[Jeff J]

Can someone give me a definitive answer as to whether the F30 with manual transmission has a steering column lock?

Backstory: My 335i 6MT was hit in my work parking lot last week while I was nowhere near the car. A truck parked next to me pulled forward out of their space, turned too soon, and their right rear wheel hit my left front and essentially pulled the front end off the car. Steering was straight when I left the car (double push on the stop button, then locked), and was hard over to the right when I returned. The whole car was pivoted a little in the parking space too. If there was a steering lock, I would not have expected the steering to move unless the hit was hard enough to break the lock. Trying to educate the body shop on what they need to be looking for beyond the obvious bodywork damage.

[mark1996]

I had similar damage to my E90: both body work and front suspension repair was needed. My insurance covered the cost of having the local BMW dealer replace steering/suspension components and to make sure everything was done to factory specs. Then, the car was transferred to the body shop for the body work.

The above process ensures that your suspension/steering is checked and repaired using oem parts and by techs who know what they are doing. I would not think that a body shop would want to mess with with suspension/steering components.

[chiefneil]

I'd want the dealer inspecting for mechanical damage, and the body shop inspecting for cosmetic damage

[Jeff J]

Fair enough. It's the dealer's body shop, so I'm at least somewhat hopeful that they're talking to each other within the office. Everyone involved (including the other guy's insurance) knows it's a leased car too, so the "factory specs" part of it is pretty important when my lease return comes around next winter.

Just trying to be proactive about it a little on my end to make extra certain nothing hidden gets overlooked.

[techwhiz]

Originally Posted by Jeff J

Can someone give me a definitive answer as to whether the F30 with manual transmission has a steering column lock?

BMW hasn't put steering locks on cars since they started using coded (NFC) keys.
My 1998 E36 M3 had no steering lock.
I doubt that they started adding them.
My 2008 has no steering lock.

[Jeff J]

Thanks for that info - didn't know it went that far back. Nor have I ever tried moving the steering with the car fully off. For what it's worth, my Audi (2015 Q7) definitely has one - it prompts you each time you turn the car off to ask if you want it engaged...

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

BMW hasn't put steering locks on cars since they started using coded (NFC) keys.
My 1998 E36 M3 had no steering lock.
I doubt that they started adding them.
My 2008 has no steering lock.

E36 had a mechanical steering lock and the E90 had an electrical steering lock.
Early E90 had a number of problems with the new electronic steering locks.

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

E36 had a mechanical steering lock and the E90 had an electrical steering lock.
Early E90 had a number of problems with the new electronic steering locks.

Haven't seen you post in awhile fleet. How yea doin?

[Daftasabrush]

manual F20s have steering column locks so I would assume a manual F30 would have tbh.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by SoCalDave

Haven't seen you post in awhile fleet. How yea doin?

Fine, and you ?

[CalCarNut]

Good to hear