BMW F10 Steering "Wander"

[Bmw535dMSporter]

With fond memories of BMWs owned in the mid 90s I recently replaced my Jaguar S type R with a 2015 BMW 535d Msport with 15K on the clock.

In all but one respect the car is a dream. It looks good, is supremely comfortable and delivers effortless power via a silky smooth gearbox. Plus 37.5 mpg over my first 5000 miles of ownership and all for around half the price of the car when new.

However the steering is a HUGE disappointment in that in the straight ahead position especially on motorways it requires constant correction which completely spoils the drive. Talking to other owners the experience is mixed; many have had the same experience, others have never experienced the problem. ALL have runflat tyres and whilst undoubtedly these have an effect they don't account for the variation in owner's experience.

When I took the car to my BMW dealership a senior technician drove the car and agreed that it didn't feel right and on inspection thought that the half worn tyres were the probable cause; remembering from my Jaguar days that wide tyre performance does progressively drop off long before the legal wear limit with some weird consequences I heeded his advice and after £860 winged it's way electronically to Black Circles I had a new set of Dunlop tyres.

With fingers crossed I collected the car and it seemed a little better but once on the motorway straight line instability was still evident, some roads were better than others but without doubt the problem persists.

As I write the car is due for an end of warranty check and I will log the issue again but any views from owners would be appreciated. However unless you have actually swopped runflats for standard tyres on your own F10 and have first hand experience please exclude subjective views on this aspect.

Here's hoping.

[Plate spinner]

I’d get the geometry checked at a reputable place.

[Wills2]

Never experienced that issue, I've had 3 f10s and they spent a lot of time on the motorway, the one thing I really loved was how they tracked straight and true at speed requiring little in the way of steering input.

[jboy72]

I would give Center Gravity in Atherstone a call. I don't think they will look at all makes and models, but if they will look at yours, take it.

[rassi]

Only had 1 F10 (M5) and that tracked 100 % straight regardless of tyres (summer 275 front, winter 255, both run flat of course) and was one of the aspects that really impressed me.

As others suggested, I would get a specialist to look at the geometry, an F10 should not suffer that problem.

[Pope]

The company I used to work for ran new to 12mth old BMW's as company cars; whenever I took them on the motorway I noticed a constant need to correct the steering and general fidgeting - I put it down to the wide track that 'almost' matched the track of HGV's that pummelled the M4/M25 into the rutted messes that they are. I didnt tend to notice the wandering in other marques on the same stretches........

[bmwmike]

As others have said - sounds like Tracking.

My f10 is dead straight. I don't find the steering numb either in fact i find the overall package rather well balanced and enjoyable to drive. Lightweight n53 up front probably helps.

Only problems I've had repeatedly are vibrations.. all caused by wheel buckles.

[Bmw535dMSporter]

Thanks to you all for your responses. BMW whilst acknowledging the wander have declined to carry out a 4 wheel alignment under warranty and want £250 to check it all out. Consequently I have booked the car into Blackboots a specialist in Chesham this coming week and will report on the outcome.

[Fox-]

I have had two F10's.

My previous one I ran on both 19 inch RFT's and then I swapped for non RFT's. My current one is a 2015 M Sport, like yours, and is on 19 inch RFTs.

I have not experienced wandering on any combination I've had - it tracks straight without issue.

The only negative I've experienced is the fact the tyres seem to transmit the feel of every aspect of the road surface through the car..

[Mike335i]

Bmw535dMSporter said:

Thanks to you all for your responses. BMW whilst acknowledging the wander have declined to carry out a 4 wheel alignment under warranty and want £250 to check it all out. Consequently I have booked the car into Blackboots a specialist in Chesham this coming week and will report on the outcome.

That is outrageous, a geometry check is free at a dealer and they should charge £89 (or whatever the local rate is for an hour labour) for the adjustments if needed (based on my experience at Soper Lincoln. It will never be under warranty even if brand new as one pothole would knock it out.

[Bmw535dMSporter]

Blackboots have checked the alignment (£36) and found the camber angle on the OSF to be beyond the specified limits and believe this is the likely cause of the "wandering". In itself good news as it gives me hope that problem can be resolved.

However BMW advise that the approved way to correct this is to replace the control arm with the appropriate "correction" arm (available as -30 or +30) that cost £395 + nuts & bolts + fitting + re-alignment, crazy money.

