Steering Problem - BMW Forum

WRX · 09-25-2005, 01:54 PM

Need some help here. First of all i just want to say my girlfriend cannot drive.....ok with that said....my girlfriend was entering her moms driveway when one side of the car fell off the driveway causing the undercarriage to hit the concrete pretty hard. Then when she got back in the car to back out of the driveway she turned the wheel only one time and after that she started hearing noise coming from the front of the car. When i checked it out this is what i found...first the car is not leaking any fluid, second when the tires are on the ground and u turn the wheel it makes a loud straining sound and you get vibrating feedback in the steering wheel. When i jacked the car up and took the front tires off the ground and then turned the wheel it was quiet and only a slight sound could be heard. One thing i did notice when i was under the car...where the concrete hit, looks to me like it fell on the steering rack. Does anyone have any suggestions on what this might be? perhaps rack and pinion??

Thanks

peterkulesza · 09-26-2005, 06:28 AM

something is likely bent, and rubbing against a wheel. this sounds like MONEY. unlikely to be the rack itself though, i think if it was hit it would just quit period.

Hot Sauce · 09-26-2005, 08:37 AM

I had a same noise on my car.. and well my car is still under warrenty so i took it to get it fixed... possible that the strut? could be bent! well that was in my case...good luck..

WRX · 09-26-2005, 09:14 AM

Thanks for the info....im sure this aint going to be cheap. But ill post back what the problem was when its checked out. If any one else had a similiar problem your input is appreciated...thanks

bryan1970 · 09-26-2005, 11:43 PM

maybe part of one of the power steering lines that is made of metal got pintched enough to cause a resriction and not allow enough fluid to really assit the steering when the car is on the ground but when you get it in the air there is not that much force working against the power steering so the noise is not as prevelant. i could also see where a rack could have gotten damaged. like if the impact was strong enough it could have distorted the housing that the rack travles in thus causing it to bind up when turning. however if that were the case i would think that it would be hard to tunr all the time not just when it's in the air.