Need advice, Active Steering warning , control arms, thermostat housing, belts... ugh
01-26-2015, 08:35 PM
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2005
Need advice, Active Steering warning , control arms, thermostat housing, belts... ugh
Hi Guys,
For two weeks my 2005 530i has been giving me the active steering warning. I have done the reset and it will eventually go away; sometimes for a week, sometimes for an hour. Whenever the light is on my turn signals stop automatically turning off when the turn is complete, everything else is fine.
I took the car into my Dad's old shop where I am good friends with the manager who is as honest as they come. Since my dad sold it they have hired a technician/mechanic who has a lot of experience working on European cars and has owned a number of them himself. I have already had a good experience working with him. I went in thinking that I had a dirty/fault SLZ sensor in the steering wheel and left instructions on how to clean it.
They call me back and say the sensor is working fine. It is turning on all 4 lower control arms are in need of replacing. He said he can see all 4 bushings are worn or cracked. I am not sure if he actually took the steering wheel apart and saw sensor is fine or saw issues that would mean the sensor is fine (worn control arms). Would the computer tell him the SZL sensor is bad?
Is the control arm issue a definite reason the active steering indicator would light up? Honestly I could already tell the control arms needed to be replaced. I just want to make sure that the sensor is working fine so I don’t have to go back again.
Control Arms - I need to get 4 lower control arms for my car. He said the upper 2 front seem fine.
In my quest to understand this topic I have learned there are 4 up front and two in the rear. What confuses me is some call the rear ones “upper” , and some call the rear ones “lower”. There are only two in the rear right? 6 in total not 8 correct?
I see the arms are specific to year but also to production date. How can I find out what control arms are meant for my vin? RealOEM has all sorts of numbers and repair kits.
Lemfoerdor seems to be the only brand people trust. I also have not found a premium brand of control arm over OE. My shop said they don’t have a local Lemfoerder vendor and I would have to order those online. Do we have a go to vendor for these? What online vendors have the best price? The shop said they Oreiley’s has a brand they have used that is warrantied for life and for me they would have no labor cost if it needed to be replaced. Sounds great but the idea of taking it down there again seems like a hassle so I think going with Lemfoerder is the way to go.
He then mentioned while they had the car on lifts the following things needed to be replaced. He said all of these are normal for a car with almost 88K miles on it.
Thermostat housing - had a small leak that they could not stop and said it costs less for a new part than to take it off and try to reseal the old one. I have read plastic is the way to go over aluminum. Correct?
Air Conditioning Idler Pulley – this part confuses me. I can find a pulley for multiple purposes but not for a/c. I have found a part called AC Belt Tensioner with Pulley. But do I need the tensioner as well or can I just get a pulley?
Alternator belt – I saw some people like a type by Goodyear called Gator belts. Is that better than OE?
Air conditioning belt - I saw some people like a type by Goodyear called Gator belts. Is that better than OE?
Shop manager said online for a lot of these parts was best way to go since even with a discounted price from BMW they are way overpriced. Problem is since I am not next to him I can’t get the part numbers easily. Can you all help me in my quest for part numbers and pricing?
Oh and if I have to replace the thermostat is it best to do the water pump also? Why do some cost 50 dollars and others 400?
Thanks for the help guys.
For two weeks my 2005 530i has been giving me the active steering warning. I have done the reset and it will eventually go away; sometimes for a week, sometimes for an hour. Whenever the light is on my turn signals stop automatically turning off when the turn is complete, everything else is fine.
I took the car into my Dad's old shop where I am good friends with the manager who is as honest as they come. Since my dad sold it they have hired a technician/mechanic who has a lot of experience working on European cars and has owned a number of them himself. I have already had a good experience working with him. I went in thinking that I had a dirty/fault SLZ sensor in the steering wheel and left instructions on how to clean it.
They call me back and say the sensor is working fine. It is turning on all 4 lower control arms are in need of replacing. He said he can see all 4 bushings are worn or cracked. I am not sure if he actually took the steering wheel apart and saw sensor is fine or saw issues that would mean the sensor is fine (worn control arms). Would the computer tell him the SZL sensor is bad?
Is the control arm issue a definite reason the active steering indicator would light up? Honestly I could already tell the control arms needed to be replaced. I just want to make sure that the sensor is working fine so I don’t have to go back again.
Control Arms - I need to get 4 lower control arms for my car. He said the upper 2 front seem fine.
