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"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani) 12/21/2019 at 08:40 • Filed to: BMW

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I think my power steering rack is toast.

Noise started as a tiny clunk at lock to lock turns, then all of a sudden escalated to a full on noise when turning. iDrive threw all kinds of steering warnings that went away, and then all power steering gone when I was pulling into my parking spot.

UPDATE 1:

Now in her natural territory... outside a shop.

UPDATE 2:

She’s now at the dealer.

Indie mechanic hooked it up for a scan, a whole whack of EPS errors (duh). Had to pull the EPS fuse so I can actually drive, and as it turns out there was a “recall” open on my car for the steering bolt, just like Mike Woyahn mentioned in the Bimmerpost link.

After some phone calls to BMW Canada and a lot of call transferring, the dealer advisor hung up on me so I drove right to them instead.

At the dealer, after a huge lineup of waiting, they told me it was “not a recall but a service campaign”. Now she’s in another huge lineup for a check to see if it was “caused by the campaign”.

Total damage so far: $70 to inspect at Indie. Plus the usual bullcrap from the dealer about “oh if it’s not related then we’ll have to charge you $170 + tax”.

Indie also gave me a quote for replacing the rack, it’s like $8000+. Eight. Fucking. Grands. My car is worth $15k right now to put that in perspective...

Any experts here with raising a giant stink with BMW? Especially since my car only has 52k kms on it??

UPDATE 3:

Fixed! Luckily (or rather unluckily) that repair WAS covered under the bulletin. Getting her back today. Eight grand bullet dodged.

They end up giving me a replacement steering rack.

I do need to start looking into some of the other items from the Indie’s scan report though, says my battery is soon toast and there’s this “recirculation motor” that’s sticking.

ClassicDatsunDebate > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:10

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That sounds....expensive.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:10

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Yikes!

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:14

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How many miles on it? Is that an f30?

404 - User No Longer Available > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 12/18/2019 at 00:15

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Yup. Just over 50k kms.

RacinBob > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:15

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what year?

404 - User No Longer Available > RacinBob 12/18/2019 at 00:16

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2012

404 - User No Longer Available > ClassicDatsunDebate 12/18/2019 at 00:17

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Luckily I’ve always had a car maintenance fund set up, which should lessen the blow so I can finance it on my own terms.

RacinBob > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:18

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Bummer

Michael Woyahn > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:21

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If you have the same issue, which your problem seem s similar, it’s a common issue ! They actually extended the warranty in the US, so hopefully it was extended in Canada too! Check out this thread: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1469927

The problem in the thread is a supplier issue with bolts. Tesla uses  the same supplier and they recalled 130,000+ Model Ses for a similar issue.

Best of luck in fixing your car! Hopefully it’s covered!

404 - User No Longer Available > Michael Woyahn 12/18/2019 at 00:28

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Was about to take my car to the BMW indie tomorrow morning, maybe I’ll give BMW Canada a call tomorrow first instead.

404 - User No Longer Available > Michael Woyahn 12/18/2019 at 00:38

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I went down and tried looking for bits and pieces of bolts... couldn’t find anything. If it finally snapped in my parking spot I would think there’s that...

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:53

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Can you just manhandle it like on a hydraulic assist rack or is that no bueno for new stuff? 

Michael Woyahn > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 00:55

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Yeah, it’s definitely odd there’s nothing under the car . I’m not sure how much of an under-tray there is on the F30, but if there is, maybe it caught the bolt/bolts?

I think you had the right idea of taking it to your indie mechanic, though . You can always take it up with BMW in the end   if it is something to do with the bolts !

404 - User No Longer Available > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/18/2019 at 00:55

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Well I did manage to steer and park the car into my spot. Oddly it’s actually even more effort to turn than when the car is off.

404 - User No Longer Available > Michael Woyahn 12/18/2019 at 00:58

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Well the indie I’m going to only works with BMWs, so I’m sure they’ll know and send me to the dealer if that’s the case.

I have a RWD model, which actually has less shielding than xDrive ones. So I’m not sure whether it’s caught in the car. The thread you gave me even pointed out that the TSB only covered RWD models.

Hopefully me driving it further won’t kill the motor...

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 01:01

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How quickly from small clunk to full crap. 

404 - User No Longer Available > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 12/18/2019 at 01:05

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I can’t remember exactly. Initially I dismissed the rubbing noise as my winters which were larger than the normal size. Though I thought it was odd since I’ve been using the same tires for 2 years already.

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 01:12

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I also have a ‘12 f30 at 99k mi ....scary stuff but good luck my friend, hope warranty covers the issue.

Michael Woyahn > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 01:14

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Ah okay, so you’re definitely in good hands! I didn’t notice the TSB only applied to RWD cars- good catch. Interesting they vary the shielding for xDrive and non-xDrive cars!

I wonder if you can pull a fuse to disable the power steering motor? Not sure how happy the car would be , but the motor would at least not be trying to assist.

ClassicDatsunDebate > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 01:19

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I feel for ya.

404 - User No Longer Available > Michael Woyahn 12/18/2019 at 07:29

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Thinking the same thing, but I’m not sure if that might snap a belt or something, though seems better than burning out a motor.

Michael Woyahn > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 08:39

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Definitely. I’d guess it’s just a gear from the motor that goes into teeth on the rack so it should be able to just spin, but I’m not sure exactly how this system  works.

I’m sure you’ll keep us updated, but I’ll be curious to know what’s wrong. Fingers crossed it is the bolts!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 12:26

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$8k for a steering rack?! Fucking crime.

404 - User No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/18/2019 at 12:32

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Canadian.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 12:33

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Still painful!

404 - User No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/18/2019 at 12:33

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Oh totally. Like I said it’s more than half of my freakin’ car.

