Power Steering Problems

[natebracing]

Alright guys and gals, here's the deal: My '97 ti is experiencing a partial loss in power steering. It's not as hard to steer as it is with the engine off, but it's not easy either. The problem is worse when it's really cold, but it doesn't go away when the temp is high. I've replaced the pump already with a spare unit I had laying around but the problem persists and I'm not looking forward to having to preplace the rack. :no: Any advice or previous experience here would be GREAT!

Nate

[motorsport]

did you check the belt tension? Fluid Level?

[BMWDRIFTER]

THERE IS A FILTER IN THE RESIVOR. IT IS MADE INTO IT SO YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THING. Good time to replace the hoses while your there, they are famous for leaking. flush the system while your there.

[natebracing]

Yeah, I made sure that the fluid was topped off after I blead the system. I have since narrowed it down to the rack after doing some more research and looking at the other tell-tail signs. $350 remanufactured unit with a core return, not bad.

If anyone is curious, here are some signs of a failed rack:
Black or very burnt looking fluid (rack seal deteriation)
Stiff steering that's worse when cold
System still works, but not well
Leaking boots (obviously)

[97 318ti]

nate,

Just wondering how you made out with the rack replacement since I'm facing the same repair myself. Any lessons learned to pass along? I have the rack and am going to replace the pump and the hose from the pump to the rack. I already replaced the resevoir. How long did it take you to do the repair and did you need any special tools at all? Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Juni]

Yeah, I made sure that the fluid was topped off after I blead the system. I have since narrowed it down to the rack after doing some more research and looking at the other tell-tail signs. $350 remanufactured unit with a core return, not bad.


www.theeurodepot.com has the racks for about $95 dollars, and no core charge...........I believe they have them new for $279. Worth looking into, and BTW what the hell is going on with all the racks going bad, your the 3rd including me, in like the past few weeks. :eek: I hope it not a curse like all the ti's getting rear ended, from ye olde mailing list.

[snuggz]

this is crazy... I think the same deal is just starting to creep into my car (fluid is dark, small losses over a week or so...) Odd to see a rash of them..

[Juni]

this is crazy... I think the same deal is just starting to creep into my car (fluid is dark, small losses over a week or so...) Odd to see a rash of them..

It is kinda wierd. However I think I'm seeing a partern here......what year is your car? Mine is a 97 and the person who started this thread also has a 97........see the patern!:eek:

[snuggz]

yeah, I've got a '97 active. weird...

[cali-ti]

man, glad i have a 96! :tongue:

[Juni]

I dunno what the hell is going on, but does anybody know in more detail what the symptoms for a bad rack are?

[snuggz]

Well, since E36s use ATF for PS fluid, it should be red... if it's black, it means your seals are worn or shot... which means your rack is going/gone. Noisy steering or whining at full lock is a giveaway. I just got back from TN to buy an S52 from Hellrot332ti (97' I believe) and guess what, when we yanked the engine his fluid was black too...

[318tiSocal]

natebracing ..did replacing the steering rack fixes your problem?

[Triple_A]

i also noticed all of your with probs in the rack also live in areas ( like myself) with very cold winters, and relatively hot summers, im sure this has to have some effect on the rate of deterioration of the seals to some degree.

[natebracing]

Hey guys... I sold my bimmer about 10 months ago, but I have no problem answering your questions. I did replace the rack with a reman. unit along with a new hoses. The replacement wasn't bad at all (although, I'm pretty good at spin'n wrenches) and I don't recall having to use any special tools. A good tip is to mark your pressure hose (I used orange paint) so you don't mix them up when re-installing them. The LAST thing you want to do is connect the hoses backwards. After replacing the rack, all of my steering issues went away.

A tip for everyone is this: As with most Bimmers, there are certain problem areas. We've all had to replace or at least heard of problems with drive-shafts (u-joints), seat belt crash-tensioners (gives an air-bag warning light), some sort of cooling issue (I replaced a radiator, water pump, and the heater hose outlet on the back of the motor), and most likely a power steering rack. These are simply issues every Bimmer owner has to deal with if you want to own one of these wonderful cars. At the end of the day, they're still extremely reliable cars and I'm guessing that most of you have well over 150,000 miles on your little ti's (I had around 190,000 miles on mine). Things are going to break, wear out and fail, its just going to happen...

By the way, I really wish I would have kept mine... I miss my little blue beast.

[kixofmyg0t]

wow that's kinda wierd cuz I have a '97 and the power steering is kinda tough and it make a slight noise at full lock.


I don't mind the steering effort, my car before this one was a '82 toyota corolla that didn't even have power steering so i'm used to it.

[FAT BMW]

That whining noise & vibration is driving me crazy!! It stops at full lock to the left of the steering wheel. Going to check the fluid color as you have recommended.Thank you for all of your useful information!!