Hello again,

my Superb estate has been pulling to right for quite a while now. I had it aligned with the old tires but that didn't do it and the guy said maybe one tire had more grip and caused this. "fair enough" I thought, "so this be straightened when I change tires". Just did that a couple of weeks ago (they messed up ALL my 4 rims at Norauto Portugal and still did not provide a satisfactory solution, but that's another story...) and asked for a new steering alignment. After this, the car still wanders to the right when I let go of the steering, always to the right. A guy at an independent VAG workshop said that the car needs to have the steering rack at the zero position for proper alignment. What does this even mean? Or should I suspect a problem elsewhere (suspension, bushings, ball joints)? I do feel like there is some knocking that I can feel on the steering and even on my feet when driving on more irregular roads that I don't feel with our other 2 cars (a LEAF and a 20-yo Opel astra), but the dealership can never, ever find anything wrong (unless I specifically tell them what it is)... The tires don't seem to wear unevenly, but it's still super annoying. If someone has any thought to share they are welcome!

Does it happen more on a specific road? Could be road camber if garages can’t find anything. 

17 hours ago, pcspinheiro said:

the car needs to have the steering rack at the zero position for proper alignment. What does this even mean?

The steering wheel, upper column shaft, intermediate shaft, pinion and rack are all keyed and geared together permanently so setting the steering wheel straight will set the zero position of the rack too. The only adjustment is in the tie rods; usually both sides need adjusting to achieve correct alignment with the steering wheel centred but many garages don't know this or are too lazy to do it.

 

If you have you have correct alignment, steering centred and matching tyres but it still pulls at high speeds then perhaps the subframe is misaligned with the chassis. If it only happens at low speed then perhaps the steering angle sensor needs recalibrating to recentre the active return function of the electric power steering, although I would expect it to adapt automatically to alignment adjustments.

 

The steering rack might need re-calibrating to learn where the middle is.

 

Certainly on my MK2 Octavia if this was done incorrectly, it would cause the car to pull in one direction even if the alignment etc were correct. It might be G85 calibration IIRC...?

It happens everywhere. I know roads tend slope from the middle outward, but regardless of the road, soon after letting go of the steering wheel there it goes wandering to the right...

Sorry, I replied too late and didn't see the other replies. I'll have them check this at the dealership. Could be a steering rack calibration issue then. Or the tie rods. I got it aligned after a tire rotation, quite some time ago (and before these all new tires), and maybe this is when it actually started behaving like this, but can't remember... It is rather annoying though.

Take your car to a large supermarket car park late at night, have your steering wheel straight then go forward at about 10mph and see how it behaves.

 

Then go to a garage and get a 4 wheel alignment, not just the fronts.

 

Then go back to the same car park and test again.

 

If it still goes to the right after a 4 wheel alignment then something else is wrong but at least you’ve eliminated that.

 

I assume your tyres match on the axles? Like front is same brand, mileage and importantly pressure?

Thanks for the suggestion. When I changed the tires and aligned the steering I asked to do it on all fours. They normally only do the  front but I saw on the screen that the rear was slightly off and asked to do it as well. Unless the machine was lying, it should have been fine...

Front, rear or even both subframes misaligned, was any work done on the vehicle before the problem appeared, clutch perhaps?

 

No point having a 4 wheel alignment done if the person is incapable of interpreting the results and what needs doing to remedy it, they have probably screwed up the steering track rod adjustments when they should have been aligning a subframe.

I've owned the car practically since new (it was a demo car) and, AFAIK, nothing was done to it other than regular servicing and (supposedly) the AC compressor was replaced due to malfunction. I say supposedly because these guys are unbelievable, for the lack of a better, non-insulting word. I took it to an independent mechanic that specializes in VAG cars, and found that, through the 4 years of services at Skoda they apparently never changed the air and fuel filter! Unbelievable!!!! Anyway, it's doing again some strange noise on the compressor area, as per my other recent post...

2 minutes ago, pcspinheiro said:

I've owned the car practically since new (it was a demo car) and, AFAIK, nothing was done to it other than regular servicing and (supposedly) the AC compressor was replaced due to malfunction. I say supposedly because these guys are unbelievable, for the lack of a better, non-insulting word. I took it to an independent mechanic that specializes in VAG cars, and found that, through the 4 years of services at Skoda they apparently never changed the air and fuel filter! Unbelievable!!!! Anyway, it's doing again some strange noise on the compressor area, as per my other recent post...

Fuel and air filter is changed every 6 years or 60k believe it or not 

Seriously????

7 minutes ago, pcspinheiro said:

Seriously????

Yeah, well UK at least 

 

Seriously!

 

And they will go on for a lot longer than that, even 25 years ago emissions standards required that a vehicle with zero maintenance should drive for 100000 kms and still remain within, well within in fact, the emissions limits, it spurned long life platinum spark plugs, multiple ignition coils, much larger air and fuel filters as well as well designed intakes that screened leaves etc from getting to the filter, PCV systems became much better and no longer contaminated the air filters.

 

Over 15 years and 20000 miles in my 2001 Octavia I removed the air filter to shake it out but only replaced it once, I was OCD about the fuel economy and would have noticed even the slightest increase, it never happened, it was only when it looked discoloured that I fitted the new filter which I had in stock from the beginning.

 

The diesel fuel filter was not replaced until 275000 miles because I kept being supplied the wrong ones, Eurocarparts speciality!

 

OTOH oil and oil filter changes are as essential as ever but they dont affect emissions or fuel consumption, without them the main stealers would lose their opportunity to rob customers each year. As a consequence oil filter sizes have not increased.

Edited 18 October, 20214 yr by J.R.