BMW 6 ABS Warning + Heavy Steering: Multiple Issues Alert

Hey there! I've got some experience with cars, nothing too fancy but I've dealt with similar issues. I actually had nearly identical symptoms with my 2013 BMW 5 Series diesel last year. These signs rang a bell immediately as I went through quite a headache with my car. After the steering got heavy and ABS light came on, I took it to my regular workshop. Turned out it was a faulty tire pressure monitoring valve that was sending incorrect signals, triggering multiple warnings. The fix wasn't too complex, they replaced the valve and recalibrated the system. Cost me around 280 Euro, which included labor and parts. Before jumping to conclusions though, could you share: Have you checked if all tires are properly inflated? Did these symptoms appear suddenly or gradually? Are there any other warning lights on? This could help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue I had with my 5 Series.

Thanks for the detailed reply! My car's at 54120 KM and had its last service about 2 months ago. Everything was actually fine until last week when it started acting up. I've double-checked all tire pressures and they're spot on according to the manual. The symptoms came on pretty suddenly, started with the ABS light one morning, then by evening the steering got really heavy. No other warning lights aside from the ones I mentioned, which is kind of a relief. I'm thinking of taking it to the mechanic next week, but wanted to get some community insights first to avoid getting overcharged for unnecessary repairs. Your experience with the pressure monitoring valve is really helpful, definitely something I'll mention to the mechanic. Would you mind sharing if you noticed any unusual noises before your valve issue started? I'm hearing a slight whining sound when turning the wheel.

Hey again! Thanks for the follow-up. Actually, the whining sound you mentioned is different from what I experienced with my 5 Series, and it's got me thinking this might not be just a tire pressure monitoring issue like mine was. Come to think of it, that whining sound while turning is pretty telling, could be your power steering pump acting up. Looking back, I should've mentioned in my first reply that sometime after my valve issue was fixed, I actually ran into a similar whining problem. Turned out my power steering pump was failing, which explained the heavy steering and whining noise. The repair for the pump was a bit pricier than the valve fix, around 800 Euro including parts and labor. But honestly, it was worth every penny because these symptoms can get worse pretty quickly. My suggestion would be to get it checked ASAP, better safe than sorry. When my power steering pump was going bad, the whining got louder over just a couple of days. If you're hearing that sound already, you might want to bump up your mechanic visit sooner than next week. Would be good to check your power steering fluid level too if you can, mine was low when this happened, which made the pump work harder than it should've.

Thanks so much for the heads up about the power steering pump! That really changes my perspective on what's going on. I actually just checked the power steering fluid like you suggested, and it's looking pretty low, definitely below the minimum mark. That's probably not good news, but at least it explains some things. You've convinced me to move up my mechanic appointment, called and got squeezed in for tomorrow morning. Really glad I asked here first because I would've probably waited longer and potentially made things worse. The price you mentioned for the pump repair isn't fun to hear, but I guess that's just part of owning these cars. Better to fix it properly than risk bigger issues down the road. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, especially about how quickly these symptoms can get worse. The specific details about your repairs and costs helped me understand what I might be dealing with. I'll update the thread once I know what's actually wrong with mine, might help someone else down the line.