[flacon01]

hi guys,

so I've had my car for about 6 months now, e92 325i m sport lci. I've noticed recently a whine when turning the steering, and it doesn't occur for the first quarter turn of the wheel. Now me being a complete amateur (and my last car being a 1.25l fiesta) presumed it was the power steering fluid running low, I have now come to figure out, that it has electric steering, as I could not locate a reservoir. I'm aware I sound like a complete novice but can anyone advise if I am correct in my assumption, and what they suspect the cause may be. as I have no idea if this will need to be an immediate or even an expensive fix.

thanks in advance and happy xmas

[NathanK24]

Originally Posted by flacon01

hi guys,

so I've had my car for about 6 months now, e92 325i m sport lci. I've noticed recently a whine when turning the steering, and it doesn't occur for the first quarter turn of the wheel. Now me being a complete amateur (and my last car being a 1.25l fiesta) presumed it was the power steering fluid running low, I have now come to figure out, that it has electric steering, as I could not locate a reservoir. I'm aware I sound like a complete novice but can anyone advise if I am correct in my assumption, and what they suspect the cause may be. as I have no idea if this will need to be an immediate or even an expensive fix.

thanks in advance and happy xmas

I'm pretty sure there should be a power steering fluid reservoir. On my 335 I recently did power steering fluid. Take a turkey baster, extract current fluid. Pour new fluid in and tighten cap. Turn on car and crank wheel to limits 3-4 times, left-right-left-right. Turn off and extract new fluid that has cycled into reservoir, and add more new fluid. Repeat this process until reservoir is purely green (or maybe reddish if your car uses auto-trans fluid).

Ultimately, this silenced my steering whine a lot. Just make sure to use whatever fluid your cap says to use.

[flacon01]

Originally Posted by NathanK24

I'm pretty sure there should be a power steering fluid reservoir. On my 335 I recently did power steering fluid. Take a turkey baster, extract current fluid. Pour new fluid in and tighten cap. Turn on car and crank wheel to limits 3-4 times, left-right-left-right. Turn off and extract new fluid that has cycled into reservoir, and add more new fluid. Repeat this process until reservoir is purely green (or maybe reddish if your car uses auto-trans fluid).

Ultimately, this silenced my steering whine a lot. Just make sure to use whatever fluid your cap says to use.

not sure if it makes a difference but I am in the UK, I have checked every nook and cranny of the engine bay and can't find the typical reservoir as I know what they look like. I will take a pic of the bay and post at as soon as Xmas has passed

[flacon01]

Originally Posted by flacon01

not sure if it makes a difference but I am in the UK, I have checked every nook and cranny of the engine bay and can't find the typical reservoir as I know what they look like. I will take a pic of the bay and post at as soon as Xmas has passed

hope this can help solve my issues

[BMWinAZ]

It really looks like there is no hydraulic power steering and the associated reservoir in your car. Some of the f30 owners with electric power steering have experienced problems with the bolts holding the power steering unit in place. I don't know if that would generate the noise you have heard but I would take it to a sho specializing in BMWs to diagnose this.

[NathanK24]

Originally Posted by flacon01

hope this can help solve my issues

Wow, hmmmm. Your intake does not look stock. Have you removed the intake at all to see if it was relocated under it or anything? Maybe you do have electric steering. Possible noise from an old EPS motor on/near the rack? Unfamiliar with how to test an EPS motor though.

[flacon01]

Originally Posted by NathanK24

Wow, hmmmm. Your intake does not look stock. Have you removed the intake at all to see if it was relocated under it or anything? Maybe you do have electric steering. Possible noise from an old EPS motor on/near the rack? Unfamiliar with how to test an EPS motor though.

it is all stock the car was bought from BMW, and kept by a careful previous owner, I guess I'll have to take it to BMW, I'll keep you posted what I find out

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by NathanK24

Wow, hmmmm. Your intake does not look stock.

He's from London. 325i LCI means he has a N53B30 engine.. Naturally aspirated with direct injection!

