Steering Problem: Going to be without my M3 for 10 days or more!

[Seattle S65B40]

Currently, my car is being serviced for a steering issue, the first that I've heard of or seen on the forums, and the first my SA has seen as well. The issue has now been submitted to PUMA and BMW is involved. (See here and here for more details).

The repair is being done in phases. Phase I is to replace the lower joint and if that doesn't not fix the issue, Phase II will be to install a new steering rack.

The problem here is that the lower joint part(s) don't arrive from Germany for another 7 days! I asked the dealer if I could have the car back in the interim, since that noise is something I've dealt with the whole time i've had the car, another week is no big deal. I was told the car cannot be released because it is disassembled and BMW is already monitoring this situation. #bummed

Anyway, my concern is that: (1) the lower joint won't fix it, leading to more delays for the new steering rack; and (2) the car coming back with other serious problems, like vibration in the steering wheel etc.

I have a video that I tried to make a while back, but it doesn't really capture the sound as well as it should - but I will still post it a bit later. Basically was making a loud crunching/knocking sounds while steering up to and beyond a full turn at low speeds. It always operated fine, but the sound had an associated bump in the steering feel, so I had to finally bite the bullet and have them look into this.

If Phase I does not solve the problem, I will be demanding to have the car released after the lower joint is replaced, as I will not have it sit there for however long while I wait for the steering rack to arrive.

Has anyone here had any steering problems? What is the chance that my Car comes back worse than it was? Any thoughts you guys have on this would be appreciated.

[Seattle S65B40]

anyone?

[ES_TRADER]

sometimes when i am trying to park the car in a tight space and i reverse while turning the steering all the way, then put into D to go forward again, and turn the wheel all the way in the opposite direction, i do feel some sort of jerk, bite, vibration...hard to describe...it turns fine..and doesnt make any sound...its just a slight feedback i get, i always attributed it to the tight turn and the wheels or something....is this your issue?

[Seattle S65B40]

OK, this is the video. It sounds like what you're feeling, Rich, except it has a sound associated with it. Right at the beginning of the video at 1-3 seconds is when you can hear it. The rest of the noise is me shifting. The video might make it seem like a non-issue but it's a lot louder in person. Tech knew something was up right away.

[Singletrack]

Did they at least give you a decent loaner? Hope it gets fixed soon. Waiting on parts from Germany is a pain. Good luck.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by Singletrack

Did they at least give you a decent loaner? Hope it gets fixed soon. Waiting on parts from Germany is a pain. Good luck.

Thanks. Took back the red e90 for an E60 535i. This will do until I get mine.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by Seattle S65B40

Thanks. Took back the red e90 for an E60 535i. This will do until I get mine.

If it makes you feel any better, my 2011 M3 is at the dealership for at least a month because the engine main bearings have gone bad. And I'm stuck in a dirty cashmere-colored 128i. It's been 2 days so far.

[Caweran]

I think i heard the same noise for every first full turn, but it seem to disappear after the car warmed up.

I never heard it when I did a parallel parking, only the first full turn in my parking lot.

Yes, it sound like a pop from the front/engine bay.

Can you tell us more on what is the problem and what to replace?

E.

[JCtx]

Never heard of that problem OP. Don't have time to read the 2 threads you linked, but my first question is if the car has been in any kind of accident. If yes, the issue is a bad repair, not anything inherently wrong with the car. If not, did you buy the car new? Otherwise you can't really know, as carfax and such are not that reliable. If suspension is not damaged, dealer should be able to fix it properly. I'd also check alignment, and make sure the thrust angle is at 0.00. That's the first clue car does not have suspension damage. Good luck.

[YUN]

Originally Posted by Caweran

I think i heard the same noise for every first full turn, but it seem to disappear after the car warmed up.

I never heard it when I did a parallel parking, only the first full turn in my parking lot.

Yes, it sound like a pop from the front/engine bay.

Can you tell us more on what is the problem and what to replace?

E.

Same exact issue here, took it to dealer for last oil change and mentioned to them. Said they couldn't identify the problem, so I'm waiting for it to get worse. It is annoying as hell but only at the start once its warmed up it disappears.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

If it makes you feel any better, my 2011 M3 is at the dealership for at least a month because the engine main bearings have gone bad. And I'm stuck in a dirty cashmere-colored 128i. It's been 2 days so far.

Damn, that sucks! That does make me feel a bit better. I hope you get yours back soon.

Originally Posted by Caweran

I think i heard the same noise for every first full turn, but it seem to disappear after the car warmed up.

I never heard it when I did a parallel parking, only the first full turn in my parking lot.

Yes, it sound like a pop from the front/engine bay.

Can you tell us more on what is the problem and what to replace?

E.

Sure, I will keep you posted. mine does it beyond cold starts, but I think it was worse when the weather was colder.

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Never heard of that problem OP. Don't have time to read the 2 threads you linked, but my first question is if the car has been in any kind of accident. If yes, the issue is a bad repair, not anything inherently wrong with the car. If not, did you buy the car new? Otherwise you can't really know, as carfax and such are not that reliable. If suspension is not damaged, dealer should be able to fix it properly. I'd also check alignment, and make sure the thrust angle is at 0.00. That's the first clue car does not have suspension damage. Good luck.

The car was a middle car in a relatively minor rear-end collision before I bought it. as a result, the only significant repair was front bumper replacement. I don't think there was any issue with steering. Also, I think dealer would have denied claim if it was accident related. Now BMW is involved and has been for a week or so, so I'm guessing it must be something inherent. Good tip on the alignment. I will be sure to ask them to do this before I pick it up.

Originally Posted by YUN

Same exact issue here, took it to dealer for last oil change and mentioned to them. Said they couldn't identify the problem, so I'm waiting for it to get worse. It is annoying as hell but only at the start once its warmed up it disappears.

Mine does not disappear after warm up, but I will be sure to let you know what's up, as you may be experiencing the early stages of something similar to my current problem.

[Seattle S65B40]

WOOT WOOT! Dealership called, Lower Joint arrived and that fixed the problem! I get my car back today.

[Caweran]

So, what exactly they need to replace? The whole lower steering linkage?

Anyways, glad that they be able to fix your car...

E

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by Caweran

So, what exactly they need to replace? The whole lower steering linkage?

Anyways, glad that they be able to fix your car...

E

The lower joint was replaced. The steering feels how it should feel now. I will post a picture of the paper work, which will have more details. Look for that before the end of the weekend.

[YUN]

Glad it worked out for you, next time I'll mention that to them. If you think of it it could be hazardous.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by YUN

Glad it worked out for you, next time I'll mention that to them. If you think of it it could be hazardous.

True. Anytime you're dealing with steering issues, it could lock up potentially.

[BPMSport]

I'm glad it's fixed - hopefully the problem doesn't reoccur. I had issues the first few months with my M3 with wheel bearings/rotors. They replaced the wheel bearings and rotors over four times before the noises were resolved. Aparently they had some manufacturing issues during the initial run (as my car is a 12/07 build, one of the first in the US).

On my E60 M5, BMW gave me two thousand dollars for a host of problems that I was inconvenienced for. I know it's hard being without your car, but it's always well worth the wait to make sure that everything is fixed properly.

[saeedg48]

I have that same noise wtf.