Category: BMW Z4

MUST HAVE BMW Z4 BimmerCode Mods/Coding

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Ever wanted to enable hidden features or modify how your car behaves?

SimpleCarGuy here and today I will show you my top 7 BMW Z4 Coding Mods. This platform BMW Z4 is older, so you won’t see as many options as I’ve done on the BMW i3 in the past, but there are still a few really good ones.

Content:

So, let’s quickly talk about what you will need. You can skip to THIS TIME on the screen if you are already familiar with the process, but I’ll make it super quick. You will need this Veepeak adapter. They don’t pay me to say this and I bought this with my own money, but I recommend it because it’s only $30 and works well. You will also need to buy the Full Version of the BimmerCode app. Then you simply plug the adapter into the OBD2 port on your car and follow the steps to connect. I will have coding steps for each feature I’m talking about on the screen or in the description.

My Favorite Coding:

We’ll start with something simple. Let’s make the Auto Start Stop function remember the last setting instead of always being on when the car is started. I think this should be the default option on all cars with this feature. I know when I need it and I will turn it on. Otherwise, I just find it annoying most of the time and turn it off manually. It’s also probably the reason my starter went out a few months ago.

This second mod is definitely my favorite. We can change the top speed the convertible top will operate while moving. On LCI cars, I believe you can already do so, but on my 2012 Z4 as soon as you start moving, the roof operation stops. Until recent I thought you have to get a SmartTop to do this, but you can code this using BimmerCode. There are a few things to consider, though. I would not open and close the roof while driving every time. This will be more for sudden rains or when driving smoothly. Some say that the hydraulics are different on LCI models, but after checking the part numbers, everything seems to be the same. So, I’m not really worried about it, but this does put more stress on all components, so use at your own risk. This can be set up to open the roof all the way up to 30km/h, which is pretty cool!

Also, some US spec cars do not have convenient closing, so you can enable opening and closing the roof from the remote. At the default setting, it takes a couple of seconds for the roof to start opening or closing, which is too long in my opinion, so we can change that as well.

On top of that, you can also allow your windows to be opened or closed freely while the roof is being operated. Gotta be a little careful with this one, but at least the passenger can freely open the door while the roof is closing. You can also enable easy access. This will lower the windows half way so you can get in and out of the car in tighter spaces. You just have to press unlock twice once the car is already unlocked.

I also added a digital speed read out in the instrument cluster, which is nice to have for a quick glance. Of course, you can just toggle this on or off with the BC button once coded.

If you didn’t know, most BMWs correct the speed that is shown to you on the speedometer, meaning it’s slightly higher than your actual speed, you can turn this off if you like.

  • Wipers

While we are in this area, have you ever noticed how the Windshield Wipers don’t complete the cycle when you turn the car off half way through? We can fix that! We can also fix the level of the wipers when not moving , I always found it annoying that it doesn’t go flat down when you have the auto wiping on but you are stopped.

Another setting that should work like this by default is the air circulation settings. It resets when you restart the car as well, but I prefer it stays as I left it last time. We can easily change this as well!

  • Warnings: Disable Seat Belt BONG!!

Last on my favorites list is the warnings and reminders coding. I have coded out the seat belt reminder gongs as I KNOW to wear my seatbelt and I don’t need to be reminded. Any time I’m not wearing the seatbelt is because I’m moving my car or working on something in the interior. I also hate when it tells my passenger to buckle up since half of the time my passenger is my work bag or some groceries. You can also remove the ignition key warning if that bothers you.

Navigation Specific:

If your Z4 has a screen you might also want to get rid of the startup warning that you have to click ACCEPT on, the camera warning for when you go in reverse and enable video in motion.

Not my Favorite, but you may want:

There are a few coding options that I chose not to do on my own car, but figured I would mention it.

You can enable auto locking of doors and set the speed at which it does this.

You can also have your doors automatically unlock when you eject the key.

You can add panic alarm activation to your keyfob.

You can disable the corner LEDs if you don’t like the look of those and enable double pulse hazard flashers or 5 flashes instead of 3 for turn signals.

You can even increase the angel eyes parking light brightness, just make sure your bulbs can handle that.

