[Rittmeister]

As title states My memory seat tends to forget its setting. It doesn't typically affect the seat itself, but frequently when I get into the car the steering wheel doesn't return to where I want it (after having raised up automatically when I shut the car off).

Is there a module that needs replaced/updated? Or is this a sign of something more sinister?

 

[darocc]

As title states My memory seat tends to forget its setting. It doesn't typically affect the seat itself, but frequently when I get into the car the steering wheel doesn't return to where I want it (after having raised up automatically when I shut the car off).

Is there a module that needs replaced/updated? Or is this a sign of something more sinister?

How old is your battery? I guess you can start by testing it out?

Although I can't remember forsure but I believe when I took out my car from storage (disconnected my battery) it still kept my memory settings?

ughh I think I have amnesia too lol

 

[sor118]

^^^
This.

If your battery is low, the steering wheel will certainly not return to the proper set height. Charge up the battery on a nice long slow charge, then throw it on a trickle charge to try to get it back to full capacity.

 

[Rittmeister]

So, how low does the battery have to be to cause the problem? The car did sit for most of the last three months but over the last week I drove it several times in addition to putting a trickle charger on it (underhood hookup).

Here's a silly question: does it matter if you've got the seatbelt buckled? I tried it last night as follows: get in car, close door, turn key to position 2 but don't start the car. Steering wheel stayed up. I removed the key, buckled my seatbelt, put the key back in and again turned to position 2, and this time the wheel moved down where I want it.

I can't remember well enough to tell whether it always works with the belt buckled, or always doesn't work with the belt unbuckled, but I thought I'd ask.

 

[Rittmeister]

So, I've been investigating and experimenting. It seems I have the best luck (near 100%) of the steering wheel coming down where I want it if I do the following:

Close door
Buckle seat belt
Press in clutch (obviously necessary to start)

If I do only some of the above the steering wheel memory is very hit-and-miss, but if I follow that procedure it seems to work most of the time. Weird.

 

[Rittmeister]

So, dragging this back from the dead. I set out yesterday to try to fix the noise my steering column made when adjusting the tilt/telescope. I followed a DIY I found on Bimmerforums and happily the noise seems gone (for now). I wanted to post here in case anyone has the same issue.

The process had an added benefit though - it seems that the steering wheel has remembered to go up and down each time the car is started and stopped. My suspicion is that the noise was caused by there being too much tension in the components in the adjustment mechanism, which caused some binding (and the noise). Now that things are properly lubed and ever so slightly loosened it's much quieter, and has operated properly in the several times I've driven it yesterday and today. Hopefully things will remain rosy going forward.

 

[68FB]

Yes, that makes sense. The steering column is controlled by a module under the driver's seat. It monitors for overload of the two adjusting motors. I wasn't getting any stalling during tilt but INPA was showing a code for tilt in the ZKE3 module which is the master module for the one under the seat. I found the expanding "bellows" under the column a bit rucked up and jamming the lowering motion. I pulled it clear and haven't seen the code since. I'm sure if the load gets high enough, the module stops driving to protect the motor.

So it sounds like your tilt was binding up and the module was intermittently shutting it down. I have no idea why the sequence you developed reduced the problem. Weird.

Anyway, thanks for the follow-up. Can you post the DIY link from Bimmerforums?

 

[Rittmeister]

Sure:

Fix the E39 Steering Wheel Tilt Creak, Squeak, Noise Problem