EPS Failure Rate, do they all go wrong in the end?

GuidoK · Post by **GuidoK** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:24 pm

You think those inv. Torx bolts are a UK/rhd thing?
All the mainland ones have 2 black allen bolts.

bladeowner · Post by **bladeowner** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:41 pm

Grumpyowl wrote:
bladeowner wrote:Well I finally got round to moving the eccentric ring today. It took me 4 attempts:
1. The German website said the bolts are 6mm hex/ allen heads - Mine are male Torx heads - put the cover back on
2. Bought some small sockets - couldn't get in with the small ratchet - put the cover back on.
3. Bought some more 1/4" drive extensions - still couldn't get in - put the cover back on.
4. Bought some spanners - Success! I bought these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171533653969? ... EBIDX%3AIT
but just needed the E10 one really.

I moved the ring back 5mm and went for a short test drive - no errors and I thought the steering felt a little better but it's too early to tell as my sticky steering isn't too bad and even then usually only happens after extended use or it's hot.
Without having to read 100 pages, on your 4th attempt did you move it clockwise or anti-clockwise ?
It may help others

If you looked at it from the motor shaft end - it would be clockwise. It would rotate about 15 mm anticlockwise and maybe 35mm clockwise.

You can see the faint scratched lines near the end of the spring where I moved it from the starting point.

bladeowner · Post by **bladeowner** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:44 pm

GuidoK wrote:You think those inv. Torx bolts are a UK/rhd thing?
All the mainland ones have 2 black allen bolts.

Could be - or they ran out of allen bolts...

I wonder whether they adjusted in the car or more likely on the bench before assembly?

bladeowner · Post by **bladeowner** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:47 pm

jimbo1958 wrote:
bladeowner wrote:Well I finally got round to moving the eccentric ring today. It took me 4 attempts:
1. The German website said the bolts are 6mm hex/ allen heads - Mine are male Torx heads - put the cover back on
2. Bought some small sockets - couldn't get in with the small ratchet - put the cover back on.
3. Bought some more 1/4" drive extensions - still couldn't get in - put the cover back on.
4. Bought some spanners - Success! I bought these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171533653969? ... EBIDX%3AIT
but just needed the E10 one really.

I moved the ring back 5mm and went for a short test drive - no errors and I thought the steering felt a little better but it's too early to tell as my sticky steering isn't too bad and even then usually only happens after extended use or it's hot.
Good work Dave......we'll give it a good test in a few weeks.

Indeed

I was at the campsite 2 weeks ago for 3 nights on a motorcycle trip with 4 others. The bar is open and working!

SonnyA85 · Post by **SonnyA85** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:20 pm

my indy says he has 4 cars every year come in with EPS failure. he is a bmw and mini specialist. so takt that as you will. 1 every 3 months out of thousands of cars he must see.

he also states vanos upgraded seals aren't needed unless you have issues. in fact he says just service the car and enjoy it. only bother with something if it breaks. preventative maintenance is pointless unless it's a design flaw, like the roof motor. so i had mine relocated into boot.

MACK · Post by **MACK** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:08 pm

Glad you seem to have got it sorted, bit of a bolt out of the blue to see a thread I started year a back resurrected but its good to know there are decent solutions to sticky steering about. In fact it was the the initial responses to this thread that swayed me into buying a zed.

I don't agree on the Vanos seals though, they aren't preventative maintenance as the original seals are a flawed design (in terms of material choice) and start to fail after just a few year by all accounts. I did mine not long after buying with no codes present etc and they were fooked. Noticed the subtle difference straight away when i drove it, stronger bottom end and got a small increase in fuel economy (about 1mpg or so).

Did them once before on my wife's E 46 330 many years back and had similar results

jimbo1958 · Post by **jimbo1958** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:49 am

bladeowner wrote:
I was at the campsite 2 weeks ago for 3 nights on a motorcycle trip with 4 others. The bar is open and working!

Nice. Be good if the bar's open Friday afternoon like when the old owners had it.

