Nigel G Wilcox

Diary

BMW Z3
Maintenance Project On A Shoestring

The Diary of the BMW Z3

To Living the dream...if we are allowed to!

1

1

2024__________________Well ! Almost________

Click on Cover For Chapters

BMW Z3

2.2 Straight Six
5 Speed
Manual
Convertible
Titan Silver
2171ccm 170HP
125KW
Petrol

My Diary Of An
BMW Z3

Z3 2002 Engine 2.2
5 Speed Manual

Nigel G Wilcox

click

'Looking Good!

The Positive!

24.04.22 This afternoon has been forecast rain and I was looking for an excuse and couldn't find one. The oil needed changing and it wasn't going to do it on it's own, so up to the garage...

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Ideal Screen Composition 1680x1050

The New Year 2024 - it is now 7 years on with my Z3 Daily Driver and it is still going wellish!
This year the Z3 is ready for a good service with those irritating little things to be cleared up, such as the seat bushing replacements to stop the chair from rocking. I can blame the MOT garage for that last year. I would also like to change the headlight bulbs as they are not so bright at night, sort out some wiring and the list goes on. With changes in Government legislation many of us are uncertain on how long we will have our freedoms to drive our classics without the ongoing abuse of politicians, but we can only guess and see what develops!

09.01.24  - Just waiting on one or two items ordered, such as stronger headlight bulbs, down to Christmas postage backlogs, like most years : (Arrived pm). In the mean time, I have received a new battery isolator that has been on my shelf for a number of weeks.  I have just taken it off the shelf to have a look at it.

12V Battery Relay Switch Dual Remote Car Battery Disconnect Relay Anti-Theft Battery Shut Off Switch Isolator Compact Battery Isolator

I have been having to open my Boot/Trunk to isolate the battery using a quick release clamp when storing the car in the garage, I was looking for something better or more efficient and this could be the solution.

As many Z3 owner's know, if one has a full sized battery, there is not much room within the battery well, and anything above the battery will prevent the carpet board  covering the battery and tools section this spoils the aesthetics' of the boot compartment. so I really needed to devise a D.I.Y  upgrade to make it work:

This is a 'mock-up' of what I came up with.
My battery fills the compartment up to the lighting facia, however there is space under a plastic shelf towards the corner 'bin' as indicated within the image...>>>

With a piece of metal plate extension from the battery connector, (attached with small bolts and nuts) to the the relay (30) the unit can now be tucked under the shelf and this will also prevent anyone tampering with the connection to the relay, it is more time consuming for a potential thief and like with any security, 'time' is the thief's worst enemy. Added to other deterrents this can only make the car a little more secure.

So what does it do? One may well ask. By using a remote, the relay acts as a switch isolating the battery 'on' or 'off', this is a quite a simple concept really and it saves  time in manually unlocking the Boot/Trunk remotely or via boot/trunk keys.

<<<Red to Pos Batt Post

earth/Neg

86

85

87

Earth Strap
>>>

Black to Earth/Neg

30

Mock-up

Blk wire 85 to batt post 30 Neg

batt post 30 to Neg Batt post

Bolt

click Purchase

Workshop click

Whoops! Frustrating
Wrong base connection

Reverse

1 - New Headlight LEDs

2 - New Headlight
or Fogs LEDs

OK, decided to choose two potential headlight LEDs (details listed in purchases) for some reason there is almost a mistake on orders either from my side or their's, this can be frustrating especially when the advertisement is not clear, however, mistake or not;  I have them for possible future projects. When choosing bulbs of any kind, check your patterns and spacings of bayonet lugs and soldered connections on the bottom of the bulb, some sockets require a single connection and others require a double connection on the base of the bulb. Check this out, if you can as it is not always clear to identify - what happed to universal standards?:

26.01.24 - Just need to attempt to fit them, that is if they fit...;) (will wait until after the MOT to fit them)

Note: Check you bayonet lugs on the sides of the bulb and also check the bottom of the bulb for a single or double soldered connections.  The lugs can differ on the same light cluster, depending on the bulb functionality. This can cause problems and damage to the bulb when extracting your bulbs.

29.01.24 *** As many of you will know from reading my diaries and comments, there were some problems with the front bumper, it drops about 10mm leaving a slight gap below the bonnet/hood. The consequences to this gap clearance to the road or when going over speed humps can be noticeable. To rectify this problem the bumper will most likely need to come off, to be reinstalled and re-aligned accordingly.

The gap could be down to the attachment brackets on either side of the vehicle, these could either be broken, bumper bolts maybe missing or both. I have sourced two salvaged brackets, (Stored on a shelf for a couple of years now) - They just need to be fitted; that's if this is the cause of the problem, personally after a brief inspection I am doubting it). This  just leaves, tightening of bolts, (my initial thought is, a bolt or a couple of them may have been crossed threaded and not extending to the correct tightness, allowing the bumper to drop, this is only speculation until a thorough dismantling and inspection is carried out. That's for another day.

Currently, I have short LED strips wired up and are effective to a point, the running light feature is not working, only the direction indicators, they are held on with cable-ties, not exactly a pretty image as aesthetics goes for those that look carefully...

Once rectified, the new LED strip (China - Temu, paid £4.04 'payday sale', normally priced £15-20, WOW! will they work?) will also help in tidying up the aesthetics of the vehicle .... It may also be a good opportunity to use one of the switches on the switch panel previously purchased (see listings) to illuminate the strip as and when needed and therefore will most likely require an update to or a change in the existing loom/wiring. The LED strip also incorporates amber direction indicators and these will have to be linked into the local indicator circuit, another opportunity to upgrade and add more convenient connector plugs.

An order has been raised, to start this process and to help my motivation  into rectifying the problem that has been  long awaited.

1- Running Light

3- Running Light

2- Running Light & Direction

Running Light & Direction Indicators

layout examples

Which 2 would you choose?

1

2

____________________________________________

___________________________________________

Obviously take away the bike, place an old hammock or strong cargo netting or straps across to both hooks and one can swing the hardtop onto a small frame above the vehicle... hopefully without damaging it. Return back onto the car in winter weather or long trips.
I also have two more small locking pulleys to perhaps add to the other two corners for added support and security. (see purchases for costs)

X2

Up & Down

A net or lifting straps. Will this work? I don't see why not... unless there is a weight issue.

Received 12.02.24

Up & Down

Further details under the 'Tools' section Car roof/garage

This 'defender' prevents the garage door from being lifted and the base plate is bolted inside and outside of the garage. The outside perimeter plate bolts are covered from access - a nice design and robust- this will be fitted soon to replace my current security that has also proven adequate, the new Defender will be fitted without having to spoil the aesthetics of the new door. ...?

