BMW 2 Series Power Steering Nightmare: Help Needed!

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a very similar issue with my 2018 BMW 1 Series (also had a 3 Series before). That sounds exactly like what I dealt with last year. The symptoms were identical, heavy steering, vibrations, and that annoying error message. Turned out it was just a loose connection in the power steering wiring harness. The workshop found a damaged plug that was causing intermittent connection problems. The fix was pretty straightforward, they replaced the faulty wiring and connector. Cost me 95 Euro and the car's been steering smoothly ever since. Could you share which error code you're getting? Also, when did these symptoms first start, was it sudden or gradual? This info would help confirm if you're dealing with the same issue I had. Best to get it checked soon, even if it's a simple fix like mine, driving with faulty power steering isn't safe.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! My 2020 BMW 2 (198506 KM) is showing error E5004. The symptoms started gradually over the last week or so. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but now it's super noticeable, especially when parking. Good to hear yours was just a wiring issue, gives me hope it won't be too expensive. Was your steering also making a slight whining noise when turning? That's another thing I've noticed with mine lately. Gonna try to get it into the shop this week.

Hey again! Yeah, I definitely remember that whining noise, it's actually what first caught my attention before all the other symptoms showed up on my BMW. And yes, E5004 is exactly the same error code I got! Funny you mention the parking situation, that's when I really noticed it too. The steering would feel super heavy, especially during low-speed maneuvers. Mine also started gradually just like yours, which is pretty typical for electrical connection issues. Actually, now that you mention the whining noise, in my case, the mechanic found that the wiring issue was causing the power steering pump to work inconsistently, which explained the noise. It was basically struggling to maintain proper pressure because of the faulty connection. Since your symptoms match mine so perfectly (right down to the error code), I'd bet good money you're dealing with the same problem. The good news is that it's usually not a huge repair job. My advice would be to get it checked ASAP though, I learned the hard way that these things don't fix themselves and only get worse. Let me know what your mechanic finds. I'm really curious to see if it turns out to be the same issue!

Thanks so much for all the details! That's super reassuring to hear that your symptoms were exactly the same as mine, right down to the error code and whining noise. I've actually just booked it in for tomorrow morning, didn't want to risk waiting any longer after what you said about it getting worse. Really hoping it's just the wiring harness like yours was. The fact that it was a relatively cheap fix in your case is making me feel a lot better about the whole situation. I'll definitely update you once I get the diagnosis from the mechanic. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been really helpful in understanding what I might be dealing with!