Do you have that annoying steering wheel "squeak" every time you turn the wheel? If it sounds like
plastic rubbing on metal, I've got the fix! See below:
Disconnect your battery negative cable before performing any work.
Pull the steering wheel off by removing the two screws directly behind the steering wheel (Torx 30),
which will release the airbag assembly. Unplug the airbag and carefully set it aside.
With the airbag removed you can see a brown ground wire held on by a torx screw
and a wire harness (picture 2). Disconnect them both and turn the steering wheel over.
Remove the three torx screws holding on the ribbon cable assembly (picture 3). Picture 4
shows the wound ribbon cable that allows you to turn the steering wheel with electronic
buttons on it...unlike some older cars that used a copper plate with a wire that touched it
from the steering wheel. The BMW method is quit ingenius, but not without flaws.
In picture 5 you can see the metal ring that is actually causing the annoying noise when you turn.
In that picture you can see a tiny screwdriver between my fingers prying the ring off the ribbon assembly.
Once the ring is off, lube it up real good with vasseline or other gel-type lubricant (picture 6). Re-assemble
everything and enjoy silent steering once again!