I have recently noticed some of my neighbours having the same idea towards having good security - do your research and shop around as the prices will vary. Do also research the vulnerability  as well as the quality of other designs that maybe available, before purchase.

04.03.24 - Still waiting for warmer weather in early March, hey! Being optimistic here!

11.03.24 - Wow! New Garage Door has been fitted and looks good. Just waiting for the roof to be replaced, as full of asbestos....the fitters will be replacing the roof  with metal sheeting. (can wire a few hundred volts through that! Another security idea) ...Nice!
- I do have a problem, due to no electricity to this garage and I will have to bring into service my generator or power inverter. The 800W hammer drill as this is required to make holes into the concrete for the security bolts for the new Defender now received. After testing the inverter of 4000W it only knocks out around 200W of continual power, not enough for the hammer drill. I do have another inverter with 6000W on order and this should knock out at least 1600W, hopefully this should suffice without having to service the generator - Inverter should arrive early April... (Update: arrived 3rd Apr 2024 - tested the inverter with the hammer drill 800W and it seems to work - just leaves finding the time to commence with the job).

31.03.24 - Over the past three years, I have conducted an audit and identified the costs to having to replace tools loaned out or they have gone missing or stolen, have  exceeded £1000+ of deficit or having to replace these tools/items are taking time due to financial constraints, this does leave a bitter and disappointing feeling when chasing up these people to whom have blatantly decided to take ownership of my tools, they hopefully will no doubt be conscious to causing animosity, that is if they have a conscience, to date, doubt it. Very sad.

Initially this was down to me being over generous and trusting on my part....  - and these people have exploited me and the situation there will not be another opportunity. 'They Know Who they Are!' So much for the individual moral standards of today....I have re-introduced the following policy, unfortunately,  tools are not cheap, unless one steels them and this has been considered the case based on failure of returns - they are out of my inner circle).   Note: The New - Or I should say the 're-enforced Policy' in terms of the borrowing of such items from this point on in time, the policy will stand - this generosity has ceased and I 'Don't care if those 'millennials' or 'Z generation individuals' feel offended, tough! I can only say, go out and buy your own!) However; all returns will be welcomed if one does grow a conscience or has any decency.
 
OK! cooled down, said my piece for now. I think the rain may have stopped....still cloudy, clocks have gone forward, early a.m., so, longer daylight time.... and World War III is just around the corner! That will be nothing if my tools are not returned! (See Policy). Obviously, still cooling down....

08.04.24 -Today looks to be a pleasant day, not too hot, not too cold a typical three bears scenario and an ideal day for sorting out and fitting of the 'defender' security bar at the garage. It is around 2.15pm in the afternoon, I have the Inverter 6000w and two legacy hammer drills, one Maplin 580Watts and the other is my favourite  Bosch 800Watts (see drills) with some concrete munching drill bits. I started off with the small drill bits and worked up to the larger ones, (initially with the Bosch) and this worked quite well. The job then required the larger bits, (Too big for the Bosch 'pull-lock' adapter or SDS) This part was not of the best of experiences, as there was rebar within the concrete and the drilled circle, (sort of) was every other shape than a circle. A blister on the right hand, 'Really!'  I drilled three holes sortof, I then discovered there were only two bolts available for the plate, 'What!' There were three holes in the plate? I had no idea where the other bolt had walked off to or even if they had even been supplied? Two will have to do. (update: two only supplied? - Come on Suppliers!) I found the Maplin 580w drill more friendlier than the Bosch 800W, (even though the 580W had given me blisters).It did hold the thicker masonry drills (21/2" Chuck). The whole job took about 2 hours or thereabouts, (yes! You heard me right, not the easiest of jobs surprisingly, must have been a good mix of concrete or something?). Another job ticked off the list. As for the 6000W inverter, it performed well and I am pleased with it, it did cut out on occasion when the drill bit became caught up within the concrete and rebar, however; the inverter did reset itself. (without blowing!) The Bosch drill for this particular job was not really suitable without a traditional Chuck and key, (additional attachment, the one I had was broken or worn - I am sure it would have done the job, if working, but not today). As for the Maplin 580w it did prove to be a better proposition, as one could tighten the larger sized drill bits within the chuck using of course, the chuck key, and this was often, as the chuck loosened continually after a rally of drilling attempts; it eventually produced the result that I needed. I still prefer my Bosch for my everyday job scenarios.

22.02.24 - Security is important today and if your garage is a little away from your residence it can also be a problem in the back of one's mind.  I have found a good security system for the over-and-under garage doors. I already have one 'Defender' on a storage garage and I have been testing it out and it works just fine. I like it and it does the job well and I have decided to purchase another one for when the new over-and under-garage door arrives to be fitted to the garage that retains my Z3. (the storage garage already has an updated door with the defender lock) bearing in mind the original locks of the old doors of the 60s and 70s were not very secure and one needed to fit a very good padlock on the garage door as well for peace of mind. The latest doors however are a vast improvement on the old style locks of the 60s and 70s and with the Defender Security (2 Keys) it remains a very good time consuming deterrent.

X2

click

By using this relay/remote system, it also prevents the car from starting when activated to 'off' via a remote, it also prevents battery drain when the car is stored in the garage over night, (with old or weak batteries) or for any length of time without starting and recharging the battery via the alternator/charging unit. This is a common experience for most drivers with modern cars today, especially through having sophisticated alarm systems and multiple choices of electrical devices such as 24/7 cameras attached and connected to the vehicle and power leakage is inevitable whilst the vehicle is connected to a battery. By pressing the remote 'on' button, activates the battery connection to 'on or live, the car is now ready for 'start-up, using a reasonably full battery.' Many people are reverting back to basics anti-theft practices. Looks and sounds good, I just need to fit it... Ok, a few hours later...all done! It works too....! (Note: Another item made in China). Review: Works Well no problems 22.02.24l! WKShop27

13.01.24 My next job is to sort out my rear lights (n/s), partially working after correcting the (n/s) front angel eyes as they were not working, weird... possibly a bad earth somewhere, never found it. Replaced a fuse as to be on the safe side and adjusted some wires. They seem to be working for now at least.

