lotusdmc

I had the same problem after about 3000 miles, BMW Tech acknowledged it after a drive and they replaced the steering rack spindle ?, anyway that cured it for a few months. Clunk then came back, service had the car for a week (I was on holiday) and said they could not replicate the problem, it is very annoying . Thanks for the TSB heads up I'll give it another go.

alexnyc

i have a clunk coming on when i start/stop the engine,not only that but also when i just turn ignition on to position 2 or off without even cranking the engine-it seems to be coming on when the steering wheel is going down to driving position and it is not only audible but i can feel it as well.lately i noticed that it would come on sometimes when car "wakes up"i.e. opening the door/disarming the alarm.I also got warning"AS disabled"once but after 3-4 shut down/up-it disappeared.my noise is like"tak-tak-tak-tak" very fast maybe like 5-7 "taks",sound/feels like tapping.
And i do not hear/feel it when i am driving regardless of speed/maneuver.

gomac

I have the clunk now also :thumbsdown: Mine only happens while going around a right hand corner or turning the wheel sharply to pull away from a parking place. It is as if the car is shifting it's weight and something is loose.

gabman

I too had a click or creaking noise whenever I turned my steering wheel past a certain point either left or right. Not only could you hear this noise but you could also feel it. The dealer changed the steering rod a few months ago and this problem never came back. I will try to find the work order and advise exact name of the part.

lymin6

I have had two e60's both have had problems with the steering clunk.

Dealer replaced lower steering ball joint on both. Even the loan e60 had the same problem!

This is a known fault, press the dealer for the warranty repair.

alex30

Well,

Same problem with my 530d after only 5000 km (3 months old). I have realized the problem when it got really cold (-5 celsius) and you could hear a loose metal sound when going over the bumpy road, but only on the driver side.

It seems to be a weak point and maybe RFT tires contribute a lot to it.

Dealer replaced steering rod without a problem, but since replacement I sense a massive vibration on the servotronic steering (like there is a problem with a pump), particulary when stopped and steering wheel aligned straight. Not to mention the same thing when turning.

It's a shame for a 70k euros car to have problems like this. Even my old AR 156 (2002) didn't had to go to service that often.

lymin6

I have had two e60's. The first was a 525d SE (Went on fire! written off) the second is my current car 530d sport( Not yet self ignited!)

Both have had this problem, both have had warranty work on them to correct it. It is a know fault, something to do with ball joint manufacture in steering.

gomac

One of the many fixes they have done on my car was to replace the steering column. The did that while replacing the engine. Clunk is gone for now. I have about 2 k miles on the new engine and steering column.

Good luck!

Mudman

Please post details of what work they did. My car has the clunk feel transmitted through the steering too.

Thanks

idoru

I'm sure it's already been pointed out (I haven't trawled the whole post), this is a known defect with the steering column/steering rack - something needs re-lubricating basically, your dealer should do it for free. Had the same problem myself, now rectified.