2001 BMW 740iL Impala Brown Metallic - 152K miles. I'm the 2nd owner. Had it shipped up from Texas!
I just bought my first E38 about two weeks ago. Got her on the road and loved it --- for the first 10miles. Upon 2nd startup, I had no power steering. Looked under the hood and the belt "fell off" - mechanic checked it out and saw the power steering pulley angled. He said the pump blew. So he replaced it..and everything worked great for about 10miles, then I started having some clunking noise under the hood - turns out that 1 of the 3 power steering pulley bolts wiggled it's way out. Had my mechanic put three new bolts in with some loctite - works great, but man is my power steering loud when I'm stopped or even going slow. Anyone deal with this issue?
He put in a brand new aftermarket pump. I did not change the reservoir. I just ordered one and was hoping to swap that out this weekend depending on when it shows up.
At idle - there is no noise. But when you turn the wheel it whines and there is a light clicking you can hear as well.
OK, I took a video clip - it's a large file. But the noise is VERY apparent. The fluid was full. It's really hard to tell exactly where the sound is coming from...but it's either the pump itself or something in between. Is there a way to post a video?
I need to have someone turn the wheel so I can try to pinpoint where the noise is coming from. What is "sketching"?
If it is what you say, is it pricey?
Sorry, i was typing that on my iphone and it got auto-corrected.
That noise definitley sounds bad. Sounds like its coming from the engine area for sure. I just repalced a power steering pump on my friends E46 and it never made that sound. It was a brand new LF30 pump too. Feel the rack boots to make sure theirs no fluid in them. Thats an indicator your steering rack is blown. How does the steering feel?
Well the funny thing is - the steering is smooth and easy. THe only time I actually feel the issues is when it's fully turned. It's noisy too....clearly.
So the new pump I had put in is aftermarket...I'm wondering if there could be an issue there...maybe a fautly pump.
I'm looking through the maintenance records the 1st owner provided me and back in September of 2011 - and 10,000 miles ago, they replaced the Power Steering line from gear box to cooler - part # 32411093129
Prior to that in April 2008, they replaced the hose from the pump to the gearbox.
Do you think a clogged line could cause a problem like this? Faulty power steering pump?
How do I check the rack boots? Where are they located? I'm new to these cars, so I'm learning new stuff EVERY day!
Aftermarket as in what brand? Luk was the OEM supplier for the PS pumps. By gearbox do you mean the steering rack? The power steering reservoir has a one way non services LE filter and it's recomended to change the reservoir anytime you resolve the pump or rack or drain the system. That way you help eliminate any metal particles that could get into the system and damage the pump. A new reservoir for an E36 is $38 at BimmerSpecialist.com.
When you lift the car up, look for the sway bar. The steering rack is behind it. At each end of the rack it has rubber boots to prevent dirt from getting in. If the rack seals are blown fluid will leak into these boots.
Honestly I have no idea what brand it was. My mechanic installed it for me. I'll see if he can remember.
I started it up today - while it was cold - it was super quiet. No issues. I took the cap off to bleed it - as it got warmer and warmer, the noises came back. (Within a few minutes)
My new reservoir showed up today...so that's one good thing I can attempt a swap with tomorrow. I am going to lift her off the ground and poke around tomorrow at some point.
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2011 BMW E38 728i
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