ticking from the steering wheel

slavke · 05-11-2010, 02:39 PM

well I finally took the car to dealer to get my steering checked. Its been 2 days that car was there and they said after looking for hours they cant find what is causing the problem which is sort of a good thing I guess thinking that the mechanic drove the car and replicated the problem. Servise rep told me they will flush the steering fluid since my car has active steering and see if that will solve the problem and will contact BMWNA to see if they know what the problem could be. I guess its a good thing they are not taking the easy route on me and actually checking the problem closly. Will let you know what happens.

mike3000fl · 05-11-2010, 02:45 PM

SLZ sensor (steering angle)

slavke · 05-11-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike3000fl

SLZ sensor (steering angle)

you think its that sensor that is causing the prob? I didn't get any light on the dash for steering lock or anything like that.

mike3000fl · 05-11-2010, 03:05 PM

i had a ticking like plastic clicking i guess as i turned the wheel. they replaced the slz and it went away. it's not to do with the steering lock, its a sensor for the adaptive headlights and dsc, measures where the car steering wheel is pointed. not sure about your car but thats what made mine tick.

slavke · 05-11-2010, 03:13 PM

I see. Well I will see what they say tmr when they call me up again. I can't really demand for them to change some part of the car unless they find issue with it them selves. I hope they finally crack it down and get it fixed.

linlaoboo · 05-11-2010, 08:01 PM

which dealer did you take it to I'll make sure I don't go there. I was disappointed inquiring about it over the phone and told the SA to document what they did and was told there's nothing to document so as if I never complaint about it since it's not mentioned at all on the service invoice. The dealer is Flemington. He did say that if it becomes a problem that'll be covered by CPO warranty though. I hope this is true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jumpman86

I took mine to the dealer and they claimed is normal and mentioned that the TSB is out of date.

They said they took the steering column and part and there was nothing wrong and blamed it on the fact its got 60k miles even though its a CPO vehicle.

slavke · 05-12-2010, 03:03 PM

3rd day gone by and still no fix. They are waiting on the call from BMWNA. Now I am just hoping I will not have to pay a ton for all these diagnostics. Not sure how they charge you for that since its my first time that I took a bmw for service.

spuck · 05-12-2010, 11:03 PM

Thank you MrDummy, really!!!

I picked up a 2007 CPO E90 335xi last week with only 15K miles on it and within a few days, once i got used to its normal sounds and creaks, I noticed the steering wheel clunk/thump discussed in this thread. As BK mentioned, it was very subtle and really not a big deal, but once you notice it, you notice it every time...

So i took it to the dealer this morning, and at first they drove the car and said "its normal, within spec"... but i argued with them, and said to specifically check the lower steering assembly/steering column for a loose coupling/excessive play. 30 minutes later, i get a call back saying that they would swap the lower steering assembly tomorrow under warranty. I don't know if they did it out of good faith, or if they actually found a problem, but i'm crossing my fingers it will fix the problem.

Funny enough, i jumped into 4 different brand new e90/92s (all xDrive models) and 2 out of 4 had the same click/thump (1 e90 and 1 e92), so i'm really baffled by this.

Is it this common with e90/e92s that 2 out of 4 brand new cars have it?

slavke · 05-13-2010, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuck

Thank you MrDummy, really!!!

I picked up a 2007 CPO E90 335xi last week with only 15K miles on it and within a few days, once i got used to its normal sounds and creaks, I noticed the steering wheel clunk/thump discussed in this thread. As BK mentioned, it was very subtle and really not a big deal, but once you notice it, you notice it every time...

So i took it to the dealer this morning, and at first they drove the car and said "its normal, within spec"... but i argued with them, and said to specifically check the lower steering assembly/steering column for a loose coupling/excessive play. 30 minutes later, i get a call back saying that they would swap the lower steering assembly tomorrow under warranty. I don't know if they did it out of good faith, or if they actually found a problem, but i'm crossing my fingers it will fix the problem.

