Steering Wheel not centered

DHFrame · 03-03-2011 8:38pm #1

Hey,

I have a 2 year old Auris that went in for a service and was given back to me with the steering wheel not straight, e.g. going in a straight line steering wheel not straight. I took it back to the Toyota Garage where it had been serviced and told them about it. They looked at me like I was an alien, and the young guy from the garage floor said, ''Tracking has been done yeah? We will have to take the steering wheel apart, take it off and put it back on again, will be 3 hours at least''....I didn't have time, ugghhh. I have been in other cars with the steering wheel like this. Surely as part of tracking a car the steering wheel would need checking after?

Is this something I can rectify myself easily? Can a steering wheel be removed and put back on straight easily, or does it not work like that? I know the horn cover is pretty easy to take off, not sure about the Airbag though?

Thanks!!!!

D

mickdw · 03-03-2011 8:42pm

You dont ever take the steering off to correct this. They did the tracking wrong. If it was straight in the past and you didnt bend something, they they simply f*cked up your alignment.
I would ask to speak directly to the owner if the technicians at a main dealer are spouting crap like this.

Green Hornet · 03-03-2011 8:43pm

They didn't centre the wheel while doing the tracking. Thats all. The guy did not know what he was doing although it is difficult to get it spot on. Needs to do it again. Keep going back until it's right.

Leonard Hofstadter · 03-03-2011 9:31pm

If they couldn't do the tracking, then I'd be very worried about the quality of the workmanship elsewhere....

crosstownk · 03-03-2011 9:35pm

Removing the steering wheel to centre it is not an option. This needs to be done by getting the tracking adjusted correctly. If the steering wheel is removed and centered then there will be a difference between left and right turning circle on full lock.

Leonard Hofstadter · 03-03-2011 9:52pm

Removing the steering wheel would be fairly awkward with that car anyway, as it has a drivers airbag!

It needs to be retracked, simple as.

Compton · 03-03-2011 10:19pm

Why do 10 people need to say it needs to be retracked? surely the guy will understand after 2 people have said it?

johnayo · 03-03-2011 10:26pm

I'd say have this retracked. Anyone agree with me?

crosstownk · 03-03-2011 10:28pm

shblob wrote: »

Why do 10 people need to say it needs to be retracked? surely the guy will understand after 2 people have said it?

Consensus of opinion, that's why.

Caolan1 · 03-03-2011 10:31pm

+1 Why do 10 people need to say it needs to be retracked? surely the guy will understand after 2 people have said it?:)

peasant · 03-03-2011 10:48pm

shblob wrote: »

Why do 10 people need to say it needs to be retracked? surely the guy will understand after 2 people have said it?

Caolan1 wrote: »

+1 Why do 10 people need to say it needs to be retracked? surely the guy will understand after 2 people have said it?:)

It was only five people ...five more to go before your pointless complaints are justified

Caolan1 · 03-03-2011 11:01pm

+1 It was only five people ...five more to go before your pointless complaints are justified

mickob16 · 03-03-2011 11:06pm

I reckon it needs to be tracked.......you would have thought someone here would have told you;););)

Solnskaya · 03-03-2011 11:14pm

Probably needs to be retracked. Just my own opinion here though, it might not be the tracking.:D

Nissan doctor · 03-03-2011 11:20pm

I wouldn't just ask for it to be re-aligned, I'd ask them what type of alignment they are doing. The alignment of the rear axle has as much, and in some cases more, of an effect on the steering wheel position so you need to have a full 4 wheel alignment carried out.

And regarding removing the steering wheel to center it, if they said that it should be the last time they have you businness! Not only do you have to remove the airbag etc and would leave the wheel off center with the rack but modern cars with esp systems have steering angle sensors which would also not function correctly if the wheel was moved!

mickdw · 03-03-2011 11:29pm

and OP, dont let them blind you with dumb science. If they are confusing you with terms tracking/alignment just tell them they did it wrong and that you want it redone free until its right. Even if they show you results for 4 wheel alignment being within tolerance, the major alignment points on this sheet can still be set with the correct toe in for the wheels etc even with the steering off centre so its still wrong. Its always wrong when the steering is off centre.

DHFrame · 04-03-2011 9:27am

Thanks for all the reply's guys, after reading each and every one of them I have come up with an idea.... I think it needs the tracking doing again... anyone agree? lol

Thanks.

keithclancy · 04-03-2011 10:40am

ffs ... thats like saying the front axle needs to be taken off to change the wheels.

Green Hornet · 04-03-2011 10:52am

keithclancy wrote: »

ffs ... thats like saying the front axle needs to be taken off to change the wheels.

Funny thing is that there are loads of these guys are actually out there doing alignments!

biko · 04-03-2011 10:54am

Hmm, maybe get it tracked again?

Nissan doctor · 04-03-2011 8:43pm

Green Hornet wrote: »

Fuuny thing is that there are loads of these guys are actually out there doing alignments!

I had a main Nissan dealer bring me an almera to align that they had put a steering rack into, the rack was off center so the steering wheel coun't be set straight as all the tracking adjustment was on one side. They actually asked me to just take the wheel off and just put it back on straight!

