Reconditioned rack fitted steering warning help

[den9112]

Hi I have just had a reconditioning electric steering rack fitted today and when I went to pick it up there was an amber warning regarding steering ….Garage showed me the wheels were out of alignment which I can understand and have it booked in to get it done along with 2 new tyres …On my drive home the steering wheel was a good 45% past centre when I in a straight line …I took it back and they have told me warning will go when it’s aligned due to steering angle …and to make matters worse the issue it went in was still there after fitting so it turns out to be something else at great expense….Car is a Mini F55 I’m hoping someone can tell me the garage are not fobbing me off and the fault will go once tracking is done CV

[Krikkit]

Start the engine and run the steering fully from lock to lock, that might rid you of the warning.

Definitely get your alignment done first and see how the land lies, you may need to code the rack to the car

[Davie]

You'd hope that any reputable garage fitting a steering rack round then do the wheel alignment or at least sub contract to a local garage who can do it on their behalf. However, most modern cars will have one or more steering angle sensors so if it's mechanically out or needs recalibrated then yes, could be the reason. Or might be something at fault but you're now going elsewhere to get part of what should be the original job, completed by somebody else...

I can see this becoming messy..

[Decky_Q]

Calibrate it by turning it full lock to full lock a few times. The alignment should take care of the wonky steering wheel.

In the garage I work in we dont do alignments but will mark and count the threads on the rod ends and fit the new ones pretty close to the way it came in so wheels aren't obviously wonky.

I havent dealt with electric steering yet but some programming may be required I dont know.

[den9112]

Krikkit said:

Start the engine and run the steering fully from lock to lock, that might rid you of the warning.

Definitely get your alignment done first and see how the land lies, you may need to code the rack to the car

Done the lock to lock ,warning still there ,tracking hopefully done tomorrow

[den9112]

Just got a price for doing the coding £150 plus vat ... I presume its specialist software otyerwise i could buy a good scanner tool for that price although im not to sure if they can code ESP

[gazza285]

Any garage that fits a rack without then doing the alignment is not a garage I would be using again.

[den9112]

Hi not going to use them again total nightmare…Just had the tracking done got the print out noticed it said R56 not F55 questioned that he said it should be fine as soon as it drove out with full lock I heard a rubbing noise thought it was new tyres also pulling to right turns out it’s not right never ending this

[Smint]

gazza285 said:

Any garage that fits a rack without then doing the alignment is not a garage I would be using again.

quite, is there such a thing as a garage that can't perform wheel alignment

[GreenV8S]

Smint said:

quite, is there such a thing as a garage that can't perform wheel alignment

Seems to me that some places count it as a win if there aren't any wheel nuts left over.

[E-bmw]

Sorry for your issues OP, but it seems that unfortunately you have found a ridiculously inept garage and you need to spread your experience far & wide among those who could ever consider using them as they clearly have no idea how to perform a competent service.

Firstly. Obviously you need to get the alignment & recalibration etc done by someone competent & hopefully you now have that in hand.

Secondly. You say that this didn't even fix your problem, so what was the problem you were having?

[den9112]

Hi , i got a message saying my post had been deleted not sure why ..
However it looks like i can post so i will give a update ...

Car booked in for 2 tyres and tracking all done for 9.00am however on full lock offside tyre rubbing ,garage say take it back took it re done tracking same again ,guy doing the tracking was a bit baffled but said while reversing then going forward in a straight line steering wheel would move he said it shouldn't do that ...back to the garage after looking and lots of discussion i had to travel to another garage with him for what i presumed was to look at the car and a second opinion conclusion was from the other mechanic was that the steering rack was not centre ,the time now was 12.30pm.We then traveled back to the garage were they tried to rectify it after a while it came of the ramps and same again wheel rubbing ...Eventually at 3.00pm after being on the ramps again it came back down this time no rubbing on full lock but same issue with steering wheel being at a angle while driving in a straight line so once again i have to get it tracked to find out if they have sorted the issue ...

Whatever happens from today's tracking the car is going nowhere near the garage again i will have to try and find somewhere else .
I have had a nightmare with this with money spent that was not needed ,wasted two days with them and its still not done as i still need it to be coded i have a recommended company that will do that ...I have come to the point were it may be easier to put the old rack back on ,no need for coding as i presume it would recognise it ...In the meantime i an having to drive the car with the faults and traction control enabled ...