Funny enough, i jumped into 4 different brand new e90/92s (all xDrive models) and 2 out of 4 had the same click/thump (1 e90 and 1 e92), so i'm really baffled by this.

Is it this common with e90/e92s that 2 out of 4 brand new cars have it?

I think its one of those problems that people hardly notice 90% of the time and just keep on driving. Personally I am one of those guys who notice the slightest problem on the cars and until it gets fixed I will have a hard time living with it. If they give me no answer today again I will try to tell them to take a look at the coupling joints closly and see what happens. I did drive my car for over 2 weeks without noticing it until you feel it once like you said. After that you just feel it everytime and it drives you crazy.

BK · 05-13-2010, 11:06 AM

Yeah, I think it's probably more common than people realize. Weird thing is that it isn't just BMW. Take a look at these threads from a Lotus forum:

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f91/...teering-41637/
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/s...pension-43370/
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/s...revisit-25278/
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f283...teering-81931/

... and so on.

I think I mentioned in this thread that I eventually just decided to live with it because it was so negligible on my car, and BMW service departments thought I was crazy.

But about 4 or 5 months ago, I had my steering column replaced under warranty due to an unrelated (but also common) issue, the electronic steering wheel lock problem. With the new steering column, the little "clunk" or "click" in my steering is completely gone and has not returned.

slavke · 05-13-2010, 03:50 PM

I just recieved a call from the dealer and service rep said that steering rack will be replaced under warranty. I asked if she ment steering column but she said that its steering rack. Since I sounded kind of sceptical that they are not just replacing things by guessing she said that they confirmed that the problem is indeed in the steering rack. So anyways now they are just waiting for confirmation from bmwna that the part is covered by CPO so they can get a 'go ahead' and change it. Hopefully this fixes the problems. Will keep you guys posted.

linlaoboo · 05-13-2010, 07:31 PM

good news man, I hope that takes care of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slavke

I just recieved a call from the dealer and service rep said that steering rack will be replaced under warranty. I asked if she ment steering column but she said that its steering rack. Since I sounded kind of sceptical that they are not just replacing things by guessing she said that they confirmed that the problem is indeed in the steering rack. So anyways now they are just waiting for confirmation from bmwna that the part is covered by CPO so they can get a 'go ahead' and change it. Hopefully this fixes the problems. Will keep you guys posted.

spuck · 05-13-2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuck

Thank you MrDummy, really!!!

I picked up a 2007 CPO E90 335xi last week with only 15K miles on it and within a few days, once i got used to its normal sounds and creaks, I noticed the steering wheel clunk/thump discussed in this thread. As BK mentioned, it was very subtle and really not a big deal, but once you notice it, you notice it every time...

So i took it to the dealer this morning, and at first they drove the car and said "its normal, within spec"... but i argued with them, and said to specifically check the lower steering assembly/steering column for a loose coupling/excessive play. 30 minutes later, i get a call back saying that they would swap the lower steering assembly tomorrow under warranty. I don't know if they did it out of good faith, or if they actually found a problem, but i'm crossing my fingers it will fix the problem.

Funny enough, i jumped into 4 different brand new e90/92s (all xDrive models) and 2 out of 4 had the same click/thump (1 e90 and 1 e92), so i'm really baffled by this.

Is it this common with e90/e92s that 2 out of 4 brand new cars have it?

I got my car back today and the problem is 100% FIXED!!! They replaced the lower steering shaft assembly (NOT the steering column). As I mentioned yesterday, at first the tech drove it and said it was "normal", but i persisted and specifically told them to inspect the "lower steering shaft coupling" after which they called back and said they'd replace it... (and said they'd have to redo the wheel/stering alignment for $150... but you can't win it all I guess but at least it goes straight now).

