Q: BMW325i 2005 overheated, lost some coolant, steering hard, battery light on
The check engine light came on as daughter was driving to school, she noticed the steering wheel very difficult to turn, got to school, hard to park, at end of school day, noticed that coolant had leaked out, but not completely, car did crank, steering still hard, tried to drive it home, battery light came on, it did overheat on the way home about 2 or 3 miles, parked in yard, cooled off. Opened radiator, it did spew some, but wasn't empty, power steering fluid was full (sort of brownish color though), everything else looks great under the hood; put a car reader on and the codes p0174 and p0171 come on. I have past records that show where parts have been replaced: new radiator, expansion tank hose, and water pump pulley along w/ oil change in July 17; new thermostat June 16; expansion tank and transmission oil cooler thermostat Jan 17; new tires Dec 16; new battery Oct 16; replaced DR belt Dec 15; fixed oil filter housing gasket leak & Vanos oil supply line Apr 15; fuel pump May 14.
My car has 167000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Hi Pam. Thanks for contacting us tonight. In most cases when a car overheats, it causes steam to escape and can cause damage to sensors and other electrical components. This is likely why you’re having difficulty starting the vehicle, turning and such. The process for resolving this issue is typical to determine what is causing the coolant leak, repair that and inspect other electrical components for damage. Since you have a BMW, I would strongly recommend contacting a BMW specialist in your area to repair the vehicle, as their electrical and coolant systems are rather complex and best suited for a specialist to repair.
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