Electric power steering was also available in the European market on these cars, so that would be my guess why there's no reservoir. Your whine is likely caused by something else - alternator or AC compressor.

[NathanK24]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

He's from London. 325i LCI means he has a N53B30 engine.. Naturally aspirated with direct injection!

Electric power steering was also available in the European market on these cars, so that would be my guess why there's no reservoir. Your whine is likely caused by something else - alternator or AC compressor.

Thanks for clarifying, I see

[flacon01]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

He's from London. 325i LCI means he has a N53B30 engine.. Naturally aspirated with direct injection!

Electric power steering was also available in the European market on these cars, so that would be my guess why there's no reservoir. Your whine is likely caused by something else - alternator or AC compressor.

Thanks I just called my local BMW to confirm the EPS steering too, they have said I can get it diagnosed for £99 p/h, what made you suspect the noise is alternator or compressor? as the noise seems very specifically steering related

[flacon01]

so I have localised the noise to just behind the steering wheel, noise is definitely coming from there and not anywhere in the engine bay, is sounds a little like when you slide something along a rubber grommet

[Bali]

Originally Posted by flacon01

Thanks I just called my local BMW to confirm the EPS steering too, they have said I can get it diagnosed for £99 p/h, what made you suspect the noise is alternator or compressor? as the noise seems very specifically steering related

Looking on realoem.com, it seems EPS comes with this option:
S217A Active steering
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=32_1571

So, you should be able to see if this option is present on your LCI E92 using an online VIN decoder.

[ziddak]

Originally Posted by NathanK24

I'm pretty sure there should be a power steering fluid reservoir. On my 335 I recently did power steering fluid. Take a turkey baster, extract current fluid. Pour new fluid in and tighten cap. Turn on car and crank wheel to limits 3-4 times, left-right-left-right. Turn off and extract new fluid that has cycled into reservoir, and add more new fluid. Repeat this process until reservoir is purely green (or maybe reddish if your car uses auto-trans fluid).

Ultimately, this silenced my steering whine a lot. Just make sure to use whatever fluid your cap says to use.

I too did a flush and refill on my 328i xdrive 2009. I replaced the reservoir too because it has a built in filter and the part is cheap. I used the approved fluid and while I had the hoses disconnected from the reservoir, I used a vacuum pump to pull out most of the old fluid out of the lines and steering rack. Put everything back together and did the refill and bled the system by raising the front wheels off the ground and turning the steering wheel lock to lock several times while engine was running. Turned off engine, let it sit for a while so any air would find it's way back to the reservoir. Then I repeated the bleed procedure. Steering is much more quite and the life of the pump and rack will be extended by flushing out the old fluid. Cheap and easy maintenance!

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by ziddak

I too did a flush and refill on my 328i xdrive 2009. I replaced the reservoir too because it has a built in filter and the part is cheap. I used the approved fluid and while I had the hoses disconnected from the reservoir, I used a vacuum pump to pull out most of the old fluid out of the lines and steering rack. Put everything back together and did the refill and bled the system by raising the front wheels off the ground and turning the steering wheel lock to lock several times while engine was running. Turned off engine, let it sit for a while so any air would find it's way back to the reservoir. Then I repeated the bleed procedure. Steering is much more quite and the life of the pump and rack will be extended by flushing out the old fluid. Cheap and easy maintenance!

Except that the original poster has electric power steering, so there's no fluid to change.

Originally Posted by flacon01

so I have localised the noise to just behind the steering wheel, noise is definitely coming from there and not anywhere in the engine bay, is sounds a little like when you slide something along a rubber grommet

I take back my comment about being an alternator or AC problem. I though you were trying to chase down a faulty power steering pump whine. Are you getting a squeaking sound when you turn the wheel? If so, check this post out:
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=635473

[flacon01]

Thanks for the help everyone, spent some time on it today and found it was the rubber grommet as I suspected around the steering column where it passes through the firewall