I hope this helps others, don't give up... it's NOT normal.

slavke · 05-17-2010, 01:09 PM

I got my car back today. Driving right of the lot at the dealership I noticed that thick being there again but this time I feel it much much less than before. Steering feels a little bit tighter I guess because of the new steering rack. Now I will give it a drive for couple of days to come to bigger conclusions. I am not 100% satisfied but happier than before I took it in. I don't know what to think of it any more and if there is something else still wrong with the car like steering column or that sensor or if active steering just behaves like that to spec.

slavke · 05-18-2010, 09:56 PM

second day of driving and I have to admit that the tick, thud or what ever you call it is deff still there. I will just try not to think about it for now and maybe take the car to a different dealer later on and talk to a mech directly about the problem. The frustrating thing is after reading the bill with the list what has been done it says that the steering shaft(column) was disconnected from the rack and all the joints were inspected and felt nice and tight. The reason they changed my steering rack was because they heard some clicking noise from it and suspected that was it. Oh well I guess I wasn't lucky as some guys here.

orangedawg · 11-08-2010, 03:21 PM

I have the same symptom (at least I think I do) that others have mentioned. When turning wheel, usually at lower speeds, I feel (I can't hear a tick) a "tick" or "bump" whatever you wish to call it in my steering. I also note that I have about a 1/2" or a perhaps bit more play in the steering wheel. I had a buddy turn the wheel in the "play" zone and noted that the steering shaft is turning the same amount as the play noted in the steering wheel and it is turning the coupling at the lower shaft area. Is this a lower coupling issue or looseness in the steering rack?

linlaoboo · 11-08-2010, 03:59 PM

i'm driving a 2011 loaner with 5K miles on it and already noticed the slightest bump and I can barely hear the tick unless I have my ear over the steering wheel. It's definately there by design and the sound just gets louder as the car ages, not sure if it's the Ujoint or the lower rack components already mentioned but for sure dealers are just calling this to be normal from my experience . . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangedawg

I have the same symptom (at least I think I do) that others have mentioned. When turning wheel, usually at lower speeds, I feel (I can't hear a tick) a "tick" or "bump" whatever you wish to call it in my steering. I also note that I have about a 1/2" or a perhaps bit more play in the steering wheel. I had a buddy turn the wheel in the "play" zone and noted that the steering shaft is turning the same amount as the play noted in the steering wheel and it is turning the coupling at the lower shaft area. Is this a lower coupling issue or looseness in the steering rack?

achien · 04-17-2011, 06:42 PM

same issue here, but with an almost 130k X5.

never experienced this issue until a couple of weeks ago.

is this problem associated with steering column or lower steering shaft?

has anyone ignored this "steering wheel tick" problem (for at least a year) without getting into an accident?

BTTGMan · 04-17-2011, 08:00 PM

Great timing. I have a service appt for it this week. I tried to live with it, I really did, but it drives me fucking nuts. When driving my commute and making small wheel adjustments it's all tick, click, tick click, argh. WTF. Almost like if u had one screw holding the steering wheel on and it's just a hair loose.

I mentioned it at my last service appointment and got the whole "could not replicate problem.". I ignored it for two months. Might be in my head but feels like it's worse.

Only happens below 30-40 mph when changing direction quickly (back and forth on the wheel).

I'll let y'all know what I learn.

Oh yeah - 25k 335xi.

achien · 04-19-2011, 01:31 PM

I only have on 'tick', when returning the steering wheel from turning left into center position (when driving slow - i.e. on a parking lot).

I have not taken this in because I know they will say the same "could not replicate problem." and take the $130 inspection fee.

Let us know what they say.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTTGMan

Great timing. I have a service appt for it this week. I tried to live with it, I really did, but it drives me fucking nuts. When driving my commute and making small wheel adjustments it's all tick, click, tick click, argh. WTF. Almost like if u had one screw holding the steering wheel on and it's just a hair loose.

I mentioned it at my last service appointment and got the whole "could not replicate problem.". I ignored it for two months. Might be in my head but feels like it's worse.

Only happens below 30-40 mph when changing direction quickly (back and forth on the wheel).

I'll let y'all know what I learn.

Oh yeah - 25k 335xi.

