Z4 factory service/repair manual ...?

[wildbill]

Bought my Z4 back in the end of January, and have spent the last couple of months trying to get familiar with and knowledgeable about it.
What a job!

The last 50 years, or so, living 35 of them in Alaska, I have owned and driven Ford, or Dodge pickups.
I have always been a shade tree mechanic.
I always kept a set of Factory Service/Repair manuals for each vehicle I owned, the same as what the dealers use in shop.
I have tried to accomplish the same for my Z4.
You Europeans have whipped me to a stand still.

Don't quibble with me.
I'm from 1/2 way around the world and include the British in that category.

I have looked around on line trying to acquire a set[?] of repair manuals for my 2005 Z4 E85 Roadster.
Being a skin flint, I did buy a fairly cheap downloaded PDF copy of a repair CD.
I chose it because someone here spoke well of it.
It is a piece of garbage, and all but useless.

I did find a freebie here:
https://www.allcarmanuals.com/factory-service-manual-380-BMW-Z4-E85.html
It does contain at least some schematics.
But, It's still just a collection of PDF's.
I have little to no faith in it's completeness, or even accuracy.
Is there a true factory repair manual available for this car, either buyable or as a freebie?

 

[wildbill]

Addendum:

I found the following note on a closed [shut down by BMW] website:

 

Quote

This site is closed per demands of BMW AG ...

^{... *} However, we believe that BMW violates the right to repair by effectively locking out individual consumers from basic repair information through unreasonably high access fees.

That could explain why their so hard to find.

[Greydog]

Morning Bill

Now don't go dragging us Brit's into BMW's dodgy decisions 😆

I have copies of BMW Diagnostic programs on an old  Laptop BMW 1.4.0 and BMW ISTA/INPA which includes technical repair information, the downside it doesn't get BMW updates. Not an issue as most of the BMW's I see are friends and family and are a few years old anyway. Total cost was less than $100 US

A couple of sites I use in conduction with the Diagnostics are www.realoem.com BMW online parts list just put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box it will bring up your model then look in the relevant section, makes sure you get the right bits. I also use www.pelcanparts.com great site with excellent "How Too's" complete with pictures it's a US site so it will have the steering wheel on the side you like 🤣

Hope this is a help

Dave

PS Just checked Ebay and there are copies of ISTA/INPA for £55 (about 80 or 90 dollars)

 

[wildbill]

Hi GD,
Thanks for your response.

Quote:

16 hours ago, Greydog said:

Now don't go dragging us Brit's into BMW's dodgy decisions 😆

You and all other owners of previous models are just as much a victim of BMW as I am.
I've run into similar from other's.
They only give assistance to buyers of new vehicles, or such, with no concern that I'll buy new parts they manufacture.
------------------

I'm still looking.

There are so many people supposedly offering versions of this on eBay and elsewhere.
My one bad choice so far, has left me very leery of where I can get a good one.
It's looking to me, because they're so hard to find, that there is a multitude of people out there trying to sell anything they can just to make a buck.
Maybe there's also a lot of buyers that just aren't very knowledgeable.

My first choice was a bad one.
I don't want to acquire a stack of bad choices before I finally get a good one.
I'll look at your recommendations to see if I can find something there.
My biggest problem is that no one really shows what they're trying to sell you.
They seem to expect faith on the buyer's part: ... yeah, on the internet.

Thx again,
Bill

 

 

 

[Greydog]

Morning Bill

If memory serves (dangerous at my age) Bentley published repair manuals in the US worth checking 

As an old engineer with a need to know I have always had manuals for every car I have owned (even the new ones under warranty) Then in the 90's when all marques moved towards Diagnostic program's technical and service information was included in these program's hence your PDF problem. On my old laptop I have copies of Mercedes Star, Volvo, BMW, Toyota and VW Audi. All because I have owned or family have owned these Marques and even when they were Dealer serviced it is good to know what is happening. I have experienced one of my Mercedes that I scanned and was showing 2 faults both gearbox related going for regular service telling the service manager about the Gearbox issues, then on collection being told they could find no fault only to re-run my scan and the faults were still there and still present ?? It took quite a fight to get them to correct the issue which without diagnostics they denied were there.

Good luck with your search

Dave

[wildbill]

What a mess!
I searched extensively online for an OEM manual.
Apparently BMW has thoroughly locked up availability for this.

eBay has a lot of ads for a workshop manual hinting that they're OEM's used by the dealers.
They come from a few sources mostly in the UK, with charges from about $11+ up to almost $14.
The ads are from several sellers.
But, the format of the UK ads is the same for each of them, obviously the same seller.
I ordered one of them in the $13 range.
It was nothing more than a copy of the freebie mentioned earlier in this thread.
I was able to get it cancelled.

Other than the one mentioned earlier in this thread, all I can find is a link to order a Haynes manual.
I've always used OEM manuals and have a fairly low opinion of Haines.
But, that's all I can find, so I have one on order.

 

After looking a bit more, I probably have enough enough experience that having an OEM manual may not be an absolute necessity.

I've just diagnosed that it's ignition switch has gone bad and am about to order a new replacement.

[Greydog]

All BMW Dealer service and repair information has been Digital since the early 2000's 

I still think a copy of INPA mounted on a laptop would be a great help to you, good work on the ignition switch

Most important ENJOY your Z4

Dave