project SiC's consolidated moderns - 2004 BMW Z4 2.2 and 2005 BMW 330i

[jim89]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

That was quick! 🎉🥳

Nearly 5k miles in a year since last MOT. Not bad effort from all the recent previous owners on here.

No advisories 👍🏻 congrats 

[SiC]

3 hours ago, jim89 said:

No advisories 👍🏻 congrats 

My local garage very rarely put advisories. The main tester got picked up by the DVSA and told they shouldn't be putting on advisories unless absolutely necessary. 

They're also pretty sympathetic to older cars, helped by being in a rougher part of Bristol where many of the cars are hanging. So their perception of hanging is maybe different to many garages that deal with newer and shinier stuff. Which is handy. 😅 

Not to say they won't fail where necessary but as we know, a lot of this stuff on a test can be very subjective. 

[cort16]

Christ you're a gluton for punishment with two bangle era BMW's you might be the first person even to wear out an ODB2 diagnostics tool through over use..

[purplebargeken]

He hasn’t mentioned that this is actually his 3rd set of diagnostics then….

[SiC]

Romanian company to fix my CCC hasn't got back to my messages. FB group recommended another guy - one man band outfit that he appears to do this work on the side to his main job.

I might DIY the CCC repair. Watched a few videos, doesn't look that complicated and only BGA rework of 2000-era technology after all...

Worse case it'll be a £200 second hand unit and then fucking around with coding to get it working. Some places say they're VIN locked, some just say it's only the coding that matters. 

[SiC]

5 hours ago, cort16 said:

Christ you're a gluton for punishment with two bangle era BMW's you might be the first person even to wear out an ODB2 diagnostics tool through over use..

Before I'm consigned to the looney asylum, I should say that we also own a naturally aspirated petrol Honda Civic!

My wife loves it but to me it's like the fallback car on Top Gear/Grand Tour.

[High Jetter]

Reliable, tho?

[camryv6]

Is the Dolomite finished yet ?

[SiC]

17 minutes ago, camryv6 said:

Is the Dolomite finished yet ?

🤣🤣🤣🤣

No.

 

(That was from last week when I was up at storage last)

 

I've nearly finished tidying and a quick reorganization of my garage though. So hopefully I can get the Spitfire back down and room for me to start on the Midget again. Really need to crack on with that. Had that nearly 2.5 years now. 

Amazing how much room you find you have once you clear shite out of the way. 

[SiC]

Bought one of these to keep in the glovebox when going on longer journeys. Old BMWs...

I have had the older version (creator 110) but I sold that to a mate a few years ago when he bought an R53. This one was £35 delivered off eBay. Apart from code reading and live data like the older version, it can also do throttle body reset and battery coding.

No brainer to keep one in a glove box of an old BMW.

 

Also replaced the key lock mechanism this morning. £15 delivered for one. The old read the key but the latch to hold the key was broken. Again like a lot of these things, I've never had one of these fail like this on a VAG or even Renault (albeit they do occasionally fail) slots. But apparently common thing on BMWs....

While it worked as is, it didn't register the key out unless fiddled with. My concern was that it wouldn't sleep properly or make it a pain for my wife to start the car if she used it. This sort of stuff where it's fiddly to use is what puts her off very quickly on using a car. 

I've noticed that BMW seems to love Philips headed fasteners. I actually prefer torx nowadays as easier to use. Also production facilities usually do as well because you can drive them in harder and faster. 

Also BMW use IDC cables everywhere (remember the old IDE cables in PCs? Like that). Again this surprises me as old tech that doesn't have great signal integrity or survive flexing that well. 

[SiC]

Just went out for a quick drive. ABS pinged up again. Rear left wheel speed sensor this time. Front right looks to be working perfectly fine after disconnecting/reconnecting it.

Maybe that rear left might come alive if I disconnect and reconnect it too?

Debating whether to just replace that front right sensor anyway and maybe that rear left too. But for now I'll see if I can get them working. I need to spend out on tyres, service and maybe a CCC if my rework skills aren't good enough to revive the original unit. Then any other bits and pieces it might need.

[camryv6]

I'm not sure, but i think you might like working on cars, more than driving them 🤣

[camryv6]

At least the classis are an appreciating asset, or at least that is what you tell the wife ? 

[SiC]

Appreciating but not at the rate of inflation and cost of using & ownership 😅

[JakeT]

These cars are also designed for police work. They have a built in run lock (but not as fancy). When you stop the engine, remove the key and within 10 seconds go to start the engine again and it will start and run. You can then leave and lock the car on the remote with it running.

