notchy steering bmw z4 3.0 2004

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lotusse
Joined: Sun 12 Feb, 2006 15:47
Posts: 18

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: glasgow

notchy steering bmw z4 3.0 2004

Post by lotusse »

Hi

changed my z3 2.8 for a 2004 z3 3.0 and after driving for some time the steering starts to get notchy (ie you would think it would stck )But some days its ok.
Any ideas i was told the steering sensor was replaced by the garage.Is this a problem with the electric steering pump or the rack or tracking.
lotusse
Joined: Sun 12 Feb, 2006 15:47
Posts: 18

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: glasgow

Post by lotusse »

sorry it's a z4 3.0 on 2004
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Post by Gazza »

This is a well known problem, BMW will deny it though.

http://www.bmwccgbforum.co.uk/z4-notchy ... c5707.html

A friend of mine had the same problem, showing the facts to the Dealer and they still denied there was a problem stating that no fault codes were showing, he said drive it - they wouldn't.
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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PVR
Z Register member
Joined: Wed 12 Nov, 2003 19:09
Posts: 814

  Z4 M roadster
Location: Worth

Post by PVR »

On my old 3.0 from 2004, that was replaced under warranty. Sticky steering only happens when warm.

As it is not warm outside now, do you have the heater aimed at the steering column by any chance?
lotusse
Joined: Sun 12 Feb, 2006 15:47
Posts: 18

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: glasgow

Post by lotusse »

Thanks for the reply

I have noticed it's worse after a longer drive ie more that 45 min's. I don't have heater on foot wells.

What are the fixes. Is the problem with the electric motor or is it the rack.Am i best getting a second had motor see one on e-bay £300.(is this a simple pull one motor out and replace or does ecu have to be rest?

See some people have said it's a problem in hot weather.

What do people think is the cheapest way to solve this problem see some people on the net talking about £1000s
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Alfie
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 29 Apr, 2004 14:28
Posts: 3312

  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Post by Alfie »

Sorry, but it could be bad news.... :shock:

My buddy had exactly the same prob with his 05 3.0i. The car was not long out of BMW AUC warranty but BMW denied any knowledge of the problem saying that they had never heard of it before and could not replicate it. Of course, they were more than happy to offer to charge him for a full inspection and to replace the part which IIRC would come to something like £2k with no guarantee that it would even fix the problem...... you can imagine his reply.... :evil:

He gave up wth them and took it to Munich Motors in Wokingham, who are top notch Beamer specialists. He managed to source a replacement part from a scrappy up north somewhere at a cost of about £300 and got MM to fit it.
The part was exactly right but no matter what they did, they couldn't get it to link to the ECU. The scrappy refused to refund for the part coz as far as they were concerned, it was working as intended, and MM had to charge him for fitting, and then removing the new part, which involves complete removal of the dashboard....twice....
So he ended up paying out several hundred quid to get the car back in exactly the same state as when he started!

Sorry to say, my mate couldn't enjoy the car after all that and ended up chopping the Z4 in for a Ford Focus....so now, STOOPID STOOPID BMW have lost him as a customer for ever. Abysmal customer care.

I really hope you have more success than him.
Good luck and keep us posted with progress.

A.
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lotusse
Joined: Sun 12 Feb, 2006 15:47
Posts: 18

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: glasgow

Post by lotusse »

thanks

My be i should trade it in come the summer if it doesn't get any worse.

How hard would it be to convert to standard hydraulic. Anyone though of this since i hear the z4m is that?
warhammer23
Joined: Sun 16 Feb, 2014 22:28
Posts: 62

  BMW other

Re: notchy steering bmw z4 3.0 2004

Post by warhammer23 »

Hi.

Also interested in the Z4 EPS problems.

Is there a way to disable it if the worst happens, i mean just remove the fuse/relay etc and it will be just harder to steer but at least it will not intervene/make you overcompensate and make you crash.

And has anyone done a Z4 M hydraulic PS conversion?

Thank you.
Mike Fishwick
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 10:27
Posts: 2092

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Daglan, France

Re: notchy steering bmw z4 3.0 2004

Post by Mike Fishwick »

I would have thought that by now someone would have mentioned that this problem was widespread in the USA a few years ago, the symptoms ranging frm notchiness in the steering to a total lack of power steering after initially applying pressure tothe steering wheel, followed by a sudden addition of power steering. The result was that the car swerved back and forth.

After the usual period of denial BMW (US) admitted that the problem was due to electronic components 'aging' and being affected by heat, a massive recall then taking place to change EVERY steering system - rack and electronics. BMW(GB) stated that this problme would not occur in the UK due to the lower ambent temperatures, ignoring the possibility of owners travelling to hot areas of Europe.

Another asociated problem - and the reason a rack frm a breaker will not operate is that the rack needs to be coded tothe car, and also the software issue of the rack must match the other bits of software connected tothe common signal bus. A Bitish Z4 owner found this after a dealer replaced the aircon control unit, after which no power assitance was available. The dealer could not find any problem, and after the usual denials a BMW(GB) 'engineer' found the same thing. Eventually a REAL engineer form the steering manufacturer (ZF?) looked at the car, and after two minutes came up withthe answer - the new rack had a later software version than the other ECU-base units on the signal bus, and so it had been voted out.

I am very pleased that my old Z3 does not have such 'advances!'
A Z3 is not just for Christmas - it's for life!
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lightning
Joined: Tue 27 Nov, 2007 08:15
Posts: 818

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Stockport

Re: notchy steering bmw z4 3.0 2004

Post by lightning »

Yes it does not bode well for repairing these kind of cars as they get older!
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