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F30Manolis
01-04-2020, 11:26 AM
Apologies if I'm bringing up a past beaten to death topic. I've had my 2018 340i xDrive with M Sport and adaptive suspension for a little over a year. Even though I've come to love the F30 platform and believe the 340 with B58 engine is a major improvement over the past 335 with the N55 (had it previously), I've always found the car to be floaty and unpredictable even when in sport mode. I know the xDrive models sit higher contributing to the floaty feeling and body roll. Beside the body roll, the steering feels numb and dead on center and it feels like I need to move it several inches before getting any feedback. I could move the steering wheel left and right several degrees in each direction and the car remains relatively straight. I know BMW has recently focused more on comfort and marketing themselves to the masses but I think we all expect more from a 320+ horsepower 3 series.

Tires: I initially swapped out the square 18" Continental run flats for a staggered 18" Michelin Pilot A/S3+. The Michelins are a major improvement over the run flats in overall comfort and grip. At first I thought I was running the wrong tire pressure. After adjusting the tire pressure time and time again (currently 35 psi front 40 psi rear) I can't seem to get rid of the center dead feeling in the steering wheel. I'm open to suggestions for tire PSI as I may have it completely wrong.

Alignment: In addition to constantly adjusting the tire pressure in hopes of fixing the steering feel I've also taken the car to several shops to check the alignment as I also feel the car pulls to the right. No luck there either.

My next step is to bring it in to BMW to have the suspension and steering components checked out. Hopefully they could adjust something or reprogram the electronic steering to tighten it up.

Any feedback or advise on this topic would be much appreciated.

figgs1979
01-31-2021, 12:00 AM
Check your Tie Rods!

SilverWarhead
10-07-2021, 08:36 AM
My 340i xdrive has the same steering feedback as other Korean and Japanese cars. I think that's the feeling of the steer-by-wire. A disappointed upgrade made by BMW.