i have a 2004 2.5 with 25k miles that's on CPO till the end of july. the top was closing hard and popping when opening. thought it was alignment. dealer says the pump/motor is too loud and needs to be replaced and thats also causing the other issues. to check this out, they need to remove the top...something they have been working on for 3 days now. they told me that if the motor is bad in its own right the entire job is covered by CPO. if they determine clogged drain plugs (which an owner has no way of accessing to check) caused the issue, then it will cost me $1300. has anyone been told of this issue and if so, how did you get it resolved? thanks.
They're apparently talking about two different things About the only two drains I know of are on sunroof equipped cars (which, obviously, your Z4 convertible doesn't have), or he's talking about the drain holes coming from the top corners of your windshield (with the top down, you should see a couple of small holes at each corner [those are your drains], which I really don't see how that has anything to do with a motor popping. If you take your car with the top up through a "touchless" car wash and you're not getting any water in your car as a result, chances are you're not having a problem with your drains. I'd probably do this first before taking it to that dealer. It sounds like he might try to trick you into paying $1,300. Worst case scenario, I'd find another dealer, because I'm having trouble connecting the dots logically between "clogged drains" and a popping pump motor.
i've gone the car wash route and the car is dry as can be. i agree with your assessment and appreciate your point of view. thanks for taking the time to respond....
You're welcome! Based on what you told me, that pump motor replacement should be completely covered under warranty. Run, don't walk, from that dealer if he tries to charge you $1,300 and claim its a problem with your drains. Your response tells me there's not a thing wrong with them and that they are doing what they are supposed to. If your drains WERE clogged, your Z4's carpet would be soaking wet by now.
There are drain holes located on top of the frame just behind the doors where the soft top stows. They are prone to clogging and need to be cleaned or water will back up and damage the motor, which is located on the left side. Everything you need to know is right here: http://68.230.199.103:8080/files/BMW_Z4_Errata/How to UnClog your SoftTop Drains.pdf Hope this helps and thanks to Shipkiller, Sixspeed and ZPost for the info. BTW, Shipkiller has a lot of great information about Zed maintenance on his personal website. I highly recommend checking it out: http://68.230.199.103:8080/Z4_Stuff.htm
Waterproofed Motor Does anyone know the build date when BMW started using the covertible top motor that is in a waterproof case to keep it from getting wet/rusted out? Freude am Fahren...
No, but I know a way you could find out... You'll need a part number for the old motor. Take the part number to the realoem.com or the penskeparts.com site. Enter in that part number. You should see a "PRODUCTION ENDED month and date" for that part, as well as a different part number right under it. BMW makes running changes to these cars all the time for various reasons.
Thank you!!!! This post, right here... ....was totally worth the price for admission! I'm so glad I found this club!
Sorry, late to the thread. Did you get your softtop issues fixed? Yes, I have a lot of info on the Z4 Softtop on my site. I had to pull the top on my wifes Roadster two years ago and have written several DIY's on the subject. On the subject of when did BMW silently figure out they had an issue and fixed it. Mid MY 2005 and the fix was to seal the 'Sound Insulation' (motor housing). Later on they updated the actual electro/hydraulic motor.
