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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
Hello guys, first post here so be gentle
I recently got a Z4 E85 3.0i -04, love the car so far but as several others I have issues with the EPS.
I got the EPS light on the dash as soon as I turned the key, no power steering at all. A few times the power steering started to work after a while driving. Kind of the opposite of the sticky steering..
Connected INPA but got no response from control unit. All other units including steering angle sensor read out just fine without any codes. Did verify with a top-notch diagnostics reader at a BMW dealer that the EPS control unit was not responding. During the whole time outside temperature has been a few degrees C, so any heat related issue seems unlikely.
I have been replacing the battery and verified voltage on the red cable to the motor and green/white cable from fuse 22. Measured good ground on the black cable.
However when I heated up the control unit and steering column to 50 degrees C the dash light went away and the power steering worked just as it should. The EPS has remained working during a few cold starts since then but haven't been weather for a proper test drive here in Sweden, only got summer tires.
I connected INPA to the EPS control module and got one code, 6127 Error code 27: Lenkwinkel Testbedingung nicht erfullt. My german is a bit rusty but didn't seem to be a relevant code, probably from the glitchy connection. Deleted it and haven't appeared again so far.
Since ecutesting.com seem to offer a cure for my symptoms by rebuilding the motor/control unit and due to the temperature dependent broken/fully functional characteristics I noticed, I would suspect some bad soldering joint in the control unit.
I have fixed two other cars by opening control units and resoldered bad connections, and feel confident around any size through hole or surface mount components. Would be nice to save some $$, even though ecutestings lifetime warranty is tempting.
So finally my question to you experts, does anyone have experience from cracking open said or similar control unit and resolder any joints?
Does anyone know what exactly might be failing in the control unit, or do I follow a false trail?
If I go ahead with the operation I will off course keep you posted with the result
I recently got a Z4 E85 3.0i -04, love the car so far but as several others I have issues with the EPS.
I got the EPS light on the dash as soon as I turned the key, no power steering at all. A few times the power steering started to work after a while driving. Kind of the opposite of the sticky steering..
Connected INPA but got no response from control unit. All other units including steering angle sensor read out just fine without any codes. Did verify with a top-notch diagnostics reader at a BMW dealer that the EPS control unit was not responding. During the whole time outside temperature has been a few degrees C, so any heat related issue seems unlikely.
I have been replacing the battery and verified voltage on the red cable to the motor and green/white cable from fuse 22. Measured good ground on the black cable.
However when I heated up the control unit and steering column to 50 degrees C the dash light went away and the power steering worked just as it should. The EPS has remained working during a few cold starts since then but haven't been weather for a proper test drive here in Sweden, only got summer tires.
I connected INPA to the EPS control module and got one code, 6127 Error code 27: Lenkwinkel Testbedingung nicht erfullt. My german is a bit rusty but didn't seem to be a relevant code, probably from the glitchy connection. Deleted it and haven't appeared again so far.
Since ecutesting.com seem to offer a cure for my symptoms by rebuilding the motor/control unit and due to the temperature dependent broken/fully functional characteristics I noticed, I would suspect some bad soldering joint in the control unit.
I have fixed two other cars by opening control units and resoldered bad connections, and feel confident around any size through hole or surface mount components. Would be nice to save some $$, even though ecutestings lifetime warranty is tempting.
So finally my question to you experts, does anyone have experience from cracking open said or similar control unit and resolder any joints?
Does anyone know what exactly might be failing in the control unit, or do I follow a false trail?
If I go ahead with the operation I will off course keep you posted with the result
2004 E85 Z4 3.0i manual
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- Member
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- Location: Atherstone, Warwickshire.
E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
O idea about fixing your problem but have used ECUtestinga few times now and every time perfect this was on Ecu,s though.
Welcome to the forum btw.
Welcome to the forum btw.
- ph001
- Lifer
- Posts: 3870
- Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:53 pm
- Location: N. Yorkshire.
E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
I’m not aware of anyone thats has opened up the EPS ecu in here but I don’t think you have much to lose by giving it a go. Please be sure to put some pics up in here if you do.
Even if you don’t find anything, I don’t think it will affect ecutesting’s service.
Even if you don’t find anything, I don’t think it will affect ecutesting’s service.
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
As suggested by ph001, I confirmed that ecutesting didn't mind if the ecu was already opened. If they assess it as faulty and repair it they will still put the lifetime warranty on it
Great guys to communicate with by the way!
So with nothing to loose I will give the soldering iron a go as soon as the ESP dash light comes back on after my hack style heat treatment.
Until then, please share any knowledge about ecu resoldering you might have
Great guys to communicate with by the way!
So with nothing to loose I will give the soldering iron a go as soon as the ESP dash light comes back on after my hack style heat treatment.
Until then, please share any knowledge about ecu resoldering you might have
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
Hey guys, didn't take long before the EPS dash light came back
So I ripped the ESP motor out, shoutout to the awesome instructions at https://www.newtis.info/ .
Gave it a go to find the error myself, but no success. However I took some pics and might just as well share them..
Went for a hunt for bad soldering joints, or anything that could be fixed, so I started to unscrew the screws on the top Foiund nothing interesting, so I moved on to the motor itself All looked nice, so put it back together. Moved on to the lids on top Forgot to take a photo on the rear lid, a few spot welded plates to the connectors. All looked good
Tried the middle lid Everything was covered in some soft moulding material, found no bad connections
Moved on to the last lid Solder joints looked good, screws were tight
Nothing more to do other than to wrap it up and send it to ecutesting. Really fast and nice guys, got the motor back within one week, with shipping from Sweden. Motor looked like this Obviously they found something I didn't under the middle lid.
