[Mike38]

1) Do you wash your Z4 yourself by hand or do you go to an automatic car wash ?
2) what is your experience with parking in public car parks (at the shopping centre / hospital etc.) ? Aren't you worried about damage ?

(Sorry for maybe stupid questions, I plan to buy my first Z4 this week)

[bmwz467]

Originally Posted by Mike38

1) Do you wash your Z4 yourself by hand or do you go to an automatic car wash ?
2) what is your experience with parking in public car parks (at the shopping centre / hospital etc.) ? Aren't you worried about damage ?

(Sorry for maybe stupid questions, I plan to buy my first Z4 this week)

Because of the softop I wouldn’t recommend automatic washers. Personally wash by hand to also low the risk of scratches.

[Westside Guy]

1) I wouldn’t dream of taking my Z4 into an automatic car wash.

2) When in parking lots I always attempt to find an empty section. I avoid the more crowded areas when idiots can slam their doors into the side of my car, etc.

[tracer bullet]

Future owner here too, it's still at the port. I've babied my 135i for over a decade and looked into this stuff off and on over the years.

Do agree to park only where there aren't other cars right next by if possible. Take a higher level in a ramp if it's more empty. Be extra careful anywhere the spaces are at an angle and a door can get extra momentum and distance with gravity. Also know that driver's sides always get opened in other cars, passenger sides less often. I'll park in the large lot among other cars at work but we are lucky to have fairly wide spots. Almost anywhere else I'm a few cars away from the next closest person.

For the washing it's 100% DIY. I'd rather have a dirty car than a clean, scratched car. The washes wither contact the car and leave small scratches, or they spray some fairly harsh chemicals that can strip the wax you've put on, they'll leave black trim with a rainbow effect, and do other strange things. Plus they never seem to totally rinse out the soap afterwards, open your door after a wash or the trunk and see the bubbles still there.

Most of that damage can be removed with a light polish but I'd rather avoid the work altogether, and the incremental removal of the clear coat.

A ceramic coating goes a long ways to help, it's rather impervious to chemicals, but will still break down eventually. Polymer waxes aren't quite as tough but are more simple to apply. If you don't drive a ton and you do DIY the washing, more "normal" waxes (polymers) are fine if applied a couple times a year.

It's a big subject, LOL, but the short version is that it's definitely best to DIY the washing if possible. The added bonus is that you're a little more in touch with the car I'd say. You know the shape better, how the paint is handling the elements, and so on. That's not appealing work to everyone nor does everyone care of course but if that sounds like a good thing to you then start planning to wash it yourself.

[Horseman]

This topic has come up a few times, but no way I would ever take my car to a car wash. It's way more satisfying to do it yourself, and your ride is just too expensive to take the risk of failure inside or there being something stuck on the "brushes"

Here's my routine:

[BEAR-AvHistory-2]

Wash at home with a foamer. Convertable tops will not hold up to a automatic car wash machine.

Park & Hike. Try to avoid parking where other cars are

[Horseman]

Originally Posted by Mike38

1) Do you wash your Z4 yourself by hand or do you go to an automatic car wash ?
2) what is your experience with parking in public car parks (at the shopping centre / hospital etc.) ? Aren't you worried about damage ?

(Sorry for maybe stupid questions, I plan to buy my first Z4 this week)

There's a whole thread about parking lot pics... you can see where we park.

[GerryC]

The nice thing about the Z4 is that it's a small vehicle. With a ceramic coat and the small size, it takes 15 minutes to wash the car (minus the wheels.) The wheels take awhile just because of all the nooks and crannies. Ceramic makes it easier, but you still have wipe it all down.

Parking is no different than any other well cared for car. Avoid parking near someone who obviously doesn't care about the cosmetics of their vehicle. If you have to park near someone, pick the car that's worth a lot more than yours.

[Mike38]

Originally Posted by GerryC

The nice thing about the Z4 is that it's a small vehicle. With a ceramic coat and the small size, it takes 15 minutes to wash the car (minus the wheels.) The wheels take awhile just because of all the nooks and crannies. Ceramic makes it easier, but you still have wipe it all down.

Parking is no different than any other well cared for car. Avoid parking near someone who obviously doesn't care about the cosmetics of their vehicle. If you have to park near someone, pick the car that's worth a lot more than yours.

It sounds like very good advice, thank you all.

[Wynnsiensheng]

Wash by hand.

There are some parking lots that I would not use for my Z4 because I know they will be busy or have small spaces. My daughters school car park I wouldn’t even use for my Honda Civic.

[bmwz467]

In terms of parking these cars are fairly worry free. I mean they are really nice and none of us would want damage to occur but due to the design being really modular even the rear quarter can be taken off and swapped so far easier to fix than other (most) cars and currently the price of body parts isn’t awful should the worst happen

[Zetter4]

Hi all, new to the forum here…

I wash my 2019 M40i always in a car wash near home (Munich) with a special program for cabrios (soft tops). Never had a problem and the car comes very well washed. In Munich there aren’t many spots to wash your car manually, and there are always long lines. Of course here you are not allowed to wash the car on the parking/street.

[Mike38]

Originally Posted by Zetter4

Hi all, new to the forum here…

I wash my 2019 M40i always in a car wash near home (Munich) with a special program for cabrios (soft tops). Never had a problem and the car comes very well washed. In Munich there aren’t many spots to wash your car manually, and there are always long lines. Of course here you are not allowed to wash the car on the parking/street.

Thanks for the idea, I'll try to find a car wash with a convertible program in my area.

[Horseman]

Originally Posted by Zetter4

Hi all, new to the forum here…

I wash my 2019 M40i always in a car wash near home (Munich) with a special program for cabrios (soft tops). Never had a problem and the car comes very well washed. In Munich there aren’t many spots to wash your car manually, and there are always long lines. Of course here you are not allowed to wash the car on the parking/street.

I'm aware of the vast differences in construction compared between countries, but ... like.. if it's raining or if we can't wash cars (due to water consumption restrictions aka drought) I wash my car in my garage since I have a epoxy floor. Now... because we're in restriction i use the water very conservatively. Meaning.. i use less water to rinse, and my body wash bucket then becomes my wheel wash bucket. I consume less water to wash my car than a shower or doing the dishes.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by Horseman

This topic has come up a few times, but no way I would ever take my car to a car wash. It's way more satisfying to do it yourself, and your ride is just too expensive to take the risk of failure inside or there being something stuck on the "brushes"

Here's my routine:

Entertaining and educating, great vid Horseman