Guys can anybody help here.
My Octy has become very unstable whilst driving it to the point I sometimes consider it dangerous. Don't know why this has happened.
It's suffering from terrible oversteer. If I drive it round a right hand bend the back end feels like its sliding away and twitches badly. If I steer round a left hand bend everything seems ok. I'm confused about this. Almost like 4 wheel steering going round right hand bend. This has been going on for months and I can't sort it out. All tyres are new Kumhos KU39 which are very grippy indeed. I've had a Hunter wheel alignment done and everything is spot on dead straight. I've asked the dealer numerous times to check all suspension bushes,ball joints,links and shockers etc and nothing is faulty. There's no wheel bearings gone and no wheel wobble after physically checking each one.
Where do I go from here?
This car will throw me off the road soon.
Right bend -very bad oversteer.
Left bend- fights to go round,always wants to straighten back.
Also no fault codes for steering rack and no play.
Sorry for long thread. All help appreciated


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

First thing i would say is stop using the vehicle until its repaired.........the risk of it veering off the road would be horrendous for you and the oncoming vehicle/s.... Secondly have you tried to jack the vehicle up and put it on stilts to see what it does when you steer it.....

There's nothing to check on the car. The dealer has looked at it umpteen times,literally everything steering /suspension related. Nothing can be found wrong or worn or out of alignment. Hunter showed up nothing. Just weird it's right hand bends that feels like 4 wheel steering going round. The back end just flips round quick at any normal speed. Going left its taught and feels normal with a bit of a fight. The steering is responsive with no slack at all. I haven't put it kn stilts to check the steering. That way wouldn't show up anything. The dealers are great but have no idea at all what's wrong. It's pointless me keep going back there.

I just don't understand this damn car :(

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Sounds like one rear shocker has gone, the left rear. Changing both would be advisable.

N/S shocker?

Would that really be the cause of all this?

They are both doing ok with no extra bounciness in them. Wouldn't cause bad oversteer would it?

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Bounce test is next to useless. Only proper test is to remove and check them by hand.

 

I had a similar problem with a VW Golf Mk3. Going fast round a tight left hander with poor camber and nearly **** myself as it twitched violently out, was o/s rear shocker.

 

So I'm guessing in your case it would be n/s, but its always recommended to change both.

 

Any telltale sign of a leak? (n/a if its a gas shocker)

 

Oversteer is due to lack of grip at back end. (Shocker not keeping the tyre on road)

Edited 2 September, 201312 yr by xman

What about rattle or steering wheel rumble....rattles whilst driving with the radio off gave away my veccy's knackered shocks.....Nothing was visible until my mechanic jacked the begger up and saw a little amount of leakage...... Always change both if its front or back.....if you have some kitty, change all four and the road springs.....

Hmm interesting this. Yes we all done the bounce test and all is ok. No visible signs of leaks so maybe they are gas?

I've had my front struts changed due to weeping so they are ok and the top bearings and springs are ok. So maybe I should source some rear shocks. Don't really want to start replacing things to find out the problem if you know what I mean. This could go on forever.

When there's 4 up in the car it's still the same. It's just so twitchy on the road even driving straight. It's getting worse but just don't know what it is. :(

The tyres aren't scrubbed at all and no brake binding. Glad I got Kumhos on as they are stopping me from coming off the road. I might go into our compound here and give hard right hand turns to see what's going on and see if it does actually slide out from me.

Thanks for all suggestions so far. Much appreciated

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

What about rattle or steering wheel rumble...

I've only got the normal Octy tyre noise but luckily the Kumhos are pretty quiet compared to previous I've had on.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Having 2nd thoughts if its n/s or o/s shocker that would give you your problem......best change both anyway.

Where I work our bus compound is very long and wide.

I've driven down it between 30 & 60 mph and done right turns and the feeling is just like drifting without the tyre squeal. It still grips Nd will not break away. I did notice there is no body roll on the rear it feels rigid with no give.

I retried at very fast speed and hard right steering and the back end whips round quick causing me to then left steer to correct this and the car twitching from left to right. No give in the back body wise.

