Steering rack
Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:56 pm
Good day all
Been advised to post my problem on here from another forum.
I’ll try and give all the history to give you as much information as possible.
At the end of August 2021 I noticed two wearing noises on my beloved X3. I took the car to a local BMW specialist garage for a diagnosis.
A few days later I was advised the transfer box was on its way out and needed replacing. At this point my gut said sell the car but with the second hand car market being expensive at the moment I decided to go ahead with a refurbished box for £1200.
8 weeks later ( lack of boxes available I was told ) the transfer box was fit. On its test drive it was now noticed the front differential was wound up and left as is would damage the refurbished box. Cost £1300.
As I was already £1200 in I decided to have that changed also. Another 8 weeks later the differential is changed.
£2500 and 4 months later my car is ready for pick up. I have the car and drive 15 miles in it and I get a very brief warning light on the display and the steering went heavy. I pulled over and turned the car off. I started the car up again and no warnings and steering fine
I phoned the garage who said to take the car back to them to plug in and see if the fault had registered for that brief moment.
I was passing the garage my work use for there company vans, so I asked the garage to plug in and run a full scan of the vehicle. Please see photos attached. I’m total there were 17 faults codes. I found that surprising as the garage who carried out the repairs have all BMW software and they had advised me they had already carried out the checks on a test drive as they had to re program some software to set up the new differential.
I had the garage I was at clear the codes to see which ones came back, just to confirm it wasn’t a error with the car being stood.
I leave the car a work as I didn’t feel it would get me home and to prevent further damage.
The next day I start the car and drive around for 10 minutes as I get back to work the car brings up two fault on the display please see attached photos. The power steering stops working.
I call the garage who did the work and advise them the RAC will be bringing the car back to them. ( really not happy )
The RAC patrol man checks over the car and confirms it’s power steering related, I asked him to check the battery to endures it charging, which he did and confirmed the battery was charging correctly. 14amps I believe he said.
Car taken to garage who advise the steering rack is faulty. The electrics are drawing the battery down. It’s needs a new rack or refurbished. Still waiting for a cost.
When the car went in back in august there where no faults with the steering. Can someone confirm if to access the front differential the steering rack would have been taken off.
I feel something is not right and I’m being taken as a fool.
Someone has mentioned fitting a new battery. It may be the problem.
Help would be greatly appreciated
I’m calling the garage on Tuesday for an update.
Thank you all.
I will upload photos
I also mentioned earlier the car did have two wearing noises. The second I have noticed is the air conditioning that is making the noise. I’m fusing it needs a new compressor. Is there a way or removing the belts to stop the noise or does the belt drive other functions on the vehicle.
Been advised to post my problem on here from another forum.
I’ll try and give all the history to give you as much information as possible.
At the end of August 2021 I noticed two wearing noises on my beloved X3. I took the car to a local BMW specialist garage for a diagnosis.
A few days later I was advised the transfer box was on its way out and needed replacing. At this point my gut said sell the car but with the second hand car market being expensive at the moment I decided to go ahead with a refurbished box for £1200.
8 weeks later ( lack of boxes available I was told ) the transfer box was fit. On its test drive it was now noticed the front differential was wound up and left as is would damage the refurbished box. Cost £1300.
As I was already £1200 in I decided to have that changed also. Another 8 weeks later the differential is changed.
£2500 and 4 months later my car is ready for pick up. I have the car and drive 15 miles in it and I get a very brief warning light on the display and the steering went heavy. I pulled over and turned the car off. I started the car up again and no warnings and steering fine
I phoned the garage who said to take the car back to them to plug in and see if the fault had registered for that brief moment.
I was passing the garage my work use for there company vans, so I asked the garage to plug in and run a full scan of the vehicle. Please see photos attached. I’m total there were 17 faults codes. I found that surprising as the garage who carried out the repairs have all BMW software and they had advised me they had already carried out the checks on a test drive as they had to re program some software to set up the new differential.
I had the garage I was at clear the codes to see which ones came back, just to confirm it wasn’t a error with the car being stood.
I leave the car a work as I didn’t feel it would get me home and to prevent further damage.
The next day I start the car and drive around for 10 minutes as I get back to work the car brings up two fault on the display please see attached photos. The power steering stops working.
I call the garage who did the work and advise them the RAC will be bringing the car back to them. ( really not happy )
The RAC patrol man checks over the car and confirms it’s power steering related, I asked him to check the battery to endures it charging, which he did and confirmed the battery was charging correctly. 14amps I believe he said.
Car taken to garage who advise the steering rack is faulty. The electrics are drawing the battery down. It’s needs a new rack or refurbished. Still waiting for a cost.
When the car went in back in august there where no faults with the steering. Can someone confirm if to access the front differential the steering rack would have been taken off.
I feel something is not right and I’m being taken as a fool.
Someone has mentioned fitting a new battery. It may be the problem.
Help would be greatly appreciated
I’m calling the garage on Tuesday for an update.
Thank you all.
I will upload photos
I also mentioned earlier the car did have two wearing noises. The second I have noticed is the air conditioning that is making the noise. I’m fusing it needs a new compressor. Is there a way or removing the belts to stop the noise or does the belt drive other functions on the vehicle.