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      02-09-2020, 09:35 PM   #1
thisberob
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Steering issues?

Hi all,

Came out of a f30 340 xdrive and into the g20 330 xdrive a couple of months ago. I actually don't notice much a power difference except when overtaking at 65mph+.

G20 so far has been a bit underwhelming for me and I think the biggest reason for that is the steering "issues" I'm feeling. Let me list them here have see if you guys experiences anything similar.

1. At highway speeds, on a sweeping turn to the left with the steering wheel turned ~10 degrees, it does not return to center and I have to manually bring the wheel back. Right sided sweeping turns have a similar effect but less so. (I do usually drive in the left lane so I think the slight crown towards the left has something to do with this)

2. This car loves going with the crown of the road. It's much more obvious than in the f30, agree??

3. Car came with the steering wheel slightly rightward, 1-2 degrees, when going straight. This is less obvious at lower speeds but more obvious at highway speeds. Car tracks straight when the wheel is let go so I just let it be. (Maybe this is just due to the car following the crown of the road??)

4. Can anyone clarify VSS? I thought I would get used to it by now but I can definitely do without it.

5. F30 steering fairly numb but after driving an F30 for 5+ years (2 leases) I got used to it. With the g20, I'm feeling way more of the road through the steering wheel, especially at 70mph+. It feels almost as if the wheels are out of balance but I don't think they are as the seats and car itself is super planted and firm with no "shake" as confirmed by passengers.

Good things about the g20? M-sport suspension brings me back closer to my e46 days. The tech is improved. Interior is definitely a step up from the f30. Love the remote start and makes getting into the car after a long overnight that much better.

Thanks for reading and weighing in!!
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      02-09-2020, 09:58 PM   #2
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1. I honestly can't remember if it comes back to centre or not in my car. But it hasn't been an issue for me personally (as obvious from the fact that I can't remember how it works in my car).

2/3. By crown of the road, I'm assuming it's something like camber? (I've honestly never heard that terminology before because it isn't my field of expertise) If you mean the way roads are angled, in my G20, I don't actually notice it much. It was a little more obvious in my A4 (where I had to tilt the steering a wee bit to keep it going straight). I have an F25 and the G20 steering isn't that far off regarding how it has to be kept to account for the camber. The steering actually is pretty straight on my G20.
And the car tracks pretty straight. Very impressive actually considering my Audis don't track that well

4. VSS as in variable sport steering? Can't comment on that since my car doesn't have the M sport pack.

5. The "shakes" you feel only on the steering and not on the seats and not felt by others is probably the lane keep assist at work. I feel it a lot too. It can be adjusted or even turned off on the idrive. Go to CAR -> Settings -> Driver assistance -> safety and warnings -> Lane departure warning. Set it to reduced or off. Also uncheck steering intervention if it's on. That is what corrects the steering to keep the car in your lane.
Or alternatively, hit the button next to the hazard warning signal button below the centre ac vents, choose configure individual and set your lane departure warning there.
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      02-10-2020, 06:02 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thisberob View Post
3. Car came with the steering wheel slightly rightward, 1-2 degrees, when going straight. This is less obvious at lower speeds but more obvious at highway speeds. Car tracks straight when the wheel is let go so I just let it be. (Maybe this is just due to the car following the crown of the road??)

4. Can anyone clarify VSS? I thought I would get used to it by now but I can definitely do without it.
When the steering wheel is not on-center, when driving straight, the steering precision is compromised. Steering and DSC requires a zero, neutral position, as a straight ahead reference, for proper function.

Say the EPS motor position sensor is running the correct calibration, (similar to a steering angle sensor), and your steering wheel is offset a degree or so, there is potential for oddities in left/right steering behaviour. Feedback signals will indicate you are not driving straight, (as you are not at zero position).

Assuming the steering wheel is definitely offset, when running 'straight', on the crown of the road, I'd have that issue sorted first.

What's the issue with the VSS function?
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      02-10-2020, 08:43 AM   #4
thisberob
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VipinLJ View Post
1. I honestly can't remember if it comes back to centre or not in my car. But it hasn't been an issue for me personally (as obvious from the fact that I can't remember how it works in my car).

