BMW F10 steering wanders in ruts
Why does the BMW F10 wander in ruts and need constant steering?
The most common causes are worn front bushings and joints, such as thrust rods and control arms, wheel alignment that is out of order, or the tyres. Wide, low-profile tyres increase rut sensitivity, and some winter tyres wander even when the suspension has no play.
What should I check first?
Start with the bushings: if the car wanders or shakes when braking, replacing the thrust rods and control arms removed the symptoms. The control arm joints can wear out in under 100 000 km, and on rear-wheel-drive cars they often give up before 200 000 km. An alignment is done after replacement. Also check the condition of the tyres.
What causes a click at the steering's centre?
The cause can be a common fault in the steering column shaft. The more durable version has part number 32306859833 and entered production on 19/10/2012. In a car with active steering the knocking can also be a feature. Without active steering it is probably a fault.