advise on steering please z4 3.0i

[mrz4]

hello...today I took my car for its first drive around the coast here in northern Ireland even got my hood down :roll:
this is my first car with EPS what I noticed when I was driving on country roads at a steady 50/55 mph my steering felt very solid and
nicely under control it felt slightly on the stiff side,... when I got into a village etc it felt lighter and more normal, when the car is parked and engine running it feels
perfect light and normal....is this the character of this car? hope I have made myself clear

 

[maxman]

It is a known problem ,parking with the bonnet exposed to the sun ,or the heater set to floor can bring the problem on.The way to fix is a new steering column.If you do a search,some have oiled the steering column uj,which seems to have helped to reduce the stiff steering

 

[bcworkz]

... it felt slightly on the stiff side,...

If it is disturbingly stiff, it is as maxman says, trouble with excess heat causing the system to go offline to full manual mode. If truly just slightly stiff as you say, this may be as intended. The power assist is speed dependent. More assist is provided at lower speeds. Also, the steering is stiffer if the sport button is engaged, especially at higher speeds.