Desperately Need Help

[Cheryl in Romford]

Hi,

I am a new member, having acquired a BMW for the first time in my (long) life last year. I have a zippy little Z3 from 1998, my first ever convertible and i LOVE it. However, i have been really stupid. Please excuse a long tale of woe but I my last hope is that someone who owns a BMW might be able to help me.

I always fit good new tyres to any secondhand car I buy and last year I did this. When I got my Z3 with a new MOT it had mentioned that the exhaust was rusty so I asked the guy to have a look and let me know how bad it was. When he came back to me with the quote for the tyres he also gave me a quote for a new exhaust (£187). I hadn'd asked for a quote, just an opinion, but as I have two jobs and very little time to spare I asked if he could do it on the same Saturday he fitted the tyres and he said he could. I thought it was very cheap but as a lifelong car owner i was used to exhausts having to be changed and I thought I would get this done to see me through the winter and be able to get to work and maybe replace with a genuine BMW part when i had more cash. Even so, someone said it was suspiciously cheap for a BMW repair so I rang them back and said not to bother but they guy said he had ordered it and I let myself be pushed into having it done. I couldn't get a lift back when I went in and I thought it was taking a very long time to get everything done. The exhaust was always loose right from the start and a subsequent garage tightened it up a bit better.

Anyway, the following year's MOT was a failure on emissions. By this time I had found a good, genuine, honest garage. I asked if the catalytic converter had been damaged by the cheap exhaust and he said I no longer had the cat - the tyre place had stripped out the entire original exhaust system, cat and all, and I had no comeback because I had said to put on a new exhaust. In my (limited) experience it is only the back part that rusts and needs to be replaced and I have always relied on the integrity of the garage doing the work to realise that, but I have not previously owned a quality car and was unwise to the resale/scrap value of their parts. I felt sick when I realised that I had sat and waited while i was literally being robbed and then paid them for doing it. It feels like a violation and I am determined to restore my beautiful little Z3 back to its original state with a genuine new exhaust.

I was told the cost of obtaining and replacing the whole system would be around £1400. I acquired a Barclaycard and said to go ahead and order it. The next blow was to find out that BMW no longer make the exhaust for my Z3. I just cried. The supplier is now trying to find if there is anywhere out there that still has one in stock and that is the current position.

So, in order to maximise the chances of finding a BMW replacement I am appealing to the Owners Club if anyone knows where I could possibly get an original exhaust (or at least a near identical copy).

Thank you for your time.

[Guest DazH]

Hey Cheryl

If done correctly (Re-mapped ECU) it might still pass an MOT. Maybe worth getting advice from an actual exhaust specialist.

Don't forget what an Exhaust actually is. It's a length of pipe that runs the length of the chassis. Nothing more, nothing less. Their are many exhaust companies out there who will get rid of a standard exhaust in favour of a complete stainless-steel one which is much better. These set-ups don't rot so often come with life-time corrosion guarantees! All they will do is fit a custom pipe in and add on the silencers.

As for the Cat, you can always just pop an after market one in along side your new stainless-steel zaust. The BEST thing you could do is buy a new Cat from BMW as that is perfectly optimised for your car but, I can let you know now... it has a heavy BMW price tag. If I was put in your position, It would be an ebay jobbie haha

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z3-2-0-CAT-CATALYTIC-CONVERTER-1998-2000-NEW-/120409812308?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c08fbed54

Last stainless steel place I used was a "Powerflow" outlet: http://www.powerflowexhausts.co.uk/. They are dotted around the place

I can also tell you that, if you go for a nice stainless steel kit, your Z3 will sound AMAZING

all the best,
Daz

[Cheryl in Romford]

Hi Daz,

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply and give me some helpful, detailed advice. I will pass this on to my garage and ask them to make enquiries and I will also check out the web addresses that you gave me myself. If I remember correctly though, I think they said it was actually the Cat that BMW don't make any more for my Z3. I would LOVE a beautiful stainless steel exhaust and I will definitely check this out.

Kind regards,

Cheryl

[Guest DazH]

Cheryl, what engine do you have? (What Litre) so I can find out for you

Cheers,
Daz

[mickl3008]

Go for a stainless exhaust, much cheaper than the £1400 quoted by BMW, you dont need a cat. Get a remap done. Oh and welcome to the forum