Assisted steering failure warning.

D

daveion

Member
 Thurrock Essex RM15
Hi all. I have been driving around with a very poor battery for the past 12 months. Always got the battery warning message in this time but hung on for a number of reasons none of which because I was too mean. Ordered a battery on-line and before it came the car threw up the steering wheel warning "assisted steering failure". The steering is really heavy and car difficult to maneuver. Fitted the battery hoping things would reset and what I have now is a hit and miss power steering function.
As soon as I switch on the steering wheel warning pops up 100% and sometimes I have power steering sometimes none.
The car is booked in for a battery register to the car and diagnostic check on the steering.
In the meantime I have searched around for knowledge but not come up with much other than a new power rack solution. Reconditioned units £804 supplied and fitted locally.
What I'm hoping is that once the battery is registered and faults recorded and cleared things will return to normal. I have read on US forums that a low voltage can cause some steering issues.
I'm loathe to fit a refurbished rack assembly. The car is 2011, 38k miles and I have had it for 8 years.
Any of you guys able to offer any other advice, other sensors that may cause this intermittent come and go power steering.
 
There's a connector for the motor you can get at if you take the belly pan off.
Try unplugging and cleaning.
Might be corroded.
 
There were a batch of E89s around 2010-2011 that had a duff EPS rack…the EPS ‘demands’ more power from the electronic services so running around with a duff battery for a year won’t have helped..good luck
 
Thank you flyBobbie and B21.
I have been a contributing before but can't recover my account.
So, flybobbie. Although what you refer to is sensible is there any history of this on the e89 that presents ⁸a fault like mine that you are aware of? I'm now heading into my mid 70s and not as agile as I used to be so getting under the car is going to be a bit of a workout 😊
And B21. That's interesting about a known problem in my year of manufacture. I bought the car from a Elms in Stanstead and had a 2 year used car warranty. Apart from an early problem in warranty of the roof operation where they replaced just about every motor, switch and the hydraulic pump the car has been trouble free. It was first registered in Dec 2011 but that doesn't mean it wasn't built earlier. It did have some recall work to an earth cable?? But I wondered whether its worth knocking on their door to see if I missed a recall.
The garage that is doing the battery register on Monday are not the best equipped with diagnostic equipment. I was wondering if its better to not clear the faults or perhaps get the diagnostics conducted elsewhere. On Monday they are also changing the hydraulic oil and engine oil/filter.
Any advice?
 
A decent fully charged battery and a decent diagnostic tool are the two key things for a long and happy E89 ownership experience…with more than 2 dozen ECUs on board you are flailing in the dark without access to such a diagnostic tool..without that you need a decent Indy with the right tools.

There was a batch of steering racks around 2011 / 2012 that were problematic but I don’t have access to any more details.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/recall-for-2012-z4-electric-power-assist-system.631481/ This refers


https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=57041
 
Diagnostics this morning couldn't communicate with the EPS module. Suspected from what I read this would be the case. I wondered whether the motor can be removed and replaced in situ from underneath without removing the rack?
ECU Testing offer a 3 day turn around of your unit that will not need coding on refitting. Seems a sensible option to a complete rack replacement.
 
I'm still not nearer to being back on the road.
The car is now with an independent BMW specialist
(snowed over) who said his diagnostic is a definitive eps module failure. He is trying to source a motor/module replacement as an exchange I think with BBA Rochester but that looks like £700 as apposed to a three day turn around with ECU Testing at £299+VAT? That's a big jump to prevent my car taking up a ramp for three days. I thought if the motor was removed from the rack in- situ the car would still me maneuverable.
Anyone know if that's possible?
Dave
Just had a clarification on the cost. The £700 included a surcharge as an exchange if my unit isn't repairable which sounds better.
 
I finally got my car back this morning. In the end I found a local BMW Specialist ( Lee Mills of LM-Tech) who is just starting out on his own. He has worked as a Specialist his whole working life and has invested heavily in BMW Diagnostics. Anyway he ordered a replacement motor/module from BBA REMAN in Rochester.
I picked it up rather than using the post. They bought out a complete rack assembly with the motor! I said we had ordered just a rebuilt motor and their reply was its the same price. £420 Inc of VAT.
I wasn't that impressed with BBA despite this. When I dug into what I had later over the phone with the rack it was bought in cleaned up tested OK and then given to me for £420 with a lifetime warranty.
So I now had a rack motor assembly of unknown origin, mileage, simply cleaned up and tested. So at the moment of testing it was OK but it could have done 150k miles for all I know. By this time my car was in the air with the rack off so an offer to return it for a refund was really not that helpful. I decided to stick with it and hope the lifetime warranty is worth something. Lee took the motor off and fitted it to my rack, refitted and tested all ok. No bong of doom or lights.
Summary
Would not recommend BBA REMAN. Trustpilot 1.9 out of 5 although their eBay feedback is extensive and 100%. That is extraordinary.
I would highly recommend LM-Tech. They are based in Corringham Essex. His website is not up and running yet but if you want his contact details please pm me.
I am so pleased to be back on the road.
 
Thanks for the write up..so often we never here what then happened... :thumbsup:
 
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