Stiff steering

[///M LIFE©]

My steering seems to be a little stiff. I havent driven the car since late last year so i dont remember if it has changed or not.

What are some possible causes of a still steering wheel when turning from lock to lock...? :shifty

[todor]

check the level of the power steering fluid it should be at the middle stripe of the dipstick (which is integrated with the cap). also check the color of that fluid - if it's very dark or black, you should flush it - that made a noticeable difference on my previous E36 (i took out the power steering pump so i had to flush the fluid). btw, the fluid is just ATF. it should be red.

[bob martin]

Another possible item is the steering rack. This normally shows up as being very stiff for a second or two when cold.

Bob

[NeilM]

How stiff is stiff? (Serious answers only...)

Does the steering return to the straight ahead position if you release the wheel after a sharp turn?

Neil
96 M3

[epj3]

Is it stiff while turning and not moving, or only stiff while moving?

If the latter, it could be alignment. (which would also effect return-to-center)

[///M LIFE©]

Its stff when at a stand still and when making slow turns. Im going to check the steering fluid this weekend. Does steering fluid need to changed like tranny fluid etc? Because I dont think its even been changed.

[todor]

Its stff when at a stand still and when making slow turns. Im going to check the steering fluid this weekend. Does steering fluid need to changed like tranny fluid etc? Because I dont think its even been changed.
well, as I said, it made a noticeable difference (not huge though) when I changed my fluid... but just adding fluid to the correct level will probably be good enough

i bet the level of the fluid in yours is low... they tend to leak on pretty much every BMW i've seen... i replaced one of the hoses under the power steering reservoir on my E36, but it's still kinda leaking from the other. there's a big DIY thread here about this. but if it's not leaking much, then don't worry about replacing them... just fill it up a few times a year and you should be fine. if the level goes below the dipstick faster than that, then you may need to replace the hoses.

[liquidtension]

my fluid used to be pinkish last year .. now its dark brown ...steering has gotten pretty stiffer.. but i always thought it was cuz of the added weight in the engine bay after the swap...how can i flush the system ??

[todor]

my fluid used to be pinkish last year .. now its dark brown ...steering has gotten pretty stiffer.. but i always thought it was cuz of the added weight in the engine bay after the swap...how can i flush the system ??
I don't know what the proper procedure for flushing the system is, but you can always use a suction gun (which costs $10-15 from an auto parts store) to suck out the fluid from the reservoir, refill with fresh ATF, then start the engine, turn the wheel lock to lock a few times, maybe even drive around the block, then suck out the fluid again, and repeat the whole thing a few times until most or all of the old fluid has gotten out of the system.

or the other method would be to unscrew one or both of the hoses where they attach to the power steering pump - that'll pretty much make all the fluid spill on the ground (or the bucket that you've carefully placed underneath). Then just refill and bleed the system by turning lock to lock a few times and filling up the reservoir as necessary.

none of this is taken from books or any other reliable sources... just stuff that seems to me like it would work... as i said, i've replaced a PS pump before as well as a PS hose, so i have a pretty good idea of how the system works.

[///M LIFE©]

Good info. im going to replace the fluid out this weekend see if it helps

[parkpy]

I bet you just need to lube the steering rack where it meets the fire wall.

[husky3425]

After sitting in my garage most of last winter, the steering on my '98 M3 sedan has gotten very stiff as well. There is no unusual noise and no leaks - nothing out of the ordinary. I've already drained and replaced the PS fluid and it has a new belt which is tight. It gets so stiff that it's really not safe to drive. The wheel won't come back on its own after a turn, and kind of feels like it's stuck in whatever position you are in at the time. I'm hoping it's not the rack ($650 plus labor). I just spoke with a tech at the local dealer who has a lot of experience with M3's, and he believes it's the U-joint in the steering column, near the firewall. Apparently this can get stiff, especially over time if it sits (which mine was). He thinks a good dousing with a penetrating oil may do the job, but worst case they can replace the joint. He says they stock them, so it must not be too uncommon. I'll let you know if I have any luck.