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Thread: steering issue

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    2

    steering issue

    Hi All,

    My 2011 550i (142,000 mls), is in the shop right now. It has a couple of issues. I was told by another shop a while ago that the oil and coolant lines that run in the V under the turbos needed to be replaced and the turbos rebuilt. Aside form that, the power steering went out. It started off happening once in a blue moon when I was parking, it would just give out and then almost as suddenly come back on so it wasn't a huge deal but then while parking one day, it went out and never came back on. Now the shop it's in at the moment is telling me that the power lead to the steering is fried, which I can understand but they're also telling me that the steering rack needs to be replaced and I'm wondering how likely this is. Thanks in advance for any advice or answers.

    John.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas
    Posts
    540
    My Cars
    '14 550/M, '03 540/M
    Quote Originally Posted by johnplays View Post
    Hi All,

    My 2011 550i (142,000 mls), is in the shop right now. It has a couple of issues. I was told by another shop a while ago that the oil and coolant lines that run in the V under the turbos needed to be replaced and the turbos rebuilt. Aside form that, the power steering went out. It started off happening once in a blue moon when I was parking, it would just give out and then almost as suddenly come back on so it wasn't a huge deal but then while parking one day, it went out and never came back on. Now the shop it's in at the moment is telling me that the power lead to the steering is fried, which I can understand but they're also telling me that the steering rack needs to be replaced and I'm wondering how likely this is. Thanks in advance for any advice or answers.

    John.
    Over time the turbo oil supply lines and the return lines can get clogged up from oil that has cooked inside the lines from engine heat. This is practically guaranteed over the life of the engine and they eventually need to be replaced. This condition causes oil supply to the turbo's to be starved and will eventually lead to damage of the turbos. Frequent oil changes (i.e. every 5000 miles) with good quality synthetic oil might help, but I'm not sure it's really avoidable, especially with 142k miles. Replacing them means removing the turbos, so you might as well rebuild/replace those.

    I would not want to be driving down the road and have the power steering go out, so not getting that fixed is asking for trouble. Sounds like the power lead needs to be replaced for sure. Not sure about the steering rack. If they did a "steering backlash" test and it failed, then the steering box should be replaced.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    2
    Thank you for the reply. I was planning on having the lines replaced and turbos rebuilt. Just wasn’t expecting the cost of a steering rack 🙄

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    We have done the coolant lines but I have never had to replaced the turbos also while apart make sure they replace the $10.00 gasket on the small,oil plate for the turbo oil return lines

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