Having now understood the issue I have researched further and found that the German company Meyle sell control arms for £125 with an adjustable ball joint giving a range from -30 to + 30 and I have decided to have these fitted on both sides of the car. This will allow the correct set up to be achieved now and any future adjustments to be made easily. I can't say I am thrilled about using non BMW parts but Mehle is by all accounts a reputable company and I have to be realistic about cost. I will report further when they have been fitted.

[Bmw535dMSporter]

I have now had a pair of Meyle adjustable control arms fitted by Blackboots and the camber angle correctly set which I am delighted to report has cured the steering wander and delivers a much more reassuring driving experience. The "Comfort" setting is still not totally to my liking but "Sport" & "Sport Plus" now provide a driving feel much more akin to BMWs of old before the fashion for "adjustability" became the order of the day.
Thank you to everyone who contacted me, those with identical cars who had experienced the same problem were of particular help.
For anyone who is in doubt about their cars handling I would highly recommend Blackboots at Chesham, they use top notch equipment and more to the point have many years of experience in setting up steering and suspension. VERY trustworthy guys.

[RafflesNH]

Bmw535dMSporter said:

I have now had a pair of Meyle adjustable control arms fitted by Blackboots and the camber angle correctly set which I am delighted to report has cured the steering wander and delivers a much more reassuring driving experience.

8<

Interesting and thanks for the update. With the current disgraceful state of our roads, I'm waiting for my control arms to be knocked out any day now.
What was the reaction by Blackboots to your Meyle control arms discovery? I would have thought in their experience that they would have been able to recommend them to you without you having to go delving around on t'internet?

[Bmw535dMSporter]

Black Boots had alerted me to the existence of adjustable control arms in the first place and I am sure would have sourced them had I asked. However it was my choice to research them and then purchase and inspect them before they were fitted.

[Bmw535dMSporter]

Black Boots had alerted me to the existence of adjustable control arms in the first place and I am sure would have sourced them had I asked. However it was my choice to research them and then purchase and inspect them before they were fitted.

[Bdalyii]

Bmw535dMSporter said:

Blackboots have checked the alignment (£36) and found the camber angle on the OSF to be beyond the specified limits and believe this is the likely cause of the "wandering". In itself good news as it gives me hope that problem can be resolved.

However BMW advise that the approved way to correct this is to replace the control arm with the appropriate "correction" arm (available as -30 or +30) that cost £395 + nuts & bolts + fitting + re-alignment, crazy money.

Having now understood the issue I have researched further and found that the German company Meyle sell control arms for £125 with an adjustable ball joint giving a range from -30 to + 30 and I have decided to have these fitted on both sides of the car. This will allow the correct set up to be achieved now and any future adjustments to be made easily. I can't say I am thrilled about using non BMW parts but Mehle is by all accounts a reputable company and I have to be realistic about cost. I will report further when they have been fitted.

Hi , I have had my f10 and i also have issues with the steering. When I am driving the car on the road, I have to constantly re-correct the steering to maintain the direction in which the vehicle is traveling in. The car is unable to hold a straight direction of travel on all different types of road surface. The car will increase the uncontrolled movements when it is on changing surfaces eg, white lines, man hole covers ,dips in the road and different cambers.
I have had the car aligned by BMW, Lexus (where I bought it) and 3 highly rated private companies. There has been no improvement in the car. The image below shows the re alignment of the car, it is unable to chamber completely on one side. Was your car the same? I would install these adjustable upper wishbones if so.

[busrider]

What a relief it is to find this thread. I realized that many years have passed since this chain of back and forth messages was initially started. I'm hoping that somebody is still monitoring it , or that there's somebody out there with same "Steering wander" frustrations that has stories and solutions to share.

I am writing from the US and I have a 2014 535d, rwd.

I love my car
I hate my car

At highway speeds mine also requires constant attention. It has very little or vague on-center feel. It constantly wanders and has no straight line tracking ability.

Tie rods are good
Alignment just performed
Four lower control arms, front end, just replaced.
No improvement.

My 2006 Audi A6 with 301k mi /483k km, holds a better straight line than my 2014 535d with only 100k miles on it.

For those of you who have installed the adjustable camber or the preset Left & Right -30 upper control arm on your F10's, is it truly worth the effort? Does the car drive as you would expect a BMW to drive after the refit? Does the change in camber dramatically increase straight line tracking ability or is it, at best, only a marginal improvement?

I'm hoping the feedback will state " dramatic or substantially better and well worth the effort."

Thank you

Edited by busrider on Sunday 22 January 16:12