Dan R

Hi Ian - Yeah, I must admit, I completely forgot about this post. So in the last three years, the problem has persisted on occasion but to no detrimental effect on the car. I just tend to put up with it these days on the grounds that in three or four years of it doing this, no harm seems to have come to it. Ill be trading in within the next 12 months so hopefully my next one will be without the oil pressure light issue!😂

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!

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!

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.

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.

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?

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?

Hi - Apologies, I haven’t been on here for a while. So I had a loose timing chain which one mechanic thought may be the problem as it drives the Oil Pump and therefore dropping pressure. Got that changed and then maybe a week later, light comes up again.🤦🏻‍♂️ Car currently has 68k on the clock so low mileage for an 11 year old car. It doesn’t ‘feel’ like the oil pump at fault as the car runs perfectly in every other way and as soon as I restart the engine, light goes off and doesn’t come back on. This fault has been occurring for about 12 months now (in my ignorance I thought it was low oil so just added a little too up previously)and car is fine. Runs like a dream, just this light. I am going for a sensor change next to see if that works - as soon as I get paid that is as the Timing chain was £460 and I also needed new Brake discs all round last week so a pricey month! The light still only comes on after I come off a motorway after a few miles and pull up at lights etc and slow right down to a stop. Ill post an update once my sensor has been changed and tested to keep you updated.

Quick update….. so, from what you were saying, it looks like the amount of oil may have been low despite the level saying 3/4 full. I have added an extra 2.5 litres to it (in 0.25 increments) and it still says 3/4 full but the problem has now stopped following a good blast up to M6 to IKEA and back. Interestingly, the clutch judder also appears to have gone too which started a week or so back (another issue I thought). The interesting thing though is that I had it serviced literally three weeks ago which is when the problem has become more severe so I am wondering if they even changed the oil???? Booked in now for Monday for an oil change (again) at a different garage and they are going to look at the oil filter to establish whether the oil really was changed at the last service or if I have been ripped off. Depending on what they report back will determine how I take it forward. Worst of all, the last garage left both my rear wheels loose to the point where I lost two wheel nuts a couple of weeks back . The knocking noise led me to jack it up and check. They were literally hanging on by a thread, I managed to easily take them off using just my fingers they were so loose! Unbelievable, so a massive complaint on the horizon probably. Thanks for the input though, they are going to check the oil level indicator sensor as you suggested when they change the oil so hopefully the problem will stay gone and I’ll have an accurate idea of how much oil I have in the engine. Dan.

Sorry, 5W30!! Damn predictive text!!!

Hi - Thanks for your reply. My car has done 66k so quite low mileage. Now the service has just been done and they put Sw30 in it. I have no dipstick , just an electronic gauge, but that reckons 3/4 full. I might just too it up a bit as it does burn a little bit of oil. It seems that you are thinking electrical too though maybe?

Hi - The oil pressure light has popped up a few times over the last 12 months of having my 2011 318i (E90). It always happens when I come off a motorway and slow down for traffic lights, junction etc. It pops up, the car runs as perfect as always with no noise, knocking or anything and then when I turn the engine off and on again, it disappears as quickly as it came. it is a bit weird and a few mechanics have given different diagnosis (based on assumptions rather than looking at the moment). My usual Indy mechanic reckons if it was an actual real problem with my oil pressure then it would have destroyed my engine already and not continued perfectly over the last 12 months so reckons it’s a software issue but I thought I’d check here to see what people think. it’s been a couple of weeks ago and this issue cropped up before and continues to do so afterwards so I’m positive it isn’t the oil filter etc. so far, I’ve been told potential culprits are the oil pump, crankshaft and also possibly timing chain debris in oil sump with one garage reckoning around £1000 to fix, but with the car running no problem, I am reluctant to just hand the car to them with my debit card as it really doesn’t feel mechanical. I am however, NOT a mechanic!! Any thoughts/ideas??

Hi - The oil pressure light has popped up a few times over the last 12 months of having my 2011 318i (E90). It always happens when I come off a motorway and slow down for traffic lights, junction etc. It pops up, the car runs as perfect as always with no noise, knocking or anything and then when I turn the engine off and on again, it disappears as quickly as it came. it is a bit weird and a few mechanics have given different diagnosis (based on assumptions rather than looking at the moment). My actual mechanic reckons if it was an actual real problem with my oil pressure then it would have destroyed my engine already and not continued perfectly over the last 12 months so reckons its a software issue but I thought I’d check here to see what people think. it’s been serviced recently and this issue cropped up before and continues to do so afterwards so I’m positive it isn’t the oil filter etc. so far, I’ve been told oil pump, crankshaft, timing chain debris in oil sump with one garage reckoning around £1000 to fix but with the car running no problem, I am reluctant to just hand the car to them with my debit card as it really doesn’t feel mechanical. I am however, NOT a mechanic!! Any thoughts/ideas??

Hi - I have recently bought my first BMW, a 2011 318i which I absolutely love. Best car I have ever owned without a doubt, but I am currently pondering what to do about servicing it. I have been using an independent garage for years who have always been great with me but my local BMW main dealers have given me a really good quote on a service and MOT plan for the next two years which normally I wouldn't bother with but with it being a BMW, I am thinking about it, especially as the recent experience I had with the Main Dealer was brilliant. Anyone got any thoughts about this, pros and cons to it, experience of main dealers etc? Any thoughts and opinions welcome here..... .

Bit of an update about the above problem.... so, just got to the main dealers last week (they had a Covid-19 outbreak so had to isolate the whole team of technicians which delayed my appoi tment 14 days!) and they solved the problem and sorted it for free. Turns out that the Steering alignment sensor was creating the issue due to it needing realignment following the work done on my suspension. They did the reallignment after the work was originally done on my track rod ends but from all accounts it can need this doing again following the original alignment after it's been driven for a few miles as it can go slightly out as the suspension settles. Once they did that it was all sorted! Thanks for your input ...... They did check the ABS sensors too for the Traction Control and cleaned them up also just to be sure. Dan.

Found the drawing thanks Dave. All pretty complicated stuff! (For me at least🤣) Just got back to the BMW dealership who carried out the work and they were more than happy to take a look when I explained everything to them including the explanation that you both gave. Booked in to get it looked at now but will try cleaning the sensors and everything in the meantime to see if that helps. Thanks for the posts. I'll keep you appraised! Dan.

Thanks John, for both the welcome and the advice. I'm not much of a mechanic (or at all!!🤣) but that solution sounds reasonably straight forward. When the wheels are off, how will I know what connectors to disconnect and spray? Sorry, my knowledge is less than basic I'm afraid!!

Hi - I have a 2011 BMW 318i. Today, the Traction Control light lit up on my dashboard with the usual warning tone. The car was a touch juddery before hand although nothing major. As soon as I turned off and on again, the light disappeared for maybe another 60 miles and then came back on again. Same script, turned off and on again and no problem since. The issue cropped up at low speeds both times. Anyone on here experienced this issue before and know what it is?? The car actually had some minor suspension work done a couple of weeks back (track rod ends and wheel calibration), but done maybe 200 miles since and this is the first time its happened so not convinced it's related. Cheers in advance.