  1. Auto lock of doors driving above 2mph/ car locking past 11 km/h.
  2. Unlock doors when key is ejected (if you don’t have comfort access)
  3. Panic alarm activation from the fob.
  4. Double pulse hazard flasher (looks super cool I think… )
  5. Indicator ‘tip’ up to 5 flashes (from 3)

Summary:

Of course, there are so many other things you can do with coding that doesn’t really have anything to do with visuals or convenience. For example, you can change the battery type allowing you to upgrade to a bigger battery or you can turn the voltage monitoring off so that you can upgrade to LED lights without having warnings on the dash. I think it’s pretty cool what we can do with our cars by just using a cheap little adapter and an app. What are your favorite coding options? Let me know down below, I’d love to see if I missed anything cool. Also, if you are new to this channel, why not check out where this car started and how it ended up here by watching this 2-year transformation video. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next one.

BMW Z4 Interior Lights Upgrade to LED

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Very simple DIY upgrade that brings the interior of your BMW Z4 to a new, modern level! In this video, I show you how to replace the old amber, yellow halogen interior lights with modern white LEDs.

Cracked BMW Z4 Headlight Fix – Headlight Removal and Lens Replacement

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This isn’t a video I planned on making, but after my headlight got cracked in multiple places, I had to do something! So, I decided to replace the lens on my #BMWZ4 headlight instead of buying a new or used. Not only did I save a lot of money by replacing the headlight lens myself, but I’ve also learned a new skill! This isn’t an easy DIY as it requires a lot patience and time to get it done. You will have to cut off the existing lens with an oscillating tool, heat the sealant holding it in place and remove it small piece at a time. Once the lens is fully removed, the sealant glue has to be removed from the groove and that’s easier said than done. Once again, lots of heat, stabbing with a flat head screwdriver is required to get it all out. You’re still not done as now you have to install thew new butyl headlamp sealant in the groove and install the lens with lots of heat, of course! Only once it all cures, can you reinstall the headlight back into the BMW.

BMW Z4 Reverse Camera Install – Aftermarket Backup Camera DIY

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Hey Guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. Today, I will show you how I installed a reverse camera on my BMW Z4. You can apply this method to any vehicle that has an aftermarket head unit as long as it supports backup cameras. If you’d like to see how I installed the head unit in this Z4, click the link in the top right corner. There are, of course, a few ways to do this, some easier than others, but here goes how I did it. Hope you enjoy.

Since I don’t want to drill a hole in my bumper, I started by modifying the bracket to fit my preferred camera. You want to get this done first and make sure it fits well as making changes after you run the wire will be a lot harder.

Here is when the simple project got just a little more complicated. After connecting the power wires of the camera to the reverse lights on the car, the camera would not power on. I assume this car limits the power sent to the reverse light and it’s not enough to power the camera. Solution here is to install a relay that gets triggered by the reverse light and then sends power to the camera directly from the battery. The relay I ordered also included a fuse, so now we have a much safer, fused installation.

So, here is how I wired it. The red wire on the relay connects to the positive terminal on the battery, the blue wire connects to the positive wire of the camera. Then the blue and black striped wire on the reverse light connector connects to the white wire on the relay and black goes to ground. This means when the reverse lights are on the white wire will turn on the relay which then will connect the camera to the battery over the fuse. I hope that makes sense. I do a visual explanation later in the video if that helps!

I decided to add crimp connectors to pretty much every connection that I made on this install. I like it because you can easily disconnect at any point if needed.

So, here is how it actually works from within the car. It’s very simple to use and that’s the entire idea. All you have to do is put the car in reverse and it will automatically switch to the correct app on the Head Unit and power up the camera in the back. The lines move with the steering wheel, which is great and the quality isn’t too bad for an analog camera. So, was it worth all the work that went into it? Honestly, a camera isn’t really needed in a small car like this and it was a lot of effort, but I like tinkering with my cars and I enjoyed doing some wiring.  If you have any questions or concerns, leave your comments below, like the video if you found it useful and I’ll see you in the next one.

BMW Z4 Aftermarket Apple CarPlay Retrofit – Full Installation DIY

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After upgrading the speakers and subwoofers in my BMW Z4, it’s now time to modernize the infotainment system even further by installing an aftermarket Apple CarPlay and Android Auto unit with a BMW style controller. My Z4 came with a storage box instead of the screen, so I couldn’t do what I did in my BMW 550 and just add an interface to the existing screen. Anyway, let’s take the car apart and get this installed!

