3 dash lights on and car pulling left

[MarcBMWZ4]

Hi all,

Driving on Sat and all of a sudden these 3 lights come on... Car feels 100% fine though.

I then discover that if i let go the wheel, it pulls to the left quite hard but doesn't feel like its pulling if my hands are on the wheel. Almost like the steering wheel "thinks" that left is centre.

I checked all 4 tyre pressure and they are all fine.

Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[Chris_D]

Brake caliper dragging?
Get the front end up on jacks and rotate both wheels to see if theres a difference. fronts should rotate freely.

 

[MarcBMWZ4]

Thanks for feedback, ill give it a go but surely i would hear/feel something?

 

[Chris_D]

Thanks for feedback, ill give it a go but surely i would hear/feel something?

It would be my first port of call if tyre pressures were all even. However, jacking up could change the assembly geometry making the issue disappear again perhaps. Worth a shot if nothing else....
Check for tyrewear pattern too.

 

[jamie_z4]

sounds like something has knocked it out of alignment. The steering angle sensor is probably reading out because of this and as long as there are no other damaged components a re-alignment should sort it & reset the dash lights.

 

[Machine monkey]

I would second the alignment theory. I has having the same lights on after i carried out some suspension work.
Had the car aligned all was well.

 

[biojo]

i had exact same issue, but it was the abs pump.

soon as that was sent for reconing and fitted car stopped pulling, it would literally go from straight to 1/4 turn on steering wheel.

According to everyone, that failing shouldnt cause any pulling, but it did. I just presumed it was something to do with abs module and electric power steering

 

[MarcBMWZ4]

So after a sleepless night thinking i was in for $3000 for a new ABS Pump (every place i read suggested this was the problem) it turned out to be a voltage spike from the battery. I might not have turned the ignition off properly when connecting the battery one day
$50 and all sorted. Just needed a reset at an indie garage.
Just shows how electrical issues can result in what one would think are mechanical problems.
Thanks again for all input.

 

[Marlon]

A voltage spike from the battery causes the car to pull to the left when your hands are off the wheel? Can someone explain that to me :?

 

[jamie_z4]

A voltage spike from the battery causes the car to pull to the left when your hands are off the wheel? Can someone explain that to me :?

was thinking the same :? maybe it interuped the EPS

 

[MarcBMWZ4]

Not sure why myself but upon searching seen a few guys with same symptoms from battery/electrical problems.

Steering in the non-M Z's is electric right?

 

[biojo]

i had a newish battery so this wasnt the case for me

when plugged up to diagnostics came up with the abs module not responding, forgot the code, but on the diagram showed up