E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?

[yg54sg]

It could be the ribbon cable issue breaking like mine? I would drive it around for a couple of days maybe not city center, needs a strong arm but once your moving its fine, if it start working again on engine restart and your sport button works then its most def the ribbon cable issue. I have some videos of motor removal but unfortunately there is a lot of swearing and cursing of the German engineers while i'm upside down so prob not suitable for YouTube but DM me your WhatsApp and I'll send if you need them.

 

[Rix]

You're both stars, thanks! Will PM you my mobile, ta. Indeed, no comms to module although I do get the anti tamper code on the DME which I'd not noticed before. My sport button has been disabled since my DME swap last year so that aspect is inconclusive.

The car presumably had got pretty warm whilst out on a test drive and sitting in the workshop so wouldn't be surprised if it works in the morning but clearly it's on its way out at very best.

 

[enuff_zed]

It could be the ribbon cable issue breaking like mine? I would drive it around for a couple of days maybe not city center, needs a strong arm but once your moving its fine, if it start working again on engine restart and your sport button works then its most def the ribbon cable issue. I have some videos of motor removal but unfortunately there is a lot of swearing and cursing of the German engineers while i'm upside down so prob not suitable for YouTube but DM me your WhatsApp and I'll send if you need them.

Also, if its the ribbon cable that is in the torque sensor within the column, nothing to do with the motor.
It requires a column strip down and it's easier to swap in a replacement tbh.

 

[Rix]

So I started the car yesterday morning and low and behold, no EPS light and functioning Steering! However today, went to try the same (mid day on a sunny day) and light back on and no steering...

This seems to suggest it's linked to ambient temp so hopefully consistent with the module being defective rather than the torque sensor/ribbon cable?

Yet to roll up my sleeves and tackle the extraction!

 

[onebott]

Morning all, I've lost my power steering (Z4 E85 2004 3.0L auto) I've got the yellow light on the dash and my sport button will not work. My OBD Autel tablet just comes up with "unable to communicate" when connected to the EPS control unit, however my steering angle sensor is working and transmitting correct data. I'm going to remover the electric motor as you've all described so well in the posts and send it off for repair.
Am I right in assuming the motor can be re-fitted without any specific shaft positioning ?
Also, could anyone send me a link to any posts that include some photo's of the motor removal?
Many thanks Nick.

 

[ZeddyTea]

Morning all, I've lost my power steering (Z4 E85 2004 3.0L auto) I've got the yellow light on the dash and my sport button will not work. My OBD Autel tablet just comes up with "unable to communicate" when connected to the EPS control unit, however my steering angle sensor is working and transmitting correct data. I'm going to remover the electric motor as you've all described so well in the posts and send it off for repair.
Am I right in assuming the motor can be re-fitted without any specific shaft positioning ?
Also, could anyone send me a link to any posts that include some photo's of the motor removal?
Many thanks Nick.

Hi Nick, where are you in the UK? I did the EPS this week but didn’t get photos as enuff_zed has a library of them on WhatsApp! If you’re local I’m happy to pop over, if not - I don’t want to step on Martins toes so drop enuff_zed a PM!

 

[onebott]

Hi, I cannot PM yet, it says I've not posted enough !!
Did you remove the steering wheel or manage with it on ?
Thanks Nick

 

[enuff_zed]

Morning all, I've lost my power steering (Z4 E85 2004 3.0L auto) I've got the yellow light on the dash and my sport button will not work. My OBD Autel tablet just comes up with "unable to communicate" when connected to the EPS control unit, however my steering angle sensor is working and transmitting correct data. I'm going to remover the electric motor as you've all described so well in the posts and send it off for repair.
Am I right in assuming the motor can be re-fitted without any specific shaft positioning ?
Also, could anyone send me a link to any posts that include some photo's of the motor removal?
Many thanks Nick.

Hi Nick, where are you in the UK? I did the EPS this week but didn’t get photos as enuff_zed has a library of them on WhatsApp! If you’re local I’m happy to pop over, if not - I don’t want to step on Martins toes so drop enuff_zed a PM!

