[simpsona527]

My power steering makes an intermittant whining noise when applied, more so when the car is hotter. I was down the ring a few months and when I finished my first lap I realised I had lost my PAS, obviously I didn't realise whilst doing the lap due to the speed but when I finished and realised it took the car 30mins of cool down to start working normal again. After that it was fine. A vehicle mechanic I work with thinks that the fluid might need changing as It probably boiled due to the car heat and became ineffective. Would this explain it? Has anyone suffered this before and should I just get the fluid changed? I was looking at getting a 2nd hand pump, new belt and change the fluid completely just to have peace of mind so it doesn't happen again. Any Advice? Sorry title is wrong, should be E46!

 

[RYM]

Firstly, I have retitled your thread and moved it to the correct section:thumbsup

Regarding the problem, I think your mechanic friend is thinking along the right lines. First thing to do is replace the power steering fluid and check it's operation afterwards:thumbsup

If you are still experiencing the problem then I would think about replacing the pump. Doing the belt for peace of mind is probably a good idea too:hihi

I would also strongly advise you to do the same with the brake fluid which IIRC also does your clutch on yours like the E36

 

[steve23002]

These are common for the pumps failing. Ive replaced 2 in the last month!
Bmw even keep them on the shelf. Hope this points you in the right direction.
If you do change the pump be aware that the pulley gets stuck on the pump and take care when removing because they are made of plastic and get brittle. :thumbsup

 

[RYM]

These are common for the pumps failing. Ive replaced 2 in the last month!
Bmw even keep them on the shelf. Hope this points you in the right direction.
If you do change the pump be aware that the pulley gets stuck on the pump and take care when removing because they are made of plastic and get brittle. :thumbsup

With this in mind, then perhaps it's worth keeping a spare if you intend on putting the car through it's paces on the Ring or track again in the future:thumbsup

 

[Slacker-ray]

These are common for the pumps failing. Ive replaced 2 in the last month!
Bmw even keep them on the shelf. Hope this points you in the right direction.
If you do change the pump be aware that the pulley gets stuck on the pump and take care when removing because they are made of plastic and get brittle. :thumbsup

I agree with Steve, these pumps are prone to fail.

Try the PAS fluid change first, see if that helps.

If not.................gonna have to bite the bullet mate and order in a new pump. These are certainly not cheap.

 

[simpsona527]

Thanks for all the replies. I have changed the brake fluid to RBF600 and uprated the discs, pads and fitted goodridge hoses. I will try the fluid and belt change and i've seen 2nd hand pumps on ebay for around the £50 mark.

 

[RYM]

If it's a common fault then can any of you guys recommend a place that will do a repair on the pump so that it can be kept as a spare perhaps?

Having said that, 50 quid isn't a lot of money if the item is not faulty:confused

 

[Mr BMW]

Hi, I had this issue too. It was a faulty power steering pump. I have now had this replaced and everything is back to normal, thankfully.

 

[Ronnie]

I've seen the pump shaft shear so a recon one wouldn't be a good idea as IIRC they modified the later ones(unless the recon one is modded)