14.01.24 - The rear lights took about 2 hours today to sort out, Saturday morning, nice, sunny and a reasonably warm day, to sort out, the rear lights, they are now working to a fashion, after wrecking the LEDs, I replaced them with some conventional bulbs I had stored away, however; I will have to order some new bulbs, the 'Chinese' bulbs were a total disaster, many falling apart or locked into their holders. The products were below Western quality standards and some broke when extracted from the holders. Unfortunately, looking on the internet, they all seem to be made in China, makes one think doesn't it, that most of us are paying for just rubbish. Bulbs have been ordered, guess from where? I Don't have much choice as most of the manufacturers here in UK are not manufacturing LEDs and if so, are three times the price. As the adage goes 'you gets' what you pay for'... but today, that is in doubt... we will have to see the next time around.

20.01.24 - The LED Bulbs have now arrived:  (TEMU!) - Not Bad for the price, genuine named products can prove more expensive.

Framing is already in place

Job Pending

Jobs I can think of that may need to get done this year:
*1. Fit Bubs (LED) replacements headlights (after MOT 'PASS!) - Bulbs are again the wrong fitting required New order 19.06.24/
*2. Replacement Strip LED Lights on front of car to panel switch (maybe linked to *3) basics - 25.05.24 (See WorkShop)02.06.24
*3. Rewire internal Fuse boxes - (1 Panel remaining)
*4. Replace Motor on Cut-off Exhaust again... as motor has stopped working - possible a wiring check)Now operational  12.05.24
*5. Use welder on rear Exhaust, (see previous diaries re cut-off Ex)… (maybe?)  -
*6. Sort out front bumper (requires a refit) (See Gallery) Currently Satisfied with it
*7. Sill paintwork may require a rubdown rust treatment and touch-up?
*8. General Fluid,  Service?
*9. Fit an Amp to existing radio system - Decided to delete it no need for two seater
*10. Repair Leather o/s seat (Drivers leather bolster.) (fit leather patch) 20/26.05.24
*11. Rocking seat bushings need replacing... 10.05.24
*12. Fit the Defender Bar at the garage - Done! 08.04.24
*13. Repair Interior Door handle 13.05.24
*14. Fit Tweeters/Speakers   (Partial) Tweeters L&R  & Speakers Front only 13.05.24  Speakers Rear: Pending 19.06.24
*15. Order Replace Bonnet Release Cable (see Workshop)  Fitted 23.05.24
*16. Replace Horns (see WkShop) 25.05.24
As one can see, some jobs have been put off and put off...and also (wait for it...) Put off. My poor excuses - waiting for warmer weather and cooler weather, in other words ideal weather in the UK ;), yes, perhaps...?

02.02.24 Ok, received the LED light strip, tested it and it works well, just need to find time and  good weather to fit it, after sorting out the front bumper and the existing wiring to the newer  internal fuse box... etc.

05.02.24 - So far, a number of suggestions from readers received, are going for option 2. Comments suggest it will keep  with the aesthetics of the vehicle without being 'too in your face,'  Both options are feasible and I am easy on both of them, it will be down to the fitting and possible unforeseen logistics/hurdles however; with little thought on my part, the reader's usually prove to be correct, so I will bow down to option 2, for now at least! I Thank those participants that took part. I will supply a photo update when the task has been completed.  (update: see workshop)

07.02.24 - Tomorrow is the official MOT day however; I had been trying to book the appointment for over a week now, kept finding the contact number was unavailable, a garage I had been going to since I had, had the E39 and the Z3, WOW! must be nine years! Today I decided to go down to the garage that is a good 30 minutes away, low and behold it was open, with a laugh and a joke as with every time, they did offer to do the MOT there and then for me, nice! Like all my MOTs there was trepidation, anxiety, you know the usual. One of the fitters asked me "if it the Wife or the girlfriend"? I told them it was the wife, thinking it was a trick question and that would get me closer to a pass ;) yep, right!....(the wife being the boss, or was it the car comes before the wife....however; (I am single, seems less hassle, less mind numbing and less expensive) and NO! I am not politically correct or WOKE! I belong to a time when England and morals meant something!

I knew the car was sound and it was tested thoroughly at the garage, more so than previous years, (I say this each year).  I had worked out the mileage since my last MOT, it seems I had only done 676 miles in one year, disgraceful!

My Z3 PASSED, (phew!) with flying colours, well it hadn't been anywhere really had it and yes, some can debate 'a still car will deteriorate quickly, locked away in a garage'... my reply is, "must remain positive now and blame the inactivity on fuel costs and the political classes destroying anything that  proves to be enjoyable!

Today is not to think of the dumbasses in Whitehall, but a joy to celebrate with a cake and a cuppa. (I even managed to remember to get their new garage contact number)!

Talking about garages! .... (did you see what I did there...;)) I am still waiting for a new roof and door for my garage, being given the run-a-round and three months on, the Z3 may as well be out in the open.... services are definitely not what they used to be.... waiting is currently the game,  back to the cake and the cuppa....

17.02.24  As some of you know, the hardtop of a Z3 can be difficult to place on or take off if there is only one of you, (it took me 3/4 of an hour one day before the winter months), and I have been thinking of ways to make my life a little easier. So how do you like the following idea:

click

02.05.24 - Now how long have I waited to get a new roof on my garage? Well the process started late last year. Today; after being let down about three or four times, with the proverbial  excuses previously, my attitude was 'well, whenever!' Today, I was informed out of the blue, that the roof would be replaced... The date given was 21st June, yes! (the 'carrot and the stick'  scenario sprang to mind) Hopefully; it will be this year, 'Proof will be in the pudding' so-to-speak! Well! We shall see! A date is just a date? The novelty of the new garage door has not quite worn off yet and it will give me some resolve, for a while.... (see Tools)

05.05.24 - Since the weather has been good this morning it was time for the shed clear-out and to index some of the contents for insurance purposes, checkout the tools section for the additions of a few of the forgotten legacy tools. Mind you as value goes, most of the electrical operated legacy tools are not worth that much compared to today's prices and what one can get technologically-wise, however; simplicity can at times be better and they have proven to  last the years and they still work well, this tells me that they can be better than some of the rubbish that is within the market trade places today; only lasting five minutes, (metaphorically speaking). It took around five solid hours to move out and re-situate the contents of the shed, (it was a 'Tardis') some of it will have to be moved to another storage facility, as I still can't enter the shed, fortunately there was not much rubbish and some content would be better off being nearer to the vehicle so they can be used more. Those of you with sheds and tools know what I mean. So! A good and satisfying afternoon's work. And yes! I did consider the missing tools hence the search and clear-out and unfortunately they are still missing....

10.05.24 - Nice Hot day 23 degrees at around 12:30pm a list of jobs to do and the first one to tackle is the driver' chair bushings.                      

