It's the sticky steering issue again, sorry please read me!

M

Moynesey

Member
Hi all

I bought a 2003 3.0 Z4 in January and love it apart from the steering which has only just really highlighted itself after a few motorway drives. I usually use my motorbike for work (BMW of course) but with the great weather we are having decided I would take the car a few times.

At motorway speeds the steering wheel 'twitches' and is a real @&£#er to keep in a straight line. I know about tram lining and it's not like any tram lining I've had before, it does have RFT's but this is definitely something moving the column. There are no clunks or knocks when you go over a bump or off a speed hump.

I think it's the dreaded EPS.

Qusetion is, has anyone actuall found a sensible fix? Will a colunm from a later Z4 fit and be capable of being programmed?

Any help welcomed as it ruining a great car :-(
 
Sounds more like tramlining or bad wheel alignment. Sticky steering doesnt cause twitches, I think it's more like the steering sticks - really still - and then unsticks with effort.

Check wheel alignment, bin the run flats and lube the UJ in the engine bay and below the steering wheel
 
It will be the wheel alignment as adamski said.

I never got mine aligned after lowering and new alloys and my steering twitches all over the place at motorways speeds.

I'm used to it now, but definitely need to book it in for alignment.
 
Ok, that's sound good. I was thinking of ditching the poxy RFT's so I will get them off and get her aligned.

Can't believe these RFT's cause this much grief, terrible idea, good on paper not in reality!

Are they 4 wheel align or single track

Cheers guys
 
My 2005 was terrible, just as you describe. Following advice on the forum I changed my RFT just the other week and had a 4 wheel Hunter Alignment check done.

The car is now a pleasure to drive.

£40 for alignment and it only needed some toe out. It would have been about £15 per shim if it needed camber/ caster changing.

My steering sometimes sticks and its clearly 2 completely different symptoms.

Change and you wont look back!!
 
I used to have a similar problem with my old e85. Even though the EPS was changed ay year 2. mine use to show up most when the roof was down and i had the heater up full blast to keep my tootsies warm…. and my clutch foot BURNING!

mine used to be evident that when i could not steer the car easily on a motorway and trying to steer / adjust the direction of the car with micro movement of the wheel, it was impossible to do this because of the stiffness around the dead ahead position.

The stiffness caused me to constantly over correct the steering and it was most frustrating.

when cold, the steering was fine, when hot it was not good and as you have described!
 
does the sterring feel a bit light/lofty?

mine does the same always needing slight adjustment here and there. its worse on the m56 where there are real heavy grooves from lorrys
 
The steering doesn't really change it's feel as in resistance or lightness, the only time this is evident is when I get caught in a groove or lorry track. This tram lining I am used too, sometimes you have to 'pull' the car out of the groove but this is the same as many cars I've owned. The steering just tends to twitch constantly at motorway speeds and it annoys the hell of out me, makes the cars very nervous to the point where 70+mph would make less experienced drivers stop.

I will get the RFT's off and put on some decent Conti's or Pirelli's and get the car tracked. If it's not that then I will have to try the column!

Thanks guys
 
Im suffering the same symptoms as you mentioned. But it is only after I had the front wishbone bushes replaced.
It's better after swopping to my non rft winter tyres but still there. I was planning a 4 wheel alignment soon.
Any recommendations for the Sussex area?
 
Oops, I missed the point that YOU STILL HAVE RFT's FITTED! ignor everything I have said so far.
Removing RFT's change the e85 out of all recognition.

DO IT, DO IT NOW
 
dario said:
Oops, I missed the point that YOU STILL HAVE RFT's FITTED! ignor everything I have said so far.
Removing RFT's change the e85 out of all recognition.

DO IT, DO IT NOW
Click to expand...

THIS.
 
Hi all

Just thought I would complete this thread.

I had 4 standard, i.e. non run flats today and the difference as you guys mentioned above is night and day.

The car feels more stable, handles better, smoother ride and the best part, the steering twitch is gone, yay! It was going to the point where I was going to sell up because the motorway drives were that naff and tiring.

Many thanks to everyone who posted, great work ;-)
 
The difference really is night and day! I wouldn't have believe it without experiencing it!

It's the car it should have been from the day I bought it!
 
I reckon there should be a sticky thread somewhere linking to all these good news stories....

Moral of the story is - bin the run flat tyres
 
Moynesey said:
It's the car it should have been from the day I bought it!
Click to expand...

Nope!

When you drive a Z4M/// (forget about the power)…….. that is the way that the E85 SHOULD HAVE BEEN!!!
 
I'm new to this website/forum and was encouraged to see alternatives to correcting this issue outside of replacing the entire steering column. Through some online research I've seen about 10 different ways to describe this issue. My take is a "notchy" feel in the steering wheel while traveling at higher speeds in the straights. The steering wheel breaks free while needing to apply more than normal pressure in an attempt to make steering corrections. As a result the car tends to snap left/right. Extremely annoying!!!

I too have RFTs on all four wheels. The rear tires were just replaced by the previous owner, but the front tires need replacing.

Can anyone offer advice on whether or not it would be ok to just run the RFTs in the rear and replace the fronts with conventional tires? - or replace all 4 tires??
 
2004z4, I had the same problem in the past. BMW Rep narrowed it down to replacing the steering column. BMW knew there was a problem with the 2003 and 2004 Z4's, but wouldn't own up to repairing/replacing. I didn't give in to this problem and finally they replaced it at no charge. Car was out of warranty, but since I had it documented with a steering problem during warranty, they agreed to do it. Problem solved with sticky steering, but still had a little tramlining. Replaced the original Bridgestone RFT's with Michelin PS2 ZP RFT's and difference was as night and day. So many different ideas on this thread.
Good luck with whatever you do.
 
2004z4 said:
I'm new to this website/forum and was encouraged to see alternatives to correcting this issue outside of replacing the entire steering column. Through some online research I've seen about 10 different ways to describe this issue. My take is a "notchy" feel in the steering wheel while traveling at higher speeds in the straights. The steering wheel breaks free while needing to apply more than normal pressure in an attempt to make steering corrections. As a result the car tends to snap left/right. Extremely annoying!!!

I too have RFTs on all four wheels. The rear tires were just replaced by the previous owner, but the front tires need replacing.

Can anyone offer advice on whether or not it would be ok to just run the RFTs in the rear and replace the fronts with conventional tires? - or replace all 4 tires??
Click to expand...
Yes that would be OK, however the symptoms you are describing sound like the sticky steering issue not run flat tramlining problem...your call !
 
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