Sudden Heavy Steering: help

[Patrón]

Yesterday, my car drove to work like normal. Upon starting up for the drive home I noticed the steering was heavy and not normal. I checked for flat tires and nothing was wrong with front tires. I didn't received any codes on my dash or P3 gauge.

This morning's startup, I received a code on my p3 but not on my cluster:

2b62 (appears to be a possible cam position sensor code). Again, no check engine lights or reduced power symbols in the cluster.

steering seemed normal at idle and reversing out of the drive way, but driving the first 50 feet and steering increases to extremely stiff steering. everything else seems normal on the commute to work. There is a sound that sometimes comes up over the left ventgauge, kinda like a module coming on for a few short seconds and then goes away, almost like a fuel pump sound. i've heard it before, but wanted to mention it in this post.

Would anyone have any suggestions as to what is causing the heavy steering? I had a new battery installed in April but have been working on my car last week with the trunk and hood open and running my supercharger water pump, I don't think those two days (maybe two hours of working) could have depleted a new battery that fast. thanks in advance for any help provided.

2b62 is actually servotronic related- which is FRM related because steering angle sensor wasn't receiving signal.

[Biggus Dickus]

Power steering pump is probably going bad, your belt is slipping on the power steering pump pulley, or both.

Edit: power steering fluid could also be low.

[JsL]

Check your servotronic sensor. Could be going bad.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...4&postcount=12

[GP0256]

Originally Posted by JsL

Check your servotronic sensor. Could be going bad.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...4&postcount=12

Ditto on this. Also, low voltage causes this. When voltage is even slightly low from the alternator going bad, first thing it does is to shut down is the parts that take a lot of power, I.E. the PS pump so you can continue to drive the car without shutting down completely. If you have a good, new battery, that could be the issue or your belt could be slipping

[Patrón]

Fluid may be a tiny bit low, I too thought belt is slipping but I agree that pump may be on its way out. Is there a way to check the Servtronic sensor? I would have that if there was any change in the voltage to that sensor that it would throw codes and maybe even limp mode.

I ordered a pump and hope to have it changed within a few days. Car has never been tracked, didn't think the pump would go out in 67k miles.

[BPMSport]

Originally Posted by Patrón

Fluid may be a tiny bit low, I too thought belt is slipping but I agree that pump may be on its way out. Is there a way to check the Servtronic sensor? I would have that if there was any change in the voltage to that sensor that it would throw codes and maybe even limp mode.

I ordered a pump and hope to have it changed within a few days. Car has never been tracked, didn't think the pump would go out in 67k miles.

Servo control is on the drivers side (for left hand drive), two pin connector. It would throw a fault if disconnected. Probably a problem with the pump..

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

Servo control is on the drivers side (for left hand drive), two pin connector. It would throw a fault if disconnected. Probably a problem with the pump..

it would also display a code if faulty, correct?

[BPMSport]

Originally Posted by Patrón

it would also display a code if faulty, correct?

The pump? No, it wouldn't necessarily throw a fault.

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

The pump? No, it wouldn't necessarily throw a fault.

no sir, the servtronic sensor. if it was faulty or not producing the correct voltage (affecting my steering) wouldn't it produce a code? just trying to avoid buying $300+ steering pump if it's just the servtronic sensor or something else.

after someone responding to a post i did in the error code sticky thread

2B62 is camshaft sensor inlet. car starts and runs fine and no check engine light or dash light symbols BUT the p3 displays the code. I'm going to disconnect the p3 for a few days and see if a code comes up on the cluster. thanks for the posts.


just trying to avoid buying $300+ steering pump if it's just the servtronic sensor or something else.

[Shaan]

Originally Posted by Patrón

no sir, the servtronic sensor. if it was faulty or not producing the correct voltage (affecting my steering) wouldn't it produce a code? just trying to avoid buying $300+ steering pump if it's just the servtronic sensor or something else.

after someone responding to a post i did in the error code sticky thread

2B62 is camshaft sensor inlet. car starts and runs fine and no check engine light or dash light symbols BUT the p3 displays the code. I'm going to disconnect the p3 for a few days and see if a code comes up on the cluster. thanks for the posts.


just trying to avoid buying $300+ steering pump if it's just the servtronic sensor or something else.

any update? think my pumps on its way out as well..

[opihi5]

Just tune the servo out, or at least that's what evolve did for me. Steering is ridiculously heavy like no power steering.

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Shaan

any update? think my pumps on its way out as well..

No, not yet. I ordered a pump last week and hope to have it installed by the end of this week.

[Patrón]

Shop changed pump and fluid and nothing, still heavy steering.

[JsL]

Originally Posted by Patrón

Shop changed pump and fluid and nothing, still heavy steering.

Servotronic sensor next?