In my quest to understand this topic I have learned there are 4 up front and two in the rear. What confuses me is some call the rear ones “upper” , and some call the rear ones “lower”. There are only two in the rear right? 6 in total not 8 correct?
I see the arms are specific to year but also to production date. How can I find out what control arms are meant for my vin? RealOEM has all sorts of numbers and repair kits.
Lemfoerdor seems to be the only brand people trust. I also have not found a premium brand of control arm over OE. My shop said they don’t have a local Lemfoerder vendor and I would have to order those online. Do we have a go to vendor for these? What online vendors have the best price? The shop said they Oreiley’s has a brand they have used that is warrantied for life and for me they would have no labor cost if it needed to be replaced. Sounds great but the idea of taking it down there again seems like a hassle so I think going with Lemfoerder is the way to go.
He then mentioned while they had the car on lifts the following things needed to be replaced. He said all of these are normal for a car with almost 88K miles on it.
Thermostat housing - had a small leak that they could not stop and said it costs less for a new part than to take it off and try to reseal the old one. I have read plastic is the way to go over aluminum. Correct?
Air Conditioning Idler Pulley – this part confuses me. I can find a pulley for multiple purposes but not for a/c. I have found a part called AC Belt Tensioner with Pulley. But do I need the tensioner as well or can I just get a pulley?
Alternator belt – I saw some people like a type by Goodyear called Gator belts. Is that better than OE?
Air conditioning belt - I saw some people like a type by Goodyear called Gator belts. Is that better than OE?
Shop manager said online for a lot of these parts was best way to go since even with a discounted price from BMW they are way overpriced. Problem is since I am not next to him I can’t get the part numbers easily. Can you all help me in my quest for part numbers and pricing?
Oh and if I have to replace the thermostat is it best to do the water pump also? Why do some cost 50 dollars and others 400?
Thanks for the help guys.
01-27-2015, 12:16 PM
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My Ride: 2006 550i Sport, Titanium Silver Metallic on Black, HUD, NAV, BMW Assist, Active Steering
Its a good idea to buy parts online. If you are not sure on the part numbers, there are a couple of euro-parts retailers that have live chat with tech support. I have always checked with them on part numbers before ordering and they have yet to get it wrong.
As far as SLZ sensor, I get active steering error about once a year but I have not gotten around to fixing it. BMW actually had a recall a few years ago on cars with active steering to replace those SLZ sensors. From what I have read, these sensors are optical and loose sensitivity over a few years leading to active steering faults.BMW had a repair kit with a new sensor that cost less than 30 bucks last time I checked. You might as well just replace it and see if it fixes the issue.
I had to replace both front upper and lower control arms on my 550i with 91K a few months ago. I went with OEM Lemforder (ZF) ones and they were about half price of OE BMW. I have learned the hard way that once one a set of bushing goes others are not far behind. My advice would be to buy a "kit" that includes all of the parts that can wear out in the suspension. Its cheaper then buying each part individually and its less labor and hassle long term. The full Lemforder rear suspension kit is around $600 and about 5 hours of labor to install. Atleast that is my plan for dealing with rear suspension. If you end up replacing struts or shocks make sure to replace the mounts as well.
As far as thermostat housing, check if the OE BMW part is metal or plastic and go with that. At 88K you should go ahead and replace the water pump as well. There are many options as far as replacement water pumps as most are rebuilt with ether a plastic or metal impeller. Quality ones that are rebuilt with metal rotor run 300-400 bucks. I found a brand new OE pump online for $200 and just went with that.
As far as SLZ sensor, I get active steering error about once a year but I have not gotten around to fixing it. BMW actually had a recall a few years ago on cars with active steering to replace those SLZ sensors. From what I have read, these sensors are optical and loose sensitivity over a few years leading to active steering faults.BMW had a repair kit with a new sensor that cost less than 30 bucks last time I checked. You might as well just replace it and see if it fixes the issue.
I had to replace both front upper and lower control arms on my 550i with 91K a few months ago. I went with OEM Lemforder (ZF) ones and they were about half price of OE BMW. I have learned the hard way that once one a set of bushing goes others are not far behind. My advice would be to buy a "kit" that includes all of the parts that can wear out in the suspension. Its cheaper then buying each part individually and its less labor and hassle long term. The full Lemforder rear suspension kit is around $600 and about 5 hours of labor to install. Atleast that is my plan for dealing with rear suspension. If you end up replacing struts or shocks make sure to replace the mounts as well.