 

The code reader is a no brainier. I keep a Carly dongle in my car just in case.

[SiC]

6 hours ago, JakeT said:

These cars are also designed for police work. They have a built in run lock (but not as fancy). When you stop the engine, remove the key and within 10 seconds go to start the engine again and it will start and run. You can then leave and lock the car on the remote with it running.

 

The code reader is a no brainier. I keep a Carly dongle in my car just in case.

I think that's more of a quirk than a feature! Most cars don't shut down for 10s or so after ignition off. So I imagine the ECU is still alive and immobiliser disabled during that period and hence can start it back up. Real run lock will kill the engine if you try to drive off with no key. 

 

I've already got my Foxwell code reader and BMW D+CAN lead, but both are too bulky to take with me. Apart from the R53 I had, I've never owned a car that I felt compelled to keep a code reader in the glovebox permanently. 😅

 

[JakeT]

No you’re very right, or even touch the handbrake or such. Strange they do it,  it as you say it’s a quirk. Handy occasionally.

 

I dont hugely see the need either, I just keep the Bluetooth adaptor in the glovebox because I’ll sometimes need it when nipping to see a friend or the like, and I’ll invariably lose it too!

[EspenO]

I replaced the rear left ABS sensor on my 325i a few weeks ago.

My old Creator whatever-the-number diagnose thingy couldn’t read it or tell which sensor, the BimmerLink app could.

Being able to leave the car running but locked without a key in the ignition, is great for defrosting on cold mornings. A bit annoying you have to start the cold engine twice (also, doors need to be shut or it won’t do it). 

[SiC]

This E90 is really fighting me.

I bought some fresh liquid flux and reflowed the PCB on the BGA packages. This era stuff is when they moved to lead free solder and had varying levels of success. Inadequate cooling in these things and vibration really kills them. My CCC (iDrive) is hw 9.8 and apparently the most prone to failure.

I got the devices up to around 160c surface temperature but underneath will be a lot higher. I don't really want to get it much warmer than that and damage the parts. 

However it didn't work and still exhibiting the same issues. 

I strongly suspect the flash memory has been corrupted on the main application storage. I can see the CCC gateway through OBD but no other parts of the unit. The bongs to tell me that the ABS light is on, oil level is low and brake pads are knackered all work. So the sound generation must be fine. The display I can talk to over OBD which suggests that is fine too. I can hear the CCC dvd drive cycling every couple of minutes which suggests it's booting cycling. 

Unfortunately it appears the only way of sorting that is removing the devices entirely. Not trivial with BGA packages. Plus I don't have a programmer suitable for these type of devices. 

I have also read that a damaged navigation DVD can do it. It doesn't respond to the eject button. I removed that by pulling apart the unit and manually winding it out.

Bit of a crap shot and it didn't work either.

So what is the next step? 

I might take it into work and get one of the technicians to look at it. We have a fancy IR automated rework station that I might jump on to reflow the device. That you can draw what parts of a PCB to heat up and it'll only do those areas. Serious piece of kit that is seriously expensive.

There is a recovery image that I've found which may be able to restore it. However I think it's not even starting up to that stage where it can read a disc. I.e. the bootloader is corrupted.

Might just call it quits on this unit and buy a replacement CCC. They can be had for £200 or so. I'll get a newer hardware revision so the chances of this should be reduced.

 

While outside fitting this, being a nice day, I had the windows open. When I went to close them, the rear right didn't want to close. Low and behold another common BMW issue - Window Bounce Back apparently. Never had this before on any other car.

Anyway after repeatedly hitting the up button, I got it out of the stuck spot and closed it with a fight.

 

So what does this car need?

 - iDrive replacement. I had hoped to get this fixed first as an easy moral booster! Looks like it's going to be a fight instead.

 - Rear left wheel speed sensor. I did order a replacement but Parts in Motion cancelled my order and now the discount code doesn't apply ATM. Thanks...

 - Rear left reluctor ring possibly. Not uncommon for these to fail on any car but guess what... When they fail on these BMWs, they take out the above sensor from the rust build up. I need to take the existing sensor out and check for scuff marks. 

 - Front pads barely have any friction material left. Pad warning light is on too. Maybe I might need to get new discs too. Hopefully not. Need a new pad warning sensor likely too.

 - Front right abs sensor now appears to be working but I'm not convinced just reconnecting it is a permanent fix.

 - Four tyres. Back left is illegal on the edge. The others are all worn and are winter tyres. Continental so a decent brand but 2011 date coded. 

