bmw z3 bmw inspection11

[peter2b]

just got an estimated for the above from my BMW garage£490.99 of that bmw oil £108.03 labour £303.51 that does include brake fluid change plugs and 2 filters
peter2b

[colb]

If that's not an incentive to do it yourself I don't know what is, thankfully I can do it all on mine just paying out for oil, filters and plugs and have the satisfaction its all been done right.

[Bonzo]

It's not too difficult to do this sort of service. there are plenty of you tube videos for oil, filter and plug changes. You will get to know your Z more intimately if you work on her. If you are not confident, I'm sure a nearby forum member could spend some time with you looking over your shoulder and get you wielding some spanners correctly. Best of luck.



Bonzo.

[motco]

My only concern would be brake fluid changing. It's dead easy with normal non-ABS dual circuit brakes, but I tried to bleed my son's Z4M Coupé brake system after changing the flexible hoses, and it was very difficult. Eventually we got Phil at CPC to do it with his electronic gear for controlling the DSC module. I don't know whether the Z3 is as tricky though.

[peter2b]

that did say I could suply my own oil which would save£108.03 don't fancy doing the brake fluid change due to abs/asc, and plugs don't cost that much but the body inspection is what I think is important
peter2b

[colb]

A small investment on a service reset tool and a code reader and maybe a Airbag code reader and reset tool would set you up for getting into a DIY mode. All these available on ebay for little money but very well worth having in your tool kit.
You mention inspecting the body as being a priority, the service is not going to inspect anything over and above what is carried out at an MOT test every year. The MOT should pick up any problems or likely problems in the future on corrosion issues, suspension bushes and steering joints, exhausts, brakes and tyres. Advisories on a MOT test should signpost anything that needs attention before the next MOT.
If your not confident on changing brake fluid then an independent may charge up to £50 to do that. With the right kit it is doable as a DIY task.

A good low entry trolly jack axle stands and a pair of car ramps will enable you to get under the car to drain oil from engine and gearbox and rear diff, also to change the fuel filter. The cash you can save by doing it all yourself can of course be redirected to the running costs.

[motco]

Because the oil filter is so easily accessible without removing any shields or even jacking up, you could consider a pump to suck the engine oil out. I know, I know, to some this is an heretical suggestion - too much residue remaining, etc., but frankly you'd be lucky to get every last millilitre out through the sum plug so sucking or draining are, in my view, very similar. The single most important step in any service is the oil and filter change and if sucking it out means the job gets done more often then it is the way to go. As a matter of convenience there's no contest.

On my X-Type even if I were to suck it out, the under shield must come off to change the filter, so draining it is.

[colb]

I have a Pela Suction pump and an electric one I picked up at Aldi or Lidle. Prefer the hand Pela Pump, I used it on a previous car that had 8 litres of oil in its sump and it was less messy than draining through the sump plug all in one go. Regular oil changes should mean less sludge build up in the sump so quite happy my pumps removes 99.9% of the old oil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su5kYzAyFt4

[pingu]

My only concern would be brake fluid changing. It's dead easy with normal non-ABS dual circuit brakes, but I tried to bleed my son's Z4M Coupé brake system after changing the flexible hoses, and it was very difficult. Eventually we got Phil at CPC to do it with his electronic gear for controlling the DSC module. I don't know whether the Z3 is as tricky though.

As long as the pump doesn't get any air in it, there should be no problems if you use a pressure bleeder.

[motco]

My only concern would be brake fluid changing. It's dead easy with normal non-ABS dual circuit brakes, but I tried to bleed my son's Z4M Coupé brake system after changing the flexible hoses, and it was very difficult. Eventually we got Phil at CPC to do it with his electronic gear for controlling the DSC module. I don't know whether the Z3 is as tricky though.

As long as the pump doesn't get any air in it, there should be no problems if you use a pressure bleeder.

I had hoped that we didn't get any air into motco jnr's Z4MC but all we got through was a pathetic dribble with the Gunson Easybleed in place.

[peter2b]

I don't have any problems doing it all my self having built two cars (kit car and a mgb gt) and sevicing more cars thst you can shake a stick at , I'm also a qualified engineer but I like to have a qualified bmw fitter to double check my car as they should have a lot more experience inspecting and checking z3's as well other bmw's
peter-2b