BMW F30/F31 power steering assist lost or steering wheel stiff
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F30 power steering assist cuts out at times or the steering wheel gets stiff, what is the cause?
A common cause is a corroded ground wire on the power steering unit: at idle the current is enough, but under load it is not. The cable's ring terminal corrodes easily. It is worth measuring the power and ground supply to the steering unit, and the repair restores the assist.
What does the power steering bolt recall mean?
The steering rack mounting bolts may be broken. If a bolt has snapped, the car can be declared unfit to drive, and the repair may mean replacing the whole steering rack or tie rod. Have the bolts checked at a workshop if the steering feels vague.
Can loss of power steering assist be caused by software?
Yes, often the fault is a software fault that a software update fixes. F3x cars have steering racks from several different manufacturers, each with its own symptoms and repairs, so the fault should be read from the fault codes.
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