Put everything back in the car and started it up, ESP light went out straight away and is now after 1000km still gone
5 stars to ecutesting, they really got their s**t together
So I ripped the ESP motor out, shoutout to the awesome instructions at https://www.newtis.info/ .
Gave it a go to find the error myself, but no success. However I took some pics and might just as well share them..
Went for a hunt for bad soldering joints, or anything that could be fixed, so I started to unscrew the screws on the top Foiund nothing interesting, so I moved on to the motor itself All looked nice, so put it back together. Moved on to the lids on top Forgot to take a photo on the rear lid, a few spot welded plates to the connectors. All looked good
Tried the middle lid Everything was covered in some soft moulding material, found no bad connections
Moved on to the last lid Solder joints looked good, screws were tight
Nothing more to do other than to wrap it up and send it to ecutesting. Really fast and nice guys, got the motor back within one week, with shipping from Sweden. Motor looked like this Obviously they found something I didn't under the middle lid.
Put everything back in the car and started it up, ESP light went out straight away and is now after 1000km still gone
5 stars to ecutesting, they really got their s**t together
2004 E85 Z4 3.0i manual
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- Newbie
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
hello
I have exectly same fault.
I live in Korea. so I have a problem to send my eps module to ecutesting.
do you have anything solution?
I have exectly same fault.
I live in Korea. so I have a problem to send my eps module to ecutesting.
do you have anything solution?
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
I got no other solution unfortunately.
Even though I had a look inside the unit I have no clue what they corrected....
Even though I had a look inside the unit I have no clue what they corrected....
2004 E85 Z4 3.0i manual
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- Newbie
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
thank you….
I must search more…
I must search more…
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
I believe they ship worldwide but that may be cost prohibitive for you. Worth looking into though.
They also fixed my eps module
They also fixed my eps module
BMW E85 Z4M
BMW E85 Z4 2.5
Gone Z4 E85 3.0
BMW E85 Z4 2.5
Gone Z4 E85 3.0
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
MKZ4000, could i ask how did yo remove eps motor?? I am looking for the instruction but no luck yet....
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
It's pretty hard to reach, but I loosened the 8 screws securing the steering column. Then I could twist the column enough to unplug and undo the motor screws and have the motor removed
2004 E85 Z4 3.0i manual
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
I got Ross at RBM to do mine so I don't know the exact procedure but hes's a dab hand at it. It can be done without removing the column but I believe there is a special pin to lock the steering column in place.
BMW E85 Z4M
BMW E85 Z4 2.5
Gone Z4 E85 3.0
BMW E85 Z4 2.5
Gone Z4 E85 3.0
- yg54sg
- Member
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- Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:58 pm
E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
For anyone removing eps motor , you can remove it without steering column removal but you need to remove drivers seat then become a bat upside down with you head up to the pedals. Remove the E11 torx bolts on the motor I used a 8mm spanner end to crack them then a socket and u joint extension bar to undo as there is not much room to rotate . Unplug the 3 wires on side of motor then jiggle it until it’s loose you then have to pull it towards the front of car then as far against the speaker footwell as possible turning it and fish it out through the hole below it. Thanks to OP great thread my plan is to remove the motor from the control unit and then mount the control unit back on a custom bracket since I did the hydraulic conversion I want sport mode but don’t want the motor engaged.
54 3.0i SE, Sterling Grey, 6sp Manual, Dream Red Heated M Sports Seats, Pro Navigation, Carver DSP Sound, Xenon,
Mods: facelift rear bumper + lights LCM reprogram, LED DRL rings, Clear hockey sticks, clear side repeaters, powerflex bushes
Mods: facelift rear bumper + lights LCM reprogram, LED DRL rings, Clear hockey sticks, clear side repeaters, powerflex bushes
- enuff_zed
- Lifer
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- Location: Attleborough, Norfolk
E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
Exactly this. I use an 8mm ratchet ring.yg54sg wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 12:27 am For anyone removing eps motor , you can remove it without steering column removal but you need to remove drivers seat then become a bat upside down with you head up to the pedals. Remove the E11 torx bolts on the motor I used a 8mm spanner end to crack them then a socket and u joint extension bar to undo as there is not much room to rotate . Unplug the 3 wires on side of motor then jiggle it until it’s loose you then have to pull it towards the front of car then as far against the speaker footwell as possible turning it and fish it out through the hole below it. Thanks to OP great thread my plan is to remove the motor from the control unit and then mount the control unit back on a custom bracket since I did the hydraulic conversion I want sport mode but don’t want the motor engaged.
Including disconnecting the battery and waiting, then seat and steering wheel out, it is about an hour for me now.
Same to put back.
If it's a manual car then put a pad on the clutch pedal as you have to push it down with the back of your head to get enough clearance. (RHD anyway).
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E85 Electric Power Steering Control Unit Resoldering?
Yes, I followed enuff-zed's suggestion about seat and steering wheel removal. A tip though on the clutch perdal, it does need to be depressed to give clearance to remove motor. I removed the cheap plastic backstop (10mm) and replaced with a short 10mm bolt with a 3mm hole drilled through the head and then placed a piece of heavy guage wire through the hole. Depress the pedal to the new backstop and tie across with the wire to hold it down, saves trying to do two jobs at once