2002 Estoril Blue M Roadster

[merciless49]

Hi everyone, as I’m sure you’ve all been waiting on the start of this thread, let me take this chance to introduce myself. My name is Ming and I’m a first time BMW owner. All my life I’ve driven Japanese cars starting with an Acura Vigor (loved that car!), graduating to 2 Civics (one EJ hatch) and then to a Hyundai Accent that broke the Japanese streak.

Now this year I find myself needing a new car, but the current market is simply nuts. I was actually considering a 2022 Honda Civic hatchback due to its utility for my family (2 kids) and my familiarities with Hondas in general. Not super mechanically inclined but those cars didn’t need a lot, anyway. But the dealers really turned me off with the lack of choices (not their fault) and insane mark ups. So that’s when I started thinking about the hero cars of my youth.

Before long, I settled on the idea of a *relatively affordable* sports car. We have a family car that’s used to shuttle the kids and I have a third car that I can also use in a pinch, plus there are always econoboxes that I can probably consider in another year-two once things hopefully go back to some kind of equilibrium. So that’s what led me to the M roadster. It was really between the Honda S2000 or the M, but the S2000 seems like a high cost insurance item, plus not a lot of torque down low. Now, let me remind you, I’ve only really driven econoboxes so it’s not like I would know the difference anyway. But, this is where I figured “why not” and take a chance?

So there was a 2002 Estoril Blue M roadster here locally that became available. I test drove it. It scared me, but in a good way. It is easily the most powerful car I’ve ever driven. Unfortunately it was a 60k mile car and the seller wanted quite a bit of money for it, even though in the PPI there were a number of issues that were found. Bottom line, I wasn’t comfortable doing the deal, and I also posted a thread on this forum asking for help. This is where I got a few folks contacting me to gauge my interest in their M’s. Jim (VitaminZ) came and struck a good price with me, and once we worked out some logistics (I’m in San Diego, he’s in Arizona), we got ourselves a deal.

I bought the car for $30k. Including paying for a broker to help me check things out and arrange for shipping, along with registration/taxes I’m looking at $35k. Believe it or not, this is the price quoted to me for a 2022 Civic before taxes!

Now that I’ve had the car in my possession for the last few days, I’ve been doing short drives just to get myself familiar with the controls, shifting, clutch action, etc. I’m now in the process of getting new tires installed and tomorrow I’ll get a 30k mile service done on the car. Basically flushing all fluids plus changing the filters, oil, and spark plugs.

I’ll be aiming to learn and do some work myself when I’m able to. But so far it’s looking like the only other urgent issue is a driver side seat belt tensioner (the belt won’t retract). I’m still learning to drive the car and I’m certainly hoping nothing more mechanically needs to be sorted out for a while.

I’ll update this thread periodically to ask questions and show you all the progress of any repairs/updates to the car. The plan is to keep it relatively stock…again already more than enough power for me. Thanks to you all for the collective knowledge here. I’m also looking forward to being able to meet up with some of you local folks soon!

P.S. I’m still learning on how to post photos so will get that sorted.

[KBH22102]

Welcome, you picked up a nice example from a long time owner and enthusiast; good choice. The S54 is an awesome engine, but it does require some specific service items. The Inspection II service, which typically comes up at about 35 k miles, involves a valve adjustment that is specific to the S54 engine. Often the valve cover gasket is replaced at the same time as the valve cover needs to be removed to do the service. It is not a difficult procedure, but you need to be meticulous and have the appropriate tools and parts. If you leave it to a dealer or specialty shop, it is typically about a $1200 job. There are plenty of YT videos and write-ups here on the forum to review and size up the job if you are considering doing it yourself. The other job, which likely is NOT necessary for you at this point, is the connecting rod bearing replacement. Early S54's (including all versions installed in our cars) had bearings made of a defective material and over time the bearings wear unevenly and can start to spin, leading to potential catastrophic engine failure. E46 M3's were recalled for this reason, but our cars were not. When you get your oil changed, send a sample to Blackstone Labs ($30) for an oil analysis. Look for excess lead or copper in the oil, which is a sign that the bearings are failing. Do this with each change to follow the trend. The best replacement bearings are made by BE and they are machined with extra clearance to prevent the problem. Most consider doing the bearing job preventively at about 80-100 k miles. In the meantime when you drive the car, allow the engine to come up to full operating temperature before revving it over 4k rpm. Our engines specify a very thick oil -10W-60 - so when it is cold, it doesn't get into the con rod bearing / crankshaft interface area well since the manufacturing tolerances are so tight, and this contributes to premature bearing wear and spin.

Apart from that, the S54 M is pretty much like the 98-00 S52 M and is overall pretty reliable. In fact, the cooling system is much more robust and less prone to failure than other Z3 trim levels.

Look into refreshing the rubber suspension parts and bushings, especially the subframe carrier bushings. You will be rewarded with a tighter handling car and a significantly reduced risk of diff mount / trunk floor failure.