On the way home the road I take is 40 mph country road with lots of right bends for 7 miles. The car does the same at 40 mph constant. No roll at the rear just rigid feeling and plenty of back end steering.

Really confused about this.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Bounce test is next to useless. Only proper test is to remove and check them by hand.

 

I had a similar problem with a VW Golf Mk3. Going fast round a tight left hander with poor camber and nearly **** myself as it twitched violently out, was o/s rear shocker.

 

So I'm guessing in your case it would be n/s, but its always recommended to change both.

 

Any telltale sign of a leak? (n/a if its a gas shocker)

 

Oversteer is due to lack of grip at back end. (Shocker not keeping the tyre on road)

 

agree with above can't really check it properly without taking the rear shock out, it's probably worth changing them anyway if the car has done more than 100k

Thanks for that.

Seems more severe than a shock absorber to me. I've had the Octy since new (2006) and its only done 69K with full dealer service history. Passed every MOT so far with no advisories.

It's been happening for months now and I don't know what's caused it. I never have any weight in the boot,it's always empty and its only me in the car 95% of the time. Maybe it's got 4WS I don't know about

Thanks for the help so far.

Also the rear shocks aren't cheap for these. ECP are charging £63 each (Sachs). I doubt it can be this at that mileage but you never know :(

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

it will be worth taking the rear shock absorber out to check if it's damping properly as you can't really tell with them on the car as the springs will provide resistance too, to tell if they are really shot.  They are are only held on with 3 bolts so it's not a difficult job to do and then at least you can eliminate the rear shocks as the cause.

Thanks for that.

I guess the only way is to get them off and look at them. Don't want to start replacing things not required to eliminate this.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Just checked the tyre pressures.

o/s/r was 38psi. The rest were 32psi. It's helped a bit. Might get another Hunter alignment done as its been a few months since last. See if it shows anything.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

:think: odd.....

Looking at another car now before this thing kills me. It's 7 years old so time to bin it.

The rear shocks were checked off the car and no faults found. Rear springs are fine as are ARB bushes and drop links. Rear wishbone bushes all solid and good. I can't be bothered with it no more. Just turned 70K tonight. Shame really but still ......

:(

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Blasted thing......there is always something that is hidden that goes wrong....

It must be seriously hidden because no one can find it. Myself,my work friends in the garage,the Skoda dealers and the tyre company with the Hunter.

I'm gutted because it just started a few months back. I'm not going to start replacing the whole suspension parts just to find it. I've never curbed it or run off a high curb so don't know why it's so very unstable to drive. Could be the rack? God knows.......

I'm looking at another car on Monday so i will see how that goes.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

Real shame really but have to agree......its not letting you find the fault with it basically. If I was you, i would sell the parts on the car to redeem the money you have to spend on a newer version...

I'll let it go as it is on the next car.

Got my eye on a Fabia 3 1.9tdi Sport on a 10 reg. Rare car and the last of the 1.9,s sadly.

Fancy something different. It's only me in the car 95% of the time and I never use the huge boot to the max.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

I have no clues about the small versions of Skoda. I love my big engine 'd large cars, much to my missuses annoyance, and would feel a little weird and unsafe in something small.....but then i would rather feel safe than what your most prob feeling right now.... My vec destroyed my passion for driving....it rattled, the steering shaked and so on..... But since i got the Octavia i have slowly returned to my passion of the road again.....goodluck with it fella and keep us posted with the progress and some pics of the new beast when you get it....

An update to this is:

I,ve decided to get rid of the car today.I have chosen a .......Citigo Sport

Its a 13 plate from the same dealer i got the Octy from I,m really taken by this nippy little car.It really put a smile on my face this afternoon when i test drove it.So after 7 years my trusted Octy is going :( i feel a little sad about this but time to move on.

I love the Citigo Sport its a great specced car.Had 3 up this afternoon and never struggled at all power wise.Going to a smaller car doesn,t bother me as its mainly myself in the car most of the time and i,ve never used the Octy,s boot to the max.

So now i get £100 worth of free accessories,3 years free servicing and 3 years warranty

Very happy

Best of luck with the new motor!