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Electric Steering Wheel Lock Fault

201K views 93 replies 52 participants last post by  Senatla Reetsang 
#1 ·
Hi

On the way home this evening a red warning light "steering wheel with a pad lock on the top left corner" came on, after parking at home I got the manual out and found that this is an Electric steering-wheel lock fault and now the car will not start.
Does anyone have any ideas or will I need to be tow to the BMW dealer?
Regards
 
#39 ·
I took my 2006 330i to BMW of Alexandria for this issue. My car was not starting. I had to do a routine of opening and closing the door, take the key out and put it back in a couple of times, and then it would start. The dealer said it's really common. There is a sensor (CAS?) that goes bad. To replace the sensor they have to take out the steering column. The cost was $1200. ~ $500 parts/ $700 labor. They also have to reprogram the computer's software, which was included in that cost. The newer software looks a little bit different. It has a silverish blue color, where my old software was in brown. They had to do this twice, because after the first reprogram, the voice command wouldn't work. They reinstalled a second time and everything works.

At any rate, the problem has gone away. It would have been covered under warranty, but my warranty ran out last year and I didn't buy extended coverage.
 
#40 ·
My steering wheel lock warning light came on 3 weeks ago (but car was driving fine), we took it straight to the garage, they booked it to get a new steering column fiited the following morning but after leaving the garage the light went off, so i rang and explained to someone who said if there was no warning light on to leave it, i was called early the next day by someone else to say that i should not leave it and get the car booked in asap (the man a had spoken was from the volvo side of the garage), i was very confused with mixed information so have just left it , but yesterday the red steering lock light came on again , could this be a computer fault as the car is driving fine and does it have a fail safe if anything did happen can anyone advise me please????
 
#42 ·
Steering wheel fault

Hi

From your description I dont think I had exactly the same fault as, after stopping my car, the computer would not allow me to restart the engine hence I was towed to the garage. I think mine might also have been a computer fault but the BMW franchise licked their lips and hit me for 700 Euros. They changed a simple microswitch on the steering column (80 Euros) and then did diagnostics and reprogrammed the car computer. Total rip off, BMW know all about yet refused to help.

With it being a steering fault I would get it seen to, but complain bitterly to your dealer and to the BMW (lack of) help line, you just may get some discount.

Good Luck
 
#44 ·
My 57 plate Alpina D3 red steering lock light has been on for about a year now and about 10,000 miles! Went to BMW dealer 9 months ago and they said that i might need a new steering column. Decided against it as warranty had expired. Steering lock works ok with no problems starting car for the past year. Could be a false alarm that won't reset? Attended a non BMW garage and they couldn't reset it. I take that I've no choice but to go to a BMW dealer if I want rid of the warning light? :cry: No doubt they'll say that it requires a new steering column!!
 
#49 · (Edited)
Does anyone know if there is a DIY fix yet?

With this fault being so common some garages must have started doing their own fixes without replacing the whole steering column.

Also what programming is actually needed after the faulty sensor is replaced and why? Can the car decifer the difference between a new steering colum / sensor or is it more elaborate than that

Happened to me a few hours ago > 07 e90 320d (uk)
 
#51 ·
Steering lock alarm!!!!

Well the day has come to sell my precious 57 plate D3 Alpina on my wife's orders!! Lol. Now bear in mind that I've been driving around for 18 months with this red steering lock alarm on with no problems! So this morning I dropped off the car at the BMW dealer as a last resort after visits to several local garages with no joy. Just got the call from the garage to say it needs a new steering column cost £720 inc VAT and labour!! :cry: oh well I'm off to drown my sorrows!!! :dunno:
 
#54 · (Edited)
Problem fixed

HI guys,

Just to let you know I took mine in to the dealership for some diagnostics. Paid for an hours labour which was just over 100 quid and was contacted to say that the steering column needed replacing to the tune of £800 +

In the end I decided to just pick the car up as I didn't want to spend the cash.... So anyway I'm expecting the red symbol to come up and to be back at square 1 but no. The fault has gone and it has been fine since (4 months or so later on).

I know i may have problems again in the future and that they where just following procedure but it would have been nice to know it was working before they asked for 800 quid!

:thumbup: all in all a good result....
 
#57 ·
Re: Ripped off!!

Just makes me wonder if it was a software issure and the fault had actually reset when he called me to tell me i needed a new steering column but hey i suppose i'll never know and i'm £720 lighter in the bank!! You win some you lose some!! I never trust garages anyway! Maybe i should bump my asking price up by my loss? :)
 
#60 ·
Hi folks

This is my first post on here so hello first and fourmost, however my first post is not a good one. Had the steering lock fault flair up on my 08 1 series at mileage 44k. Initially car wouldnt start then did after 5 minutes trying, wa fine for a few days then absolutely dead, would not start whatsoever, only the amber warning tho. Anyway towed to BMW service centre and they have confimed new steering column. They will cover the parts but have to fork out the labour costs to the tune of £330 which includes the diagnostics. BMW took the cost of the parts with no hesitation. Is this about the norm for this problem or should i push for getting the labour costs covered aswell?

Thanks in advance
 
#61 ·
Hi Everyone

My first post too. I have also had the steering lock fault come up. The red one! However, I can start E60 520D just fine. The fault came up 4 days ago now and comes on every time. I have driven it about 200 miles and had no problems. I took it into a very good local garage and they put the BMW diagnostics kit on it and there was no fault. Tried other diagnostics equipment as well and ......no fault. Taking the car back in a few days as they want to check the wiring to investigate why the error came up.

Is this a case of software upgrade? I haven't had the steering 'lock' on me at all and have probably done 20 trips with no problems.

Any ideas?
 
#64 ·
Steering Lock Fault

Hi Everyone

My first post too. I have also had the steering lock fault come up. The red one! However, I can start E60 520D just fine. The fault came up 4 days ago now and comes on every time. I have driven it about 200 miles and had no problems. I took it into a very good local garage and they put the BMW diagnostics kit on it and there was no fault. Tried other diagnostics equipment as well and ......no fault. Taking the car back in a few days as they want to check the wiring to investigate why the error came up.

Is this a case of software upgrade? I haven't had the steering 'lock' on me at all and have probably done 20 trips with no problems.

Any ideas?
My First Post
Almost exactly the same as above. 2007 E60 520D Red fault light which first appeared when stopping the car suddenly and switching off on left turn lock. Despite the warning light I have started the car more than 20 times with no problems. Local BMW specialist can not clear the fault light permanently. He claims all working OK and sensor faulty need to replace steering column. More than £1k!!! Does not know about a software fix.
Does anyone know of a software fix or is there a hardwiring solution to bypass the sensor???
 
#62 ·
first time

HI
Its ma first time.

When the steering wheel lock warning comes on this is a failure of the internal steering lock inside the steering column. When this happens the steering column will not release and the steering wheel remain locked.

Have any of you can tried to disconnect the battery for 10 minutes and then retry? Yes the steering column usually needs to be replaced due to the lock is not replaceable separately but this usually helps if you don't have the cash.

I hope this information is helpful. good luck :thumbup::thumbup:
 
#65 ·
Hi Cookieson, I took my car to a BMW specialist (not a main dealer but they have ex-BMW Master Techs) The main dealer would have changed the steering column. I would suggest that as the steering lock has not 'locked' on you that you have a chance at clearing the fault with a software update. Usually takes a couple of hours as long as the upgrade goes smoothly. It cost me £55 to get it done and no problems since.
 
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