Power Steering Goes Heavy

[StartX5]

Check power steering pump.

[nezarnuaimat]

I faced this. Topping up to "max" the steering fluid could regain my ability to turn it with one hand

[Moments]

Originally Posted by Sundayjumper

Slightly odd one this, the steering on my car occasionally goes very heavy like there's suddenly no assistance. It's not repeatable, but when it happens, it's usually at low speed when I'm accelerating and winding on some steering lock, e.g. pulling out of a tight junction. When it's happened I've always managed to haul the steering round and keep the car going in the right direction but I'm slightly worried that if it happens while my wife is driving she'll end up just ploughing straight across the road

The belt doesn't look too bad and there's no squeaking or squealing noises so I don't think that's the problem. I suppose that's a nice easy thing to change though just in case. Fluid level is fine and FWIW the car had a new steering rack about nine months ago (a while before I bought it).

Anyone else had a similar problem ?

Yes, almost exactly as you describe happened to my 2005 E53. The steering would load up intermittently, occasionally on motorways but also around town. It also developed a reluctance to self-centre and needed to be hauled back to the straight ahead. There were periods where there was no apparent problem; also I had a feeling that the problem was very variable in strength of effect.

I checked fluid, drive belt, jacked up the car and checked for play or binding in the mechanism - nothing.

Problem fixed by greasing the universal/flex joint in the lower steering column, exactly as other posters here have described. I took three party straws, tucked into one another to make a long straw, and used an aerosol of spray grease to access the flex joint from above. It's pretty tight between the exhaust/heatshield but this way let me get the grease onto the joint.

Thank you again, Xoutpost!

[LVP]

If the E53 joint is like the E36, it isn't a lube regularly joint. It starts to lock up because it's worn out. I had this issue on my track car. Lubing was a quick fix. I had to replace the u-joint. I couldn't afford it locking up at Mosport