Last generation BMW Z4 (e89) never offered Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and most didn’t even have a screen fitted. My Z4 is a perfect example as it doesn’t have any kind of display and came with a storage box instead. So, in this video I go through each step of installing an aftermarket Android unit that offers CarPlay and AndroidAuto. This unit also displays vehicle information when the car is running. Even though this head unit is touchscreen, I decided to add optional controller to make it easier to use while driving. This unit can be installed on any BMW Z4 E89 that doesn’t have a display or you are willing to replace the original CiC unit.

I have now wirelessly connected my phone to the Apple CarPlay and played with it for a little bit. CarPlay works as you would expect and connects automatically. Of course, you can also use it without connecting your phone and still have music, navigation and car data. This unit pulls this data from the car computer and can show you speed, revs, mileage, temperature and other data in various screens. Anyway, this concludes the install video, subscribe to the channel to see the follow up video for a quick review of the unit after I use it for a couple of weeks. Also, if you have any questions about the install or the unit, leave those down below and I will answer them in the same video. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next one.

BMW Z4 Full Speaker Upgrade DIY

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Have you ever felt like your stock speakers are just not good enough or you wanted more quality and bass? In this DIY video, I go over each step of installing and upgrading the dashboard speaker, the rear panel midrange speakers, the door speakers and tweeters and even the woofers behind the seats on my BMW Z4 (e89). The speakers and woofers I’m installing are AlphaOne by BimmerTech and I have been very impressed with the quality of the speakers, the sound they produce and even the packaging that they came in. All of the bracketary, adaptors and crossovers were included as well which made for an easy sound system upgrade. BMW Z4 speaker upgrade has been the best modifications I’ve done to the car so far!

My BMW Z4 (E89) came with the HiFi system (S676A), with included the following speakers:

5 x Midranges

2 x Tweeters

2 x Woofers

but you can also find the following sound systems on the E89 platform:

Base System:

4 x Midranges

2 x Tweeters

Top HiFi (S677A):

5 x Midranges

3 x Tweeters

2 x Woofers

1 x DSP Processor

BMW N20 (Z4) No Start When Warm Fix

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BMW Hard to Start Warm

INTRO:

After two years, no help from the dealer or the Indy shop and countless troubleshooting steps, I have finally solved the bad start issue on my BMW Z4. Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel! Today, I will go over all of the steps I took to try and solve this problem over the last 2 years, what I’ve learned in the process and how I accidentally solved it.

Quick Preview:

To put a lot of this into perspective, I got the car with a blown engine and swapped in a newer 30k-mile engine in my garage. Since I didn’t use the same exactly engine as I took out, I had to swap a lot of parts in the engine replacement process from the old engine. As a result, I had a few issues once everything was finished, but nothing I couldn’t solve. Except for this bad starting issue. When the car was cold, it would start no problem. However, after the engine was fully warmed up, there was a chance that it wouldn’t start or hesitate while starting. It didn’t help that the car has auto stop and start option and would turn the engine off at each red light.

From the information I have given you so far, what do you think the solution to this problem is? Leave your comments below and NO cheating! Now would also be the best time to hit that LIKE button to support the channel!

Troubleshooting:

Since I believed the issue had something to do with the engine swap, I started troubleshooting some of the more obvious items. I rechecked and retightened all of the ground wires as well as the power wires going to and from the alternator and starter, checked all of the fuses and everything else I could think of. None of it made a difference. To be clear, I never had ANY codes on the car related to this issue.

With the wiring not being the problem, I got to thinking that it must be something to do with the ignition system. The most obvious item that came to mind and something I definitely touched during the swap was the crankshaft position sensor, this sensor tells the rotational position of the crank to the ECU and when it goes back, shows similar symptoms to what I had. Luckily, these are very cheap on eBay, so I swap it out but the problem remained. Similarly, the camshaft sensors monitor the speed and position of intake and exhaust camshaft. ECU uses this information for ignition and fuel control, but after swapping these out as well, I still had the same starting problem.