Actual Image

When I had the seats out a few years ago, I was never happy as to the way the drivers seat went back, today I investigated and low and behold found the slider (closer to the passengers side on
the driver's chair) of a much longer length, it was no wonder I was struggling with it. ( I am sure this Z3 was used as a donor car, after the previous owner had damaged the vehicle and bad parts were returned to it).
Fortunately, through many hours, I am pleased to say most of this carnage  has been put right through hard work sweat and tears with deep pockets and this continues even today...
This has been over the past seven years. It is a slow process with financial constraints.
The chair breakdown and putting it back together has already been featured within the workshop
section, so there is no real reason to go over it again, the only addition is to do with the replacing of the bushes, that really proved to be a head scratcher for side (R). Being the wrong size also added difficulty, as the slider would not slide off, as to be able  get access to replacing the bushes.   I tried everything, hence taking 6 hours to partly complete the job. One slider will have to do.
With the one side of one chair out of the equation, all there was left was the the gauging and the balancing of the core screw thread to level both sides so the chair could work effectively.

Actual

The Left plate was fairly non-eventful and straight forward for the side (L), the bushes were replaced.
This only left me the option to reinstall the chair with one side repaired/updated and after lining up both rails, I inserting the bolts and screws and the chair was installed, electrics connected and the bolts secured. Seatbelt anchor point and the test of the chair. Worked better than ever. That is just the way some jobs are dealt... Lose some win some 'great!'

Yes! The floor did get a clean with a vac before the chair was returned to position, I did the passenger floor too. These jobs were all completed by my deadline of 6pm!

Sliders

Sliders

(R)

(L)

Actual

12.05.24 - Another day, another job, this time I needed to sort out the Exhaust cut-off and the need to identify why it was not working. Is it the motor, the switch connections or the live supply to those internal fuse boxes? Again, I have been here before, I have asked myself, (as one does) is it me or are these problems arising through just wear and tear, or worse, incompetence? Probably don't want to answer the latter in this case, (The Exhaust maybe a little too low to the ground and exposed to everything thrown at it in terms of environment like the road and weather. I will soon see as I start to inspect it yet again. It's another potentially hot day today 9:45am and 24c already. This time around, I would  like also, to add to the circuitry,  I am talking about a  relay; switch in addition to using a five pin rocker switch, hence part of yesterday, I was working out how one wires this up, (I have added a circuit diagram

- It just requires me to probe the connections to see if my connections are feasible - for anyone that is in the know with electronics, please let me know if this circuit will work? Appreciated! (Update: It has not worked - more research required)
A little while back, I did buy a spare motor from 'Wish', before the world turned upside down politically, good foresight considering the state of the world today and politician's chaos).  The spare motor will be used if the attached motor has been diagnosed as burnt out. I am hoping that this is not the case, as this will be the third one I have needed to install  and there's the dubious chances of the poor availability of future purchases to replace them to consider, hence the idea of using a relay to taking the strain off the switch and possibly the motor. The existing motor will need to be diagnosed first.
I started around 2pm, I was required to jack up the car and inspect the exhaust, it looked a little crusty, however; I did managed to undo the three bolts holding the 'butterfly flap', the gaskets, it  had seen better days too.

I had already taken the spout and clasp off.
At this point; I thought it a good idea to check the two motors I had used before, and kept, before replacing it with a new one. I was surprised  and pleased of the outcome of that inspection and quick tests of the old motors. For some strange reason two previous motors worked. Strange in the sense that I had checked them before on failure and there was no life in them. Today they had life so, strange, unless my testing gear was faulty at the time?

I decided to clean up one of the two older motors with a wire brush and sort through the better gaskets rather than use the new replacements and eventually re-installed them. This was a 3" the other was 2.5". The sound was much richer and deeper on this one. I had still not found the wiring diagram to fitting one relay to a 5 pin rocker switch. I spent some time trying to work out the correct pins without success and ended up just rewiring the switch to it's previous spec, just adding an inline fuse. I believe the reason for the switch and cut-off not working was down to not having a positive live or a feed to the battery? This was, possibly down to a broken wire connection, somewhere within the circuit. Rather than waste further time, I decided on new connections, new wire, just to be on the safe side - with new crimped connectors the exhaust butterfly came to life. The exhaust cut-off and the switch are now installed and operating well.

Again, time was not my friend for the period of diagnosis and it was 6:30pm already. I had finished and cleared up, I can  record this as another success, however the relay was bugging me. After further research, I did find a diagram incorporating 2 relays working in tandem for the open and close and may try this at some point in time in the future one relay is obviously not enough it seems..... (see updated diagram).

To keep the momentum going, the next job on the list was to patch the split and scuff  on my leather seat, car chairs can be poorly designed concerning this; the rough treatment

13.05.24 - Earlier, when the weather was ok, I decided to take off the door cover and replace the tweeters, one on each side, out of a potential of four, then carried on to replace the front floor-well speakers. they seem to work ok, when put back together, this was the prep for the Amp install, at a later date. So! So far so good!

The driver's door handle needed some TLC and needed some attention and since the door was now already exposed for access to the tweeter wiring and install this was the best opportunity to address it. The problem originally arose after a heavy handed MOT tester decided to nearly pull the door off it's hinges from inside the vehicle,  the action was more than likely to miss the ramp the car was sitting on. Putting that aside, (as it passed it's MOT that day - I digress).
Before replacing the door panel there was the replacement of the 6.25" speakers in both footwell and the deletion of the Factory Amp on the passenger side.

Tweeter Replaced
with Higher Wattage
&
There was the Door Handle
Repair

Old

New & half the size

Whilst I was in the flow, the two factory speakers came out of the floor-well and were replaced with the new 400W, 4 Way speakers, this was an upgrade with the addition to the tweeters, they worked o.k.  The factory amplifier was deleted, (I don't think it ever worked since I owned the car - hence, the speakers were always powered via the radio system, as I had wired them up independently of the factory amp, after briefly  testing it.

Tweeter can take up to 450W

 

of everyday car use, even though the chair may be comfortable or not, over time the surface of the leather will start to wear. This car is no exception to the rule. I have tried to repair the area using pastes of sorts, but that doesn't seem to work for me, not sure if it's my technique, or the lack of it.

* = Have most of the resources
- motivation ah! Debatable...

    Weather? Weather? Weather!
Excuses, excuses, excuses...