[den9112]

E-bmw said:

Sorry for your issues OP, but it seems that unfortunately you have found a ridiculously inept garage and you need to spread your experience far & wide among those who could ever consider using them as they clearly have no idea how to perform a competent service.

Firstly. Obviously you need to get the alignment & recalibration etc done by someone competent & hopefully you now have that in hand.

Secondly. You say that this didn't even fix your problem, so what was the problem you were having?

Hi many thanks for taking time to reply..
I was getting a creaking sound when rocking steering left to right noticeable stationary but not while actually driving i first thought strut mount so took it to the garage next door to my work place only because it was convenient they checked it on ramps and said it sounds like rack ,so i got a recon one for £400 took it in to them and got it fitted ...No issues with steering before just the creaking sound ..

[E-bmw]

den9112 said:

E-bmw said:

Sorry for your issues OP, but it seems that unfortunately you have found a ridiculously inept garage and you need to spread your experience far & wide among those who could ever consider using them as they clearly have no idea how to perform a competent service.

Firstly. Obviously you need to get the alignment & recalibration etc done by someone competent & hopefully you now have that in hand.

Secondly. You say that this didn't even fix your problem, so what was the problem you were having?

Hi many thanks for taking time to reply..
I was getting a creaking sound when rocking steering left to right noticeable stationary but not while actually driving i first thought strut mount so took it to the garage next door to my work place only because it was convenient they checked it on ramps and said it sounds like rack ,so i got a recon one for £400 took it in to them and got it fitted ...No issues with steering before just the creaking sound ..

It does sound like it could be the strut top mounts, the only real way to confirm exactly what it is is normally with the help of an assistant to turn the wheel while you crawl all over it feeling/listening to identify where the noise is coming from.

[Smint]

den9112 said:

Hi many thanks for taking time to reply..
I was getting a creaking sound when rocking steering left to right noticeable stationary but not while actually driving i first thought strut mount so took it to the garage next door to my work place only because it was convenient they checked it on ramps and said it sounds like rack ,so i got a recon one for £400 took it in to them and got it fitted ...No issues with steering before just the creaking sound ..

Always best to let your chosen garage source parts, and are able to complete the whole job, ie in this case by having the correct coding and alignment equipment in house.
That way they are responsible for everything that happens.

[den9112]

Smint said:

Always best to let your chosen garage source parts, and are able to complete the whole job, ie in this case by having the correct coding and alignment equipment in house.
That way they are responsible for everything that happens.

I did ask them before they started the work if anything needed to be done after my sport mode on the car as it tightens the steering up when used ,he said no all will be ok...One of the guys that was there also said tracking should clear yellow warning codes i was getting...
I have since found out i need it coded not with Bimmer code or Bimmerlite but with better equipment this i have found someone who can do that ..
Learnt my lesson with the garage a lot of staff have used this garage in the past as its next door i trusted them ,i would rather then say no they cant do it .I did get a price from the company that supplied the recon unit at £300 fitted but they were booked up until the 16th April and they were over 50 mile away .... The next tracking will determine what i do next if problem is still there they have obviously have no idea what they are doing ...
I have a decent idea what i am doing with old cars as i have just replaced a steering column and rack on a MGB GT calibration was easy as i just marked the UJ postions when removed ...put back in same place ..

[den9112]

Hi, just a quick update from today ,i visited a local Kwik fit and to be honest at £71.95 i was thinking twice about it however i thought if i wait until tomorrow i would have to go back to the original tracking garage and i wouldn't know if the issue was until then ..

I explained the situation with them with previous issues i have had and to his credit he said if it stills rubs after the tracking he would not charge me ,just thought you cant get fairer than that so let him get on with it...Came back test drove no rubbing and he said tracking rods look pretty even on both sides so it looks like that side is fine just need the coding done .

[GliderRider]

I had a problem on my partner's daughter's Zafira that the inner track rod joint on the rack had been unscrewing causing vary rapid tyre wear and a real risk of the inner trackrod unscrewing completely.
You have to take the track rod gaiter off to check it and there is a special tool for tightening the joint up.

[GreenV8S]

GliderRider said:

a real risk of the inner trackrod unscrewing completely.

[E-bmw]

GreenV8S said:

GliderRider said:

a real risk of the inner trackrod unscrewing completely.

I had a similar reaction!

WTAF!!!!