As far as thermostat housing, check if the OE BMW part is metal or plastic and go with that. At 88K you should go ahead and replace the water pump as well. There are many options as far as replacement water pumps as most are rebuilt with ether a plastic or metal impeller. Quality ones that are rebuilt with metal rotor run 300-400 bucks. I found a brand new OE pump online for $200 and just went with that.
01-27-2015, 04:29 PM
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2004
Engine: M54
sherv - i can't help you out with the active steering fault you're getting, maybe someone else can chime in. i can offer some input into everything else you have. I have an '04 530i, which is mechanically identical to your '05 with the exception of ARS and active steering (I don't have sport pack)
worn control arms likely have nothing to do with any active steering fault you have. 5 series BMWs, going all the way back to the E34 chassis, have always been hard on front suspension components. Why, I couldn't tell you. But yes, they're probably all shot on your '05, which is now a ten year old car.
In the front, you'll have one 'lower control arm' and one 'tension strut' per side. There isn't really an 'upper control arm' in the front of an E60. F10 yes, E60 no. Basically, BMW split a one piece lower control arm into two separate arms - hence the 'control arm' and 'tension strut'. So you have a total of four control arms in the front.
The rear is a bit different. There, you actually do have two small upper control arms and one great big honkin' lower control arm. My experience with BMWs is that the front stuff wears out waaaaay before the rear stuff even begins to show signs of wear.
So, one lower control arm and two uppers in the rear = six total control arms in the rear of your E60.
I'd put money on your car needing all four front arms, and possibly none in the rear. Again, just guessing without seeing the car.
Get lemfoerder arms for sure. remember that scene in tommy boy? "i can sell you these break pads, put them in a box and mark them guaranteed. but all you're buying is a guaranteed piece of shit". truer words have never been spoken.
I've never heard of anyone trying to 'reseal' a leaking thermostat housing on an M54 motor. Your mechanic is right - once you access it, there is no sense in trying to repair what's already there. the plastic thermostat housing problem was much more prevalent on M50 and M52 generation engines. The M54 ones are plastic too, but they seem to hold up a lot better for some reason. I replaced the original thermostat on my car at roughly 110K miles, and I did it not because it had failed, but because I was 'in there'.
yes, you can just buy the pulleys if you want. Look for a brand called "INA". those I've actually seen at autozone/ oreilly/ etc. sometimes it's better to just get a whole new tensioner assembly with the pulley on it. again, its one of those situations where 'since I'm already in here, let me take care of everything I can get to'. the bearing section of the pulley is usually what lets go on them.
get Continental drive belts. always. there's no reason not to, they're not expensive. I have seen many goodyear belts fail prematurely. can't say the same for the Continentals.
I always order my parts from either ECS tuning or Pelican Parts. Pelican parts has a great online catalog, almost every part you could need, and often free shipping to boot.
last question you have is about water pumps. the water pumps that are $30 are junk. That's why they cost $30. The ones that $200 are either marked up OEM or are EMP-Stewart race car pumps. again, we're talking M54 engine here only. Don't skimp on a water pump - it could cost you a motor. GRAFs are decent pumps, EMP-Stewarts are the best and cost $200 for an M54 engine. OEMs are around $100. I replaced mine with an EMP-Stewart because a) I live in Florida, and b) I'll likely never have to buy a water pump ever again.
I'd do belts, water pump, and t-stat all at the same time, and any pulleys/tensioners that are exhibiting wear.
look on Pelican Parts website - it's easy to navigate, parts are cheap, and you don't need part numbers to look stuff up.
best of luck with the car.
worn control arms likely have nothing to do with any active steering fault you have. 5 series BMWs, going all the way back to the E34 chassis, have always been hard on front suspension components. Why, I couldn't tell you. But yes, they're probably all shot on your '05, which is now a ten year old car.
In the front, you'll have one 'lower control arm' and one 'tension strut' per side. There isn't really an 'upper control arm' in the front of an E60. F10 yes, E60 no. Basically, BMW split a one piece lower control arm into two separate arms - hence the 'control arm' and 'tension strut'. So you have a total of four control arms in the front.
The rear is a bit different. There, you actually do have two small upper control arms and one great big honkin' lower control arm. My experience with BMWs is that the front stuff wears out waaaaay before the rear stuff even begins to show signs of wear.
So, one lower control arm and two uppers in the rear = six total control arms in the rear of your E60.