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Replaced Tweeter

Repaired Handle

Z3 Bonnet Cable

To Engine Compartment

(see Purchases). I have decided on a large leather PU patch. They are advertised as hard wearing, waterproof, scratch resistant, so I will give it a go. Not sure if to just patch the hole or to lay it over the bolster fully.. (not sure if there is enough patch for that being square and not rectangle). A patch could prove more favourable option however; this is dependant on how far the scuff goes up the bolster? Decisions, decisions... still pending, as it had started to rain and I was getting soaked, It never stopped raining so the chair leather repair will now be for another day.

Also, 14.05.24 today, I had broken the Bonnet Release cable right at the interior release catch end, (under the dash, near the footwell) the lead ferrel had broken off the Bowden cable. (some may say, this was lucky, as one can still access it). I searched through eBay for a replacement cable however; the prices were extortionate, ranging from £40 - £120, there were a few opportunists out there no doubt of trying it on. (foreign, no doubt ;) )! Then I decided to check with the BMW Dealership local to me, as sometimes they can be cheaper, surprisingly the price was much cheaper, (still extortionate for a piece of wire, in my opinion, but better than the eBay prices, it seemed) one can always debate the pro's and cons. I reluctantly decided to order one over the phone and a few minutes later decided to go and pay for it upfront as I needed to complete some errands, since I was not far from the dealership, a small detour was not going to be out of my way... On arrival,  I waited a good twenty, twenty-five minutes for customer service, (all four of them), it was slow, with two just looking like they were busy and I ended up just walking out to complete my other errands, just as a form of protest and later returned to only be told they didn't accept cash for purchases! (I was offering 'Legal Tender', not rocks!), this was a disgrace and I was astonished! Not really surprised of the stupidity we see today! I may have said a few words and walked out again. It also reminded me of a TV Bitcoin advert that we occasionally see on the TV, the one where we see a country road vegetable store ran by, an individual, looking a little half-baked, (to coin a phrase)', one with a particular accent local to our island of the UK, or better still let me pick on the EU woke kind of behaviour and poor logic, that only accepted bitcoin/Euro instead of cash tender for their products. Really! It is a totally brain dead, backward business scenario of how NOT to run any business. This is what we are now expecting and seeing and can only describe them as being  'Clowns'! Millennials! Or the Z' generations!

15.05.24 - So, Ok; and unfortunately, it was humble-pie time today, more based on necessity, and the price, (or determination to win, whatever...) and the availability of the product was local, reasonably suited to my pocket, so the decision was made, I went to collect the bonnet cable from the dealership, (they had already ordered it for me and it was there today). I ended up using a credit/debit card, something I try to avoid most times, mainly for the reason and hassle of card disputes or the other party having poor access and lacking the correct technology or trained staff, whereby I lose money at my inconvenience and at 'Their' Convenience. With a couple of seconds pause, they did give me a £2 discount on the price for my inconvenience, one can be thankful for small mercies, perhaps?.... The second hardest part now, is to motivate myself to fit the cable.

Looking at some YTube 'university' streaming, it didn't look as quite
straight forward as I thought or it should be? Well, it was American!
Starting with greetings and life history before getting on with the job
and explaining in a logical fashion. I did require a selection of YTube
videos before getting the relevant information...

23.05.24 - It has stopped raining, very overcast and I can't put off the  bonnet/Hood cable fitting any longer, (go to Workshop for the details) - This job has now been completed.

25.05.24 - 12:35 - I decided to go up to the garage again today, possibly to sort out the front lighting LED strips on the headlights, (note: Mentioned above 21.09.24) at the same time if with enough time, some other jobs will be decided upon arrival... Since the headlights and dash were already out and down, this saved me some time. I did notice behind the headlights and in the well an old horn, never noticed it there before, it was the same on the drivers size but more difficult to get to.

Horns
Since I had bought new horns, (must be around two years ago) it was about time they were fitted, (Go to Workshop- Horn Workshop - LED - Lighting for the details: Always test your wiring circuits on a test-bed first) - Both jobs have now been completed - sort of....)

26.05.24 - 13.20 - Some have asked me if I am having a purge to finish off the jobs on the Z3, my answer is simply yes! However; as many hobbyist know, if some jobs are left, one will meet them again, somewhere down the line as they are recurrent, i.e. oil, filters or belts as a prime example and worn out parts, because one has not done an oil service for so long... Some jobs will never get done, based around finances, or current resources, (equipment, tools wise), logistics, location or the lack of. Finally, motivation and inclination. The latter description, can be described as arriving in waves, the spaces in-between these waves can be debated, either way they never come at the right time. So; my purge is based on one of these waves, I currently have the parts, the reasonable odd days of good weather, except for this afternoon, of course...as my timing was off, got drenched and it prevented me from doing much work outside the vehicle. What was done, however; I did clean up the wiring mess behind the drivers dash to a fashion. There is always, 'that point'... The race car panel switch, I found diagrams for that and as with most diagrams off YTube there were some 'points', that allowed one to second guess, based on multiple connection points leaving one back at square one, without explaining which, if one gets my drift. It was 18:30 by the time I had decided to finish for the day, there was thunder in the air, a rainbow, so I decided to clear up. It was about an hour later when I had return back to my residence. My feeling today was as if something was trying to tell me something....

I am not an electrician as much as one's ego suggests otherwise and I do blow a few fuses, mentally and physically on occasion, more often, this is the only way to learn, as long as we are only talking about 12V. (not to say this cannot be dangerous, especially with high tension leads, one's heart can miss a beat so to speak;)...)
Usually, it is good policy and Common Sense to disconnect the battery Ground before commencing with electrical work. Yes....Right......mmmm! No, Seriously!

27.05.24 - Today I Threaded a wire to the front of the vehicle, through the firewall, now to connect the wire to the starter was another thing, mainly because of it's very awkward location. It is on the passenger side of the vehicle (nearside LHD UK) next door to the air intake however; the starter bolt 1/2" with nut is difficult to get to, one may need to disconnect the air intake and undo a couple of 10mm screw/bolts on the radiator expansion tank. As one or two of you may have noticed by now, I had connected the wire to the starter motor, it should have been to the Solenoid, (this will need to be changed) and I may have to rethink the wiring on the ignition switch, even though I had followed my wiring diagrams, my observation seems totally off, (see Workshop)

?

X

X

The two red crosses are areas I need to look into. So far I have not added the relay - sorting out the basics first or at least trying to.

Today, is no exception to the other 'garage days,' the weather has played games with me. Sunny, warm, when I go up to the garage, preparation of tools etc, 10 minutes into the work and the heavens open up, again I got drenched. To make things worse, the rain would stop for about 15 to 20 minutes, the sun came out and then the rain falls again. Not the ideal for working on a car and electrics. However; I started around 14:30  to about 18:30 it seems two paces forward one back with very little to show for it.

