Sudden Heavy Steering: help

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Theodore

For those with the following build dates, BMW offers warranty replacement for the FRM modules for 8 years or 125,000 miles from the "original in-service date":

e90 M3's built 8/31/2009 to 10/28/2011
E92 M3's built 7/27/2009 to 6/28/2013
E93 M3's built 8/29/2009 to 10/1/2013

https://www.e90post.com/forums/attac...7&d=1485957308"]Link for the warranty fine print

Mine was an 11/15/08 build date. No wonder my friend at the dealer wouldn't help me.

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

This is a great addition for everyone's troubleshooting process. Not many would catch this fix. Thanks for the follow up and +1 for Benvo.

I agree, the dissappointing part of the whole ordeal is over $500 down the toilet and the diagnosis of a failed steering rack. five minutes or less with the coder and everything is back to normal.

[Maypo]

FRM?

[Insomniaroy]

This solution of replacing FRM doesn't make sense to me.
I thought that servotronic control is coded into DME.
I know my FRM pretty well and I know that there are servotronic settings in there, but if I understand correctly for an M3 it's N/A and the mapping is in the DME.
I think DME tunes often include servotronic coding for this reason.

I have lack of assist in normal mode and only sometimes I feel that the steering returns to normal assist. So it's like an intermittent issue without fault codes.
Switching to Sport and back to Normal gives no noticeable change in assist or feel. I checked the level of fluid which is ok.
The way I see it one of four options:
1. pump is degraded
2. servotronic is jammed in sport mode
3. some blockage in the lines
4. previous owner had servotronic remapped.

Obviously I would have options 2,3,4 checked first.
DME: When my DME was reflashed to 240E it made no change. Maybe mapping will not be reset to OEM defaults by flashing ?
Servotronic : This is a solenoid , right ? everyone calls this a sensor but it should actuate/regulate oil pressure I think. Are there diagnostics in INPA/ISTA-D ?

[M3JayM]

Just had this happen to me this morning. Was driving fine then all of the sudden, steering wheel became extremely heavy.

Taking to shop to check PS fluid, etc.

[M3JayM]

Update: PULLEY CAME APART AND A/C BELT SHREDDED