Maybe I should’ve bought an ATS instead, lol.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 12:35

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Based on Pat’s exploding Caddy, maybe it’s good that you didn’t.

RallyWrench > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 12:53

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All praise to your indy, because I’m one too, but I have to wonder about the $8k number. The last F30 rack we did came to about $3,600, with installation and programming. The rack itself was $2,500.

Also I want that Bavaria on their lot.

Edit: Just saw in comments that it’s $8k Canadian, but still curious about the breakdown. 

404 - User No Longer Available > RallyWrench 12/18/2019 at 12:58

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They charge $130 /hr, and usually get parts directly from BMW. Thing is based on what I see, BMW is the one charging an arm and leg.

They already gave me a break on the inspection, only charged half plus a 15% holiday discount

I see remanufactured racks going on RockAuto for like $1.2k...

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 13:20

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https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/at-steering-box-electr/32106891186-space-kt/
$18 00 US for a rack it says here...8k Canadian seems over the top to me...

RallyWrench > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 13:27

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Not knocking your guys at all, they sound awesome. That’s about what my labor rate is, and we got the rack from BMW as well, so it s ounds like BMWCA is even worse than BMWUSA. For reference, the list price for the rack we last did (Active steering option 328i) was $2,508.

404 - User No Longer Available > RallyWrench 12/18/2019 at 13:30

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Well considering BMW tried charging me $46 for a filter where I got from Amazon for $36 for 2...

404 - User No Longer Available > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 12/18/2019 at 13:38

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To be fair it was an unofficial quote, could be a worse case scenario, I didn’t dig deeper.  They practically just told me to go back to the dealer once they saw the campaign.

dogisbadob > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 15:12

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You could see how much Jorgen Auto charges for a rack.

jorgenauto.com

Michael Woyahn > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 15:12

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Man, I hope it is covered under the campaign. $8000 is really, really painful. Fingers crossed you don’t have to fight them on it!

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 16:39

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Gotcha...tbh you could change the rack yourself probably

404 - User No Longer Available > dogisbadob 12/18/2019 at 18:07

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Don’t think they ship to Canada, do they?

404 - User No Longer Available > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 12/18/2019 at 18:07

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I’ll see if it’s covered under the bulletin first. The symptoms sound exactly like it.

dogisbadob > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 19:31

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They probably do. You can always contact them and ask :o)

pip bip - choose Corrour > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 08:41

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well done on dodging the $8K bullet.

buy the battery though. 

Grindintosecond > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 09:15

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This is why I don’t understand some of the higher tech whiz bang going into more recent cars. A steering rack that expensive? .....there’s zero reason to produce such a thing. Only if there’s lots of motorized servo integration for hands off autopilot and self parking or something should it be somewhere close but that’s a silly expensive part.

Aother failure point they didn't design correctly. Hmm. What's the cost to replace and affix a normal steering rack that's not a bazillion dollars to replace and won't go out for twenty years....

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 09:16

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Re: update 3

Perfect ending 

404 - User No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/21/2019 at 09:17

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Well... not quite just yet. All my E-Sys customizations are gone, and the software I have no longer works to reprogram it, lol.

DirtyDodge > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 09:22

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Always nice when the dealer stepa up to do the right thing

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 10:56

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I mean good company at the indie shop anyway. 

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 11:00

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Woo glad to see you dodged that one!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 11:17

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Lucky! DAMN glad it was under warranty for you...this is why I like my cheap cars, so I don’t have to potentially pay for a part that was 1.3X more expensive than my Accent with 54,000kms was when I first bought it...

404 - User No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 12/21/2019 at 11:29

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Well BMW seems to have a hard time deciding whether to call this a “recall” or “service bulletin”...

C all centre, they said it’s an open recall showing on their screen, and they should have notified me back in July

BMW Canada’s website recall checker says there’s no open recalls

Indie mechanic’s screen says there’s a recall

Service advisor at dealer says it isn’t, it’s a “service campaign”, saying I may be charged for it if it’s not the specific conditions

Another service advisor who called me to pick up my car said “my recall was done”

Final invoice says it’s “warranty” work, despite the fact that my warranty ran out 4 years ago, even before I bought the car

*shrugs*

Textured Soy Protein > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 12:05

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Check out the BimmerGeeks Pro Tool app, could do the trick. I had a similar thing where I had some stuff fixed that reset my custom coding back to stock and I was able to get everything back to where it should be with it. I paid for the coding license but not the diagnostic one.

404 - User No Longer Available > Textured Soy Protein 12/21/2019 at 12:12

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Doesn’t look like it works... I have an F30.

We use Ethernet cables for our programming, not the old CANBUS ones . Thing is the BMW Esys side of software is working for me, but I just can’t launch it because of some fiasco with the launcher software. There is a newer version but that update wouldn’t launch on my existing VM. I’m building a new one and seeing if that works.

Last resort I found a guy who I asked about upgrading my radio to a full nav, he’s willing to do it for cheaper, since my programming is pretty minor.

Textured Soy Protein > 404 - User No Longer Available 12/21/2019 at 19:11

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There’s also BimmerCode which supports F series cars. I tried it first and couldn't figure out how to do what I wanted so said screw it, requested a refund thru the Play Store, and did Pro Tool instead. But BimmerCode does have high ratings so it's entirely possible it was user error on my part.

404 - User No Longer Available > Textured Soy Protein 12/21/2019 at 22:38

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Actually I just got E-sys working again... turns out the “free” copy of the launcher didn’t like VMs. Installed it natively on my laptop and now I’ve re-coded my 2 options again.

Allegedly the launcher I have now will work till April 2020, so I got some time to code anything else that I’ve been procrastinating on, lol.