I did manage to get the PUC Leather patch put on the leather seat in-between showers and it looked quite good, how long it will stay on the chair in the damp air, is another question, even though it seemed firm. I could have done with a roll of the stuff, so far, it will  have to be down to the  testing of it's durability. (photo to follow).  (Update 20.05.24)

So, now I need to change the wire from the starter to the Solenoid as the next step, failing that, rethink my strategy to the connection on the ignition switch.  A general tidy up for now, reinstall the dash as the vehicle will need to be used... so this job is still work in progress. (Chipping away at the list slowly).

 

click

LED Lighting Update

30.05.24 13:20 - Just got back after running a few errands and noticed the passenger indicator light had corrected itself, (see workshop for details), and then as soon as I was to about to celebrate, it started to quickly go into it's quick step-flash again, this was not a  bad thing as this was telling me that the bulb had either blown or there was a bad earth somewhere in the rear cluster and not down to the new install. After about 10 minutes and a good look through my bucket of spare bulbs (I had accumulated over the years), I had found one that worked within the rear passenger side cluster (N/S), it was also the correct amber colour. (Not sure what the problem was with the other bulbs they were flashing and therefore one could only conclude they worked?) As  long as there was one added bulb that was also stable and worked within the cluster, that was all I needed, it was connected, firm and working  'great'! I can now say the LED strip is working 100%. I will not require to fit a additional relay, (There should be one of the main lighting circuit anyway as a matter of course). For now at least, other than possibly fitting a stand-alone-switch to allow me to turn the white LEDs on/off independently to the main headlights. (not sure how bright this light can be at night and therefore it would be wise to be able to turn it on or off)? This leaves me to concentrate on the other jobs.

02.06.24 14.15 - Further work on the light strip, I decided to add an illuminated switch. With no surprise and  for some reason the strip amber indicators have stopped working, normal the indicators work  independently to when the side lights are  turned off or on. With the strip being on a switch the sequencing is out and the direction indicators have failed to  work. All the circuits have been checks and they seem correct, however; there must be something that I have overlooked, It all worked on the test bed. Weird...

Perhaps my technique was a little off, it has been all week; it was a quick 5 minute job as the weather was a so predictable. If I had purchased a larger patch, I would have tried to take it further around to the rear of the chair and then possibly tucked it into the hard rear casing minimising any potential pealing. I may do that the next time around, I would purchase a roll rather than the small patch as to do the complete bolster. So far it is a big improvement of what it previously looked like, so can't complain. (See above for previous image 'torn bolster' at 13.05.24). See later updates...

Torn Bolster

Red = not completed or in progress)

New Switch connection

Right white light -bonnet gap filled

Left white light -bonnet gap filled

Light sequencing - will not stay in full stable or static illumination

Surprisingly, the setup has tidied up the appearance of the car, perhaps currently it looks a little gimmicky with the sequencing and I can agree with that, a case of two steps forward and one back until I can sort out mastering the wired remote under the bonnet....
Another setback,  I also need to point out  the headlight bulb replacements, again they are the  wrong ones and I am starting to get a small collection of them, I have sat down this time to double and triple check for the right one's. I have  made the

same mistake a couple of times now, putting it down memory, to leaving the task to one side for a lengthy period of time only to forget and assume and thinking factory light cluster and of course these light units are not, they are the 'Angel Eyes' third party 'Spyder' upgrades, different connectors and different bulbs, it has been frustrating to say the least...The right bulbs have been etched on my mind for future order... To end on a positive note, it has been a good day weatherwise, blue skies, moderate sun and plenty of time to potter around on the Z3. Again, finished today's tasks around 18:15.

(See Workshop)

Lever Mechanism- Interior

Firewall Gromet

Side lighting sections are separate -
These are previous donor short strips tied in to circuit

08.06.24 - 09.06.24 I decided to have a quick look at the rear audio speakers behind the driver and passenger seats, pre-amp installation, one assumed, (wishful thinking) they would be the same sizes as the footwell speakers, nope! Not that simple. The front footwell speakers are 5 1/4"  or 13.33cm, the rear's are 3 3/4"  or 9.5cm. (using a tape measure). I am hoping the 5 1/4"(9.5cm) will fit... (Speaker sizes seem to be rounded off to the nearest inch or cm - I hope the speaker manufacturers have a bad day!)... I don't want to even consider destroying any more trim let alone even starting to.

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

Actual

As much as one tries, it is like putting a square peg in a round hole, it will not fit. The original speakers,  go back in for now,  with new connectors. Done! (Found the Passenger side with one broken wire, now repaired and working).

(I may find the equivalent speakers in the correct size when funds allow.)

After that setback (ok; with new connectors and all speakers working can be considered a minor success...

To keep going with any small positivity of success, I now attempt another setback in the list, I even had a further look at the LED strip, (fourth time I think....) for some reason there was a problem with the internal fuse panel from what I could make out. I decided to piggy-back another identified live from the main race switch panel, back traced to the same fuse panel on another contact point that seemed to work ok, (I had checked all the fuses and earths, they were ok) and the white LED worked without and then with using the same independent illuminated switch. Only the driver's side directional  indicator worked, (to a fashion), the passenger side direction indicator did not, even after testing via one or two additional options numerous times and one could only conclude it had most likely blown an isolated part of the control unit on the light strip.
This control unit will probably need to be replaced at some point, suggesting a new replacement, (it was cheap, Temu what else can I say...)  however; the driving light part (White LED) is working currently to how I want it to work, the indicator aspect of it has now been deleted for the time being. I believe this had happened before, (daja-vue) with the shorter LEDs on an earlier projects with the previous LEDs on installation. An obvious collation of poor quality from the East. The normal factory side indicators are working fine all around.

The third setback is that I am still having problems with the starter motor push button switch, I ended up cancelling this too, for now. (Wire to Starter) the switch, switch panel press button illuminates as it should.  It seems obvious to me some of the general wiring is suspect. If reader's refer back to 2018 when I purchased the vehicle I did find a bunch of wiring on the passenger side under the  glove box, it was a 'rat's nest' of potential problems and I had decided to make safe where possible and left it where I had found it. (I do prefer the easier life, if I were an electrician I would trace and repair it and delete what was not necessary, I am not, however; I normally do get by, with a song and a prayer. A 'rat's nest' that is not going to happen anytime soon unless of course I invest in getting further qualifications or wait until something vital is exposed and it requires me to attempt to trace it back to that local vicinity. I will choose the latter, I will keep chipping away at the problems as and when the needs arise....

click Image
for more details

Changed both speakers to yellow - upgrades

New

11.06.24 - Driving at night has not been a good experience recently, even though I do like night driving, there was a desperate need to replace the LEDs sooner rather than later, for now I have concentrated on the main beams, mainly for the country roads, I may consider a further upgrade, possibly next month. They should arrive and be fitted around the 17th-24th this month. (see Purchases).