They weren't very impressed when I suggested, 'how about you take the car back and fit your customers steering rack properly instead'!:rolleyes:

This was the workshop manager I was dealing with too.....

Compton · 04-03-2011 10:02pm

Maybe get it tracked again~>?

mickdw · 04-03-2011 10:19pm

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I had a main Nissan dealer bring me an almera to align that they had put a steering rack into, the rack was off center so the steering wheel coun't be set straight as all the tracking adjustment was on one side. They actually asked me to just take the wheel off and just put it back on straight!

They weren't very impressed when I suggested, 'how about you take the car back and fit your customers steering rack properly instead'!:rolleyes:

This was the workshop manager I was dealing with too.....

Have people no sense of pride in there work at all. Its seems to be the attitude everywhere to just fire everything back together and take the cash.

Green Hornet · 04-03-2011 10:28pm

mickdw wrote: »

Have people no sense of pride in there work at all. Its seems to be the attitude everywhere to just fire everything back together and take the cash.

Even worse....they actually don't know what they are doing. Steering wheel off centre is very common for alignments unfortunately. Drives me nuts!

pajero12 · 04-03-2011 10:47pm

Think you'll have to retrack it

DHFrame · 06-03-2011 11:17am

ok. Took the car to Discount Tyre's to get it professionally tracked and aligned. It was €40. Took about 20mins. Drove the car away and the steering wheel is still off to the left, although not as much. I went straight back, and told the guy at the desk. He said ok we'll have another look. I was called onto the shop floor and he showed me that all the tracking's were within mm tolerances. One set of numbers on the computer screen were lit up red so I asked, he said thats the camber of the front wheels, both left and right, leaning to the right a little, he said you cant adjust that on this car. I have 3 tyre's of the same type and one different on the back right which looks like it doesn't have as deeper grips. He said it could be the tyre's but the car is going straight and you should be fine. Not wanting to stand there arguing I left and got on to the M50 feeling the car pulling, but very, very slightly which is probably the camber of the road..... What do you guys reckon? Will it ever be straight or will I just have to live with it? If I get a new set of tyre's before winter will it result in a straight steering wheel? Its not the steering wheel which is bothering me, but the symbol of a non straight steering wheel says something isn't right. And its only 2 years old.

thanks dudes

Compton · 06-03-2011 11:38am

Think you might want to get it retracked?

Nissan doctor · 06-03-2011 3:58pm

If both your front right and left wheels are both cambered in the same direction, i.e right wheel cambered in and left wheel cambered out, then that is a sign that the front subframe is out of alignment for some reason. It may have been removed before or it may also be a sign of accident damage.:eek:

DHFrame · 06-03-2011 7:33pm

Nissan doctor wrote: »

If both your front right and left wheels are both cambered in the same direction, i.e right wheel cambered in and left wheel cambered out, then that is a sign that the front subframe is out of alignment for some reason. It may have been removed before or it may also be a sign of accident damage.:eek:

Well it's definitely not being in an accident as I have had it from brand new and it's never had anything major done to it ever, and it doesn't even know what a kerb or pot hole is. It's been utterly perfect from day one. I checked all the tyre pressures again today, all 35psi. I am definitely suspect of the different make tyre on the back right. The other three have really deep grips and that one really doesn't at all.

rebel.ranter · 06-03-2011 8:33pm

After careful consideration of previous posts I think you need to get the alignment done again by somone who actually knows what they are doing. Get it tracked again!

Darsad · 06-03-2011 8:59pm

You need to get the car aligned by someone who knows what they are doing , I would recommend a garage with laser four wheel alignment normally people with this type of equipment know how to use it unlike tyre shops with computerised set up where and I have witnessed people carrying out four wheel alignment without any basic understanding or knowlwdge of wheel alignment and are simply doing what the computer tells them. Castle Garage in Bray set up my car with their laser alignment equipment and they know their stuff and told me its a requirement that Subaru insist all their dealers having .

Nissan doctor · 06-03-2011 9:52pm

DHFrame wrote: »

Well it's definitely not being in an accident as I have had it from brand new and it's never had anything major done to it ever, and it doesn't even know what a kerb or pot hole is. It's been utterly perfect from day one. I checked all the tyre pressures again today, all 35psi. I am definitely suspect of the different make tyre on the back right. The other three have really deep grips and that one really doesn't at all.

Did you see reading from the rear axle? Just because a car only has adjustment for front toe doesn't mean the any of the other perameters aren't off.

DHFrame · 07-03-2011 8:45am

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Did you see reading from the rear axle? Just because a car only has adjustment for front toe doesn't mean the any of the other perameters aren't off.

Yeah, literally the only thing that was out was camber of front 2. Everything else is perfect. I am going to put the odd tire on the other side of the back axle today and see what happens. I am very confident it's that tire. Well hoping anyway.

My Theory: Tracking perfect, lower resistance from back right and, high resistance from other three resulting in car crabbing to the left, hence steering wheel point left very slightly x road camber. However, this would suggest low speeds would be o.k., but the steering is off at any speed, which could suggest tire diameter may be different. If the odd tire is smaller, which it could well be as it as a lot less grip, this would tally with a bias towards the left also. I'll know today anyway.

Steering Wheel not centered

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