Just got my car back, and wow.. I cannot believe what a software update can do these days. I had an active steering failure light and they replaced the AFS Control Unit, requiring a CIP update. Here are what I noticed like IMMEDIATELY:

1. No more throttle LAG! It's gone! It feels like drive by wire now!
2. Transmission shifts so smooth, I can't tell when it's shifting w/o looking at the tach.
3. RDS works!

They didn't fix my rear rattle though. Bastards.

 

19.01.01 did the same for me. What was the problem with your AS. I should have AS, but can't even tell if I do (or don't). And, I found that there is an AS icon that shows when one starts up. Mine displays the ! next to the steering wheel--which means there is a problem. Others seem to have indicated the same thing, but I am not sure.

Those who have seen the icon. Is the ! always present?

 

19.01.01 did the same for me. What was the problem with your AS. I should have AS, but can't even tell if I do (or don't). And, I found that there is an AS icon that shows when one starts up. Mine displays the ! next to the steering wheel--which means there is a problem. Others seem to have indicated the same thing, but I am not sure.

Those who have seen the icon. Is the ! always present?
[/quote]
On key turn on you should see the all the ICONS lite up for your configuration as a test for just a few seconds. AS is a steering wheel with an ! next to it on the right hand side (the two together). Then if all is normal all these ICONS (AS, plus brakes, DSC....etc.) go out. If, after starting car, the AS has a fault the combo symbol (steering wheel and ! together) should come on. Now it might go out, but a ! might be stored in the other location (triangle with a ! inside of it) indicating you might have a stored service message in iDrive. You would have to go into the "service" menu to ferret this out. Did I cover your situation? The fact that you see the steering wheel with the ! next to it means you have AS and assuming the combined symbol goes away - you have a normal operating system.

 

vnod, I had a check control message on the iDrive saying "ACTIVE STEERING FAILURE!" stop etc. etc. I restarted, drove a little turned the wheel, heard a loud POP noise and my car pulled to the left.

Your car definitely has AS. You can tell as it takes very little effort to turn into your driveway, for instance, it should take about 3/4 turn of the wheel to make a 90 degree turn.

I'm not to0 crazy about it, if I had a choice, it would be an option I would have skipped.

Are you sure it was a steering wheel icon? The clock icon looks like a steering wheel, if your clock is NOT set, it will give you this icon and the exclamation will be on. This happened to me today, i thought it was a steering icon TOo!

 

On key turn on you should see the all the ICONS lite up for your configuration as a test for just a few seconds. AS is a steering wheel with an ! next to it on the right hand side (the two together). Then if all is normal all these ICONS (AS, plus brakes, DSC....etc.) go out. If, after starting car, the AS has a fault the combo symbol (steering wheel and ! together) should come on. Now it might go out, but a ! might be stored in the other location (triangle with a ! inside of it) indicating you might have a stored service message in iDrive. You would have to go into the "service" menu to ferret this out. Did I cover your situation? The fact that you see the steering wheel with the ! next to it means you have AS and assuming the combined symbol goes away - you have a normal operating system.
[/quote]Thanks cd. I decided later that the icon showing a distressed state was just a test and not the indication of a problem. And, yes, you covered the point perfectly. I am going to check for messages, but I don't think I have a problem at this point. Still can detect the AS though. Thanks much.

[/quote]
Thanks much for your help tomwid. Some of the issue of AS is becoming more confusing to me. Check this thread out if you are interested. My understanding is, as you say, that at slower speeds less steering input is needed to yield a given amount of directional change than at higher speeds given AS. Given what you and cd say, I am going to check for any iDrive messages, although I don't think I have a problem at this point. And, I sure think it was the steering wheel icon I saw, but I am going to check that again too. Thanks again.

 

I have had 2 AS failures, but none since a software upgrade about 30 days ago... I have no idea what version of software I have

 

On key turn on you should see the all the ICONS lite up for your configuration as a test for just a few seconds. AS is a steering wheel with an ! next to it on the right hand side (the two together). Then if all is normal all these ICONS (AS, plus brakes, DSC....etc.) go out. If, after starting car, the AS has a fault the combo symbol (steering wheel and ! together) should come on. Now it might go out, but a ! might be stored in the other location (triangle with a ! inside of it) indicating you might have a stored service message in iDrive. You would have to go into the "service" menu to ferret this out. Did I cover your situation? The fact that you see the steering wheel with the ! next to it means you have AS and assuming the combined symbol goes away - you have a normal operating system.
[/quote]Thanks cd. I decided later that the icon showing a distressed state was just a test and not the indication of a problem. And, yes, you covered the point perfectly. I am going to check for messages, but I don't think I have a problem at this point. Still can detect the AS though. Thanks much.

[/quote]
Thanks much for your help tomwid. Some of the issue of AS is becoming more confusing to me. Check this thread out if you are interested. My understanding is, as you say, that at slower speeds less steering input is needed to yield a given amount of directional change than at higher speeds given AS. Given what you and cd say, I am going to check for any iDrive messages, although I don't think I have a problem at this point. And, I sure think it was the steering wheel icon I saw, but I am going to check that again too. Thanks again.
[/quote]No service messages. Thanks to both again.