Dashboard LED, and heavy steering

[Paul Rayner]

Hi so I have just bought a 1996 740 and it's in fabulous condition with a couple of exceptions - any advice would be welcome.

Both the radio and dash board display "LED's" have pixels missing maiking it hard to read. Can I repair or replace these?


The steering is quite heavy when driving slowly. can this be repaired or adjusted?

Thanks

[Boinggg]

As for the steering problem check your belt it could be sloppy and very worn causing it to become harder to control when your rpm's are down.....

[libertylover]

Adding to Boinggg's reply, check a recent post called "Battery Light". I think that guy had power steering fluid leaking onto his belt causing it to slip.

Hopefully, it's as simple as a lose belt but... You didn't say if your car is a 740i or 740iL. The 740iL models have a system that levels the rear suspension and this system shares hydraulic fluid and a piggyback pump with the power steering sytem. You should check the level of this fluid reservoir-it's about 4 inches in diameter and 8 inches tall. When you take the cap off all you see is a metal screen. Remove this screen (10 mm nut) and check the fluid level. It should be about 1 inch or so from the top. If it's low you'll need to add the special fluid stated on the cap-Pentosil something-or-other. The only place I know to get it is from the dealer for about $20/liter.

If it's VERY low you should check for leaks including at the rear struts and their associated cartoon-like "bombs" (you'll see). The struts are very expensive to replace and hopefully they're OK. If it's a slow leak or something you might just need to refill the system and bleed the air out.

The steering on your BMW is variable based on speed and there is a possibility that the control module for that is kaput. It's in one of the footwells but I can't think of the name of it right now. Write back if you don't fix it via a belt or leak.

Re missing pixels:
Here's a link I found for getting BMW to fix the problem free. Look under "Electronics" http://www.e38.org/

Also, I know I've seen the solution to this on www.roadfly.org but I couldn't find it in the archives. I'd suggest you join and re-ask your question there. Even though your car is an E38, it maybe best to ask/look under the E32 section because the folks there do a lot more of their own fixes than the folks in the E38 section.