Z3 M Coupe service intervals?????

[DjSki]

Any comments gratefully received!

I have found a good potential purchase despite it being 200 miles away!

Only issue so far is the service history sounds a bit unusual, can you give me your views as these gaps seem large? I though intervals were 7.5k on these!

All BMW main dealers

996 miles-running in
5,435 miles- oil, Oct 2000
10,035 miles- Insp 1, Nov 01
25,574 miles-oil, Feb 2003 (14k mile gap??)
49,866 miles- Inpection 2, April 05 (24k mile gap???)
65k- oil, Nov 07

Cheers, Guy

[rassi]

On the S50-B32 engine (same as E36 M3 Evo) the service intervals were certainly max 10.000 miles, with a little longer if exclusively motorway usage. The later S54-B32 (E46 M3) had longer service intervals, but again no way near 20 or 25K.

The one you are looking at (S50-B32) certainly has a fishy service record, and unless it has been serviced at an independent (with invoices to back this up) in between the main dealer services, I would walk away.

[Zead]

10k max on oil as even BMW use Magnatec on the S50. although this oil is good for 20K the vanos is sensitve to cold start on thicker oil as it ages. The other fluids, gearbox, diff, coolant, brake fluid, should all be changed at insp II. Normally around 20-30K depending on use. This has not happened until 50K that's worrying and 5 years in to the life of the car. Its a long trip to be disappointed. Leave well alone
Z

Edited by Zead on Monday 11th February 11:04

[speed8]

Agree with the others. It's an S50 so should be around 7.5 to 8k per service. Seems to be missing quite a few so who knows what else hasn't been done.