Steering to the left.?

shurl

Hey Folks.

Anyone know what would cause the car to turn to the left if the
steering wheel is let go.?
Doesn't go nuts, just slowly turns a bit.

Also is it a serious prob (in a 95 fiesta with 65k on it) and is it expensive to fix?

Cheers
S.

seamus

Nah, it should just be a matter of wheel tracking/balancing.

Afaik, places like Kwik-Fit will do it while you wait, and it's not too expensive.

Cars are meant to steer slightly to the right (maybe it's left) cos roads slope slighty.

It's one of those things tho, that the longer you leave it, the more pronounced it may become.

Pimp Ninja

It could just be something as simple as the air pressure in your tyres. If your tyres are inproperly inflated this can be one of the results. Check the tyre pressures in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines.

After you've ruled this out then its like Seamus said.. Wheel tracking/balancing.

shurl

kewl,
Cheers folks.

Tis for a friend of mine who was getting a bit worried.

I'll let her know.

Cheers
S.

ando

used to happen to me in the van. Twas quite funny on the N2 going 60 letting go of the steering wheel !!!! :eek:

Selik

My car does the same thing, it's a 1998 Golf with 52k on the clock. Afaik it's just the tracking which needs to be adjusted. If I let go of my steering wheel going 30-40mph on a straight the car starts heading for the kerb and will hit it if I don't grab my wheel again and straighten up again! It's a little annoying but nothing more. Having said that however I think I'll take the car back to the dealer while it's still under warranty and get it sorted as it's only going to get worse, not better!

louie

Wheel tracking or not enough air will cause that.
Bad Balance on the wheels will cause shaking at high speed (over 60mph)

Getting the tracking done should solve the problem.

If that does not solve it then is getting into a more serious problem.

KoNiT

If not tyre pressure or tracking, there are a couple of rubber bushings which could be worn.
Not that expensive to fix & some can be done yourself if you have the tools. Fiesta's are easy to maintain, if you've an interest, get a haynes manual. Tells you how to do everything & how hard it is.

Tyre pressure should be checked weekly, & wheels a good 'grope' for deformaties & cuts!
Don't forget they are the only thing keeping you from the ditch.

Chimaera

At the very least, like was said already, it's just wonky tyre pressures.

Tracking is unlikley to cause that kind of problem since it only adjusts the wheels relative to the steering wheel.

It could be worn suspension bushings. More seriously it could be bent suspension - thumping a wheel into a kerb could bend it enough to cause problems.

Most seriously, it could be a misaligned body shell. If the car had ever been crashed it could have warped the shell, and thrown the suspension mounts out of alignment. The car could possibly be repaired well enough to disguise the crash damage to the casual observer, while leaving the suspension out of line. While this scenario is unlikley, it is worth checking into if the other solutions mentioned above don't work.

As a side note, cars in Ireland and the UK are set to steer slightly to the right when the wheel is held straight to counteract the camber of the road which would tend to turn a car to the left. On the continent, the reverse will be the case i.e. cars are set to turn slightly to the left. It is something you would need to be aware of if you take your car to the continent as you will be set up to head towards the ditch over there.

Kali

cambers might likely be to blame as well.. was the solution on my Seat anyway.

jumpingjack

ah its definitely tracking.kwik fit can do it in ten minutes while you wait.my brother works for them.it costs about 25 quid so its not expensive.it happens to cars if they take a bump off something like a rock or a pot hole.no biggy.

best to go to somewhere like kwit fit where they have the laser guided tracking system.if you go to an ordinary place it wont be as accurate.

herbie747

Originally posted by Chimaera

It could be worn suspension bushings. More seriously it could be bent suspension - thumping a wheel into a kerb could bend it enough to cause problems.

Most seriously, it could be a misaligned body shell. If the car had ever been crashed it could have warped the shell, and thrown the suspension mounts out of alignment. The car could possibly be repaired well enough to disguise the crash damage to the casual observer, while leaving the suspension out of line. While this scenario is unlikley, it is worth checking into if the other solutions mentioned above don't work.

As a side note, cars in Ireland and the UK are set to steer slightly to the right when the wheel is held straight to counteract the camber of the road which would tend to turn a car to the left. On the continent, the reverse will be the case i.e. cars are set to turn slightly to the left. It is something you would need to be aware of if you take your car to the continent as you will be set up to head towards the ditch over there.

Using big words so people will think he actually knows what he's talking about. lol

Chimaera

No need to be nasty - I'm a qualified mechanical engineer. I'm just going through what could cause a car to steer out of line. If you've nothing positive to contribute, then I suggest staying quiet - as the saying goes, "it is better to stay quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!"

herbie747

Actually I have a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from DIT Bolton Street.

It's "Mechanical Engineering", not a Motor Mechanics course. The course covers very little about car structures and steering. It's mostly design, technology, instrumentation and development- so basically I still think you're talking through your arse.
It's obviously the tracking that's wrong with his car, so you don't have to show-off your ability to copy and paste.

Chimaera

That's true. However it does teach you (or should do at least) how to look at a problem and consider the possible causes of it, and not jump to conclusions prematurely.

I know a reasonable amount about cars having been interested in them for a very long time, and combining my knowledge from both areas, I came to the conclusions above. I did not copy and paste, as I had no need to.

The tracking wasn't quite obviously the problem - it could have been the problem, but so could any of the other reasons I listed. Even if tracking was the problem in this case, someone else may have a car with similar symptoms, and the tracking may not be the problem, in which case other causes have to be considered.

The worst thing an engineer can be is narrow minded - be prepared to accept that others may have knowledge that you don't have, and be willing to learn from them.

herbie747

Originally posted by Chimaera
The worst thing an engineer can be is narrow minded - be prepared to accept that others may have knowledge that you don't have, and be willing to learn from them.

Yeah but this is a forum- he's not actually asking you to fix it for him. He didn't ask for your life story- or a list of ALL possibilities.

He's not going to drop it in to get it fixed based on what you've said, and tell the mechanic that he thinks it might be the "worn suspension bushings". He only wanted basic suggestions. If he was a mate and I was looking at the car myself, I might go into a bit of detail, but he's not going to take what someone he doesn't even know on a forum says as gospel.

shurl

Originally posted by herbie747
Yeah but this is a forum- he's not actually asking you to fix it for him. He didn't ask for your life story- or a list of ALL possibilities.

He's not going to drop it in to get it fixed based on what you've said, and tell the mechanic that he thinks it might be the "worn suspension bushings". He only wanted basic suggestions. If he was a mate and I was looking at the car myself, I might go into a bit of detail, but he's not going to take what someone he doesn't even know on a forum says as gospel.

Not nessecarily. I actually prefer a list of possibilities.
Its far more helpfull seeing all the posible problem areas, instead of just one.
Like to see the bigger picture so to speak.
(BTW i'm technically inclined my self, so I'm not going to faint at the sound of tech-speak)

The reason I posted this question is because this IS a forum of people (some) who know more about certain things then I do.
Its up to me to take things as true or bs (which it hasn't been)

Anyway, cheers for the input folks.!
Now put down the guns, and back away!

S.