At this point, I’ve posted on forums, groups and consulted with a few friends and of course everyone gave a different solutions and mostly blamed different sensors that are known to fail on a BMWs. Since I like tinkering with cars, I got right to it! I’ve swapped out the air intake temperature sensor, cleaned and later swapped the mass air flow sensor, tested the coolant temperature sensor on the engine block, unplugged the O2 sensors to see if that made any difference and even looked into the oil pressure sensor as well as checked the oil pressure when the engine was fully warmed up. All was normal, still no codes or any other indication of something being wrong with the engine.

Just to check some items off my list, I smoke tested the vacuum system on the engine to look for any leaks, replaced the vacuum solenoid and even cleaned the PCV valve in the process. Of course the results were still the same.

Knowing that the wires are all secure, the ignition system is operating as expected, most of the sensors on the engine have been replaced or tested and there were no vacuum leaks on the car lead me to believe that it has something to do with the fuel delivery. I started with a big one and replaced the HPFP as I had a spare one from my old engine. The HPFP is one of the common issues on this engine that can cause very similar symptoms. However, even after replacing the fuel pump, the fuel pressure regulator AND testing the fuel rail pressure, my starting situation didn’t change.

Things I’ve Learned:

All of the items I have mentioned so far have had no effect, but replacing the injectors did make a change, just not to how the car started. What I learned was that there were 2 different injector types on the N20 engine, the EU5 and the EU6. Although practically the same, at full throttle, I would get a lean code pop up once in a while. After replacing the newer EU6 injectors with the EU5 Injectors from the old engine, those codes never re-appeared. The reason I’m mentioning this is in case you are troubleshooting a similar issue and didn’t think to look at the injector version.

Dealer:

So, I definitely learned a lot in the process but after all of this time, the car would still be hard to start when warm. Since I couldn’t figure it out, I decided to take the car to a local Indy shop that specializes in German cars. They spent a couple of days troubleshooting the car and at the end told me that it ‘might’ be the Valvetronic servo motor that needs to be replaced. Looking online, it looked like a possible solution, but before I took the engine apart, I brought it to a BMW dealer to check out as well. They scanned the car, logged some data, reset the adaptations on the DME and sent me home. The issue was back before I even got home. Not wanting to pay $200/hour for further troubleshooting, I left it alone and drove the car as is for a while.

Final Fix:

Knowing everything you know now, have you figured out what the issue was? The solution was purely accidental. If you follow my channel, you may have seen a video where I replaced the starter motor on this car. After I removed the old one and got the new one out of the box, I noticed that they were different in size, color and even OE manufacturer. I was sure I ordered the correct starter as I went by part number that came up for my VIN. The reason these two were different is because the starter that was install on my car was for N20 engines that do NOT have the Auto Start/Stop functionality. Someone in the past, installed a starter that technically fit, but was not made for this version of the car. After installing the correct starter and driving for about a week now, I have had absolutely zero issues! This just shows you that you can try 100 different things, but sometimes the solution is hiding in plain sight. I hope some of the troubleshooting steps I talked about help someone fix their cars that have a similar starting problem. For now, I will continue enjoying my BMW Z4 now that it’s 100% issue free. Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next one!

BMW N20 Problems to Expect – Reliability Report

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. So, you are looking at a BMW with the N20 engine and want to know how reliable it is? Well, you found the right video as today we will be talking about the common issues, best and worst years to buy, what to do if you already have this engine in your car and my experience after 2 years with this car.

History:

We’ll start with a little background and history as I think it’s important to understand before we talk about the common issues and problems. I swear this will only take a minute! The BMW N20 engine was designed to replace the N52 and N53 6 cylinder naturally aspirated engines that were among the most reliable engines produced by BMW and used in most ‘common’ BMWs. Even though the N20 engine is a 4 cylinder, it produced similar power figures and powered equivalent models. Of course, this means the engine has been turbocharged, direct injected and used other top of the line technology for 2011 to achieve this performance.

