Electric Steering Wheel Lock Fault

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!! oh well I'm off to drown my sorrows!!!

Anyone any idea how I can claim some cashback? Lol. This seems a very common problem to me so no doubt BMW have buried their head in the sand a long time ago.

Anyone any idea how I can claim some cashback? Lol. This seems a very common problem to me so no doubt BMW have buried their head in the sand a long time ago.

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!

all in all a good result....

Hey Cudger, put you hand in your pocket for about 700 quid. BMW dealers have quite a money soinner on their hands.

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask when he robbed people!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone want to buy an Alpina with a new steering column!! lol See one of my previous replies for a link to Autotrader website

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?

BMW make great cars but their finish is shi***. Aftersales cra***. Attitude at dealerships Bollo***. My next car is a Ford.

Hey BMW are you looking at this thread - ashamed or just raking it in?

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

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?

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

Update on my last posting: Took my car along to the garage and we got the fault cleared by having a software update. This cleared the fault and the problem. Had this done about 4 weeks ago and no problem since.

Originally Posted by Richie74

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???

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.

Thanks for the help. I will pressure my local BMW specialists to provide a solution. It will be a real downer on the secondhand value of BMW's if you need to pay £1000 to replace a sensor!!!
ps What year is your E60?

My E60 is a 55 plate. To get the software update, they need to have the right equipment. Fortunately, my usual BMW garage forwarded me on to another BMW specialist who had the hardware to do it. I may be guessing but it could be that your garage doesn't have the right equipment to do it hence the £1k steering column replacement option being suggested.

I want to say that it was Autologic equipment that they used but I could be wrong.

I am no car expert

Hi,

Ive just had the stearing lock fault pop up. Everything works fine, wheel locks once the fob is removed, car starts fine. Anyone tried disconnecting the battery for 24hrs see if the fault clears? Or does that not work!?! Dont really want to fork out a load of cash when everythig seems to work fine...Its a 57 plate..

Cheers!

Same fault indication on a 57 plate 520d. Put it into my local BMW specialist who have done my servicing for the last 7 years and they put it on the computer and after two days it came out with the fault cleared. Claimed they had to reload updated software several times before fault cleared. Have had it back 2 days and so far OK. They charged just less than £100 which considering how long they had it for I do not think I can complain. Certainly cheaper than buying a new steering column at £1000 plus.

I changed my power steering fluid and filter and the steering lock light came up. Can runs fine but light will not turn off. Does any one know if it will ever go off.

Originally Posted by Bray0671

I changed my power steering fluid and filter and the steering lock light came up. Can runs fine but light will not turn off. Does any one know if it will ever go off.

Did you use CHF 11S fluid? Using the wrong fluid (such as conventional power fluid or ATF) may destroy the system.

I put ATF redline and I just figured out the next day. I have 3 quarts coming to do another flush I only flushed 1 1/2 quarts of ATF so I think 3 quarts should be enough for a flush. Do you think this is why the steering lock light is on

K

Originally Posted by Bray0671

I put ATF redline and I just figured out the next day. I have 3 quarts coming to do another flush I only flushed 1 1/2 quarts of ATF so I think 3 quarts should be enough for a flush. Do you think this is why the steering lock light is on

If the light came on immediately it may be related, but I would try to replace the fluid and bleed the system by turning the steering wheel twice each way to full lock, then topping up as necessary.

Well it came on the next day after driving the car around that night their was not a light on. I just can't figure out why this would effect the steering column