[RPM90]

I was looking through some things in my car and happened to turn the steering wheel when everything was turned off.
I noticed a "thunk/clunk" sound. Tried moving the steering wheel back and forth and sure enough it clunks somewhere between the right front wheel and the center of the dash.

Can someone else try this on their car to see if this is normal?
Typically this would NOT be normal, but given this new electric assist rack, it may be normal when the car is shut off.

BTW, I don't have a any steering wheel vibration at any speed.
But, I did notice a couple of loud bang sounds over certain big bumps.
Maybe the rack is loose.

Thanks for checking.

[RPM90]

Bump for info.

Can a couple of you owners try this?

If you have VSS, as I do, please try this and let me know if you hear a clunk sound.

I asked my sales guy to check out another F30. He just emailed and said, "it does seem to make that same sound."
This could be one of those "normal" but odd things.

[fotios335i]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Bump for info.

Can a couple of you owners try this?

If you have VSS, as I do, please try this and let me know if you hear a clunk sound.

I asked my sales guy to check out another F30. He just emailed and said, "it does seem to make that same sound."
This could be one of those "normal" but odd things.

I get the slight banging feeling when Im turning right and over bumps. wont do it all the time but there was another thread that said its a characteristic of the variable steering. I dont however have the clunk when the system is off. sometimes I turn the wheel a bit when the car is off to get a certain view when I look back at the car. people think im crazy because Im always staring at my car.

[gerbs]

Haven't felt or noticed this at all, I do have VSS.

[live4wknds]

No VSS and no clunk on mine.

[SV77]

Have VSS and also experiencing the "clunk". My car went to the shop 5 times already to fix this, because this is NOT normal in my opinion. They have replaced the steering house/ elbow coupling? / cross coupling but to no avail. They have ordered another part now in hope this will resolve this issue.

The "clunk" is mostly noticeable when you are steering in a direction (left/right) combined with another force on the wheel like braking, accelerating, excessive G-forces on bumpy roads. It simply does not give me confidence in the car.

I had an external opinion and according to their investigation the cause is the steering house. You are able to hear the sound when the car is stationary and off and you wiggle the steering left-right-left-..... very rapidly. When you apply an downward (I believe) force on the steering-arm the sound seems to disappear. I told this to the guys in the shop but they do not seem to agree, although I am sure that is the problem. I am not a mechanic but trust the man who made the analysis.

[SFSebas]

Originally Posted by RPM90

I was looking through some things in my car and happened to turn the steering wheel when everything was turned off.
I noticed a "thunk/clunk" sound. Tried moving the steering wheel back and forth and sure enough it clunks somewhere between the right front wheel and the center of the dash.

Can someone else try this on their car to see if this is normal?
Typically this would NOT be normal, but given this new electric assist rack, it may be normal when the car is shut off.

BTW, I don't have a any steering wheel vibration at any speed.
But, I did notice a couple of loud bang sounds over certain big bumps.
Maybe the rack is loose.

Thanks for checking.

I have the same clunk noise you describe.

I have a May 2012 build 335, luxury, 6sp.

I complained to the dealership about a noise coming from the suspension/steering rack when turning over bumps... the problem is even more pronounced when driving at high speed over bumps. After waiting 6 weeks for a part, I took the car in for service today where they will replace the steering rack transmission (SOP Steering Rack as written in the order).

Hopefully this fixes the problem.

[RPM90]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I don't think this is normal either.
Granted my sales guy says another 3 has the same sound, but that just means it too isn't normal, considering some posters are saying they don't have this sound.

I'll have the tech's look into it.

[fotios335i]

I think some of us are talking about different things here. the OP is saying its doing the clunk when the car is off while turning the wheel. The clunk some of you are talking about is when the car is driving. I have that clunk and it sounds and feels terrible when it happens. It does it while turning to the right while cornering over bumps. I dont have a clunk in the rack while the car is off. someone correct me if Im completely misunderstanding this post.

[gerbs]

Why are people turning their steering wheels with the car off

[Elk]

Originally Posted by gerbs

Why are people turning their steering wheels with the car off

Exercise?

[crowed]

Originally Posted by Elk

Exercise?

Good for the shoulders.

[SGScuba]

Originally Posted by gerbs

Why are people turning their steering wheels with the car off

Steering lock?

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by gerbs

Why are people turning their steering wheels with the car off

As I wrote it happened accidentally.
To be clearer, my little nephew was sitting in the car playing around and he started turning the wheel left and right and I heard the sound.
So, I repeated it and sure enough it was there.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by SGScuba

Steering lock?

My steering wheel doesn't lock.
Does yours?

This is the first modern car I've had where the steering wheel doesn't lock.
No big deal on that though, unless it's supposed to.

[TonyS]

Originally Posted by RPM90

My steering wheel doesn't lock.
Does yours?

This is the first modern car I've had where the steering wheel doesn't lock.
No big deal on that though, unless it's supposed to.

Mine locks automatically when I get out of the car, I can hear a sort of "thunk" as it engages. I wondered what it was for the first couple of days until I read about it.

[arnsbrae]

Originally Posted by fotios335i

<SNIP>. sometimes I turn the wheel a bit when the car is off to get a certain view when I look back at the car. people think im crazy because Im always staring at my car.

Haha - so it's not just me that does that...

[SGScuba]

Originally Posted by RPM90

My steering wheel doesn't lock.
Does yours?

This is the first modern car I've had where the steering wheel doesn't lock.
No big deal on that though, unless it's supposed to.

Hmmm, you're right, my steering wheel doesn't lock either. It's pretty hard to turn when the engine's switched off fully, so it doesn't seem to move to/beyond the lock "click" that I've experienced in my other cars.

[justinnum1]

How do you turn the wheel when the car is off?

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

How do you turn the wheel when the car is off?

That might be the problem.
Normally the steering wheel should lock, mine doesn't, and I have that "thunk" sound. Maybe it's the sound of a defective locking mechanism.

Since my wheel doesn't lock I can move the steering wheel. It takes a good bit of effort, but it turns the wheels a good bit and still no lock.

This is good info though. It gives me something to explain to the tech's.
Could just be a bad locking mechanism.

[xDrive35i]

I'll say that I've exhibited the same problem on both my F25 X3's with VSS. There is no end in sight. This is a problem and the only way to fix it is order a new car with crossed fingers.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by gerbs

Haven't felt or noticed this at all, I do have VSS.

Does your steering lock when you shut the car off?
The thunk sound is there on mine when the car is off, when it's running all is well, no thunks.