2003 BMW Z4 Equipment Problems

MY NAME IS [XXX] , I JUST RECENTLY OWN A 2003 BMW Z4. IT IS ABOUT 65K CLEAN TITLE. I HAVE JUST NOTICE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING. I RESEARCHED THIS ON MULTIPLE FORUMS AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MOST RELATE TO ISSUES IN HOT TEMPERATURES AND TO SPEED. PROBLEM WAS VERY NOTICEABLE LAST EVENING AT 70 DEGREES. HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS... AT LOW SPEEDS (UNDER 20MPH) STEERING IS VERY LIGHT AND SMOOTH, NO ISSUES AT ALL. AS SPEED INCREASES, THE STEERING GETS HEAVIER (AS IT SHOULD) BUT DEVELOPS A "DETENT" AT STRAIGHT CENTER. THE FASTER THE SPEED, THE MORE EFFORT NEEDED TO OVERCOME THE DETENT RESISTANCE, TO THE POINT THAT IT BECOMES EASY TO OVERSTEER THE CAR. THIS CAN BE REAL SCARY DURING AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS AND QUICK LANE CHANGES. THE HOT WEATHER JUST MAKES IT WORSE. FROM WHAT I KNOW FROM RESEARCH,...

MY 2003 BMW Z4 HAS STICKY AND/OR BINDING ELECTRIC POWER ASSISTED STEERING CONTROL WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE 75 DEGREES OR WARMER, MAKING THE CAR DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO STEER. BECAUSE OF THIS, OVERSTEERING RESULTS, WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE INTO THE NEXT LANE OR ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS BECOMES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN CHANGING LANES OR MAKING MINOR STEERING CORRECTIONS. THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY OVERNIGHT WHEN COOLER TEMPERATURES PREVAIL AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT HAS HAD A CHANCE TO COOL DOWN. *TR

I OWN A 2003 BMW Z4 AND HAVE HAD TWO FUEL PUMPS AND FILTER REPLACEMENTS. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 21,500 MILES. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS JUNE 2008. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN 1,000 MILES OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT. BMW DEALER MAINTAINS IT IS ETHANOL IN THE PREMIUM GAS I BUY, WHICH IS FROM CHERVRON. THE FUEL PUMP IS SUPPOSEDLY SUBJECT TO FAILURE IF THE ETHANOL CONTENT EXCEEDS 10% OR MORE. I HAD THE CHEVRON FUEL TESTED AND IT FALLS WITHIN THE 10% LIMIT. ALL FUELS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONTAIN UP TO 10% ETHANOL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT BMW CANNOT DESIGN A FUEL PUMP TO HANDLE THE FUELS SOLD IN THE U.S. I SUPECT THE FUEL PUMP DESIGN IS FAULTY. ANYWAY I AM OUT ABOUT $2000 AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR VERY FAR FROM TOWN. *TR