 - Overdue an oil change by 800 miles according to the display, so I might get that done while Mannol is on discount. Need to figure which oil. Best guess is BMW LL-01 and 5w-40 for reduce burn rate. Air filter and pollen filter look in good shape though.

 - Noticed the Speedo wavers about a bit on a drive the other day. Also didn't start moving till I got above 10mph or so. Hopefully nothing sinister with the ABS module and just the abs sensor giving false readings. 

 - Boot struts are knackered and it tries to chop your hand off. Another set of £10 angrong eBay specials coming. 

 - Headlight washers get stuck out. Common BMW issue... Apparently back in the day, BMW would only honour warranty claims on these if you could prove you used genuine BMW washer fluid. Hopefully lube will fix this. 

 - Door handles don't always retract after using. Another BMW issue.... Hopefully a bit of lube will sort this.

 - That rear window is probably going to need a new regulator. 

  - New windscreen wipers. Cheap enough at £15 for a pair off Amazon.

 - Replacing the aux belt and tensioner. Definitely a squeak at the moment. Tbh the crank pulley looks a bit wobbly too? Waiting for an eBay 20% code at the end of the month before ordering that.

...And anything else that crops up being an old BMW. Maybe I'll look at sorting some of the oil leaks in time too. 

I have to say, my BMW experience hasn't been that great. Tonnes of common issues that are TADIS. 

Quite tempted to send a lot of this laundry list to a professional to fix. Getting increasing levels of CBA and just want it sorted. Not least I want to put time into my classics again.

Anyway have a sunset picture I took this evening. 

[Popsicle]

I have nothing to add to all that, the like was for the effort you're putting in, not the grief its causing you being an obstinate bugger.

It seems like you're getting through the niggles or know whats needed to fix them. Some very indepth and impressive ecu action going on too - well beyond my understanding but great to see you having a go at it.

[wuvvum]

I was quite surprised to find Philips screws holding the underside of the dash together on my Z4.  A couple of them were a pain in the arse to undo, I honestly thought one of them was going to round out.

[Split_Pin]

Those Creator code readers are great for the money. Mine found all the issues with my old R56 Bini, particularly wierd ones like the passenger seat occupancy sensor.

[SiC]

9 hours ago, Popsicle said:

I have nothing to add to all that, the like was for the effort you're putting in, not the grief its causing you being an obstinate bugger.

It seems like you're getting through the niggles or know whats needed to fix them. Some very indepth and impressive ecu action going on too - well beyond my understanding but great to see you having a go at it.

C'est la vie.

It's just an old BMW having issues. My expectations certainly are never high on any old German car and tbh every BMW I've had so far hasn't met them. 🙃

Tbh I'm mostly in a grump as I'd thought the iDrive would have been an easy fix but it's not. 😂

The easiest fix is to just chuck a replacement unit in and code it up. Just there are different revisions with different joysticks and I'm not sure what is compatible with what just yet. I don't want to change the joystick as that means replacing trim.

Like googling for a medical condition, googling for issues on an old BMW makes you think the worse. Reading about these ZF transmission, they are prone to have their torque converter go out. You apparently know this if the revs/speed fluctuates when cruising along. I put it down to the ABS but I am wondering if there could be more to it. Basically like googling for a medical condition, you convince yourself you're about to die in short order. 

[SiC]

Last Thursday there was a BBQ car meet at a local village hall. I should have taken the Spitfire out but I still need to pull it out of storage. Anyway I took the Zed down. 

Here are a few pictures. Some nice tin on show there and something for everyone. I uploaded these in order but I suspect they won't come out in order. So expect some interior/reaf shots to not be with the picture before. I cba reorganise 60 photos!

[busmansholiday]

Like the red Mk.1 'tina, my dad bought one of them new back in 1965. I can still remember going to collect it from the dealers but we were late (the Anglia probably broke down again) and it was sitting there on the internal ramp (remember those model garages with the internal ramp to the top floor - they really existed) just winking at us.

Collected it next day, but it wasn't the same.

[JakeT]

You’re really in at the deep end with the Zed and E90. Just a couple of points also:

5w-40 will be fine. I’ve run 5w-30 in all of mine but it doesn’t use a sickening amount of oil (maybe a litre every 3,000 miles now). LL-04 any stuff will be alright. I’d recommend a MANN HU-816X filter though.

Your car doesn’t have rear reluctor rings. They use the wheel bearing as the pickup for the speed sensors. Also has a larger diff that doesn’t blow up like 4cyl models.

Otherwise you’re spot on, and hopefully once you’ve taken care of the big stuff you can forget about it. Headlight washers can be coded out btw, silicone spray helps them retract. As does door handles.

