'98 M3 Sedan steering problem

[ualdriver]

Hello-

I have a '98 M3 with about 41K miles. I've noticed recently that the steering is starting to bind a little bit in the sense that their seems to be some extra resistance/friction when steering the car. Further, the wheel does not return to center after a turn, like it used to. The steering fluid is full and there are no leaks or unusual sounds coming from the steering pump. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any ideas what the problem might be and how much to fix if I got some estimates?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[daihard]

This sounds like a dumb suggestion, but did you make sure your front tyres were both properly inflated?

 

[Wadula]

daihard makes a valid point. and furthermore check if the alignment is correct. the problem you have with the steering not recentereing is typical for bad alignment.