513 much more what?
@@johanslecht2636 $$ money 💰
@@RaabsIn513 worth more? depends mainly on the condition and version and mileage.
a rare older pre facelilft maritime can be worth much more.
yeah mine has oil leaks and coolant loss, but they aren't major issues I just keep oil and coolant in the boot haha
Nice! Haha with any Prius I throw in Blue Devil and it's worked everytime 😈
Great video. the valve cover gasket issues in common on all straight six BMW motors along with the variable timing sensor which is a total pain on the 3 series cars and less on the z4 because of the position of the motor in the engine compartment. The biggest problem with the z4 is the run flat tires. Ride hard and don't handle great. Continental extreme performance and a can of fix a flat solves the whole problem.
steering failure /lock up,very expensive to replace as ive found out recently.
Never heard of that, thanks for chiming in! How do you now the early signs?
@@gsgcarreviews steering starts getting notchy/ heavy then it loses all power assistance,usually happens on hot days because the grease in motor housing gets thick and burns out the motor.
Appreciate the heads up!
@@gsgcarreviews easy fix.
ua-cam.com/video/9brZNPreKQs/v-deo.html
@@MyMustang72 I’m expecting this right now with mine and it’s hella annoying
Valve cover gasket
Coolant expansion tank
Front bushing
If you think the body style of the E85 is an acquired taste then you had no taste to begin with.
lol
You forgot to mention the DISA valve that granades the engine.
It can happen, but rarely in practice.
@@johanslecht2636 i wouldn't take the chance. learned it the hard way when the metal pin hung up one of the intake valves
@@ImErice rarely happens. I have been driving various M52 and M54 for 15 years, never had to replace them.
But you can indeed replace them as a precaution now that they are getting really old, perhaps a good idea.
5:11 I definitely test drove one of these that felt like it was going sideways when you accelerate it hard. It may be that issue or it may be what is an extremely common issue on these I’m surprise he didn’t mention the bushings and ball joints. They go bad very quickly you can’t feel them because it’s electric power steering, and you have to replace the entire control arm instead of replacing individual bushings. Really probably the best thing to do anyway because there can be damage that you don’t realize but you can wear your tires very quickly.h
I hear that! Thanks for the insight
Nice Car :) I am lucky to have a 2006 E85 Z4 2.5i SE Manual with only 37k miles I need to do some minor work after driving it for 2 years, it is a beautiful car and so much fun to drive :) The Issues that I now have are: the electric steering has set itself slightly at an angle so I always steer very slightly to the right, I need to disconnect the battery, reset the steering to a far-off angle and restart, It's a bit more complicated than this but I should be able to reset the steering straight again. 2nd is The battery is getting old for the distance I travel and causes a weird low-voltage issue that only shows up in the rain with the heater on, the electric window defrost in winter and the windscreen wiper turned on, If I fail to keep the engine revs up the power to the wipers is too low and they stop moving to protect the motor, this is fixed by stopping the car turn off and restart, I will need a new battery in a year or so or I need to drive further each day to keep the battery fully charged.
That's quite a list for such low miles! I'm sure they're relatively easy to fix though
GRE video
Thanks!
The Z4 is an old friend. I sold her when my Wife was pregnant with our daughter.
Get the hardtop conversion, it makes it look so much better. Im thinking about getting one. I will say if you buy one (or any bmw) get one w/manuel trans. If you get an automatic an previous owner didnt take well care of it then the transmission failsafe pops up an you go into limp made. I know that its a safety feature but damn it was annoying. Dont buy any bmw just bc it looks good, always check the receipts. One more thing always bring a code reader (i perfer iCarly) to check it out. And when you test drive it, drive it staright to a bmw mechanic to really look at. Mistakes ive learned the hard way... sry post was so long lol
Not at all man you'll really help the next person out
Good video but you need to add the tops motor issue and how easy it is to fix.
I was going to include it but it wasn't something that could "get worse" over time. Thanks for the input!
what about the common electronic steering failure.
ua-cam.com/video/gWIuYpXCLjI/v-deo.html
Mine is broken!
Someone else mentioned it on here, said it was an expensive fix?
Yikes
Bruhh I remember the first few months I was driving mine I always had a problem with the coolant like to the point I had two gallons of water on me (in summer) ik you’re not always supposed to put water but I had to and I had a really big hole on one of the pipes bc it was leaning against the motor so yeah 2 months of hell
I wrapped another z4 and did a review... the thing was overheating while I drove to my clients house 🫠
He did a lot of things to the cooling system but seemed to not work 100%
@@gsgcarreviewsSounds like head gasket.
What was wrong with it
i have one of these and love it. but i wouldn't say that the closing of the door or anything from the interior seems well built to me. engine 10/10. trnasmision 10/10. interior and build quality 1/10
I have one, i think the same... 😂
Damn interior 1/10 holy cow , I’m looking at one with 185k miles on it , so far only problem I found was windows won’t go up or down , and convertible to only works manually…..don’t know if I should get into it yet😢
@@MrwinecontrerasI wouldn't just bc the mileage
@@thelegend6911 I didn’t!! Still shopping around
Me too😂
Where are you located?
Long Beach!
60 000 miles and this car is ready to scrap. Oil everywhere, cooling system doesn't work. Windows links broken. Roof engine swap. Only body is ok.
What a lot of rubbish😂😂😂. Yes, things can go wrong, but most can be done yourself for peanuts. Honestly... All cars have and develop issues over time, all of them! I have 4 (5 with my lady's one) and all have various different issues... Porsches, BMW, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Mini (BMW) etc... the key thing is to maintain them, and fix things as they arise. If not, buy yourself a Toyota... They indeed don't often go wrong, but exciting cars they certainly are not!😂
Had none of the aforementioned problems with my Z4( zee 4 or zed four as we say in the UK😅) 2006 2.5si,though trouble with the roof motor which has stopped working due to water ingress because pf the ridicules place that bmw mounted it,probably ok for you as it hardly ever rains in Califonia,going to Mount it in the boot(trunk!) when I get around to it!,don't agree with the build quality,I also have a bmw f31 which is so much better,though that was built in Germany & not the USA!.😏
Fatal? Thats a stretch
Hehe
i already have an oil leak at 68k miles
Yikes how bad was it
@@gsgcarreviews found out previous owner put in a chinese knock off oil filter. that’s it
@@Mwzu ez fix I'm glad to hear
Engine wise It suffers from the issues the M54 Family has there really isnt anything exclusive
dont forget the injectors,coils,o2 sensors,oil filter housing issues and auxialry belt pulleys and the dual vanos & vanos filters engine wise n52/53/54/55 all suffer from these issues
Zed 4
lol