I'd put money on your car needing all four front arms, and possibly none in the rear. Again, just guessing without seeing the car.
Get lemfoerder arms for sure. remember that scene in tommy boy? "i can sell you these break pads, put them in a box and mark them guaranteed. but all you're buying is a guaranteed piece of shit". truer words have never been spoken.
I've never heard of anyone trying to 'reseal' a leaking thermostat housing on an M54 motor. Your mechanic is right - once you access it, there is no sense in trying to repair what's already there. the plastic thermostat housing problem was much more prevalent on M50 and M52 generation engines. The M54 ones are plastic too, but they seem to hold up a lot better for some reason. I replaced the original thermostat on my car at roughly 110K miles, and I did it not because it had failed, but because I was 'in there'.
yes, you can just buy the pulleys if you want. Look for a brand called "INA". those I've actually seen at autozone/ oreilly/ etc. sometimes it's better to just get a whole new tensioner assembly with the pulley on it. again, its one of those situations where 'since I'm already in here, let me take care of everything I can get to'. the bearing section of the pulley is usually what lets go on them.
get Continental drive belts. always. there's no reason not to, they're not expensive. I have seen many goodyear belts fail prematurely. can't say the same for the Continentals.
I always order my parts from either ECS tuning or Pelican Parts. Pelican parts has a great online catalog, almost every part you could need, and often free shipping to boot.
last question you have is about water pumps. the water pumps that are $30 are junk. That's why they cost $30. The ones that $200 are either marked up OEM or are EMP-Stewart race car pumps. again, we're talking M54 engine here only. Don't skimp on a water pump - it could cost you a motor. GRAFs are decent pumps, EMP-Stewarts are the best and cost $200 for an M54 engine. OEMs are around $100. I replaced mine with an EMP-Stewart because a) I live in Florida, and b) I'll likely never have to buy a water pump ever again.
I'd do belts, water pump, and t-stat all at the same time, and any pulleys/tensioners that are exhibiting wear.
look on Pelican Parts website - it's easy to navigate, parts are cheap, and you don't need part numbers to look stuff up.
best of luck with the car.
Last edited by KyleB; 01-27-2015 at 04:35 PM.
01-27-2015, 08:55 PM
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My Ride: 530i
Model Year: 2005
Thank you both so much. Great replies.
Control Arms
I was emailing with a couple of parts sites today that lead to more confusion which lead me to texting the manager of the shop I go to. I know it would be easier if I went down there or chatted on the phone but I am in training this week. He said he will try to pull part numbers but he has had a hard time finding the exact BMW part numbers.
He said
similar to what you said)
"The front lower control arms are 2 pieces on each side. We need both pieces for both sides of front lower control arms. "
Maybe I don't need the rears after all?
From what I have read online I imagine I need both upper and lower front control arms with the upper really being the tension strut. He is making it sound like the lower comes in two parts? That is where I got confused. I kept thinking it has the arm and the ball joint, is that what he meant by two parts. It seems like the arm is one piece and the tension strut.
Water pumps
On Pelican they have 4 water pumps on the top of the page
2005 BMW 530i Base Sedan - Water Pump, Thermostat & Hoses - Page 1
Saleri – (composite impeller) OEM Supplier $57
BMW –(composite impeller) 113.50
Graf- (Metal impeller) $47
Stewart - $201.
In my mind the Saleri is greater than the BMW since it is the OEM Supplier and half the price.
The Graf is greater than Saleri since it has a metal impeller and is $10 less
The Stewart is better than all but twice the price of OE? What does a baller water pump get me besides an engine that won’t overheat.
On OEMBimmerParts.com the only one for my car is the Graf.
Thermostat housing
Plastic or aluminum?
Housing only or replace thermostat too?
Control Arms
I was emailing with a couple of parts sites today that lead to more confusion which lead me to texting the manager of the shop I go to. I know it would be easier if I went down there or chatted on the phone but I am in training this week. He said he will try to pull part numbers but he has had a hard time finding the exact BMW part numbers.
He said
similar to what you said)"The front lower control arms are 2 pieces on each side. We need both pieces for both sides of front lower control arms. "
Maybe I don't need the rears after all?
From what I have read online I imagine I need both upper and lower front control arms with the upper really being the tension strut. He is making it sound like the lower comes in two parts? That is where I got confused. I kept thinking it has the arm and the ball joint, is that what he meant by two parts. It seems like the arm is one piece and the tension strut.
