Stiff and squeaky steering after oil pan gasket replacement

[M51AB]

I picked up my 2010 328xi for the dealership on Tuesday having had the oil pan gasket replaced along with a brake fluid and a transmission flush/filter change.

The car was fine coming home from the dealership, but now three days later, the steering is very stiff and the car sounds a lot like a pair of poor fitting leather dress shoes whenever I turn the wheel; it’s not the typical whining heard from a power steering system when the wheel is cranked, but a squeak.

The car’s check control is saying it’s fine; my rotator cuff begs to differ. I didn’t see any leaking and the power steering fluid level looks fine although I need to wait until I have more light in the morning to make sure.

I know the oil pan gasket is a tough repair, especially on an xdrive. Is it possible something wasn’t put back in place right after the oil pan gasket repair (or the other services) that would cause the power steering issue?

[E30Nick325]

Squeaking is hard to diagnose over text, but possibly didn't tighten the bushings at ride height after reassembly. That's all that comes to my mind.

[jclausen]

You need to go back to the dealer and they need to check there work.

[M51AB]

Thanks guys.

I checked the power steering fluid level again this morning, and was a bit low. I added a small amount of Red Line ATF D4 as Bavarian Autosport lists it as an acceptable alternative to CHF 11s, however enough people have said mixing the two is bad, so after stopping by the dealer on Monday I'll get the system flushed and filled with CHF 11s by another shop as I bought the car used and have no idea when the last flush and fill was or what was used. The fluid in there now looks more clear than red of green. When I wiped the dipstick before adding the ATF, it looked brownish to me so I assumed the previous owner used ATF despite the cap reading CHF 11s.

With the bit of ATF added the steering isn't quite as stiff, but the squeak is still there.

I'll post with the results from the dealer.

[jclausen]

Use the fluid the system calls for don't mix the ch fluid it is not the same as atf

[M51AB]

So it was a power steering leak, the u-joint needs to be replaced eventually. I assume with all it takes to drop the subframe that a tiny leak became noticeable after the oil pan gasket repair.

The squeak actually disappeared after a days worth of driving with the Redline ATF; however the dealer verified the car should be using CHF 11s, so I flushed and filled with that. The steering is still a little stiffer than normal at low speeds. For now I plan to keep a bottle of CHF 11s handy and fill the power steering as needed.

Thanks again for the advice.