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2003 BMW 330ci - Power Steering Got Hard..

51K views 22 replies 20 participants last post by  winst 
#1 ·
About 3 days ago the Steering in my got absolutley hard to turn.It feels like driving a car without power steering.Only time it does "somewhat" steer is whenever theres accerlation in the car.Im kind of curious of what it could be.Now im leaning towards the P/S pump just because i've checked the following...
1. made sure the P/S fluid is full
2. Lifted it up on a lift and checked for a P/S Leak, None found
3. Made sure the belt was intact.(belt had NO cracks either)
4. I also cranked up the car on, turned the steering wheel and of course was hard to turn,THEN i lifted up the front 2 wheels with a jack WHILE the car is on and then turned the wheel again and it turned almost close to normal feeling.

Those are the things i've done and checked.Only thing i have not done is ordered a P/S pump lol...Is their ANYTHING else it could be?
Any advice would be great,Thanks!
 
#3 ·
With belt off, you should look at the pulley for the PS pump and also try to pull it out. If you can, then shaft has separated, and it's happened to quite a few here.

Also, some have noticed PS issues which were traced to another pulley...probably idler or tensioner hanging up...causing belt to hang up and not turn the PS pulley as much as it wants. So check all pulleys...spin them, and if they seem loose, they're bad. If they're hardly turning, they're also bad.

Although I don't think the condition of your fluid would matter a lot, if it's not a clear pink, you should flush it, or start turkey basting it out. I've seen PS fluid that looks like espresso, and am sure that's not good for long-term health of pump.

Doug
 
#5 ·
My thought's are the same as Dougs. Mine had this happen about 5k miles ago. After a while it started to make a humming noise when turned, and the pulled actually just pulled right off by hand. I just purchased a new pump and pulley assembly off ebay, was around $190 if I'm not mistaken.
 
#10 ·
hate to revive an old thread but my 2005 325i just had the same thing happen today. About 2 days ago when I pulled out of an intersection making a left, it felt hard for a brief second then ....fine. the car did jerk a little because I was pulling with pretty good force for that brief second. Fast forward to today, it just stopped working all together. The car feels like it has no power steering. I also checked the belt (fine); checked the reservoir, looks like some spilled out from under the cap but full. I am looking at ways to diagnose if it could be due to not being flushed since i have owned the car (looks like hot coco in the dark), possibly b/c its cold (its been a high of ~30 and hitting lows of ~1 or 2 deg). I figure it maybe the reservoir is clogged not supplying fluid (thinking optimistic) or unfortunate for me, a bad pump. Any way to diagnose this without having to put the car on a lift and removing belts?

thanks anyone that can help
 
#11 ·
it could be just the pump, but there are other items in the steering sytem that should be checked before throwing a pump on the car. first hows the fluid? is there a block in the flow of fluid movement? hows the rack? any visible leaks around seals? there is also a filter incorporated into the resorvoir, have you made sure its not plugged or blocking fluid flow?
 
#12 ·
Not yet I havnt but thanks for the food for thought! I work from ~3pm to 11pm ish so when this happened on the way back from "lunch" at ~7pm my options were limited. Im using one of the only resources I have available at 11:35pm...I will have far better info if/when I continue to follow this thread tomorrow morning.
 
#14 ·
I know this is an old thread but when the power steering simply goes out, it's usually a belt slipping. The tensioner is prolly in need of replacement. Power steering pumps don't just stop working. They can whine louder than a blower on a drag car but they'll still work - and work well. If the belt isn't slipping, then the problem lies in the rack.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Stiff steering problem

I have a 2003 BMW 325xi with 150,000miles on it and my steering wheel got stiff after i had the car towed to a workshop to get the radiator, mechanical fan and pump change. My first reaction was the dealer messed my car up or may be the towing had to do something .......

I initially replaced the power steering fluid (ATF) and it seemed to have improved a little bit (enough to not take it to a workshop). But after a month or so my steering got a lot lot stiffer. I have to put a lot of effort to make lane changes, and initially i have to jerk the steering to make it go my way, although once it starts rotating it seems to be smoother, that is until i have to make it straight again. One unusual behavior i have (compared to other posts\threads) is that i have to put in the same effort while parking or at high speed, also no loud knocking\cracking sound (although i hear a little squeaking sound when i start to turn the steering in the morning).

Need some advise on what could be wrong or what should i do to test it at home, Any tips are appreciated.
 
#18 ·
Reviving this old thread... Happened the same to my car a week ago, curious thing is that the steering angle sensor went out at the same time (checked with PA Soft), I had my steering rack replaced 2 months ago, checked for leaks and everything looks fine, correct level, etc...

I've narrowed it to a reservoir blockage somehow or the pump itself. I'm still scratching my head why the ps pump and the angle sensor at the same time
 
#19 ·
Completely stumped

A couple of months ago my 330xi's steering got a lot stiffer, not as bad as having no power steering at all but quite a lot stiffer than my X5 (used to be the same) and since it has developed some play on the steering wheel where there was none before. It make no difference if the car is moving or stopped as far as the effort it takes to turn the wheel.

This weekend I replaced the power steering pump, flushed the fluid, and replaced the belt but once i lowered the car it was still as stiff as it was before. I stomped as to what to try next :banghead: any suggestions?
 
#21 ·
A couple of months ago my 330xi's steering got a lot stiffer, not as bad as having no power steering at all but quite a lot stiffer than my X5 (used to be the same) and since it has developed some play on the steering wheel where there was none before. It make no difference if the car is moving or stopped as far as the effort it takes to turn the wheel.

This weekend I replaced the power steering pump, flushed the fluid, and replaced the belt but once i lowered the car it was still as stiff as it was before. I stomped as to what to try next :banghead: any suggestions?
there's a check valve in the rack. it could be plugged up there or elsewhere in the system.

system is basically: belt, pulley, pump, fluid, hoses, reservoir, and rack. since you replaced the belt, pump, and fluid you have just a few things it can be.
 
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