Not the usual steering problem

[Unregistered]

I have a rhd 1994 530 m60/1 engined auto(zf,a5s310z) e34. Bought it recently on a ccard after a 10 min test drive , wasn,t looking and dont need another car but it looks great sounded better. The car is mint and loaded , with mtech suspension,leather , the garage also put some new cats on.
I have contacted bmw customer service they described the car as having an alusil engine , so no probs there ?
The cars booked in on wednesday for upper control arms , discs pads , rear axle bushes . The garage doing the work is a local auto specialist (not easy to find here) I have asked him to look at , refill / change / top up what ever is possible on the box as well as the suspension jobs, can any of these things be done with this box?
The steering as well as suffering most of the well covered faults also makes a mild grinding noise , like rubber on metal this doesnt happen during the play movement of the steering wheel but only when the road wheels are being moved. It also only happens when its warm weather(not sideways raining and grim) or i've done over a few miles(over 20s a lot in this car) any suggestions that might save me changing everything possible.

Suggestions appreciated as wife leaving, due to my unhealthy but for me strangly compelling obsession an with old car.

[Jim540i]

No , No, No Guys this is a beemer forum, I can get weather report from the met office. Be kind and give me a some suggestions on my grinding steering,
problem.

Buddy, stop bitching. You'll get a suggestion as soon as someone with knowledge in that area feels like actually suggesting something to you. Don't try to tell us what should and shouldn't be talked about on this forum. If you don't like the way it's done around here then you don't have to stay here.

By the way, this is a BIMMER forum.

Jim
94 540i

[Unregistered]

Thanks for your suggestion , I'll wait for knowledgable advice.

[George M]

where does the mild grinding emanate from?...a most uncommon occurrence.
George

[632 Regal]

zf,a5s310z what the hell is this? not a normal trans.

[632 Regal]

Grinders: a tasty baked sub sandwich.

[rickm]

Could be a power steering pump about to take a dirt nap. Have your indie check it out, if you need a mechanic let us know where you live and we might be able to drop a few names.

[Unregistered]

Thanks George

Difficult to tell were it's from, I firstly suspected it may be heating duct rubbing on the steering column after I had replaced the microfilter. The duct seems impossibble to get get back ok on a rhd car. But with the engine off there is a couple of inches play in the wheel and no noise. I have also flushed the steering fluid and replace with cf11s. Which did make the steering feel suprisingly better. Because I did these jobs prior to getting to know the car it's difficult to tell if they caused it , but i don't think they did.

If I hadn,t read elswhere that the front strut mountings are v good these cars are would say it sounds like that , I understand there not the easiest job to do. Today I could even feel the grind through my foot on the footwell.It seems to relates to the road wheels turning not ps or steering wheel , I don,t want to attempt them myself or have them done if not really needed.

Apoligsies if I annoyed any forum guys, not intentional.

[Unregistered]

A5 s 310z I think is one of the lifetime fill boxes. I have done about 50,000 a year for the last twenty years(not this car) but this is my first auto. I had to start the test drive in a car park! .
It's the A for adaptive or S for sport sort, works lovely once warm but takes a long time to get 2nd when col.

I may have got the numbers wrong , its pretty late where I am .

[George M]

Would like to help you but I don't have a solid answer for you based upon your further explanation and I know just about every bolt on the suspension and steering of these cars. Again, grinding short of a mild scraping noise coming from the steering column
clockspring plate is most rare on these cars. Also sounds as though it is not RPM dependent or power steering pump related. You may try to see if you have a filter in the bottom of your power steering reservoir but that typically manifests a cavatation noise which is different from grinding. You could also disconnect the power steering pump and drive the car albeit with high effort to see if the noise subsides. I am with you on the strut bearings...but they rarely fail....arguably the most robust component of the steering on these cars. So a tough call. Put the car in the air and with the help of a friend use a long screw driver or hose...a mechanics stethoscope would be ideal...I still need to get one also incidently....and have your friend turn the steering wheel back and forth with the front wheels hanging while you listen to each component to see if you can isolate the grinding noise.
Good Luck,
George