Possible control arm issue +1 more (evap fault)

[mrbdm99]

Hi all! This is my first BMW. Long story short, we were looking for a new car to haul around our first baby (in August) +2 dogs and all related items... I planned to do everything the "right" way with lots of research and such, but I ended up driving off the lot in a 2001 x5 that just felt like it was calling my name. I think we all know that the feeling of driving a car that just feels like it is the right car to get.

Anyway, there are a few things to love about it and a few more to dislike. Right now, I have under the impression that my control arms have gone kaput. I have come to this conclusion after reading a few years of threads on here, but I just want to make sure that this sounds like the right problem before I order the parts. Basically, what is happening is that when the wheel is turned (at low speeds) left or right to about the 9 or 3 position (such as when making a turn out of the drive way or a stop light), it kind of catches, for lack of a better term. It almost feels, for that small moment, that you are driving a car w/o power steering, but more that the wheel is catching or there is a loose connection on the wheel - sort of like the steering is all tight, then you get to that spot and it goes loose to the point that it is harder to turn. I can almost imagine seeing a rod somewhere that is slacking at some point. Again, I want to make sure that this sounds right before I do the work (it was driving perfectly for the last 3 months we have had it).

Also, today the SES light came on. I had the auto store read it for me (they do it for free, the dealer here charges 90 bucks) and it said there was a very small leak in the EVAP system. A bit of searching leads me to believe that it could have been a gas cap problem, but it also leads me to believe that, if it isn't the cap, it is basically a crap shoot to figure out what is wrong. I can only imagine that trying to figure out the problem will cost way more than it is worth... Any insight would be great!