2/3. By crown of the road, I'm assuming it's something like camber? (I've honestly never heard that terminology before because it isn't my field of expertise) If you mean the way roads are angled, in my G20, I don't actually notice it much. It was a little more obvious in my A4 (where I had to tilt the steering a wee bit to keep it going straight). I have an F25 and the G20 steering isn't that far off regarding how it has to be kept to account for the camber. The steering actually is pretty straight on my G20.
And the car tracks pretty straight. Very impressive actually considering my Audis don't track that well

4. VSS as in variable sport steering? Can't comment on that since my car doesn't have the M sport pack.

5. The "shakes" you feel only on the steering and not on the seats and not felt by others is probably the lane keep assist at work. I feel it a lot too. It can be adjusted or even turned off on the idrive. Go to CAR -> Settings -> Driver assistance -> safety and warnings -> Lane departure warning. Set it to reduced or off. Also uncheck steering intervention if it's on. That is what corrects the steering to keep the car in your lane.
Or alternatively, hit the button next to the hazard warning signal button below the centre ac vents, choose configure individual and set your lane departure warning there.
I've noticed that I need to bring the steering wheel back manually more often and obviously when the turn has a bank toward the left, meaning the left side of the road is obviously lower than the right. It almost feels as it the steering wheel "freezes" in that position. The f30 wanted to be on center at all times and I had to hold the wheel throughout the entire turn.

As for the VSS, I recently had a 330i xdrive non-msport loaner, brand new with ~30 miles and all the stickers on it, and I preferred the steering on that more than the on my msport. Can't exactly describe it but I suspect it has something to do with the VSS. Of note though, that loaner had the same exact issue as my car with the steering being off center to the right and it also followed the crown of the road but it was more noticeable in that car.

I turned my lane departure warning to reduced and steering intervention off - had a couple of near misses with the steering intervention. I do have the vibration setting to high. I drove it with all the settings off (red circle) and I still felt the vibrations.
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      02-10-2020, 09:01 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thisberob View Post
Hi all,

Came out of a f30 340 xdrive and into the g20 330 xdrive a couple of months ago. I actually don't notice much a power difference except when overtaking at 65mph+.

G20 so far has been a bit underwhelming for me and I think the biggest reason for that is the steering "issues" I'm feeling. Let me list them here have see if you guys experiences anything similar.

1. At highway speeds, on a sweeping turn to the left with the steering wheel turned ~10 degrees, it does not return to center and I have to manually bring the wheel back. Right sided sweeping turns have a similar effect but less so. (I do usually drive in the left lane so I think the slight crown towards the left has something to do with this)

2. This car loves going with the crown of the road. It's much more obvious than in the f30, agree??

3. Car came with the steering wheel slightly rightward, 1-2 degrees, when going straight. This is less obvious at lower speeds but more obvious at highway speeds. Car tracks straight when the wheel is let go so I just let it be. (Maybe this is just due to the car following the crown of the road??)

4. Can anyone clarify VSS? I thought I would get used to it by now but I can definitely do without it.

5. F30 steering fairly numb but after driving an F30 for 5+ years (2 leases) I got used to it. With the g20, I'm feeling way more of the road through the steering wheel, especially at 70mph+. It feels almost as if the wheels are out of balance but I don't think they are as the seats and car itself is super planted and firm with no "shake" as confirmed by passengers.

Good things about the g20? M-sport suspension brings me back closer to my e46 days. The tech is improved. Interior is definitely a step up from the f30. Love the remote start and makes getting into the car after a long overnight that much better.

Thanks for reading and weighing in!!

Maybe your alignment is off? My alignment was off at delivery and they had to adjust it. My car tracked right when the wheel was on center. It was okay after that but i have noticed that it is starting to track right again.

Yes, the car can be darty and twitchy at high speeds. I have observed this as well. It's hard to describe and you can only tell if you're the one holding the wheel> it's almost like the front tires are wobbly. I don't know if this is what people call feedback?(i don;t remember feedback like this in my e90)

What is really strange is this behavior comes and goes. The steering feels inconsistent, Sometimes it will track smooth and other times it will be twitchy and darty. Maybe depends on the road type. Putting the steering into sport helps a little bit with this. I will say it has gotten better. It's better now at 8,000 miles than it was new.

