I've had a 2011 140 Elegance for about 5 months now.

 

One thing I find annoying is that the steering feels a bit heavy. It's just OK but I actually find my hands ache after driving it for a short while

due to the slight extra effort I have to put in while making minor steering inputs. (It is not pulling to one side)

I have owned quite a few VAG group cars (Golf, Up, etc) and never noticed this issue before.

 

Anyone else find this. Anyone know whether a Skoda garage could increase the level of power steering assistance slightly or is this

not adjustable?

Never found any heaviness in the 4 years I've had the car. In fact my wife comments how light it is. I doubt that the assistance is alterable since it isn't an electronic system.

 

What tyres do you have and what pressure are they at?

The tyres (which I checked yesterday) are at I guess normal pressure (2.2 all round) - although the front ones always look a little flat to me. I'll check what make they are

tonight. I haven't changed them since buying in February. Do you think increasing the pressure a bit might help? Having said that I would be surprised if that was the cause

because I have previously driven my old Mk4 Golf on pretty poorly inflated tyres (due a slow puncture) and it didn't cause such heavy steering.

Might be worth asking in the Diagnostic and VCDS section if steering weight can be adjusted using VCDS.

My

tyres pressurs are spot on yet the fronts always look a little flat to me

What tyres are they?

I get achy hands in the Yeti on longer journeys -but it's not to do with the steering being heavy, but more a lack of being able to quite get the steering wheel to the right position such that I can keep my elbows on the door & central armrests. To do that I have to lower the wheel so far it obscures the dials.

 

I've adjusted seat height & wheel angle to the most "optimal" point where I can hold the wheel fairly comfortably, but it still gets the better of me after a couple of hours or so - it may be worth you experimenting with these in your car to see if you can minimise the hand-ache you're experiencing?

 

This is nothing new for me - I had the same issue on our previous S-max. It's just that in my Smart Roadster the ergonomics of central armrest, door card armrest, seat height & steering wheel height are just so spot on for me - despite the seat & steering wheel angles being fixed!

I've had a 2011 140 Elegance for about 5 months now.

 

One thing I find annoying is that the steering feels a bit heavy. It's just OK but I actually find my hands ache after driving it for a short while

due to the slight extra effort I have to put in while making minor steering inputs. (It is not pulling to one side)

I have owned quite a few VAG group cars (Golf, Up, etc) and never noticed this issue before.

 

Anyone else find this. Anyone know whether a Skoda garage could increase the level of power steering assistance slightly or is this

not adjustable?

Funny you should mention it. I get the same sensation from mine, 4 week old F/L SE. It feels heavy when i drive it 1st thing in the morning. Don't seem to notice it in the afternoon when i drive home. Will check the pressures too but it felt like it from day 1. Wife drives it and reckons there's nothing wrong. Guess i should contact the dealer.....

If anything, I find the opposite - the steering is a bit too light for my liking!

 

On a previous VAG car (Ibiza), it was possible to alter the level of steering assistance via VCDS, no idea if this is possible on the Yeti or not.

 

Does the Yeti have electric power steering ?

I had a similar issue of heavy steering when I started my old yeti for the first time most days. A new battery cured this issue. Get someone to test the battery and take it from there. Diagnostics didnt show any fault codes either.

David

Try higher front pressure, say 45psi which is what mine was delivered with.

If anything, I find the opposite - the steering is a bit too light for my liking!

 

On a previous VAG car (Ibiza), it was possible to alter the level of steering assistance via VCDS, no idea if this is possible on the Yeti or not.

 

Does the Yeti have electric power steering ?

Our 1.2 has very light steering and unless in 2011 they were different, it is Electromechanical.

 

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/technology/glossary/power-steering-electromechanical

Edited 9 July, 201412 yr by DonjSZ5

I think DonjSZ5 is correct, the steering on the Yeti is electromechanical.

 

I've not noticed any heaviness with mine.  If anything it seems a little bit lighter than my previous car (Subaru Impreza).  I love the Yeti's tight turning circle!

 

It's difficult to say for sure from behind a keyboard whether yours is abnormal because these things can be quite subjective.  Hand pain could equally be down to not being able to get quite the right driving position rather than steering weight.  It could be worth taking it back to the dealer anyway - maybe the steering assistance is more powerful on the 2l diesels because of the extra weight of the engine (just a guess) and that wasn't set properly at the factory?

 

I wouldn't try to address this by over-inflating the tyres - certainly not to 45psi when the recommended pressure is 32psi (2.2bar).  People complain about the jittery ride on the 17" wheels as it is, without adding a harder than necessary tyre into the equation!  Over-inflation can also increase tyre wear and adversely affect grip: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/tyre-pressures.html.

Just consider what you may do to the avail;able grip if you pump up thje tyres so much that the steering is lighter? a mad idea. If you cannot hold the wheel without fatigue take a break or reconsider your fitnes to drive. neither the centre armrest nor the door trim are designed to support a driver unable to support himself.

Thanks for all your replies. Just to note that my tyres are Goodyear 225/50 R17 all round. I'll try inflating them up to the recommended

heavy load pressure (2.4) and see if that makes a difference. It shouldn't really as they are already at the recommended pressure (2.2).

 

Not sure about the battery advice. If the battery was low wouldn't that affect other systems on the car as well, other than the power steering?

 

I don't notice any difference in the heavy steering in the morning or evening as some replies have suggested.

 

I'll certainly take this problem to the skoda garage - I was going to wait until the next service in October but now thinking that an earlier

visit would be good so that I can properly enjoy driving the yeti. Hopefully this is an issue covered by the last 6 months of the warranty.

 

Finally, although the steering is definitely slightly too heavy for my liking, one other thing that is possibly adding to my aching hands

is the slight constant diesel vibration through the steering wheel which I am not used to (coming from a petrol Golf).

I guess the summer temperatures and surface state of the bitumen might have an effect particularly with little tread left.

How is it on wet roads?

Finally, although the steering is definitely slightly too heavy for my liking, one other thing that is possibly adding to my aching hands

is the slight constant diesel vibration through the steering wheel which I am not used to (coming from a petrol Golf).

There will be at least one member who does not have that issue

See my attachment for techie infor re: the power steering system: ssp225_gb - Copy.pdf

See my attachment for techie infor re: the power steering system: ssp225_gb - Copy.pdf

Very interesting, thanks.

Well I never realised the motor providing steering assistance was mounted "inboard" on the steering column.

Or that there's a torsion bar in the steering shaft.

Or that the steering assists in returning to straight-ahead position!

 

Guess the same motor is used for the DSR (Driver Steering Recommendation) that's discussed in another thread.

Very interesting.

Yes interesting thanks. I can't tell from this whether the degree of assistance can be programmed or whether the control unit uses fixed parameters.

Also looks like you have to replace the whole steering assembly if anything (say the electric motor) needs fixing which sounds very expensive (and may make the dealer

think twice about doing so under warranty!).

 

Still, it will be worth asking them and I also should do a comparison test drive of a similar 140 model to compare steering assistance.

There will be at least one member who does not have that issue

Correct. I don't. 

See my attachment for techie infor re: the power steering system: ssp225_gb - Copy.pdf

Very interesting indeed. Many thanks for posting.

Just to add on the battery hypothesis. The steering module will record a fault I'd the voltage drops below a certain limit. Mine wasn't that bad, but on start up the battery was OK to turn the engine but not good enough to power the steerinh system until the alternator powered in. Heavy steering was obvious, just like there was no assistance for a second or two. Once you blipped the throttle to energise the alternator the assistance came back. New battery solved the problem. Just a thought, always best to start with the simplest thing to test and work from there

David