AutoProtect Warranty Z4M

gord · 11 Apr 2016 at 19:02

Hi all,

I'm pretty sure what the response to this is going to be but wanted to gauge opinion. I've had the Z4M for 3 years now and during that time I've always had a warranty with AutoProtect, the first year free from the dealer and then I renewed during a special offer. I've never claimed on it.

No more special offer renewals so the price is a bit heftier, but still fair. That said I'm not one to just renew for the hell of it. The car has a good history but it's not FBMWSH and is almost 8 years old. From what I've seen on TrustPilot and MSE, AutoProtect have a mixed reputation for labeling many faults as wear and tear.

Am I deluding myself carrying this on rather than just saving the cash for a rainy day?

Cheers

[TW]Fox · 11 Apr 2016 at 19:08

I can't imagine what they'd cover on a car of that age and type now.

Have you had a new roof motor yet? If it's a manual thats probably the biggest ticket item that could go wrong.

gord · 11 Apr 2016 at 19:42

It is a manual. Did they do the M version in auto?

I had the roof motor go in the old Z4 3.0, but as I understood BMW had fixed the housing on the latter cars, the M is an 08. I've kept an eye on the drainage and it still seems good so I'd hope the motor isn't drenched.

Marvin · 11 Apr 2016 at 21:08

I think "fixed" is a little generous - they put some foam round it. It didn't address the real problem which is that the roof drain would get clogged and the motor would become water logged accelerating rust and corrosion.

I'd just save money for a rainy day instead. They're quite reliable all told, and due to sharing the engine and a fair amount of running gear from the E46 M3 most faults are well documented and there are many specialists around. No sub frame issues on a Z4 either.

Mickey · 12 Apr 2016 at 05:30

gord said:
It is a manual. Did they do the M version in auto?

I had the roof motor go in the old Z4 3.0, but as I understood BMW had fixed the housing on the latter cars, the M is an 08. I've kept an eye on the drainage and it still seems good so I'd hope the motor isn't drenched.

All Z4Ms are manual

As Marvin said, they certainly improved the roof motor issue, but didn't actually fix it. I was advised by a specialist to remove the drain plugs on mine soon after I bought it, which actually had a fair bit of dirt and grit trapped in them and would have ended up blocking. No issues so far, and water pours straight through when I check now