steering column

[xantiaman]

hi
I'm looking at buying an 04 plate z4 that the owner says has heavy steeling at low speeds, and the eps light is lit on the dash he has taken it to a dealer who updated all the latest software and the car was fine for a day then the problem returned dealer then told him a new steering column was needed. the steering seems to work fine when the outside air is cold but when the outside temp warms up or the interior heater is used the problem starts...I have read numerous posts regarding this problem and a awful lot of the cars have been fixed by turning the slip ring on the motor 5mm at a time until the steering feel is returned to normal could this be the actual fix rather than a complete column as suggested by the dealer? changing out the column for a used one is not a problem but coding and angle sensor reset is beyond my capabilities at the moment...I've also read that fitting a grease nipple somewhere and pumping grease in might work but I don't fancy that much either...if it is more likely electrical one answer maybe to send the motor off to be reconditioned as I'm told as I'm reinstalling the same repaired motor nothing will need coding etc just not sure the motor is the problem... any ideas? the car is very nice and its cheap but I don't want to get bogged down with laptops and programming etc

 

[enuff_zed]

If the light is on then the eps has failed and no amount of ring adjustment will fix it. Most likely the ecu is breaking down somewhere when it gets hot.
No need to mess about pulling the column out. Simply take out the motor itself and send it off to ECUTesting for repair and a lifetime guarantee.
I’ve done quite a few of these now and it takes about an hour to get it out, and the same to put it all back together again.
Or you could simply fit a good secondhand motor.

 

[xantiaman]

wow thanks for the quick reply....ok I did consider having the motor repaired and indeed have been in contact with ECU Testing today and had a nice message from Emma with a price and what's involved I just wasn't sure that the motor was at fault.. as I said I have not purchased the car yet but am chomping at the bit to do so, my main worry was changing something and it not being that and having a dead car on my drive
Also am I right in thinking that after the rebuild no coding will be needed as the original motor is going back on?
one last thing if after changing the motor it was found not to be at fault have you any idea where to look next?
thanks again

 

[enuff_zed]

wow thanks for the quick reply....ok I did consider having the motor repaired and indeed have been in contact with ECU Testing today and had a nice message from Emma with a price and what's involved I just wasn't sure that the motor was at fault.. as I said I have not purchased the car yet but am chomping at the bit to do so, my main worry was changing something and it not being that and having a dead car on my drive
Also am I right in thinking that after the rebuild no coding will be needed as the original motor is going back on?
one last thing if after changing the motor it was found not to be at fault have you any idea where to look next?
thanks again

Ecu testing will return it and refund you if there’s nothing wrong with it.
Even fitting a different motor requires no coding.
Check the codes when it is in failed state. You will probably find it cannot see the eps ecu.
Finally, if the car has a sport button try that when the eps is failed. If it doesn’t work then it is the eps ecu. If it does, then more likely to be the steering angle sensor and you should see codes relating to that.

There is a faint chance it is the torque sensor inside the column, but that is not usually heat sensitive and if the electrical ribbon breaks the steering wheel kicks back quite violently

 

[enuff_zed]

Not sure what you were quoted but the best price seems to be if you buy the ecu testing service through eBay

 

[Rockhopper]

Unless the car is especially cheap then why bother with it? The market is flooded with cheap Z4's at the moment that don't have faults. You'd want £500-£600 off the book price to cover this work (parts, your time stripping it etc etc - even more if you need to pay someone else to do it for you).

 

[xantiaman]

thanks for the replies guys...price quoted was 295 all in for the motor to be rebuilt and as to why bother. Why not? from what I can see this is a very common occurrence on the Z4.. I could spend 3 times what this one is up for only for that motor to pack up in 6 months time. the car is a grand...its mot'd till December its not mint but very clean, my labour is free and once done it wont fail again, at least not in my ownership, the market maybe flooded where you live but down south the prices are a lot higher and good Z4's are few and far between I have been looking for a while and decided maybe the route I'm taking maybe the best for me

 

[TIMMOS29]

thanks for the replies guys...price quoted was 295 all in for the motor to be rebuilt and as to why bother. Why not? from what I can see this is a very common occurrence on the Z4.. I could spend 3 times what this one is up for only for that motor to pack up in 6 months time. the car is a grand...its mot'd till December its not mint but very clean, my labour is free and once done it wont fail again, at least not in my ownership, the market maybe flooded where you live but down south the prices are a lot higher and good Z4's are few and far between I have been looking for a while and decided maybe the route I'm taking maybe the best for me

keep us updated please