The seatbelt retractor issue often improves simply with a good cleaning of the belt itself. Put a five gallon bucket of soapy water on the driver seat, disconnect the 18 mm bolt anchoring the lower end of the belt to the seat base, and then pull the whole belt out and wash it with a brush in the bucket. Keep it extended out overnight to allow it to dry, then retract it again and see how it works.

Enjoy!

[Mr Bingley]

Hello and welcome. Sounds like a good deal on the low mile S54--I was wondering what it sold for. I'd be interested in a detailed list of what the PPI indicated it needed. If you're planning on replacing the belt tensioner yourself, here is a handy DIY on getting to it--it is not as straight forward as you might think.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...&highlight=box

[merciless49]

Welcome, you picked up a nice example from a long time owner and enthusiast; good choice. The S54 is an awesome engine, but it does require some specific service items. The Inspection II service, which typically comes up at about 35 k miles, involves a valve adjustment that is specific to the S54 engine. Often the valve cover gasket is replaced at the same time as the valve cover needs to be removed to do the service. It is not a difficult procedure, but you need to be meticulous and have the appropriate tools and parts. If you leave it to a dealer or specialty shop, it is typically about a $1200 job. There are plenty of YT videos and write-ups here on the forum to review and size up the job if you are considering doing it yourself. The other job, which likely is NOT necessary for you at this point, is the connecting rod bearing replacement. Early S54's (including all versions installed in our cars) had bearings made of a defective material and over time the bearings wear unevenly and can start to spin, leading to potential catastrophic engine failure. E46 M3's were recalled for this reason, but our cars were not. When you get your oil changed, send a sample to Blackstone Labs ($30) for an oil analysis. Look for excess lead or copper in the oil, which is a sign that the bearings are failing. Do this with each change to follow the trend. The best replacement bearings are made by BE and they are machined with extra clearance to prevent the problem. Most consider doing the bearing job preventively at about 80-100 k miles. In the meantime when you drive the car, allow the engine to come up to full operating temperature before revving it over 4k rpm. Our engines specify a very thick oil -10W-60 - so when it is cold, it doesn't get into the con rod bearing / crankshaft interface area well since the manufacturing tolerances are so tight, and this contributes to premature bearing wear and spin.

Apart from that, the S54 M is pretty much like the 98-00 S52 M and is overall pretty reliable. In fact, the cooling system is much more robust and less prone to failure than other Z3 trim levels.

Look into refreshing the rubber suspension parts and bushings, especially the subframe carrier bushings. You will be rewarded with a tighter handling car and a significantly reduced risk of diff mount / trunk floor failure.

The seatbelt retractor issue often improves simply with a good cleaning of the belt itself. Put a five gallon bucket of soapy water on the driver seat, disconnect the 18 mm bolt anchoring the lower end of the belt to the seat base, and then pull the whole belt out and wash it with a brush in the bucket. Keep it extended out overnight to allow it to dry, then retract it again and see how it works.

Enjoy!

Thank you, this is really helpful information! I’m planning on replacing the bushings, etc. in the next year or so, unless I end up driving a lot more. It’ll be good to keep up with the rod bearing issue, so I’ll make sure to send a sample to get tested starting with tomorrow’s work.


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[merciless49]

Hello and welcome. Sounds like a good deal on the low mile S54--I was wondering what it sold for. I'd be interested in a detailed list of what the PPI indicated it needed. If you're planning on replacing the belt tensioner yourself, here is a handy DIY on getting to it--it is not as straight forward as you might think.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...&highlight=box

Thank you, I think this is a fair deal given we know what we need to address. Jim was very forthcoming with all the information on his end, so in the end it’s not a sticker shock. I didn’t get a PPI on this car because of that.

The previous local car that I test drove had some minor issues but a major flag (for me) was that there was a minor accident on the front end that was fixed before the current ownership. But, the extent of damage/quality of work was unknown. On top of that, the hood was misaligned and a different color - I couldn’t tell but according to the shop it was not a match for Estoril Blue. All in all, I’m happy with how things went down. Now I just need to drive!


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[merciless49]

Update 6/12/2022

The car got back from the shop with a clean bill of health. The seat belt retractor issue was fixed! I didn’t ask them to do it but they did it. Which is one less item off my list. All fluids and filters were changed and inspected, all good.

I also got new tires installed. The tire shop (Discount Tires) screwed up the left rear tire and slashed/cut the bead, leading to a flat which gave me flashing TPM lights. They replaced the tire for free but screwed up my plans, and blamed their incompetence on the wheel design…

Looking forward to having a chance to drive it soon! Been busy with family functions all weekend.


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[rasmuw]

The rear wheels are difficult. It is recommended to place them upside down to remove and install tires.

[Mr Bingley]

Update 6/12/2022

The car got back from the shop with a clean bill of health. The seat belt retractor issue was fixed! I didn’t ask them to do it but they did it. Which is one less item off my list. All fluids and filters were changed and inspected, all good.

I also got new tires installed. The tire shop (Discount Tires) screwed up the left rear tire and slashed/cut the bead, leading to a flat which gave me flashing TPM lights. They replaced the tire for free but screwed up my plans, and blamed their incompetence on the wheel design…

Looking forward to having a chance to drive it soon! Been busy with family functions all weekend.