I'm probably a bit closer in Norfolk, but still a fair old distance.
You definitely do need to mark a datum across the motor and spacer ring first or you'll potentially get sticky steering issues.
I suspect ZeddyTea now has the full copy of everything I sent him, so give either one of us a PM with a number we can Whatsapp details to and we can guide you through it.

 

[enuff_zed]

Hi, I cannot PM yet, it says I've not posted enough !!
Did you remove the steering wheel or manage with it on ?
Thanks Nick

You can now you have 3 posts

 

[enuff_zed]

Did you remove the steering wheel or manage with it on ?

By far the easiest methiod is seat out and steering wheel off.
Some leave the wheel on, but being an old git I find it difficult to wriggle out of the footwell holding the motor when the wheel is in the way.

 

[ZeddyTea]

Hi, I cannot PM yet, it says I've not posted enough !!
Did you remove the steering wheel or manage with it on ?
Thanks Nick

I took it all out, in the grand scheme of things it took about 30 minutes to get the seat and wheel off… it will make the next few hours much more comfortable.

After I put it all back together I doubted myself and if I tightened everything properly (I’m late 30s but my memory is shocking!)… so I got into position with the steering wheel and seat in place. It’s possible, but unless you like doing a backwards plank with metal pressing on your spine then I wouldn’t want to do the whole job like that…. It turned out I had secured everything but always good to check haha

 

[enuff_zed]

[ref]onebott[/ref], I have texted you using the number you pm’d to me. Had no reply though?

 

[enuff_zed]

[ref]onebott[/ref], I have texted you using the number you pm’d to me. Had no reply though?

Nothing further heard.
Oh well.......................

 

[AlexG1080]

Hey everyone! This thread seems to speak to my car's issue. Its a 2008 3.0si manual transmission with n52 engine. EPS light is on, no power steering or sport button function. However, when the car's cabin is warm, it all works flawlessly. I noticed in the summer, when it was hot out, everything works well. Now that its colder, it will work if i put the heat on high aiming at the floor for 15 minutes. I thought it was engine temp but now realize its cabin heat that makes it work. Do you all think this is an ECU issue or a bad connection? I'm debating doing a disassembly and look for any bad connections vs just sending the unit to the company mentioned earlier in the thread. Thank you in advance!

 

[matthijsfh]

Good morning,

I had the same issue and send the unit to ECUTesting. It came back within a week, did communicate with the car, but had another electrical issue. Back to ECU Testing, after 1 week news: we cannot fix it.

Got my 400 Eur back and the motor.

Opened it because it is dead now. Photo below.

I can see the 2nd repair. They tried to fix the capacitor(s) to fix the electrical issue.
I forgot to take a photo straight after opening the lid. The bend wires are my fault. There is ZERO sign of the "first" repair, unless the first repair was also the same capacitor. No solder anywhere, the glue/silicon stuff was not touched. so I am lost with respect to the first fix.

Checked the rest of the unit, but that was not opened. So I have no clue what magic was done to repair the communication failure, other than messing around with the capacitor (and introducing a new short).

Greetings Matthijs

 

[enuff_zed]

Good morning,

I had the same issue and send the unit to ECUTesting. It came back within a week, did communicate with the car, but had another electrical issue. Back to ECU Testing, after 1 week news: we cannot fix it.

Got my 400 Eur back and the motor.

That's bad news.
Do make sure if you buy a replacement that it is for LHD (I'm assuming your car is?)
They turn in the opposite direction to the RHD ones, as discovered by an American member who nearly had the wheel ripped out of his hands!!!

 

[matthijsfh]

Ohhhh LHD en RHD would be very bad news.

I actually bought 2 replacement units and 1 is for sure a RHD. Are you sure???? The part number is identical and nowhere I find any reference to a LHD & RHD version?

Will test both to check in which direction they rotate before actually installing.

Greetings Matthijs

 

[matthijsfh]

I saw the solution of interchanging 2 wires in the other post. I will update my progress in both to keep everybody who reads this up-to-date.

Greetings Matthijs

 

[enuff_zed]

I saw the solution of interchanging 2 wires in the other post. I will update my progress in both to keep everybody who reads this up-to-date.

Greetings Matthijs

Just replied to you on the other post. Looks like you're sorted.

 

[r3vmatch]

Can you take some higher res photos of the board / repair? I'm an electrical engineer and could see about passing some insight.