E34 steering problem driving me crazy

S

SIXER

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#1
Has anyone experienced the following on an E34? If so, what's the cause?

Steering gets very heavy and unresponsive when air temp drops below 70F (I'm in Phoenix---steering is just fine with our summer temps). I've replace the pump, reservoir/filter, gearbox, hoses, strut bearings, flushed completely 3 times, checked for binding in column/ idler arm/ tie rods, checked alignment, tried different tires/wheels.

Has anyone experienced this, or have any other suggestions for troubleshooting/fixing this problem?...other than a wick in the fuel tank filler!

Any and all suggestions are welcome. BTW, all of the efforts listed above were carried out by a BMW repair shop...they're as frustrated as me...no, more frustrated than me.

Thanks.
 
E30m42cab

E30m42cab

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I know that some people like to pour power steering fluid into these cars instead of ATF. When the temp drops, the fluid gets mushy and makes the steering heavy and sometimes makes the pump whine. Make sure they're using ATF. Thats all I can figure. Every part has been replaced, so that's all I can figure.
 
S

SIXER

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Yeah, the fluid is ATF...

that was the first thing I checked when the problem started. I wonder what the system would do if I used the CHF-11S fluid that my E32 takes. I don't know whether or not it would be compatible with the rubber in my system or not, but, I'm pretty desperate. This is just too weird. I've been a German car mechanic (Porsches mostly) for eons, but NEVER seen a problem like this. I'm close to suspecting that the temp change is actually causing a change in the "chassis shell" somehow...you know, like some stuctural member 'changing shape or dimension".[?|]
 
E30m42cab

E30m42cab

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Does your car also have self leveling suspension? I don't think the temp change is really that drastic. I see temperature fluctuation between -4 and +104 degrees farenheit where I live, and I don't have these problems. How many different brands of fluid have you tried?
 
S

SIXER

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I agree with you re the minor change in temp...

E30m42cab said:
Does your car also have self leveling suspension? I don't think the temp change is really that drastic. I see temperature fluctuation between -4 and +104 degrees farenheit where I live, and I don't have these problems. How many different brands of fluid have you tried?
Click to expand...
which is just part of why this is driving me crazy. I've tried two different brands of ATF. I don't have the self-leveling suspension. I have another "95 525, that has no problems at temps ranging from -20 in Colorado to +118 in Arizona. I also have a '92 535 without any such problems. I'm just wondering...given the E34's problems with metal tearing (like at the door stops and rear deck latch mountings)...if maybe a structural member has torn or fractured, and the temp change is enough to warp the member. Pretty far out, but every steering component...except the chassis...has been replaced or (like the column/shaft) isolated, and tested to be OK, with no improvement.
 
E30m42cab

E30m42cab

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It just sounds like it's an E34. Mostly a giant piece of crap, that could have been one of the best cars BMW ever built, if that had have built it better.

My last guess, would be that whatever you say has been done, may not have actually been done. I'm just saying that sometimes mechanics can tell you what they did, and might not have actually done it.

Take it to someone else who will have an open mind about it, and who not already be frustrated by it.

...or the wick.
 
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