Electric Steering - Shaking wheel, heavy steering!

[Dan R]

Hi all - Just wondering if anyone has come across this issue.

I got in my 2011 BMW 318i which has electric Steering set up (turns out only a few of my model have this)  and on starting up, my steering wheel starting erratically moving from side to side maybe 3cms each way, and threw up the yellow steering wheel warning light. The car was REALLY heavy on steering like the PAS element had failed.
I get home, turn on later and although the warning light comes back up, it is now still erratically shifting the steering a little (much less now) and heavier steering than usual is still apparent (varying in levels of heaviness) so appears a little more intermittent as such, but still knackered.

Anyone ever had this before? The warning code is CC-ID-73 which is just the standard PAS failure.

Anyone any ideas as to what has broken or how to fix?

[Greydog]

Morning Dan

Welcome to the Forum

As far as I know the EPS gets it's information on the amount of assistance required comes from the control unit through the driver selected settings "Comfort" "Sport" "Sport Plus" Logic tells me that input will come from several sources "Gearbox" "Suspension" "Driver Settings" my thoughts initially would be a sensor failure or even a software glitch. A diagnostic session at a Garage with the right BMW capable reader would help pinpoint the issue

I have not heard of a Rack failure in my circle of friends

Good luck with pinning it down

Dave

[Dan R]

2 hours ago, Greydog said:

2 hours ago, Greydog said:

Morning Dan

Welcome to the Forum

As far as I know the EPS gets it's information on the amount of assistance required comes from the control unit through the driver selected settings "Comfort" "Sport" "Sport Plus" Logic tells me that input will come from several sources "Gearbox" "Suspension" "Driver Settings" my thoughts initially would be a sensor failure or even a software glitch. A diagnostic session at a Garage with the right BMW capable reader would help pinpoint the issue

I have not heard of a Rack failure in my circle of friends

Good luck with pinning it down

Dave

Cheers Dave. Yeah, I haven’t heard of those units failing either, and I only have 74k on the clock so would be a really early failure for something like that. As you suggested, off to my a garage later as it appears no quick fix. 
 

Dan.

[Dan R]

2 hours ago, Greydog said:

2 hours ago, Greydog said:

Morning Dan

Welcome to the Forum

As far as I know the EPS gets it's information on the amount of assistance required comes from the control unit through the driver selected settings "Comfort" "Sport" "Sport Plus" Logic tells me that input will come from several sources "Gearbox" "Suspension" "Driver Settings" my thoughts initially would be a sensor failure or even a software glitch. A diagnostic session at a Garage with the right BMW capable reader would help pinpoint the issue

I have not heard of a Rack failure in my circle of friends

Good luck with pinning it down

Dave

Cheers Dave. Yeah, I haven’t heard of those units failing either, and I only have 74k on the clock so would be a really early failure for something like that. As you suggested, off to my a garage later as it appears no quick fix. 
 

Dan.

[Dan R]

So, an update to the steering issue. Took it to the garage who looked at it on Monday and nailed the problem down to the motor having failed on the electric steering rack. Unfortunately, you can’t buy the motor on its own from an Indy parts supplier so it was a new electric steering rack in the end. Not the cheapest job (nearly £500 for the part alone) but steering is now light as a feather!

[Greydog]

Ouch I wonder if people like BBA Reman or ECU Testing could do anything ??