13.06.24 - My 4" speaker arrived by Royal Mail this morning, this was quicker than normal so nice one 'Rock Bottom Audio' and I thought of outwitting the weather, by hanging on until the afternoon before fitting them. Yesterday afternoon was perfect, blue skies, the sun was out, not too cold, not too hot. Today, that was a successful idea! It rained, it's a case of remaining humble, fortunately, I am not in any rush... May just wait until the one set of LEDs arrive and then fit both.

Nice!

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Tweeters

Front Replacement 5"

Rear OEM/Factory 4"

Front Replacement 5"

Rear OEM/Factory 4"

19.06.24 - The LED Headlight bulbs arrived today, so the combined fitting of speakers and bulbs, a fairly trivial task and nothing really unexpectedly difficult. The speakers fitted well and sounds good, there seems to be more volume than before, a little more bass. The Amp will be the next to install and is also on the 'To Do List' within the next few weeks.



The LED Headlight Bulbs are now fitted for the main beams and will need to be assessed when I go out for a drive at night, however I still want to upgrade my normal driving beams to compliment the lighting upgrades. (now ordered)

The delay is really based around the new garage roof install,  in addition to financing future orders and the scheduling for the 21st June 2024, I am having to take the framework down and clear my tools and other items out of this garage and into another one, more items than one thinks and more bolts and screws concerning the framework.

This doesn't help after being hospitalised for a day and having to patially bus it and walk home from the other side of the City, a very long day on the 18th however; we soldier on, of course we must provide for those boat people and varied  demographics before those born here, they are priority when it comes to any services; (Not!) it was a case of being at the back of the queue or missed out, because a demographic becomes the priority based on bias for those giving the 'service', their countryman is given top precedence. One probably, gets my drift, I was not happy, let's just say that and they knew it. This type of thing needs changing and very soon or Civil War may break out. Many seem useless at their 'job for buddies' from what I witnessed and why this has not being picked up on is, well! The Woke, the mentally deranged,  recruitment and the system. (Winge One, my excuse, still not feeling as well as I should)!

20.06.24 - Continuing with the garage clear-out, some items will have to remain within the garage such as; a stretch of  old kitchen units for garage storage, holding anything and everything, stuff I haven't seen for years, so no doubt will be checking on the work team crew, (I am not saying they would not be honest and divine during their activities..;)). Am I cynical you asked? What gave you that idea? NO! I just expect people to be honest and fair without having to oversee everything. Yes! I know I am grasping at straws here and this is through experience, I live in hope. It is a world of 'dog eat dog,' (to coin a phrase, my other winge for the day, give me some slack, I am still feeling the remnants from treatment). O.K.! Now for positivity...Update: Garage now cleared, internal shelf scaffolding has been taken down to give access to roof - Now let's see if the contractor turns up!

21.06.24 - 'Fix Garage Roof Day!'  During today, I will be working on the car, at the same time just checking on the two man work team, the car radio is exposed to some more tinkering, the Z3's hard roof is off with help, courtesy of the two man team. It has proven to be a beautiful day, perhaps a little too hot for me, but we must get the rays when we can.

click

Remains static
on race switch

Remains static
on race switch

Actual

Well! No asbestos this time around it seems even though I was told there was asbestos by the previous team.... it is just cement composite one just can't get the knowledgeable contractors nowadays, fortunately we have a new contractor team that seems to know their 'stuff', today.

The new wiring has been fed through part of the way to the rear of the vehicle, up to the softop window area, my biggest problem now is to find  a route for the wiring into the boot/trunk region, without pulling the car apart, this is proving a little more difficult as access so far, is camouflaged. In the meantime at the front the double bass knob unit has been wired up.

The radio when switched on was not tuning in, however; the small Sim card with my favourite tracks on it, is working fine, so it was a quick investigation into what was going on, this meant extracting the aerial unit. I must say I have not seen an aerial unit like this one before, perhaps you have?

As you can see the problem jumps out at you:

This is what the aerial should look like all together

Requiring a quick solder and it should be back to normal and allow for the radio to tune in

22.06.24 - Another few hours,  up to the garage to reinstall the car aerial, the garage framework, left half of my tools behind, I will most likely try to re-erected the frame, this needs to be done with some slight modifications as I forget it's there much of the time, hitting one's head too many times is not good for one's health and I have the scars to prove it... Update: Scaffold framework is partially up, needing other tools etc, the car OEM Aerial was a bust, due to poor solder, will need a replacement, see what tomorrow brings.

24.06.24 - Today is 24.6C Degrees and it is 8:30am, (25.9C 10:30am) so it's going to be another hot day, I still need to install the Amp; however; the wiring route is proving to be allusive, pondered over it yesterday, only to conclude a hole will still need to be drilled and the wires routed via it to the boot/trunk. Never straight forward on a Z3 as this area houses the softop and I believe the carpet liner is glued down to the inner car body. (update: no it isn't). There is an alternative route into the boot/trunk and this will require me to take out the storage compartments centre rear, the only problem with this is a). it is extra work on a hot day, and b). some of the bolts and nuts are seized and I have tried to undo them during past projects without much success, so the drill hole route proves to be the way forward. Feeling a little deflated in the little progress so far, but will chip away at the problems until success. One of my mistakes is not to concentrate on one particular task and finish it, I have at least two to three others on the go, this will need to change and focus on completing one job at a time is really the order of the day, the success rate hopefully should be higher, in theory: with less self-deflation.

So much for that, The drilling of the hole was easier than I had thought and I managed to get the wiring through to the boot/trunk, rerouted speaker wires again with their returns back to the speakers, with the amp wired up  it was ready for switch on. a few bass pulses and nothing, so, the next 20 mins was dismantling the Amp and then the radio; to investigate further, this will be done at home on a test bed. More delays and more things not working. Plodding on slowly....