I too came from the F30 and it feels different. With the F30, i could let it coast at high speed without worrying too much. In the G20, i feel like i have to make a few more adjustments and be a bit more alert.

My steering always returns to center though after a turn or lane change though so don't know about that.

Btw, I don't have VSS. I'm always curious about how the vss feels ? Even the base steering has a variable ratio and i don't love it. And yes, i love the suspension/chassis on this car. 10x better than F30. But don't love the steering...compromises
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Last edited by alpinewhite3; 02-10-2020 at 09:10 AM..
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      02-10-2020, 10:08 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3 View Post
Maybe your alignment is off? My alignment was off at delivery and they had to adjust it. My car tracked right when the wheel was on center. It was okay after that but i have noticed that it is starting to track right again.

Yes, the car can be darty and twitchy at high speeds. I have observed this as well. It's hard to describe and you can only tell if you're the one holding the wheel> it's almost like the front tires are wobbly. I don't know if this is what people call feedback?(i don;t remember feedback like this in my e90)

What is really strange is this behavior comes and goes. The steering feels inconsistent, Sometimes it will track smooth and other times it will be twitchy and darty. Maybe depends on the road type. Putting the steering into sport helps a little bit with this. I will say it has gotten better. It's better now at 8,000 miles than it was new.

I too came from the F30 and it feels different. With the F30, i could let it coast at high speed without worrying too much. In the G20, i feel like i have to make a few more adjustments and be a bit more alert.

My steering always returns to center though after a turn or lane change though so don't know about that.

Btw, I don't have VSS. I'm always curious about how the vss feels ? Even the base steering has a variable ratio and i don't love it. And yes, i love the suspension/chassis on this car. 10x better than F30. But don't love the steering...compromises
I'm at 1600 miles now, the chances of getting the alignment comped by the dealer is pretty much zero now. I mentioned it to my CA when I got the car but decided against bringing it in because it's only off by 1-2 degrees, the car tracks straight, and when I brought in my X4 to fix a really bad alignment at delivery, they curbed ~10 inches of my rim and only made the alignment better (not completely straight) after 6 or 7 visits. I would rather just leave it vs wasting time going back and forth and reliving that nightmare.

What your describing vs the f30 is what I'm feeling as well. There is still an f30 330 xdrive in the family and I definitely don't have to make as many adjustments in the f30. The faster I go in the g20, the more adjustments I need to make, though the car itself is VERY planted.

Going locally, the steering always comes to center, e.g. making a left or right turn down the street. It's just with the sweeping left turns and sometimes sweeping right. Weird thing is that it doesn't happen every time either. It's most obvious when there is a bank in the turn, meaning during a sweeping left turn, the left side of the road is noticeably lower than the right side of the road. Very odd behavior.

Maybe I just need to get used to the g20.
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      07-19-2020, 01:33 AM   #7
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Coming from an F30 I'm really coming to despise the steering on the G20 - Ironic as I do prefer the directness on back rouads, but just can't get on with it at highway speeds. I actually find it fatiguing over long distances and prefer driving my wife's Ford Fiesta, which is not what a BMW is supposed to be about.
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      07-19-2020, 09:33 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shamone View Post
Coming from an F30 I'm really coming to despise the steering on the G20 - Ironic as I do prefer the directness on back rouads, but just can't get on with it at highway speeds. I actually find it fatiguing over long distances and prefer driving my wife's Ford Fiesta, which is not what a BMW is supposed to be about.
I don't know if your car came with Pirelli p7 run flats but a lot of my issues were resolved after swapping them out. Tire was super twitchy and darty and couldn't track straight if it's life depended on it. That being said - G20 steering took one step forward, two steps backward.
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      11-11-2020, 09:31 AM   #9
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steering issues g20

