Scary steering issue (steering wheel turns left and right by itself)

Just wondering if anyone had had a similar issue:

I have been doing some long drives in my gen 1.5. It had a slight wheel imbalance (slight shakes at 10,20,40mph). At other speeds all was fine.

I am parked up in the rain (and it is near midwinter here!) and won’t drive my car for now. The judder rapidly escalated, and I have found that the steering wheel turns itself left and right, back and forth, at low speeds.

I have checked the steering by turning the steering wheel and looking at the tyres. Zero play is evident. However, I have noticed that the camber of the front wheels seems ‘negative’ (with the wheels splayed out as if I have missed the camber, except I haven’t!). At 9mph, the car moves sideways left and right, including if the steering wheel is held straight.

I have looked under the car and nothing is hanging down etc. The weather makes it hard to look any closer; the weather will be good tomorrow, and I won’t drive till I know what is wrong, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas / experience of something similar (in particular, steering wheel turning left and right back and forth at low speed (worsening over the journey), sudden? negative camber, but zero play in steering, wheel bolts all on tight etc

thank you

 

Edit : front wheels seem a little splayed ‘negative camber’ despite no modification; steering itself has zero play, remains precise etc, the issue persists even if ‘shifting to neutral’, doesn’t change under acceleration or braking, steering remains precise / no play on inspection or when I was driving.

 

Have just checked that - I couldn’t find the ECU (found a diagram saying it is under the steering column, and found a few plugs behind the glovebox) so : I found the EMPS relay under the bonnet, and pulled that - I get a red triangle after a PS warning, and steering is very heavy!

Unfortunately, the problem persists even with the PS disabled (this might be a good thing cost-wise, depending on what else is going on!

I am sure I am not imagining the front wheels being slightly splayed out (negative camber), but I might be imagining it.

The worst thing is that this has been progressive, going from ‘I’m going to need a wheel alignment’ yesterday, to ‘this isn’t right’ this morning, to ‘I will take the back roads these last 7 miles so I can drive slowly’. Whatever it is, it is worsening progressively, giving zero chance to get home if I was to try.

I am somewhere safe, and will try to get it checked out; am waiting on someone for a meeting (unrelated) before I can phone/ hopefully find a garage to get it checked out. Annoyingly it is now midday on Friday