25.06.24  - 29.7C It seems like the attempt to improving the Z3 is incurring a phenomena that comes across as something unnatural; for me at least, as everything attempted, is foiled in some way. I know my skills are not that bad so; I am fighting back and tapping into my home inventory/legacy resources and this means:

1 x Replacement Light Strip (recent new one sort or partly worked - Chinese y'know and a deal, I wonder why?) Update: Received: 01.07.24 Fitted:
1 x Replacement Radio/GPS, (screwed up by the Amp - the amp maybe faulty - (Chinese y' Know!) - the wiring/fuses and connections were checked and were OK! No Volume. However, I have now taken the add-on Amp out). Not Fitted
1 x Replacement ariel /antenna, (original fell apart, 'really!' Chinese y' Know!) The original one must have sympathised with the radio, will be glued in for Aesthetics, I like the look of it, the new aerial  will be window mounted and notnoticable..Update: Received: 01.07.24 (currently useable to a fashion) Fitted: ..
1 x Fuel Cap Rubber 'wire', (rubber perished, mmmm! was on a list of to dos, since 2018', better late than never!) Update:Recieved: 01.07.24 Fitted:
16pc Stainless Steel License Plate Security fasteners, (only 4 needed, the rest are spares, require the new bolts hopefully they are longer)...(Received: 01.07.24 Fitted: 06.07.24)
Rear cam connection on no plate backplate - requires replacement lead as din plug broken
4pc x Tyre Indicator Valve Cap Sensors, (1 Broken, to be replaced, it happens....) Update: Received 01.07.24 Fitted:
1 x PU leather patch for chair, it came unstuck, (poor glue - disappointed, especially only after couple of weeks - Chinese Y' Know!)(have replacement) Fitted:
2pc x Atur Headlight bulbs, (this was an earlier order and still pending. I am quite looking forward to receiving them in the next few days). Update: Received 27.06.24 fitted 28.06.24

Note: Red = requires completion - Definitely a pattern here, I have decided to delete the Amp, as pointed out, I only have a two seater, (no doubt my young heart and yob days is kicking in, a little disappointed. (I must remember I am getting older) I even drilled a hole into the boot/trunk for the wiring, well, it will save the hassle later on, if deciding on anything else requiring boot access i.e. reverse camera, (wire already threaded through) or possibly a replacement Amp - (however, once bitten!) the hole is hidden, so nothing to cry about, may even place a grommet there. (This amp addition has screwed up my multimedia radio - (Chinese Y' Know!) Not happy, as I liked listening to my music choices. The amp is not really necessary, since the speakers were upgraded, I fitted it because I already had it) The replacement radio should also knock out around 65W, previous one was only 45W. so an improvement and the speakers were also upgraded. Yes! I know, two paces forward one, or even three back this time. there has been more expense from my labour time, than anything else, attempts to make repairs for the price of the items has proven, 'not that cost affective' and they were initially cheap Chinese rip-offs, hence, no doubt the failures, (a false economy, however sometimes they work) so, this is the last ditch for now, on the positive side, it is better to find out in the warmer months than later in winter. Let's just say, this was the trial run and now I am going forward, any future mistakes should be rectified as and when, within this new spat... The joys of motoring.... love it!

Looking at the first list, it is near enough completed, requiring just the general cyclic maintenance, however; another list has now been created, weird that... (in red -  green is completion, blue's are a maybe or are page links).

28.06.24 - Quick hop and a jump up to the garage, installed the new LED Bulbs to complete both sets of headlights.

Before

After

I believe I can see some differences to the headlights during daylight hours, from a warm white to a more of a white, white or cold white. The main confirmation will be to see how they perform at night... may need to calibrate ie. leveling.

Since I do have another lighting strip on order and to address the fault in the direction indicators, I have been contemplating the following: What do you think?

The lower strip is already installed, (without the indicators working) the upper strip would be an additional new install possibly? (As the indicator circuit should be working).   I will sleep on the idea... Let me know what you think via email? (ngwilcox100@gmail.com)

06.07.24 - O.K.! Some feedback, a majority suggests 'go for it', a strip had been ordered and it arrived a few days ago, just finding an appropriate timeslot to fit it. (Thankyou for those participating in the feedback). I will probably install the strip and the reverse camera  when the replacement radio arrives within the next few days... and commence putting the car interior back to some form or order... it is a mess at the moment.
Speaking of radios, just arrived by post 11:45am, Nice! Only problem, today, it is a full rain downpour....

07.07.24 - Back up the garage this afternoon, a little cooler today, concentrated on fitting the numberplate cam, din plug broken on the one lead, so moved onto the radio reinstall, problem with the live feed and rain. A very slow progression...

08.07.24 - I left the radio for now; as will need to feed a new positive supply line and investigate why the system is not working, the radio was tested thouroughly at home and had worked very well. The new numberplate caps were refitted as with the backplate holding the reverse cam, the one rear, (yellow) din plug had broken as feeding it through the grommet within the boot/trunk, (really!), so I now need to either purchase a new wire or find a replacement din plug to solder on, (one forward two back). I have asked myself....will I get these jobs done and these are just the simple ones...? On top of this, I now have been accepted on another study course where my time will be less available to work on the Z3 - If it takes another few months, so be it...(no choice really).

13.07.24 - I have a little time today on this weekend to attempt to rectify the defeats so far... (watch this space...) the weather is a little overcast with the sun peaking out.

The radio is now all up and running it took some focusing especially on the unlabelled wires and the extra LED Strip above the headlights, is now running. The added top LED strip will  switch on, on start-up automatically, this will also activate the direction indicators (note: indicators will not function without a constant live and will only work, (the running lights) when the car is in operation as to supply to direction indicators as and when used). There is a need for some tweaking here and there, but the main thing is they are working. The boot lining has now been returned and refitted and the general rubbish accumulated has been cleared out. It just needs a good clean inside and out and a good wash. Seemed like the number of days doing this, the Z3 has fought against me, tooth and nail, this is just on the basics... ! I haven't really done anything spectacularly different during this time and I am mystified to why this was not plain sailing days ago, very weird. The new aerial has been connected, however I do need to find a place for it on the window somewhere, or down one of the pillars (a little on the bulky side and may need to uncase it) it works with the radio and it does require manual positioning for a 'perfect' reception so it currently awaits it's permanent home.

14.07.24 - A few tweaks and may need a couple more, however; a good wash, polish and a vac, taken half a day but worth it. She is beaming...

<< Indicators working

Angel eyes & Running Lights ON >>

OFF

Reverse Cam

This goes to the first bonnet catch on driver's side (R- offside) A small cable goes from (R) catch to left catch (Passenger side) (L - Nearside)

The 'Sassy look!'