Brantrick · 05-17-2011, 03:12 AM

i have the same problem, sounds very common but im gonna talk to my dealer and see what they have to say.

dbrunner · 05-23-2011, 09:14 PM

I've had my 328xi for almost a week and didn't notice the tick until now. The only thing that changed is I had a coworker of mine inspect my brakes and then he put the wheels back on. Could the fact that they weren't torqued to spec and/or not putting the lugs on in a star pattern cause something like this?

Like others have said, it's not harmful in anyway, you just notice it every time at slow speeds and it can get very annoying.

05-11-2010, 02:39 PM	#45
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	well I finally took the car to dealer to get my steering checked. Its been 2 days that car was there and they said after looking for hours they cant find what is causing the problem which is sort of a good thing I guess thinking that the mechanic drove the car and replicated the problem. Servise rep told me they will flush the steering fluid since my car has active steering and see if that will solve the problem and will contact BMWNA to see if they know what the problem could be. I guess its a good thing they are not taking the easy route on me and actually checking the problem closly. Will let you know what happens.
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05-11-2010, 02:45 PM	#46
mike3000fl Banned 138 Rep 2,731 Posts Drives: 06 330i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tampa iTrader: (0)	SLZ sensor (steering angle)
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05-11-2010, 03:05 PM	#48
mike3000fl Banned 138 Rep 2,731 Posts Drives: 06 330i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tampa iTrader: (0)	i had a ticking like plastic clicking i guess as i turned the wheel. they replaced the slz and it went away. it's not to do with the steering lock, its a sensor for the adaptive headlights and dsc, measures where the car steering wheel is pointed. not sure about your car but thats what made mine tick.
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05-11-2010, 03:13 PM	#49
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	I see. Well I will see what they say tmr when they call me up again. I can't really demand for them to change some part of the car unless they find issue with it them selves. I hope they finally crack it down and get it fixed.
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05-12-2010, 03:03 PM	#51
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	3rd day gone by and still no fix. They are waiting on the call from BMWNA. Now I am just hoping I will not have to pay a ton for all these diagnostics. Not sure how they charge you for that since its my first time that I took a bmw for service.
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05-12-2010, 11:03 PM	#52
spuck New Member 7 Rep 18 Posts Drives: E90 335xi Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal iTrader: (0)	Thank you MrDummy, really!!! I picked up a 2007 CPO E90 335xi last week with only 15K miles on it and within a few days, once i got used to its normal sounds and creaks, I noticed the steering wheel clunk/thump discussed in this thread. As BK mentioned, it was very subtle and really not a big deal, but once you notice it, you notice it every time... So i took it to the dealer this morning, and at first they drove the car and said "its normal, within spec"... but i argued with them, and said to specifically check the lower steering assembly/steering column for a loose coupling/excessive play. 30 minutes later, i get a call back saying that they would swap the lower steering assembly tomorrow under warranty. I don't know if they did it out of good faith, or if they actually found a problem, but i'm crossing my fingers it will fix the problem. Funny enough, i jumped into 4 different brand new e90/92s (all xDrive models) and 2 out of 4 had the same click/thump (1 e90 and 1 e92), so i'm really baffled by this. Is it this common with e90/e92s that 2 out of 4 brand new cars have it?
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05-13-2010, 11:06 AM	#54
BK Smiling politely 165 Rep 7,931 Posts Drives: 330i Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Washington DC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 330i [9.00]	Yeah, I think it's probably more common than people realize. Weird thing is that it isn't just BMW. Take a look at these threads from a Lotus forum: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f91/...teering-41637/ http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/s...pension-43370/ http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/s...revisit-25278/ http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f283...teering-81931/ ... and so on. I think I mentioned in this thread that I eventually just decided to live with it because it was so negligible on my car, and BMW service departments thought I was crazy. But about 4 or 5 months ago, I had my steering column replaced under warranty due to an unrelated (but also common) issue, the electronic steering wheel lock problem. With the new steering column, the little "clunk" or "click" in my steering is completely gone and has not returned. __________________ E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT \| 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
