Another EPS / Torque sensor failure- looking for help

S

SimonR

Member
 Cardiff
Hi All - a member for a while but first time posting - thanks for all the great info you all put up. Sorry if the below is a bit of a long one.

The power steering on my 2006 2.0 sport failed intermittently back in the summer with the warning light coming on, zero power assistance and the symptoms were exactly like others across different forums have described - restart the engine and it worked - next day failing again. After a few weeks it completely stopped working. From all the forum posts I'd read, I assumed I'd get the faulty motor / ECU repaired by ECU testing, plug it back in and back on the road. The car was due its MOT which I knew would fail if not resolved so the indi BMW garage I've been using offered to take out the motor, and I would then send it to ECU testing and they would refit it again once returned. I didn't get a fault code read out done before getting the motor removed which may have been a mistake but the garage said they found getting the EPS motor out a lot harder than they expected.

ECU testing confirmed they had found a fault (good news I thought) and and carried out their repairs and sent back the unit with warranty - I assumed this would have me back on the road with a new MOT very soon. When the indi garage were given back the motor / ECU to fit they then took ages to come back to me to say that they couldn't get the power steering working and on checking for fault codes found a 611C - torque sensor error code. Having read about the deep hidden location and potentially terminal issues with the torque sensor on this forum, I decided to get the car back onto my driveway and off-road before I was charged more hours for the garage to 'not fix' the problem. The garage seemed to have effectively given up with the car at this point and weren't particularly interested in answering further questions about what they had done / tried /why they had found it so difficult to remove and replace the ECU / motor. The car is now SORN on my driveway looking great but going nowhere - I've waited until Christmas was out of the way to get back to this problem.

Is it possible that the garage have damaged the torque sensor when they were removing the motor as I presume, if it was a torque sensor issue happening when I first had the intermittent issues I would have found the steering erratic and under or over compensating - rather than just working or not working? As above, I didn't get a fault code readout at the start which could have shown if it in fact was a torque sensor issue all along - but it it was, ECU testing wouldn't have said they found an ECU fault? Unfortunately, after contacting ECU testing, they don't do a test on the whole steering system to see what readings they are getting from other parts of the electricals - does anyone know if another company can check all the readings coming from different parts of the steering system? This could isolate exactly what the fault was.

I'm located in South Wales so a bit too far for 'enuff_zed' to provide his services (you and many others clearly know a great deal) - can anyone recommend someone closer with experience of this EPS issue?

Many thanks
 
The torque sensor can only be damaged if they turned the column too many times (ripping the ribbon) which I doubt they would do

If it’s failed it’s easiest to do a full column replacement versus repair

@colb have you guys done column replacements at your place?
 
Thanks bigwinn - that's what I thought about the ribbon, although I've seen mentions of locking the column in place before removing / working on it so didn't know how easy it was to damage if not done right.
 
I wonder how they removed the motor? Possibly by pulling out the whole column?

I did one where I got the torque sensor code afterwards. Turned out that when I plugged the cable into the back of the motor I had bent one of the pins. It’s the smallest plug and hidden up the top so you kind of have to do it by feel.

Trouble is, only way to check is to get the motor back out.
 
Btw, if the torque sensor fails it tends to jump violently back to the centre as it fails. An EPS ECU fault just quietly shuts down and you can’t then communicate with it to read any faults.
If ECU Testing definitely found a fault then it suggests the torque sensor one has been introduced by the garage.
 
enuff_zed said:
Btw, if the torque sensor fails it tends to jump violently back to the centre as it fails. An EPS ECU fault just quietly shuts down and you can’t then communicate with it to read any faults.
If ECU Testing definitely found a fault then it suggests the torque sensor one has been introduced by the garage.
Click to expand...
Thanks for responding enuff_zed- this was my logic ( hence why I felt the need to write a bit of an essay at the start to explain the situation) - a bit of a coincidence if there was an ECU fault and a torque sensor fault at the same time. And you agree with me about the likely symptoms of just a torque sensor fault ( violent/ erratic steering). Hhmm.:unsure: I'll have a look at the pins/ get the motor out ( when the weather improves as I don't have a garage) - I've nothing to loose at this stage. Thanks
 
SimonR said:
Thanks for responding enuff_zed- this was my logic ( hence why I felt the need to write a bit of an essay at the start to explain the situation) - a bit of a coincidence if there was an ECU fault and a torque sensor fault at the same time. And you agree with me about the likely symptoms of just a torque sensor fault ( violent/ erratic steering). Hhmm.:unsure: I'll have a look at the pins/ get the motor out ( when the weather improves as I don't have a garage) - I've nothing to loose at this stage. Thanks
Click to expand...
No worries. I can talk you through it if needed.
 
