How to make steering wheel heavier?

[c00lbeans]

Originally Posted by mpeteritas

Was there ever a clear answer to this question? I just ordered the OBD adapter so I can try this in a few days when it arrives.

Mark

Originally Posted by mpeteritas

Was there ever a clear answer to this question? I just ordered the OBD adapter so I can try this in a few days when it arrives.

Mark

I did both in my 40e. Eco pro now handles like sport. Soooooo much better. Car should have come like this.

[mpeteritas]

Awesome. Thanks, guys. Just did 400 miles of highway driving today, half in comfort mode, and half in sport mode (chassis only). Sport steering definitely has less wander and better centering. Looking forward to changing the memory setting. I plan so do just what you said, just changing it to remember the last used mode. Pretty annoying that it wasn't written like that too begin with.

Another annoyance... Ventilated front seat won't stay on full. They fall back to 2/3 setting after just a short time. I hope the programming for that is exposed.

Mark

[Tritan84]

What program is the simplest to use for coding? ISTA? Protool? Bimmercode?

[mpeteritas]

I'm using Bimmercode. I can't speak to the others.

Mark

[2001Aprilia]

Anybody had any luck finding a fix to the light steering for the F15?

[RED_Y_]

Originally Posted by 2001Aprilia

Anybody had any luck finding a fix to the light steering for the F15?

Fix-no, workaround of coding steering setting to always be in the sport mode to make it slightly heavier-yes.

[2001Aprilia]

Sorry jumped a few pages. Thanks

[blackoutF15]

Is it true as I read the previous comments that if the suspension is altered the steering wheel would be light all the time even in sport mode? While I really like how effortlessly it turns on local driving, it can be dangerous on the highway. I recently drove to mammoth lake, when passing a truck I sped up to 80 on 65 in a high wind zone, I almost lost control. Scared the crap out of me. I had both hands on the steering wheel too. I never experienced this in my previous euro cars including bmw

[blackoutF15]

Originally Posted by blackoutF15

Is it true as I read the previous comments that if the suspension is altered the steering wheel would be light all the time even in sport mode? While I really like how effortlessly it turns on local driving, it can be dangerous on the highway. I recently drove to mammoth lake, when passing a truck I sped up to 80 on 65 in a high wind zone, I almost lost control. Scared the crap out of me. I had both hands on the steering wheel too. I never experienced this in my previous euro cars including bmw

I should add, I run on H&R springs and I don't feel any difference between sport and normal drive modes

[Ascotgrun]

I have standard non-air suspension and I don't notice any difference in the steering either.

[blackoutF15]

Originally Posted by Ascotgrun

I have standard non-air suspension and I don't notice any difference in the steering either.

Yea me too. So maybe standard suspension without air bags don't have this feature?

[Ascotgrun]

Possibly. Maybe some of the above posters who noticed a difference can comment on whether they have air suspension or not.

[Pallich]

Hi All,

Im from Ukraine, so please excuse my English )))

I have F15 for a couple of years and agree that light steering is killing all emotions from owning this car. Even in SPORT mode, it is extremely light on speeds below 60mph, so in 90% of the most of the steering activity. I started searching for how this can be changed (in progress...), and hope that we can find a solution together.
Here what i have found so far:

This feature is certainly programmable, as steering gets firmer at higher speeds and in SPORT mode.
I found that a feature called Servotronic (0216 Hydro steering-servotronic) is responsible for this. And it is programmable.
The task of the Servotronic is to continuously adapt the power steering to the vehicle's speed and steering angle. For this purpose, the Servotronic controls the electric current of the Servotronic valve, whereby the available hydraulic oil flow supports the steering process with varying degrees of intensity
Servotronic has a bypass valve which is controlled by current (from 0.9A on low speed to 0A on high speed). Simply saying on higher speeds CPU sends less current to the Servotronic bypass valve and the steering becomes firmer. And opposite - on lower speeds more current and steering is more light. see the graph below:

vertical - current in Amp's, horizontal - Speed (Km/ph)

it contains reference speed values: 9 kph, 18 kph, 27 kph, 36 kph, etc. — these are the values of movement speed at which the gain changes, i.e. The steering wheel is getting heavier and heavier. You can change these reference points.
Here is the picture where these parameters can be changed in E83 body.


Im bad in coding, so can't find same in F15 ECU's
Hope this info will help us to find the way to re-programming.
I will keep searching on Ukrainian and Russian forums meanwhile.

Most of this info I have found here (you can use translator from russian to English)

https://www.drive2.ru/l/543036149648589896/

https://www.drive2.ru/l/549986162647761850/

https://www.drive2.ru/l/602140946955505864/

[Pallich]

The service manual for dealers says the following:
F15 - Drive and chassis
4. Steering.
With the release of the F15, the X5 series receives an electric steering system as standard.
The additional SA 217 "Active Steering" option uses a hydraulic steering mechanism. The Servotronic function is included in both systems.

I have the usual configuration, without SA217, in the description there is only the following:
Power steering with variable steering force depending on speed

It remains to find how this force is regulated. And is it possible to change this parameter in the F series in the same way as it was possible in the E series? (I have a doubt as E series has a hydraulic steering ramp, and we have pure electric and probably there are some more complicated algorithms to control steering force than it was on E-series)

BTW owners of the F15 with SA217 say that steering is firm and sharp, as it should be on real BMW.

[RED_Y_]

I think all F15 came with electric steering (at least for NA market).

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by RED_Y_

I think all F15 came with electric steering (at least for NA market).

Yep. True.