[SiC]

19 minutes ago, JakeT said:

5w-40 will be fine. I’ve run 5w-30 in all of mine but it doesn’t use a sickening amount of oil (maybe a litre every 3,000 miles now). LL-04 any stuff will be alright. I’d recommend a MANN HU-816X filter though.

What about LL-01? Mannol is easier to get in that spec and I read LL-04 is mostly diesel specific. 

20 minutes ago, JakeT said:

Your car doesn’t have rear reluctor rings. They use the wheel bearing as the pickup for the speed sensors. 

Interesting. Reverend Bluejeans formerly of this parish says they have a castillated rings. Looking at different parts databases shows two different types. Presumably one is bearing and the other is tone ring. RealOEM isn't completely clear either and does vary between engine type and year. I've ordered two different types of cheap sensors off eBay and we'll see which it is. 

Problem is, if it is the bearing then I question what has failed. Ime the sensors on them rarely pack up. At least on other brands, BMW seems to have everything as a possibility... 😅

I'd rather it be just a sensor tbh. Much easier than getting the axle out. 

24 minutes ago, JakeT said:

the big stuff

Do you know much about torque converters and problems with them on these? I believe this car has a fluid change and I have read that some revisions are supposed to have an additive pack added as well as the usual special ATF. 

25 minutes ago, JakeT said:

Headlight washers can be coded out btw, silicone spray helps them retract. As does door handles.

Coding the handles out would certainly solve that issue 😛

(Can anyone remember the max power era where people removed exterior handles to smoothen their car (inevitably a Nova or Corsa) and had it on a remote control to open it?)

Tbh I'll probably keep the headlight washers active. Even though not needed as this doesn't have HIDs, I do like them in winter weather. I'll attack them with some spray grease and go from there. 

[SiC]

Just ordered 4× Goodyear Eagle F1 for the 330i - 225/45/17Y XL

Tyresonthedrive came in at £313.67 with them fully fitted at home on Friday evening. Really can't sniff at that for premium tyres imo. 

Autogreens were £264.50 for four with a lower speed rating than recommended). So just £50 more for a set of premium tyres.

[JakeT]

12 hours ago, SiC said:

What about LL-01? Mannol is easier to get in that spec and I read LL-04 is mostly diesel specific. 

LL-04 is, correct. It’s DPF friendly oil which isn’t going to affect you. I wouldn’t have an issue running LL-01 stuff if it’s cheap, and I usually change the oil at 10k intervals as the full 19,000 is too long. (Not that that’s an issue as my oil change reminder has stopped working properly now)

Interesting. Reverend Bluejeans formerly of this parish says they have a castillated rings. Looking at different parts databases shows two different types. Presumably one is bearing and the other is tone ring. RealOEM isn't completely clear either and does vary between engine type and year. I've ordered two different types of cheap sensors off eBay and we'll see which it is. 

So, it’s a bit of a minefield but reluctor rings are fitted to the smaller driveshafts on things like 318s and 320s. 6 cylinder cars did it like the older stuff and use the bearing as a magnetic pickup. 6 cylinder cars also have a different ABS module to include nicer features like cruise control that can brake, hill holder, brake drying, smooth stop assistance and brake fade compensation.

Problem is, if it is the bearing then I question what has failed. Ime the sensors on them rarely pack up. At least on other brands, BMW seems to have everything as a possibility... 😅

I'd rather it be just a sensor tbh. Much easier than getting the axle out. 
 

Agreed! Even if the sensor is a git to remove.

Do you know much about torque converters and problems with them on these? I believe this car has a fluid change and I have read that some revisions are supposed to have an additive pack added as well as the usual special ATF.

Not a huge amount, and six cylinder cars are usually okay from what I’ve read  V8 models punish them more. For some people the revs rise and dip when at constant load as the converter locks and unlocks, and there’s also the sensation of driving on a cattle grid. All I know on fluid is that they need the straw coloured ZF LifeGuard 6 fluid and a new sump.

Tbh I'll probably keep the headlight washers active. Even though not needed as this doesn't have HIDs, I do like them in winter weather. I'll attack them with some spray grease and go from there.

Mine are on too, I like them also. I even replaced one a while ago to cure a slow leak from them.

Also, if it helps I have a PDF service manual and PDFs of literature from BMW about these cars. Shoot me a mail and I can send them over.

[jonathan_dyane]

I would avoid LL-04, it has less wear reducing additives (because they soot up diesel DPF) so it's best avoided if you don't have a DPF.