E46 - 325ti - steering angle implausible

[FNG]

Just before the MoT was due - typical - I had this crop up.

I've got Autophix and can clear DTCs but this one, after reappearing immediately a few times, will no longer clear (and even if it did, it'd come back instantly anyway).

I can also read live data for the steering angle, and it's sitting at around 9deg when driving straight ahead. Is that enough to cause Steering Angle Implausible?

And can your average quick fit garage who'd do your tracking clear the code, or do I need a BMW specialist?

Really hoping the sensor isn't fubar, as it needs the column disconnecting to swap it!

Any help out there on this one please? Looking to get a ticket on it to sell asap so I need it sorting preferably for minimum expense!

[Sardonicus]

Dont clear the fault see if you can calibrate it first in functional tools/tests if your equipment has this option if it dont you will need something better you can then clear the original fault code, you may get it to extinguish the light long enough to get your MOT pass, the windowed disc in the sensor on the steering column lower absorbs dust and dirt over time (maybe your cause) you can clean them blow them out with an airline or just renew , not common but a known issue with the E46 cars later models are further up the column

[FNG]

Thanks for that.

I’ve tried several times and with several cables to install and use INPA (?) to get better control of diagnostics but despite wild promises from every vendor I’ve never managed to get it to consistently connect to the car let alone do anything useful to it, so was resorting to specialist help as I can read the data and see the codes but can’t recalibrate or reset the sensor.

The steering angle changes with steering input so I don’t doubt the sensor is working, albeit it might not be working 100% of the time and that might be flagging the fault.

I was also interested in whether 9 degrees off centre was enough to flag the implausibility code, as if it isn’t (and it doesn’t feel like enough of a misalignment to flag a code, to me) then there’s no point paying to get it re-centred if that wouldn’t cause the code and if the error is actually flagging because the sensor itself is going intermittent.

Guess I can try blowing the sensor out and seeing if that helps (albeit I can’t now clear the code…) but perhaps it’s sensible to do that at least before getting a specialist to plug in.

But any expert views on whether 9deg would flag this code would be appreciated.

[Panamax]

Have you ttted a kerb with the front wheels? Poor alignment can be enough to upset the DSC system. Does the car drive "straight and true"? Find a big, flat space and check it out. It can be tricky for an owner to tell in normal driving because they get used to the way the car feels.

Loads of videos on Youtube for diagnosing faulty sensor or resetting/recalibrating the system.

[FNG]

It drives straight and the steering hasn’t misaligned.

Haven’t ttted anything but hey a pothole might have done it.

I’ve tried driving it on various bits of road while grabbing screen shots of the data and it’s pretty consistently in the region of 9 degrees when driving straight.

The reset procedures I’ve seen involve repeatedly turning lock to lock, and I’m seeing something like 540 degrees one way and 560 degrees the other (don’t quote me on the numbers but they indicate the wheel is going through the same amount of rotation each way til it hits the lock stops, just its starting from 9 not from zero.

None of my attempts to reset the sensor by doing this “reset “ procedure have worked

[Panamax]

Hmmm, smells increasingly like the sensor. I'm a wuss so I'd want professional diagnosis before starting to dismantle the car.

[FNG]

To (hopefully) close this thread and inform anyone else of the issue:

I've spent a fair bit of time over the last few days trying to get a decent stable copy of INPA on my laptop, last throw of the dice before calling a local BMW specialist.

I finally had success with Mike's simple install, it's several years old but appears to be Win10 compatible and it went in cleanly. And when I plugged in this morning, it worked seamlessly.

So the code is cleared, steering angle reset to zero at straight-ahead, and after a short test drive the error's not come back. So I'm going to book the MoT today so I can get the car up for sale asap.

And as I was asking what the acceptable amount of off-centre was acceptable before the error flagged, INPA says that "+/-2 degrees is usually acceptable".

So that's that, pleased it worked in the end (I've been trying to get a decent diagnostic to work on this laptop for a year and a half...) and hopefully informs anyone else seeing the same problem.