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FYI for next time--the rear wheels have to be mounted backwards in the tire machine for Roadstars or else this or worse--they might mar the wheel! Don't be shy about telling them in the future and for now inspect the inside of each wheel rim for marks left by the machine where it gripped them.

[merciless49]

FYI for next time--the rear wheels have to be mounted backwards in the tire machine for Roadstars or else this or worse--they might mar the wheel! Don't be shy about telling them in the future and for now inspect the inside of each wheel rim for marks left by the machine where it gripped them.

I told them that they need to reverse mount them, quite a few times too! I think in the future I just won’t go back to this tire shop and figure out where to go for the right installation to be done.

On the flip side these Roadstars already had some defects (pitting, etc) so I didn’t feel so bad…the nice set is sitting in the garage for now


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[z3forlife]

Mount and balance may be one thing worth taking to the dealer. I have a set of 18” rondel 21’s that I had balanced at a couple different shops and still had issues between 65-75 mph. On my last tire change I decided to give the dealer the work and they did a great job. No marring of paint and balance was spot on.

[merciless49]

Mount and balance may be one thing worth taking to the dealer. I have a set of 18” rondel 21’s that I had balanced at a couple different shops and still had issues between 65-75 mph. On my last tire change I decided to give the dealer the work and they did a great job. No marring of paint and balance was spot on.

This is a great suggestion, thanks!


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[IndianaRoadster]

Mount and balance may be one thing worth taking to the dealer. I have a set of 18” rondel 21’s that I had balanced at a couple different shops and still had issues between 65-75 mph. On my last tire change I decided to give the dealer the work and they did a great job. No marring of paint and balance was spot on.

Thanks for the heads up. I also have Rondels that were recently refinished and though my tires are fairly new, have thought about who I would have change my tires when the time comes.

[z3forlife]

Of course Covid has taken a blender to a lot of service companies and your results may vary. My long trusted Indy shop totally screwed me on a engine swap. Waited 4 months before work even started and did a half assed job that ended up costing me 5K on top of the 3.5K for the swap. Flex disc nuts came off at 70mph destroyed the shifter,sound deadening,drive shaft,& shorted the harness roasting conductors back to the ecu. 10 months later I’m finally back on the road. My local dealer fixed the damage not the indy. It will never go back.

[pine1000]

Thanks for the heads up. I also have Rondels that were recently refinished and though my tires are fairly new, have thought about who I would have change my tires when the time comes.

I took my roadstars to a BMW M dealership and gave them a printout of the special tire mount procedures for the rears. They still scratched the hell out of one of them. They are well balanced though.

[mchart]

I took my roadstars to a BMW M dealership and gave them a printout of the special tire mount procedures for the rears. They still scratched the hell out of one of them. They are well balanced though.

Best balancing procedure. No need for weights. You just grind the shit out of the wheel and remove material.

[merciless49]

Since the work that I reported before I’ve just been driving the car about 2-3 days a week, and trying to get used to the clutch uptake/shifter/driving feel.

So far so good, the car drives amazing! For me, I’ve always had econoboxes (the most exciting car was a Civic EJ6 hatchback) so the clutch actions were light and shifter less precise. I’m trying to rid of some bad habits from that.

Now for a list of current to-do’s (in no particular order):

1) sliding driver seat. I already bought the shims, but anything else that I can work on while the seat is out?

2) Front nose (between the grills) has a dent. Not super noticeable but would be good to get the dent out. Will get quotes for that.

3) audio system - not urgent but would probably upgrade the speakers, amplifier, sub at some point. I’m doing research on that, it’s been years since I’ve even looked into these things.

4) front grills cracked. Just replaced with some cheaper ones. May purchase stock replacements in the future.

Before


After


I feel ok with these grills. They’re pretty cheap and decent for now. I’ll look into sourcing an OEM pair, but not urgently needed.

There are others on the list but I’ll work through them slowly. I’m going to keep this thread as a sort of journal/ownership/project notes.


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[KBH22102]

When you have the seat out to do the bushing work, do not use your key in the ignition or you will trigger an SRS light. You can adjust the seat forward and aft with the key out to access the bolts. The S54 will have a single slide lock type connector under the seat. When you reattach it, makes sure it is seated firmly or else again you may trigger an SRS light. You need an SRS capable scan tool in order to clear it.

It’s funny what you may find under the seats. The last time I did it on a newly acquired car, I found some change, a credit card, a golf scorecard, and an unused condom.

[z3forlife]

Download INPA from the diagnostic thread and you will have Bmw’s software to pull and clear codes and srs reset. It’s invaluable. Able is very helpful if you run into problems.

[merciless49]

Download INPA from the diagnostic thread and you will have Bmw’s software to pull and clear codes and srs reset. It’s invaluable. Able is very helpful if you run into problems.

Perfect, thank you. Will read this thread thoroughly since there is the airbag sensor light on that the previous owner was not able to clear. I’ll probably do the seat rail fix in a few weeks’ time.


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