Water pumps
On Pelican they have 4 water pumps on the top of the page
2005 BMW 530i Base Sedan - Water Pump, Thermostat & Hoses - Page 1
Saleri – (composite impeller) OEM Supplier $57
BMW –(composite impeller) 113.50
Graf- (Metal impeller) $47
Stewart - $201.
In my mind the Saleri is greater than the BMW since it is the OEM Supplier and half the price.
The Graf is greater than Saleri since it has a metal impeller and is $10 less
The Stewart is better than all but twice the price of OE? What does a baller water pump get me besides an engine that won’t overheat.
On OEMBimmerParts.com the only one for my car is the Graf.
Thermostat housing
Plastic or aluminum?
Housing only or replace thermostat too?
01-28-2015, 08:10 AM
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I wasn't sure if we were allowed to mention specific vendors.
I actually prefer FCPEuro over ECS Tuning since they do not stock the parts themselves and generally have to get them before shipping them to you. FCP price matches ECS so all you have to do is ask.
Here are some useful links for you:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-e60-e60arms-l
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...6thermostatkit
I agree with KyleB, get the best water pump you can afford. I don't know much about n54s but BMW is generally pretty conservative with engine cooling, OE BMW will be just fine unless you are a very aggressive driver.
Continental has got to be the OE manufacturer for the belts.
I actually prefer FCPEuro over ECS Tuning since they do not stock the parts themselves and generally have to get them before shipping them to you. FCP price matches ECS so all you have to do is ask.
Here are some useful links for you:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-e60-e60arms-l
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...6thermostatkit
I agree with KyleB, get the best water pump you can afford. I don't know much about n54s but BMW is generally pretty conservative with engine cooling, OE BMW will be just fine unless you are a very aggressive driver.
Continental has got to be the OE manufacturer for the belts.
01-28-2015, 01:45 PM
#6
New Members
Thank you both so much. Great replies.
Control Arms
I was emailing with a couple of parts sites today that lead to more confusion which lead me to texting the manager of the shop I go to. I know it would be easier if I went down there or chatted on the phone but I am in training this week. He said he will try to pull part numbers but he has had a hard time finding the exact BMW part numbers.
He saidsimilar to what you said)
"The front lower control arms are 2 pieces on each side. We need both pieces for both sides of front lower control arms. "
Maybe I don't need the rears after all?
From what I have read online I imagine I need both upper and lower front control arms with the upper really being the tension strut.
Control Arms
I was emailing with a couple of parts sites today that lead to more confusion which lead me to texting the manager of the shop I go to. I know it would be easier if I went down there or chatted on the phone but I am in training this week. He said he will try to pull part numbers but he has had a hard time finding the exact BMW part numbers.
He said
similar to what you said)"The front lower control arms are 2 pieces on each side. We need both pieces for both sides of front lower control arms. "
Maybe I don't need the rears after all?
From what I have read online I imagine I need both upper and lower front control arms with the upper really being the tension strut.
Just enter your VIN's last 7 characters and voila........
02-20-2015, 10:22 AM
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My Ride: 06 530xi manual
For the SZL error, there is a software upgrade that can also keep this from happening. My 06 was having that message popup randomly, mostly under heavy electrical load during very cold weather. Once I updated the vehicle (I used a J2354 Mongoose and BMWTECHINFO.com to do the upgrade) that error hasn't occurred. One big indicator that you can use to tell if you have an old software version is that your home iDrive screen is brown (and your climate shows the body outlines), after the update my home screen turned to a silver/gray color.
What was happening is the power management system was briefly killing a relay that powers the SLZ, then it looses its current position.
There was a BMW notice about this problem. And I can't seem to find a copy of it at the moment.
What was happening is the power management system was briefly killing a relay that powers the SLZ, then it looses its current position.
There was a BMW notice about this problem. And I can't seem to find a copy of it at the moment.
02-22-2015, 01:25 PM
#9
Members
Here is a suggestion. To help you understand what is on your front end in regard to parts and pieces, go Welcome to realoem.com |bmw parts | bmw parts catalog| bmw epc! enter the last seven of your VIN number i,e, CT56XXX and there you will see the parts and part numbers for your specific vehicle. Then you can converse with some authority in regard to parts and names.
Good Luck
Good Luck
02-24-2015, 10:05 AM
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I got the part numbers. A lot of the part numbers from Real OEM are not used anymore and many sites use similar part numbers but not exactly so it was causing a ton of messed up search.
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