There were a few different version of the BMW N20 engine manufactured from 2011 to 2017 and used in many different vehicles. Europe and other countries have the optional lower power 180hp version in their 320i, 420i, 520i and other ‘something’20 cars, but in North America we only had the 240hp version and that’s the version I will concentrate on in this video since the biggest difference is actually tunning and support components and not the engine itself. So, it mostly applies to both. North America got this engine in the Z4 (point to it), X1, X3 and X4 SUVs, 3, 4 and 5 series and even in the sDrive40e X5 where it was mated to the hybrid electrical motor. So, clearly it was used across most of the BMW range. [Show which cars it was in on the screen like I had the list in the emergency kit video]

Common Issues:

Alright, so what are the common issues then? The worst common issue on the BMW N20 engine has to be the timing chain issues that have been discussed at length. To summarize, BMW has used brittle plastics for the timing chain guides which break or crack after a certain period of time causing the timing chain to get loose and eventually skip timing, eventually destroying the engine. Hopefully it never gets that far and you notice the chain rattle way before that and get the chain replaced. In some cases, the chain tensioner is the culprit behind the loose chain and since it’s very easy to change, it can be a good first step before taking the engine apart.

The second big issue on the N20 engine is the rod bearing failure. This one is even more serious, but luckily not as common as the chain guide issue. If you start hearing a slapping type noise like this, you might be looking for a new engine. While the rod bearings are not impossible to replace, unfortunately, the crankshaft gets damaged in the process as well and to fix the journals on the crankshaft, the entire engine has to be taken apart. If there is any hint of rod bearings going bad on your engine, it’s time to replace those NOW.

With the scary items out of the way, let’s talk about some of the common issues that you can probably DIY or get done without spending a fortune. Just like with the N52 and N53 engines, the valve cover is plastic and has a tendency to crack and/or leak oil. This wouldn’t be a huge problem, but it usually leaks all over the exhaust and O2 sensors, which can be damaged in the process… not to mention the smell of burning oil.

Similarly, the oil filter gasket issue has been carried over from the older engines and can leak. Luckily this one is very easy and inexpensive to replace, but if it’s not replaced, it will leak all over the serpentine belt which can cause some serious engine damage.

We are getting closer to the end of the list, but there are a few more items to mention. As we know this is a turbocharged engine and as such it has a wastegate. Unfortunately, the design of it allows the wastegate flapper to get loose overtime and start making a noise. This wastegate rattle isn’t a huge problem at first as it just makes an annoying noise, especially when you start the car, but the looser it gets the more of an issue it can be as it won’t hold boost and degrade performance of the engine.

This engine is also direct injected as mentioned earlier and produces low emissions, which is great but it also means that carbon build up isn’t uncommon. The injectors themselves are also pretty high tech and can fail causing drive train malfunction messages and stuttering of the engine while driving. Check out this video on how to replace the injectors on this engine in the top right corner or the description.

The last item I want to talk about on the N20 engine is the high-pressure fuel pump. These were a huge problem on the N54 engines, but luckily not as huge of a problem here. They still do fail on these engines but at least they are not as expensive and can easily be replaced in half an hour. I’ve done it on this engine and here is how.

As these engines are becoming older and older, it’s also a good idea to check the coolant hoses for cracks, make sure the chargepipe is not cracked and inspect the vacuum lines for any leaks. The most expensive part of fixing BMWs is the labor, so maybe it’s good to tackle some of the easier projects yourself and learn more about your car in the process.

Best and Worst Years:

So, what issues got fixed over the years and what are the best years to buy then? [put this on the screen] In most cases, that doesn’t really matter, but with this engine there is a big difference. The only N20 engines I would recommend would be the ones build in 2015 and later as they have fixed most of the issues discussed here on those models. They improved the timing chain guides, changed the injectors to EU6 from EU5 and improved the overall reliability. If you are considering a BMW with the N20 engine between 2011 and 2014, I would make sure that all of the issues we discussed have been taken care and the maintenance has been on time, but especially the timing chain replacement.

Longevity:

What can you do?

Now, it may sound bad on the surface and I’ll admit it’s not the best engine in the world, but these engines are in thousands of vehicles and a lot of them have no issues at all or the issues have already been fixed. So, as with most BMWs, if you take care of them properly and do some extra maintenance they will last much longer. A few examples of that would be to check your oil every other fill up and change your oil every 5k miles and not every 10k miles as recommended by BMW. This will help with preventing rod bearing failure. Also, check for oil leaks and take care of those fast before they cause more damage and a lot more expensive repairs in the future. Lastly, if the timing chain has not been replaced on your early N20 engine, get it done before it’s too late!