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by JsL

Servotronic sensor next?

Yes, but I'm naive to what to test other than to see if it's connected or damaged

[Patrón]

frustrating update...the servtronic module was checked and not errors or problems, the lines were checked for clogging and debris. diagnosis is new steering rack. i'm uncertain because when the problem started, the steering was fine and then it seemed like a fused popped and the steering went heavy. $500+ wasted and still have heavy steering. i'ts like I did a mod to make the steering heavy. it feels pretty good , just not normal.

[Patrón]

some updates: found out my tech didn't use a correct/agm battery and have had blinker problems and day time running light problems. day time running lights were coded back in but the blinker is out and no power isn't reaching the turn signal. it's determined i need a new footwell module.


we spliced in a connector to a 9v battery and the servotronic sensor and the steering seemed to lighten up while parked a short trip in a parking lot.

I actually like the feel of the heavy steering, i just don't want it to get worse or cause a major problem (like the steering rack). i did have servtronic errors but don't know what the codes were. no errors came up on my dash when the steering went out but the are stored codes. i look at them again tonight. I just wanted to keep everyone posted in case they are having steering problems.

i wasted money on a powersteering pump and labor which did not fix the problem. even though i previously posted that no errors were visible , another shop is the one that pointed out the error code for the servtronic and the battery not being coded at the time of the recent battery change.

[Shaan]

Originally Posted by Patrón

some updates: found out my tech didn't use a correct/agm battery and have had blinker problems and day time running light problems. day time running lights were coded back in but the blinker is out and no power isn't reaching the turn signal. it's determined i need a new footwell module.


we spliced in a connector to a 9v battery and the servotronic sensor and the steering seemed to lighten up while parked a short trip in a parking lot.

I actually like the feel of the heavy steering, i just don't want it to get worse or cause a major problem (like the steering rack). i did have servtronic errors but don't know what the codes were. no errors came up on my dash when the steering went out but the are stored codes. i look at them again tonight. I just wanted to keep everyone posted in case they are having steering problems.

i wasted money on a powersteering pump and labor which did not fix the problem. even though i previously posted that no errors were visible , another shop is the one that pointed out the error code for the servtronic and the battery not being coded at the time of the recent battery change.

i think BMW just extended the warranty on the footwell module so you shouldnt have to pay for it. my parts guy was telling me its a very common problem when swapping out the battery .

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Shaan

i think BMW just extended the warranty on the footwell module so you shouldnt have to pay for it. my parts guy was telling me its a very common problem when swapping out the battery .

my tech was saying the same thing, i hope we can pull it off since it's expensive.

[Patrón]

Originally Posted by Patrón

frustrating update...the servtronic module was checked and not errors or problems, the lines were checked for clogging and debris. diagnosis is new steering rack. i'm uncertain because when the problem started, the steering was fine and then it seemed like a fused popped and the steering went heavy. $500+ wasted and still have heavy steering. i'ts like I did a mod to make the steering heavy. it feels pretty good , just not normal.

Originally Posted by Patrón

some updates: found out my tech didn't use a correct/agm battery and have had blinker problems and day time running light problems. day time running lights were coded back in but the blinker is out and no power isn't reaching the turn signal. it's determined i need a new footwell module.


we spliced in a connector to a 9v battery and the servotronic sensor and the steering seemed to lighten up while parked a short trip in a parking lot.

I actually like the feel of the heavy steering, i just don't want it to get worse or cause a major problem (like the steering rack). i did have servtronic errors but don't know what the codes were. no errors came up on my dash when the steering went out but the are stored codes. i look at them again tonight. I just wanted to keep everyone posted in case they are having steering problems.

i wasted money on a powersteering pump and labor which did not fix the problem. even though i previously posted that no errors were visible , another shop is the one that pointed out the error code for the servtronic and the battery not being coded at the time of the recent battery change.

Was going through some old receipts for my 'old/sold' car. I wanted to update this thread in hopes that it will help someone in the future.

during this process I had encountered a frustrating blinker problem. changed bulbs and fuses and nothing would fix it. when i changed the battery again (old shop sold me a cheap battery at a high price) the tech concluded that the FRM was out.

tried hunting down a used FRM and also spent time trying to get my local dealer to warranty based on the e9xM recall campaign on FRMs.

in this process Mike at BPM suggested that the steering angle sensor is associated with the FRM etc...


Had a local coder hook up my car and low and behold the FRM was coded again and everything is working again. Power steering, daytime lights, brake lights are all functioning like normal with the old FRM.


thanks to Benvo for all his suggestions. if your steering goes out, check the FRM before replacing belts, pulleys, pumps (also advised me that steering rack was broken). The FRMs go out in these cars pretty frequently.

[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.

[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

Link for the warranty fine print