Steering Problems

S

Silverstar

Veteran
 Costa Del Sol
Hi all I haven't been on here for a while, life has me caught up with other things! But anyway my Z4 recently starting giving me steering issues (first major issue with this car since I got it in 2019!). Intermitently the steering would play up with twitcing steering not self centering and sometime just outright super heavy like it has no assistance. Diagnostics only showed that it could not communicate with the module.

Doing some research I found the most likely culprit to be the steering module attached to the motor. I had it removed by my mechanics and I sent it off to ECU Testing. Yesterday they came back and told me that the module is beyond repair and they could not do anything with it. I contacted BMW here in Malaga and they want 2600€ plus 1800€ deposit until I give them my old rack.

I have found a company called Western Power Steering in Bristol who can supply a reconditioned complete rack and they say they can ship it to Spain, they are advertising an exchange price of £1200 but I am waiting for them to confirm the surcharge since I won't be able to return my old unit to them.

My question is has anyone heard of or used this company? or does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
A lot of early E89s are going down with this…I know of 7 currently..

ECU testing seem to have some issues with customers and their cars..

I don’t know of the other company…

Will be interested to see how you get on.l
 
So Western came back with a price of £1600 odd for the rack surcharge and shipping to Spain but I found this on one those autodoc type websites:


ZF Lenksysteme is the original manufacturer of these racks to BMW or at least that is the name stamped on my old part. Problem is it is showing out of stock.

I need to try and find if anyone can get hold of one here.
 
Silverstar said:
So Western came back with a price of £1600 odd for the rack surcharge and shipping to Spain but I found this on one those autodoc type websites:


ZF Lenksysteme is the original manufacturer of these racks to BMW or at least that is the name stamped on my old part. Problem is it is showing out of stock.

I need to try and find if anyone can get hold of one here.
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That looks like a good price / product !👍🧐
 
I am not very knowledgeable on the E89, but I do know that the E85 steering motor revolves in different directions for LHD and RHD, due to it's mounting position on the column.
This may well not be an issue on the E89, but worth getting that confirmed first.
@B21 - can you advise?
 
An update to this thread. So in the end I purchased the reconditioned rack from Western Power Steering. It was fitted last Friday. It works but feels like the car is always in sport mode with the heavier steering. Pressing comfort sport or sport plus makes no difference now whereas before comfort meant lightish smooth steering whilst putting it into sport sport plus meant heavier steering. I suspect this has to do with how the electronic module has been programmed. I have reached out to Western but am waiting for their reply.
 

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Silverstar said:
An update to this thread. So in the end I purchased the reconditioned rack from Western Power Steering. It was fitted last Friday. It works but feels like the car is always in sport mode with the heavier steering. Pressing comfort sport or sport plus makes no difference now whereas before comfort meant lightish smooth steering whilst putting it into sport sport plus meant heavier steering. I suspect this has to do with how the electronic module has been programmed. I have reached out to Western but am waiting for their reply.
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Good to know..FWIW the steering ECU had different values for different models and even different years!

Not sure whether you've got a network /wiring issue on the comfort/sport issue..

Any fault codes?
 
B21 said:
Good to know..FWIW the steering ECU had different values for different models and even different years!

Not sure whether you've got a network /wiring issue on the comfort/sport issue..

Any fault codes?
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After fitting the new rack had to be coded which was done, I don't think they checked for any codes after that.
 
All of these issue because of stupid electronics! You can just see what is to come with all these modern electrified cars we have now. Wish there was a simple way to turn this rack back into a simple hydraulic set up!
 
I am not sure. I will ask him when I see him on Thursday, although he did mention that the coding was just to do with setting steering angles etc. It will be interesting to see what Western have to say.
 
Silverstar said:
I am not sure. I will ask him when I see him on Thursday, although he did mention that the coding was just to do with setting steering angles etc. It will be interesting to see what Western have to say.
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Ideally they had the vin number and got the VO from that and did it correctly
 
Silverstar said:
All of these issue because of stupid electronics! You can just see what is to come with all these modern electrified cars we have now. Wish there was a simple way to turn this rack back into a simple hydraulic set up!
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The E89 uses the same wishbones and tie rods as the 1 and 3 series (e87/E90) from the same period. The subframe has a different part number, but I'd not be surprised if the steering racks from all 3 models were interchangeable.

The E90 came with either epas or hydraulic steering... My wife's e92 is hydraulic. My sister in laws e92 is epas...

Could be a route to research...
 
Looking into this for friend with E89 EPS failure..there seem to be quite a few options often cheaper..any reasons you didn't go with those?
 
B21 said:
Looking into this for friend with E89 EPS failure..there seem to be quite a few options often cheaper..any reasons you didn't go with those?
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What are the other options? When I looked I could not find anything other than ECU testing and Western Power Steering for a reconditioned rack. I did see on Autodoc ZF and Bosch listing a reconditined rack but they are not available anywhere.

Today the dashboard started bonging with EPS failure notice. Car is booked to go back Monday to check the coding again.
 
TriggerFish said:
The E89 uses the same wishbones and tie rods as the 1 and 3 series (e87/E90) from the same period. The subframe has a different part number, but I'd not be surprised if the steering racks from all 3 models were interchangeable.

The E90 came with either epas or hydraulic steering... My wife's e92 is hydraulic. My sister in laws e92 is epas...

Could be a route to research...
Click to expand...
I heard this as well that the one series rack is the same. Probably it could be converted but I doubt it would be a simple task.
 
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