Personal Experience:

As for my personal experience, I bought this BMW Z4 with a bad engine, but looking at its history, it was maintained by the dealer as per the book. You can follow my early videos on this car where I go through the process of replacing the timing chain, HPFP, injectors, fixing the wastegate rattle and eventually tearing apart the broken engine to reveal the damage done by a spun rod bearing. However, ever since I installed a 2015 engine in this car, it has been running like a dream for the last 2 years.

Conclusion:

All in all, this is not a bad engine, especially after the improvements done for 2015 and newer models and the other issues are only becoming common on engines with very high mileage. A lot of it also has to do with how the engine was taken care, driven and of course some luck on how it was built that day at the factory. With any luck, a well taken care of BMW N20 engine should be reliable and also inexpensive to maintain while providing a smooth, enjoyable and sporty drive. Stay tuned for the reliability video on the N55 and N63 engines in the near future, thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next one!

My BMW Z4 (E89) Journey – 2 Year Transformation

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This story starts a little different from most BMW owners. It didn’t start at a fancy dealership or even a used car lot. This car took many days of work, some frustration and lots of learning experiences to get here and I love it for it. So, let’s start from the beginning when this beauty showed up on a back of a truck, looking sad and broken, to now, 20,000 miles later and still bringing a smile to my face every time I drive it. I hope you enjoy this trip down the memory lane of my journey with the BMW Z4. If you hit that like button, I will even talk about my favorite things about this car I didn’t except!

I’m sure I’m not alone in this, but almost on daily bases I scroll through different website looking for cars I can’t afford or projects I should definitely not take on and wonder.. what would happen if I just bought it. One of those nights, I stumbled upon a few very blurry pictures of a BMW Z4 that was listed at an auction house and only had some ‘mechanical issues’. As not many people were bidding on it, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to get my hands on a very unique hard-top convertible. To be honest, I’ve never even seen one in real life before buying it. Hit that like button for buying cars sight unseen!

The rebuild:

I was scared and excited, I won a car at auction that I knew almost nothing about. A week later, a car hauler pulled up in front of my house and that’s the first time I saw this Z4. I could see the sexy curves of the body behind all of the dust and dirt and then I heard it start up as it was driven off the trailer. It sounded hurt, very hurt. With my very limited experience at the time, I was excited to jump in and get this engine repaired! After hours of Youtube videos and forums posts, I was convinced that the noise coming from the engine was timing chain related.

Attempting a timing chain replacement for the first time felt very ambitious and perhaps a little dumb, but what did I have to lose? After 2 weekend of work, I replaced the timing chain, the timing chain guides and sprockets and everything else along the way.. but when I started the engine, I heard the same knock, knock.. knock.

At that point I knew I mis-diagnosed the issue and the real issue with the engine was the famous rod knock.. which I later confirmed by taking the engine apart. Check that video out at the link in the description if you’d like to see the damage. The best course of action at this point was to get a replacement engine. Luckily I was able to source a 2015 engine with only about 30,000 miles on it for a very good price. This was the new plan, replace the engine. Surprisingly, engine replacement has gone smoothly and I honestly believe that it has given me a lot more confidence with working on cars in general and later on rebuild the BMW N55 engine.

When the engine fired up for the first time, missing it’s intake and exhaust and still barely attached to the car. I was on cloud nine and figured I’ve done the hardest part.. but of course, it’s not so easy. What I failed to realize is that there are many N20 engine variations. For the longest time, I had lean codes that I just couldn’t figure out. I replaced the HPFP and fuel sensors, tested for vacuum leaks using a smoke machine, replaced various other sensors and even put a new set of sparkplugs and coils, but my lean code remained. This is when I learned more about the differences between different year N20 engines. Turns out, BMW has upgraded the injectors from EU5 to EU6 sometime between when the Z4 was manufactured and when the donor engine was produced. I installed the old injectors into the new engine viola! No more lean codes! If you are doing something like this, you will also have to replace the Oil sensor and the HPFP has a different connector.

With the engine running like a champ, I started fixing many other little items on the car and cleaning everything I could. One of the items that I knew had to be done was to service the hardtop roof. It’s super important that these are very well maintained as repairing one of these is not easy at all. How hard is it? I called my local BMW dealers and out of 3, only 2 would even take a look at it. Anyway, I have a full video on how to properly lubricate all of the moving parts and moisturize the rubbers so it doesn’t leak and squeak.

