Steering

[Vivian12]

The last time I spoke to my repairer he could not see where this “eccentric ring”
Was- for adjusting.i assume but don’t know,it is on the top of the steering unit.
Still have not solved the problem-if it can be solved,! I guess this is a design problem.what a pain.

[paullyjay]

firebobby I haven't heard from him - unsurprising really when a stranger calling himself wonkydonkey offers to look at your wayward steering

I have the same issue starting to appear in my steering only when the weather is super hot - how easy is it to adjust and do I need to be a contortionist?

[wonkydonkey]

firebobby I haven't heard from him - unsurprising really when a stranger calling himself wonkydonkey offers to look at your wayward steering

I have the same issue starting to appear in my steering only when the weather is super hot - how easy is it to adjust and do I need to be a contortionist?

There's an extensive thread about this problem. If yours is exacerbated by heat, it's highly likely that you'll be able to resolve it by following the instructions in the thread for adjusting the ring:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100725

[wonkydonkey]

Update

I thought I should come back to this thread to wrap it up with a verdict to help others with the same issue. Viv brought his car down to me last weekend and sure enough, with the front wheels in the air, it felt like sticky steering to me. Since I haven't carried out a sticky steering adjustment since last summer, I made the schoolboy error of adjusting the steering wheel to the fully UP position rather than fully DOWN, which made access to the pinch bolts unnecessarily difficult. I find mistakes like this are much more likely to happen while you're talking to someone or being watched, so I'll just blame Viv for that, and anything else I got wrong that week Anyway, I was able to adjust the eccentric ring eventually.

My oversight made the job take much longer than it should've taken - probably an hour or more - but the feel in the steering wheel eventually came back to being as good as I feel the Z4 EPS can feel. I've asked Viv to come back to me if he thinks it needs any further adjustment, but his was probably the worst case of sticky steering I've felt to date!

[paullyjay]

I tried to see where the adjustment is , I just couldn't get to it... I'll try again when my back is feeling up to it... That's a good tip to have the steering fully down...

[wonkydonkey]

I tried to see where the adjustment is , I just couldn't get to it... I'll try again when my back is feeling up to it... That's a good tip to have the steering fully down...

I posted a link to the Sticky Steering thread above, Paul. All the info you should need is in there, including the advice to adjust the steering wheel all the way out and all the way down it normally takes me 3 minutes to undo the two pinch bolts but took me over half an hour because I forgot that simple step in the process!

[paullyjay]

I tried to see where the adjustment is , I just couldn't get to it... I'll try again when my back is feeling up to it... That's a good tip to have the steering fully down...

I posted a link to the Sticky Steering thread above, Paul. All the info you should need is in there, including the advice to adjust the steering wheel all the way out and all the way down it normally takes me 3 minutes to undo the two pinch bolts but took me over half an hour because I forgot that simple step in the process!

Yeah, I read it all through, but I can't see how to get the torx socket onto one of the bolts. When I had a look at the steering adjustment, ironically I was in the middle of fitting some e46 sport seats to make the seating position better for my back and in the process tweaked my back... I'll re-visit this when my back is feeling better and I can squeeze myself under the steering column again!

[wonkydonkey]

paullyjay to my mind, using a socket instead of a spanner will make access even more difficult because you need to take up more room. See how you go though. Sorry to hear about the back! The standard seats were painfully uncomfortable for me too, so I fitted E46 M3 seats last month. Massive comfort improvement, but what people DIDN'T say was that the lowest position is now about 3" higher than I want to be!

[Capa]

firebobby I haven't heard from him - unsurprising really when a stranger calling himself wonkydonkey offers to look at your wayward steering

Solidly amused by this. But good on you for having a look at it in the end!

[wonkydonkey]

firebobby I haven't heard from him - unsurprising really when a stranger calling himself wonkydonkey offers to look at your wayward steering

Solidly amused by this. But good on you for having a look at it in the end!

He did quiz me on my username

[davros]

Just want to pass on my thanks to wonkydonkey and everyone who's contributed to this thread and this one: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100725.
The information provided has been invaluable and after many painful hours (it seemed like hours) squeezed deep within my foot-well I've finally managed to adjust the ring 5mm clockwise and my zed has transformed into another car

[wonkydonkey]

Just want to pass on my thanks to wonkydonkey and everyone who's contributed to this thread and this one: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100725.
The information provided has been invaluable and after many painful hours (it seemed like hours) squeezed deep within my foot-well I've finally managed to adjust the ring 5mm clockwise and my zed has transformed into another car

Excellent news! Now you can enjoy the car the way it should be! Nice work

[Matt Robbins]

To gain access did you have to remove both the ignition cowling and the lower cowling?
Just trying to save time ,did anything else get in the way?.many thanks Matt

[firebobby]

The lower ignition cowl is a couple of screws, if I remember rightly. Your best to get both cowls out of the way, then lower the steering column as far as it will go. Move the seat back as far as poss too.

[wonkydonkey]

To gain access did you have to remove both the ignition cowling and the lower cowling?
Just trying to save time ,did anything else get in the way?.many thanks Matt

I've never removed the ignition cowling. Perhaps take off the lower cowling first (three Philips-head screws) and then decide if you think you need to remove the ignition cowling. It certainly isn't necessary, but I can't picture if it would help. It may do?

As firebobby said, lower the wheel, but also pull it all the way out.