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05-13-2010, 03:50 PM	#55
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	I just recieved a call from the dealer and service rep said that steering rack will be replaced under warranty. I asked if she ment steering column but she said that its steering rack. Since I sounded kind of sceptical that they are not just replacing things by guessing she said that they confirmed that the problem is indeed in the steering rack. So anyways now they are just waiting for confirmation from bmwna that the part is covered by CPO so they can get a 'go ahead' and change it. Hopefully this fixes the problems. Will keep you guys posted.
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05-17-2010, 01:09 PM	#58
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	I got my car back today. Driving right of the lot at the dealership I noticed that thick being there again but this time I feel it much much less than before. Steering feels a little bit tighter I guess because of the new steering rack. Now I will give it a drive for couple of days to come to bigger conclusions. I am not 100% satisfied but happier than before I took it in. I don't know what to think of it any more and if there is something else still wrong with the car like steering column or that sensor or if active steering just behaves like that to spec.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-18-2010, 09:56 PM	#59
slavke Private First Class 8 Rep 164 Posts Drives: E90 330i sport & prem Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	second day of driving and I have to admit that the tick, thud or what ever you call it is deff still there. I will just try not to think about it for now and maybe take the car to a different dealer later on and talk to a mech directly about the problem. The frustrating thing is after reading the bill with the list what has been done it says that the steering shaft(column) was disconnected from the rack and all the joints were inspected and felt nice and tight. The reason they changed my steering rack was because they heard some clicking noise from it and suspected that was it. Oh well I guess I wasn't lucky as some guys here.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-08-2010, 03:21 PM	#60
orangedawg Lieutenant 31 Rep 402 Posts Drives: 328xi Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	I have the same symptom (at least I think I do) that others have mentioned. When turning wheel, usually at lower speeds, I feel (I can't hear a tick) a "tick" or "bump" whatever you wish to call it in my steering. I also note that I have about a 1/2" or a perhaps bit more play in the steering wheel. I had a buddy turn the wheel in the "play" zone and noted that the steering shaft is turning the same amount as the play noted in the steering wheel and it is turning the coupling at the lower shaft area. Is this a lower coupling issue or looseness in the steering rack?
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04-17-2011, 06:42 PM	#62
achien AC 95 Rep 2,387 Posts Drives: E90 Post Members Crazy Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	same issue here, but with an almost 130k X5. never experienced this issue until a couple of weeks ago. is this problem associated with steering column or lower steering shaft? has anyone ignored this "steering wheel tick" problem (for at least a year) without getting into an accident? __________________ Your Supreme Leader
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04-17-2011, 08:00 PM	#63
BTTGMan Banned 16 Rep 539 Posts Drives: 335xi coupe - space gray Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	Great timing. I have a service appt for it this week. I tried to live with it, I really did, but it drives me fucking nuts. When driving my commute and making small wheel adjustments it's all tick, click, tick click, argh. WTF. Almost like if u had one screw holding the steering wheel on and it's just a hair loose. I mentioned it at my last service appointment and got the whole "could not replicate problem.". I ignored it for two months. Might be in my head but feels like it's worse. Only happens below 30-40 mph when changing direction quickly (back and forth on the wheel). I'll let y'all know what I learn. Oh yeah - 25k 335xi.
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05-17-2011, 03:12 AM	#65
Brantrick New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW e91 xDrive Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Salt Lake City iTrader: (0)	i have the same problem, sounds very common but im gonna talk to my dealer and see what they have to say.
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05-23-2011, 09:14 PM	#66
dbrunner New Member 0 Rep 7 Posts Drives: E90 328xi Join Date: May 2011 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	I've had my 328xi for almost a week and didn't notice the tick until now. The only thing that changed is I had a coworker of mine inspect my brakes and then he put the wheels back on. Could the fact that they weren't torqued to spec and/or not putting the lugs on in a star pattern cause something like this? Like others have said, it's not harmful in anyway, you just notice it every time at slow speeds and it can get very annoying.
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