Rookie with questions (pix)

[RedRover]

Hi Guys.
Brandy new member here.
Not new at much else as I am a retired dude who just bot a 1998 2.8l Z3 roadster.
My first BMW. Finally!

Couple of quick questions......

1- Not the kind of guy who does the "why Didn't they......?" game. So, what is the best way to keep the rear window clear, unscratched and supple?

2- I bot the car from a dealer, so he didn't have all the answers......
The radio is a Pioneer. Is it worth while to trade that out for whatever the original was?

3- The car has 51,000 miles. I will of course change oil and filter.
Synthetic or Dino? I change oil 3K. On this car that will be maybe every 6months.

4- Every car brand has their "issues". Is there anything outside normal maint that I should do to this car now?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
My time is pretty tight right now, but I WILL read most, if not all the Z3 forum statrting in a week or so.
In the meantime, Howdy!

RedRover

 

[adrean8j]

Howdy and Welcome Homer! I dont own a Z3 but the engine that is in your car is the M52 type(the same engine that is in the 328i and the 528i, also same as the slightly detuned 323i and 523i....just FYI)

Now to the questions....

1. Sorry cant help you there But I am sure Big Daddy will chime in on that since he has a Z3 also(he is also everyones Big Daddy but shhh...dont tell!...LOL)

2. If you want your console area to look stock then yes....if you dont care either way then leave it or get a better one from Alpine. If you really want a stock radio I would say check-out Ebay first and then various OEM vendors....mind you the stock OEM radio will be waaayyy more expensive than numerous other aftermarket radios with better quality.

3. 100% Synthetic....most people here would say to stick to the well know brands(Castrol, Penzoil, etc, etc...)

4. Well the "issues" are the standard ones that all cars will have around the 60-70 km range. For example your shocks and springs may start to go bad, brake pads and rotors will need changing, etc, etc. As far as the engine goes you SHOULD be ok. There are incidents of bad VANOS on the M52 motor(I experienced this firsthand) but they should be few and far between. O2 sensors and the such should be good for at least another 30-50 thousand km's

Big Daddy or any of you other Z owners out there wanna add anything?

 

[nadroj]

Every time you drive it make sure it is warmed up before you really get on the throtle or rev it high

btw good looking car

 

[gelbm]

The answer to your first question is to clean the back window with any clear plastic cleaner product that DOES NOT have ammonia. There are a few products out there like Maguiars clear plastic window cleaner and NOVUS (www.noscratch.com/novus/) that are very good. Ammonia will turn your wind that brownish-yellow color you see on many convertibles. As for keeping the window scratch/crease free, you should get a rear window guard protector. Roadster Solutions (http://www.z3solutions.com/) has these rear window protectors and a whole bunch of stuff you can add to you car.
Your 2nd question is strictly personal decision. I have the original in my 2000 M-Roadster and it works fine. Unless it’s not working or sounds terrible, I would leave it and spend that money on something else.
Question 3 is a little more difficult. What oil is currently being used? If the dealer put in synthetic then use can use any synthetic oil you want. I use AMSOIL synthetic in all my cars and have done so for almost 10 years with no problems. Mobile1 is another good synthetic to use. Last time I heard/read, Porsche will void your warranty if you don’t use Mobile1.
Your last question I probably better answered from some of the other guys here who have more experience with the M52 engine and components. Hope this helps.


gelbm

 

[Big Daddy]

Welcome to the board and the Z3 family. MY first roadster was a 97 2.8, great car!

Regarding your questions,

#1 I too use Meguiar's Clear Plastic Cleaner and polish. Meguiar's Plastic Products My rear window is clear and supple.

#2 I would switch it out for a stock one, but that is a personal choice. If you like it and do not care than leave it.

#3 Synthetic oil is recemmended and would have been used by the dealer in your car. I am a Mobil 1 person, I have used it for over 30 years without a hitch. I run Mobil 1 5w30 in my roadster. I would also recommend Redline's differential and transmission fluids. Redline

#4 Check the Z3 fix-it page This is the best Z3 repair site on the net.

Best of luck with your car!

 

[Da Argentinean]

regarding the radio dont change it i have problems with my origninal ever now and then on any lil bump the cd skips...but if your going for the org look like some has posted before go for it if not leave it as it is.... if it isnt giving you problems i would stick to it....

If you do chose to go with the original then go to www.bavauto.com they have any replacement you could ever need for your car....good luck [bmwdance]