Steering Wheel Adjustment Problem, anyone else? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Flash2k6 · 29th May 2008, 04:56

Ok so I have the most annoying problem with my M5. I'm not sure if it's something in the system that's triggering, or if it's just straight up broken, but here's the scenario.

I come out in the morning, start my car, and I can adjust my steering wheel (up, down, in, out.. all work fine). Then, I'll drive the car to work, turn it off and come back to it a few hours later. Start it up, try to adjust the wheel .. no go, it won't move... doesn't matter what gear I'm in, if I'm in N, if I'm moving, not moving, M mode on, M mode off, nothing seems to work.

If I leave it alone and come back to it in the morning after leaving it alone all night, I can adjust the wheel.

Earlier today I took my car in for service. When picking it up, the guy brought it up to the front for me to get into, and he had adjusted the wheel (up), so I went to adjust it back down ... no go, wouldn't budge. Drove home, turned it off ... locked/unlocked my doors, you name it .. still, won't budge.

Tomorrow morning, I'm sure I'll go out and I'll be able to move it, but this is the most annoying thing ever... I can't seem to find anything that causes it to happen, or that fixes it, other than leaving it alone all night.

Another issue I had, which lead me to discover this problem to begin with, is that my steering wheel kept resetting every time I would exit the car. The steering wheel is supposed to lift up so you can exit the car, but the problem is, it's not coming back down when I return. (Yes, I read the manual, and yes I saved my settings with the M buttons on the seats). It sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't... and when it doesn't go to it's proper position when I get into the car, that's when it won't move at all.

I'm at a loss... has anyone else had any kind of problems adjusting their steering wheel?

-F

GerGer33 · 29th May 2008, 06:22

I am having a similar kind of problem and also happening on the mirror (passenger side). The service assistant told me that there might be a problem with the key memory and yet I am to find out with another key. You may try it yourself and let me know your findings.

Flash2k6 · 30th May 2008, 20:41

Ok I officially hate this problem now. I've got a call in to get the car back into service to be checked out because I can't take this anymore.

I tried using the 2nd key, changing all the settings and saving them to that key. No luck.

Same damn problem, half the time the steering wheel won't adjust... sometimes it will.

I did find however that if I get into the car fast, and press the start button, and try to move it, it will move, right up until the point where the iDrive fully loads then it won't move anymore.

Regardless this is super frustrating, getting out, having the steering wheel rise up, then coming back to the car and not being able to re-lower it, so I drive around with my arms all high up and my steering wheel basically blocking half of my gauges. I adjusted my seat way up to help .. but now I feel like I'm kissing the roof of the car....

Anyways, I'll keep you posted as to whatever the dealer finds, but damn this is annoying.

-F

stevenshin · 30th May 2008, 21:49

One time, the steering wheel never went back to the normal position after starting the car. But I could move it with the controls. Otherwise, nothing like what you are experiencing ever happened to me.

Sounds like an electrical glitch of some sort. Good luck; I'm sure the dealer will fix it.

Mike Benvo · 30th May 2008, 22:11

Try resetting your car/key memory and see if that does the trick. It's a long shot but it's possible.

Otherwise it sounds like the car control or footwell module went faultly or needs to be reprogrammed.

Good luck with the problem and keep us updated.

Flash2k6 · 30th May 2008, 23:17

My car/key memory Mike, you mean going into the iDrive and selecting the delete memory/delete settings option?

Or is there some other method of doing this? If it's through the iDrive reset settings/delete settings feature, I tried that already.

-F

Mike Benvo · 31st May 2008, 01:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash2k6

My car/key memory Mike, you mean going into the iDrive and selecting the delete memory/delete settings option?

Or is there some other method of doing this? If it's through the iDrive reset settings/delete settings feature, I tried that already.

-F

Sounds like you tried that already... The dealer will probably first attempt to upgrade your software level, and then if the problem still exists they will have to go through some test plans on the GT1 or the SSS to fix it. If you were local, I'd check it on my laptop for you.

Flash2k6 · 31st May 2008, 01:52

I can't imagine there being a new software level available for my car yet, it was a late April production. I'm thinking the thing is just borked and needs a swift kick in the a**.

-F

andrewsherman · 31st May 2008, 01:56

It may not need a new version of the software, but there may be a glitch in yours so that it needs to be re-installed.

I did have a similar problem in my 745. The wheel would move up when I got out, but not re-set when I got back it. I could however move it "manually" through the switch. they fixed an issue with the software and it fuctioned fine after that.

Flash2k6 · 31st May 2008, 03:06

Yah that's the same problem I'm having, get out, it goes up, however when I get back I can not manually change it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... if I do it the moment I push the start button I have about 5-6 seconds to get it where I want it before the switch just stops working and won't move the wheel anymore.

It's for lack of a better term.... retardo!

-F

Flash2k6 · 1st June 2008, 20:46

Update: I just realized it last night, but not only is my steering wheel not adjusting right ... my PDC is no longer beeping when I approach something.

All of this started happening when I got my car back from my 1,200 mile service. I've got an appointment to take it back in Tuesday, they must have jacked something up cause the car was perfect until they touched it.

-F