One issue I still have with the engine is hesitation or failure to start up when the engine is fully warmed up. I’ve tried over 20 different items to narrow this down and have found nothing. I won’t go too much into it as I’m planning on making a video about this in the near feature, so subscribe and see what happens!

The Mods:

Even though I enjoyed how the car looked stock, I wanted to make it a little more my style. So, I did what everyone else has done on their Z4s and replaced the front grill from chrome to black and installed white LEDs to modernize the front end a little bit. I then installed a body color spoiler to lift up the back end as well. After the spoiler I tinted the windows for that slick hard top roof and even though I debated whether I should or shouldn’t tint a convertible, I love it! Since my Z4 is pre-LCI, I also decided to swap out the old blub looking side indicators for newer style chrome ones and painted the side reflector body color. These two modifications changed the side profile and gave the car a sleeker look. 

The biggest difference as far as style was done by the new wheel and tire combination. I went for the M437 style rim that normally comes on a BMW M3 and M4. I was surprised that my little Z4 happily accepted 19 by 9s on the front and 19 by 10s on the back. I had the wheels wrapped in some Nitto tires and this combination has been a dream ever since. Never rubbed and the ride has been decent as well. I must say, this has been my favorite change on the car and I love how it completely transforms the look. Later-on I converted to studs for ease of changing the wheels and tires to the winter set and this is what it looks like now.

Since I didn’t want to drill my intact front bumper, I installed some magnets behind the bumper cover and modified the license plate bracket as well and now I had a removable license plate I could use when parking on the streets.

For a while, I left it alone and just enjoyed driving the car, but then I had an itch that needed to be scratched. I wanted better sound out of the exhaust. I started by deleting the resonator and replacing it with a super sprint stainless steel pipe. It definitely made a difference and added many pops and burbles. Half a year later, I upgraded it further with a super sprint sport muffler and now she sounds just perfect.. well, at least for a 4 cylinder turbo engine.

Driving:

And here we are.. after all of the stuff I have fixed, upgraded and updated.. what have I been doing with the car lately? Well, we have had a beautiful summer and I enjoyed it taking it on long drives into the country, city and just around the neighborhood. If you truly enjoy driving and a car is more to you than just an appliance, this Z4 will keep you engaged and having fun while the sun shines down on you and the wind blows through your hair. I like that it doesn’t pretend to be a hardcore, aggressive sports car. It’s a sport, fun to drive grad tourer.

Conclusion\Future Plans:

To finish off the video, let’s quickly look into the future plans and what I want to do with this car. To start off, this is a long-term car for me. I’m not selling it any time soon, so expect to see it on this channel for years to come. I will get the startup issue fixed on it, hopefully sooner than later and I’m also planning on installing an Apple CarPlay system to bring the infotainment department into 21st century, but the good ones are at least $750 at the moment and I’m not sure it’s worth it. I mostly focus on driving and enjoy nature when I’m in this car, but I also like the convivence it provides. Either way, after two years of ownership and two years of videos, let’s continue this journey for many more! I hope you stayed tuned by subscribing and leave some ideas for me as well down in the comments. On that note, thank you guys so much for watching, I really appreciate it and I’ll see you in the next one.

Most Requested Mod on my BMWs – Replacing Kidney Grills on BMW Z4 and 550

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. Ever since I started posting videos online, I have gotten many suggestions, requests, complaints and even compliments once in a while, but the part that seemed to bother people the most and maybe had the most comments overall was that I had the M colors on the grill! So, in this video I’m replacing the fake M kidney grills with regular gloss black on both the BMW Z4 and the 550i.

Now, I installed mine before I knew how much people hated these and the stigma behind them. Everyone knows not to put M badges on a regular car, but what’s the harm in the M kidney grills? Well, apparently a lot as you cannot go on a forum or video without people complaining and hating on cars! So, for your pleasure and mine, let’s get these new shiny black ONLY grills installed and make the world a better place!

Do you agree with the general opinion? Leave a comment down below and let me know your opinion on this and while you are there, hit that like bottom for the Youtube Algorithm and maybe more than 20 people will see this video. Let’s get to it!