I’m also willing to bet the garage didn’t mark up the motor and spacer ring alignment before taking it apart either, so you could have a bit of tweaking to do to eradicate any sticky steering
 
Only changed the motor out on my previous 2.5, worst job I had to do but I just dropped the column didn't take it completely out, not done a torque sensor. My motor was repaired by ECU Testing and was plug and play when I got it back. Should be a lot easier to take the column out completely its not a job I would want to do again. Sounds like enuff_zed is right about the garage cocking it up aligning it up when refitting is really important that's why it should be marked before taking the motor out.
Umfaan I see has pm'd you, he may be your salvation and come up with a replacement column.
It may be worth doing a re-calibration of the steering angle before you start taking it all out and see if that clears the code, could be the garage didn't know what they were doing and didn't try that. You need a decent scanner or BMW software to do it.
 
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Definitely check the plug before you go through all the hassle of changing the column as that involves cutting out a piece of the lower dash too
 
Just as an update - Umfaan was able to find me a second hand complete column with motor from his contact in Chester and very kindly helped me swap it for the old one this weekend during the one sunny day we've had. Colb then came over today with his code reader also with Umfaan to follow up and see it all calibrated, completed and working again. Just need to get it to the nearby MOT station asap to hopefully get it back on the road ready for spring. Thanks again for all your help the past month or so.
 
Hi - @enuff_zed was suggesting to check that one of the three multi-pin plugs that goes into the ECU hadn't been mis-aligned / bent pin as they are fairly delicate which could have caused the 611c error code and stop the whole power steering working correctly. This would have been when the garage that first removed and later refitted the electric motor and ECU, which is when 611c error appeared. In the end thanks to @Umfaan helping me source and fit a whole new ( second hand) steering column with attached ECU - supplied by @GenZed nr Chester. In the end we didn't bother going through what enuff_zed suggested and just changed the whole thing out. Thanks also to @colb for plugging in his box of tricks and resetting the steering position sensor, etc.

So its only if you or someone has removed these plugs and refitted them as part of investigating an EPS problem that checking the plugs / pins have been correctly aligned would make any difference.

Typically getting a 611c error is pretty terminal as it suggests something has happened to the torque sensor which is housed inside a very secure area of the steering column just below the worm screw of the EPS motor. Not to be confused with the relatively accessible steering position sensor located further down the steering column nearer the footwell bulkhead.

So a call out to someone who has or knows of a replacement steering column for you.
Good luck
 

Gives an idea what it all looks like to get at and replace the whole steering column - this is for Left Hand Drive but very similar - its not as easy as it seems to be on the video though - the weight of the motor had me sweating trying to hold it in place while unscrewing / screwing the 8x holding bolts in. Key barrel is very fiddly / trial and error to get it to release.

Detailed step by step of someone who repaired their torque sensor from the Forum
M

Thread 'Steering Column Fix - Torque Sensor (save £2000)'

I've just spent the weekend ripping apart my steering column in order to fix the 611C fault code "steering column torque'.

I'd previously read that this was an issue that could only be remedied with a new/salvage steering column, because the torque sensor is buried deep within the column housings. But £2000 for a replacement column (+ labour !?) was a little steep for me, so I decided to take the thing apart to see what could be done. I took a few photos along the way, because I couldn't find anything on the web that had any disassembled column images, or any guides indicating what was...
 
Thanks for the quick response and the video.

I thought I was going to get lucky there for a second, but it looks like the column out is going to have to happen at some point, as it seems to be occurring more with time.

I may be able to manage that myself but has anyone had any experience with someone on ebay that offers a torque sensor repair service? I’ve seen the listing and I think I’d be more inclined to pay for a belt and braces repair than risk buying and fitting a second hand column, only for it to fail down the line.
 
Swapping the column is dead easy. Takes time but nothing complex.
Torque sensor failures are quite rare so a replacement column would be the simplest answer.
 
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