Hi All,
I own a 330d G20, 2019 model. Picked it up as a demo with 10k on the clock. I'm led to believe that the msport version comes with 2VL (variable sport steering) as part of the package. I also have an issue with this new steering system. Raised this issue with the dealer principle and he advises that the steering rack has angled teeth on either side of the centre point. This I'm told allows for sharper turns and reduced play on the wheel. However am not convinced that this is an improvement. It would appear that they have borowed this technology from Porsche.
On a flat long bend, it is difficult to corner at high speeds as one has to make constant adjustments to the wheel. Also because of the resistance passed the play point, one has to keep both hands on the wheel. Not my idea of a relaxed driving experience. I normally drive in eco pro mode as I find the steering somewhat easier but not normal. My old 330d F30 2013 steering is still better. Have also placed both vehicles side by side. The old 330d sits lower and has a compact look.I'm waiting for my local non-bmw wheel alignment centres to acquire the new software before I take it in for castor,camber and toe check. Will advise if there is any improvement. Sadly most of the reviews on the G20's are from car dealers that have borrowed the test vehicles from BMW and don't wish to comment adversely. Is there an issue with the steering system or am I just being paranoid?
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      11-11-2020, 11:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rameshthakurdin View Post
Hi All,
I own a 330d G20, 2019 model. Picked it up as a demo with 10k on the clock. I'm led to believe that the msport version comes with 2VL (variable sport steering) as part of the package. I also have an issue with this new steering system. Raised this issue with the dealer principle and he advises that the steering rack has angled teeth on either side of the centre point. This I'm told allows for sharper turns and reduced play on the wheel. However am not convinced that this is an improvement. It would appear that they have borowed this technology from Porsche.
On a flat long bend, it is difficult to corner at high speeds as one has to make constant adjustments to the wheel. Also because of the resistance passed the play point, one has to keep both hands on the wheel. Not my idea of a relaxed driving experience. I normally drive in eco pro mode as I find the steering somewhat easier but not normal. My old 330d F30 2013 steering is still better. Have also placed both vehicles side by side. The old 330d sits lower and has a compact look.I'm waiting for my local non-bmw wheel alignment centres to acquire the new software before I take it in for castor,camber and toe check. Will advise if there is any improvement. Sadly most of the reviews on the G20's are from car dealers that have borrowed the test vehicles from BMW and don't wish to comment adversely. Is there an issue with the steering system or am I just being paranoid?

Hate to break it you but the steering on the G20 is the only part of the car that is universally disappointing. Bmw tried to do a "one size fits all" here and it's not great. Can be a little twitchy at high speeds yet very slow and unresponsive at low speeds. You'll get used to it.
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      02-12-2021, 05:12 PM   #11
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This thread cracks me up. I've been searching for info about my crappy 2019 330i steering and the poster could not have described it better. It's especially obvious after coming from a 2017 330i (M Sport).

At least I know it's just bad design and/or build. The last thing I need is more waste of time dealer visits. I already paid $300 for the unnecessary alignment.
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      02-14-2021, 11:57 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bask Oner View Post
This thread cracks me up. I've been searching for info about my crappy 2019 330i steering and the poster could not have described it better. It's especially obvious after coming from a 2017 330i (M Sport).

At least I know it's just bad design and/or build. The last thing I need is more waste of time dealer visits. I already paid $300 for the unnecessary alignment.
One year left on the lease and unless the LCI has dramatically better steering I probably won't be leasing another G20. Shame b/c every other aspect of the car is absolutely perfect (except the steering & size)

Looking forward to test driving the new 2 series. Seems promising.
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      09-01-2021, 05:56 PM   #13
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Hello. Don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but wanted to give it a try. My 2021 BMW 330 IX (only a month old) constantly needs minor adjustments when driving; the faster I go the more it needs. Not a big deal, but never had anything like this before and had several BMW and other car brands over the last 25 years. The car just doesn't hold a line as long as it should on a flat / straight road without some very minor steering wheel adjustment to the left or to the right. But it's a constant. The car came with 18" Bridgestone Turanza LS 100. Otherwise, the car feels solid and planted. Not sure if an alignment or asking the dealer to swap the tires to the Continentals will help. Any suggestions?
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      09-14-2021, 09:06 PM   #14
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      03-23-2022, 05:19 PM   #15
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Steering issue

I have a '22 330ix Sportline and a '22 230i M Sport (each with about 600 miles on the odo) and both cars suffer in their own way from this constant-correction syndrome, the xDrive being the worse of the two.
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      05-25-2022, 02:43 PM   #16
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Hi OP. Did you ever get the issue in your car resolved? I am having similar issues and wondering what the outcome was. Thanks in advance.
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