Tag: bmw e89

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 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 Z4 Cat-Back Exhaust – SuperSprint Sport Muffler

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Hey Guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy Channel. About a year ago, I decided to upgrade the sound on my BMW Z4 and as the first step, I went with a SuperSprint resonator delete. It definitely made a difference and I got many more pop and burbles while driving, but OF COURSE, I wanted more. So, a few months ago, I ordered the sport muffler from the same company. I’m not sponsored by SuperSprint and I paid full price, the reason I picked them was because.. well, no one else makes stuff for this car. When I tool this muffler to a couple local shops, they all told me it would be 600-800 dollars to make the pipe between the muffler and the existing resonator delete pipe out of stainless steel. Since the pre-made stainless steel pipe was half the price from SuperSprint, I went for it. Unfortunately, it went on backorder and I had to wait a couple of months for all the parts to get here.

Finally, I have everything needed to have a full Cat-back exhaust on my BMW Z4. Meaning everything past the catalytic converter will be aftermarket and should sound much throatier and more aggressive. It will also allow me to start looking into some tunes in the future. Will the sound be worth the price? Let’s get all of this installed and find out together!

After getting the car up in the air as far as I felt would be safe, I still did not have enough space to cut the exhaust off with precision, so I went to my local shop to get it installed instead of proceeding on the driveway. Unfortunately, I couldn’t film as it was getting installed, but here is the end result! It looks great and cost me less than a nice dinner for two but now let’s see how it sounds. There are 3 different version of exhaust in this video. The first few clips I have stock exhaust, then you will hear resonator delete and finally full cat-back super sprint exhaust. Now would be a great time to hit that like button for YouTube algorithm and of course leave a comment down below letting me know what you think of the sound. Don’t forget, this a turbo 4 cylinder and not a V8!

5 Reasons to Buy a BMW Z4 E89

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Today I’m going to talk about 5 Reasons Why You need to pick up a BMW Z4 e89 right now!

  • I’ll start by talking a little bit about the driving experience
    • If you truly enjoy driving and a car to you is more than an appliance. You’ll enjoy driving a Z4 every time. You are fully engaged in the driving experience whenever you are behind the wheel of this car. You get the wind and the sun, the unique sounding inline 6 or even the 4 banger, a manual gear box and a sporty, yet comfortable handling car all in one. With its sporty ride, a fantastic feel of the road and a cool breeze blowing through your hair, it’s hard to say no. This is not a hardcore sports car, more of a Grand Tourer that can act sporty when you ask it to.
    • The engines put into these Z4s were mainly the N52/N54 which were incredibly strong/award-winning engines with adequate power and a beautiful sound out of the in-line 6. The N20 engine is not as robust, but the later models are not a bad choice.
    • Not to mention, the N54 Engines are easily tunable to over 400 HP and even more torque which equates to more speed and even more dynamic driving experience.
  • The next reason for me is the looks
    • One of the main reasons to get this car is because of the unique BMW design.  She’s a timeless beauty that seems to get better with age and always puts a smile on your face. Whether the top is up or down, you’ll love the shape and aggressive but sleek design. It looks great as a coupe, and even better as a roadster. To me, it’s the only convertible car that looks just as sexy as coupe as it does as a convertible.
    • The exterior design also seems to be aging very well, most people don’t believe it’s a 12 year old design. With that long hood, It has the looks of a (future) classic and allows you to sit all the way back almost on the rear wheels.
    • The Z4 will put a smile on your face every time you get in and drive it, even if it’s for a simple reason that every time you park, you’ll turn your head to look back and glance at the unique shape. It’s art on wheels with long, sexy and voluptuous curves. Never seizes to amaze me how much of a head-turner this car really is.
    • The interior is exclusive, refined with those rounded knobs and integrated leather. It definitely takes inspiration from the Z8. It may look a little dated now; especially, with the old looking radio, but at least it’s not like many current BMWs that look the same on the inside.
    • Fun fact: This is the first and I believe only BMW to ever be designed by a team of women designers
  • The Next reason is Exclusivity
    • BMW E89 doesn’t look like the rest of the cars, it is not a common sight; especially in the Midwest where I live. Which makes this car very unique and exclusive. Not only is it distinctive from other makes, it’s even unique in the BMW family as this is the only hard top roadster that BMW has made in recent history. This makes it a very special and exclusive looking BMW on the road.
    • I’ve always loved cars with long hoods like the Mercedes GTS or the Dodge Viper, so being able to afford a car with this exclusive feature was a great feeling and just added to the classy, sexy and aggressive look that the car projects.
    • And if you think about it, it’s also excusive because you can only take one other person with you, which will make your lady friend feel very special!
  • Next, let’s talk about the value and cost of ownership
    • I believe these cars will be appreciating in value soon. People are starting to realize what a cool car this is and good examples are now being kept in garages. To be clear, not every Z4 will go up in value. As an example, my Z4 has lots of miles, a replacement engine and doesn’t have all of the fancy options or the top spec engine, but they still sell for more than the KBB value.
    • These cars also tend to have better specs and technology compared to other roadsters in this price range. 
  • Now let’s take a look at the cost of ownership and how it compares to other cars like this
    • For being such a unique and fun car to drive, it surprisingly is not crazy expensive to run and maintain. The N52 and later N54 engines are some of the more reliable BMW engines. The n20 engine is a bit of a troublemaker, but parts aren’t expensive. To learn which models are best, check out my videos on BMW Z4 Problems to Expect.
    • You also get lots of technology, especially on the higher trims that you wouldn’t get in the less expensive cars like the MX-5, which makes this car more suited for a luxury daily driver or a fun weekend cruiser.
    • Not to mention it’s cheaper than a Porsche Boxster.
  • Speaking of the Boxster, let’s compare how the two cars stack up
    • I have noticed a lot of people comparing the Z4 with the Boxster. While I do not deny that a Boxster is a great car, I do think the Z4 represents a better car for the money.
    • It’s less expensive
    • It has a hardtop and it’s arguably a more reliable and easier to work on car. The engine and many other mechanical parts fit from many other BMWs, like the 3 series, which are plentiful.
    • It’s also rare compared to the Boxster and even cars like the SLKs and MX-5’s. You see those on the road all the time.
    • Not to mention it’s one of the few roadsters that fits a person over 6 foot tall. My taller friend couldn’t get into the SLK or Boxster but just fits in this car.
    • Of course, if we take a look at a Porsche 718 Boxster,  it most likely is a superior machine in every ways, but when it comes to looks; especially, with the roof up and down, and looking at the price, it’s a very hard sell at being twice as expensive.

In conclusion, It’s just an amazing car, a great combination between Sportiness and Luxury. Enough modern features and tech giving you the best of both worlds, a beautiful convertible and a sexy coupe.  If you can afford the 35s or 35is then definitely go for those models for the great sounding, silky smooth straight six engine. If you cannot, the smaller engines are still a great buy as you will love looking at it, driving it, and love how you look in it.