Kamuela · Post by **Kamuela** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:06 am

Hmmm... My Google Translate translation of the German site says to turn the adjustment thing with the bottom rotating towards the rear; that would be counter-clockwise as viewed from the outside, non-worm end of the motor, clockwise viewed from the steering shaft end, which appears to be the opposite of what your picture shows. Or am I misunderstanding, it's the ring that moves, the motor stays put? Which would make a lot of sense.

Also, do you all have knee air bags to fight around? Or is that a US thing? I'm struggling to get to the upper bolt.

raymond.harper · Post by **raymond.harper** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 8:33 am

My own EPS failed after four months of ownership. Torque sensor had failed. New upper column 2500 pounds from BMW not including fitting. Currently converting the car to E46 hydraulic system .

Chris_D · Post by **Chris_D** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:22 am

raymond.harper wrote:My own EPS failed after four months of ownership. Torque sensor had failed. New upper column 2500 pounds from BMW not including fitting. Currently converting the car to E46 hydraulic system .

hows it coming along raymond?
will u be updating relevant thread on progress..?

raymond.harper · Post by **raymond.harper** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:03 pm

Chris_D wrote:
raymond.harper wrote:My own EPS failed after four months of ownership. Torque sensor had failed. New upper column 2500 pounds from BMW not including fitting. Currently converting the car to E46 hydraulic system .
hows it coming along raymond?
will u be updating relevant thread on progress..?

Hello Chris got the new E46 rack in place connected with a Z4M intermediate shaft ( Z4 one does not fit). This morning removed the idle pulley and fitted the LF20 pump. All very straight forward up to today. Unfortunately the serpentine belt does not fit so waiting for a new belt. Pipe work next which looks a bit of a challenge especially with the p/s cooler. I will do a long thread on the process once I have finished. Ray

Chris_D · Post by **Chris_D** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:13 pm

raymond.harper wrote:
Chris_D wrote:
raymond.harper wrote:My own EPS failed after four months of ownership. Torque sensor had failed. New upper column 2500 pounds from BMW not including fitting. Currently converting the car to E46 hydraulic system .
hows it coming along raymond?
will u be updating relevant thread on progress..?

Hello Chris got the new E46 rack in place connected with a Z4M intermediate shaft ( Z4 one does not fit). This morning removed the idle pulley and fitted the LF20 pump. All very straight forward up to today. Unfortunately the serpentine belt does not fit so waiting for a new belt. Pipe work next which looks a bit of a challenge especially with the p/s cooler. I will do a long thread on the process once I have finished. Ray

Nice one! Sounds like ur making good progress!

Would be great to see an 'ongoing progress' thread. Did one of those for Betty's big fixes and it was a real confidence/morale booster to read all the positive comments. Really kept me going through to getting her back up and running!
Jus sayin

bladeowner · Post by **bladeowner** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:31 pm

Kamuela wrote:Hmmm... My Google Translate translation of the German site says to turn the adjustment thing with the bottom rotating towards the rear; that would be counter-clockwise as viewed from the outside, non-worm end of the motor, clockwise viewed from the steering shaft end, which appears to be the opposite of what your picture shows. Or am I misunderstanding, it's the ring that moves, the motor stays put? Which would make a lot of sense.

Also, do you all have knee air bags to fight around? Or is that a US thing? I'm struggling to get to the upper bolt.

It is a bit confusing. Mine was turned clockwise if you looked at it from the shaft/column end. As the German guy mentions (and I) there is more movement one way than the other because one way the teeth will mesh together more and jam (least movement), and the other way with more movement they will come well apart. If you mark it before you move it you will see which way has the most and least movement. So you want to move it the direction with the most movement. Assuming you get the bolts undone

Not seen an airbag down there... The pic of the LHD German car looks different to mine above. http://www.zroadster.com/forum/index.ph ... pg.139493/

The part number of the steering column on realoem is different for RHD and LHD and so the orientation may be different.

Kamuela · Post by **Kamuela** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:44 pm

The airbag, or absence thereof, explains some things. It totally blocks access to the top screw. I thought it was me...

bladeowner · Post by **bladeowner** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:56 pm

Kamuela wrote:The airbag, or absence thereof, explains some things. It totally blocks access to the top screw. I thought it was me...

With the cover off, there's nothing on mine blocking the motor but the screws are still not easy to get at especially the top one.

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