[aric]

Hope someone can give me some advice.

My car been pulling to the left for some time.. so I took it in to a garage to get the alignment check and done.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

After the first time, the car still pull to the left as soon as I let go the steering wheel. So I took the car back again and get them to check again.. as a result, it was slight off, so they re-align it.<o></o>

Drove off? still the same? pull to the left? so took it back? and ask why its still happening..
so they check and nothing seems to be wrong.. all 4 wheel are align correctly?
so they tried to adjust the wheel try to stop it polling to the left? but not made any different..<o></o>

Surely.. they have done alignment many many times, and it can?t be their problem. Could it be something not right on the wheel / steering or any other things might cause that?<o></o>

Could it be a warranty issue that I should get VW to fix / replace parts?<o></o>

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<o>It was more noticeable since i got the 18", that why i took the car in to get alignment done.</o>

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If anyone that had the same problem before or may know the reason, please let me know,, looking forward for any advice!!<o></o>

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[Mo]

How strong is the pull to the left.As far as i have previously read all
mkivs do this as a safety feature so that you will not veer into
oncoming traffic if your hands slip off the wheel.

Not sure how safe this is for pedestrians but there you have it.

 

[aric]

Well...  let say if i am doing 70 on the inside lane..   as soon as i let off the wheel...  the car will pull stright to the left.. have to left my hand on the wheel all time to keep the car stright..

 

[ToneD]

that dont sound right to me - for comparison, I;ve had my car from new and it always pulled to the left quite badly and got uneven wear on front tyres (inside edge worn if i remember) - got it checked/adjusted at local tyre place, not much better - then some nice drunk decided to drive into the front of my car, get it all repaired, proper alignment etc. and now have hardly any pull to the left, just what the camber of the road induces.....also I dont get any uneven wear on front tyres now

in my case, bet the car never got proper alignment from factory/PDI - i'd take it to a recommended place coz from what I've read on here, some places are better than others

 

[binlinerVR6]

Is the car lowered?

 

[aric]

I took mine to Hi Q tyres, which i am sure they should know what they are doing... i will be taking it back again later today to get them to put it back to normal rather then try to

Compensate to the right... and see what happen.. then i think i will get VW to look at it when the car going back in on wednesday to replace the rear wiper motor (been in 3 times and they didnt replace it) and fix the scratch mark they did on my door last week!!! [] Lucky i check the car before drove off!!

 

[aric]

binlinerVR6,

i believe it is lowered by 10/15mm. Factory option when i had the car... i think it was so call Sport pack with the 16".. LOL

 

[simch]

Dont sound right at all aric. Where abouts you based, Northants....?

There is a place called laser align or something like that in or near Daventry. Maybe Pro align? They can do four wheel geometry check, including camber and caster etc. It maybe you have a camber problem on one front wheel, it needs resetting if you have ever has the bottom balljoint renewed of undone to any extent.

Do you get any poor tyre wear, ie uneven?

 

[diablo]

whats the camber of the road like?.most cars with a desent suspension set up will follow the camber of the road when the wheel is let go.minis do this all the time but its the way suspension is designed to handle better.

 

[aric]

simch,

Well, i think when i go back to Hi Q later, i will ask them to give me refund, as they can't fix my problem..
Well, i haven' had anything done on the car since i had it.. [:$]

When i had the 16" before, i had them running for around 27k, and had front / back swap round in between. No uneven wear..

 

[simch]

If you are local ish, I have access to a camber guage, but that is all. Its a simple device but works and will tell if one wheel is out compared to the other.

I remeber you at an MK meet, so maybe you aint too far from me.........?

 

[Foxy]

Simch - Aric is in Rushden.

The alignment guys you talk of are Lasalign in Kilsby and I think they mainly do trucks / HGVs etc.

 

[aric]

hi simch,

I am from rushden..

Took the car to had it re check again @ hi Q, and as found all wheels are correctly align... tired putting back to normal settings.. somethng like 1.7 at the back.. and something like 2.2 for the front.. whatever that means... but no luck.. still pull to the left.. and now they changed the value for the front to be both 0 to see if that makes any differernt.. The car at first seems to be on when only doing 10mph.. but as soon as i start going 30+.. the car goes back to the left... however, now i have to keep the steering wheel slighty to the right in order to keep the car going strigrht...

They said there isn't much they can do as the alignment are correct and they dont' deal with the Mech. side of things..
THey sugggest the car may not be stright or something,, and can try take it to a bodyshop as they have machine to check the whole car...
Else i will have to pay ?60 to get VW to look at it when i take the car in on Wed.

 

[shiuming]

How strong is the pull to the left.As far as i have previously read all mkivs do this as a safety feature so that you will not veer into oncoming traffic if your hands slip off the wheel.
Not sure how safe this is for pedestrians but there you have it.

Hmm, interesting point - anyone here got a left-hand drive? Does that pull to the right?

 

[simch]

Aric, check your tyre pressures fella! If you have asoft left front it will pull that way.

I dont think its a tracking problem, tracking is accross and axle and should not cause pulling to one side only.

Get them to check the camber, thats theangle of the wheel / tyre off the verticle, when you look at it from the front of the car. Tracking (as you I'm sure know) is the angle the wheels splay in or out when looking from above the axle.

But it could be simple tyre pressure!!

 

[aric]

simch, i usually have 2.1Bar for the front, and 2 Bar for the back... same as when i had 16". Is there a better pressure value i should be using for any condition? As everytime if i going to have a full house onboard, i usually follow the fuel cover lable and increase the front to around 2.2 / 2.3 bar,, and the rear to around 2.3bar... and i find it abit annoying having to do that all the time....

The place i took the car dont' do camber / vertical angle check.....

Where about are you base?

 

[simch]

It will only be if your left front is softer than the rigth front that it will pull.

I would get it to a pro set up place, a race prep shop maybe, or just a really top proper tyre place.

For example, they are miles away, but Micheldver tyres in Michedever nr Whitchurch hants have an amazing allignment shop! Cheap too!

 

[aric]

just washed the car... and checked pressure.. front both 2.2Bar....

i think i will get VW to check it when i take it in on wed.... it doesn't bother me too much pull to the left.. as its been like that since i had the car....
just that its alot noticable since i got the 18"... and the fact that my MPG dropped from avg 50-55 to 38-41... seems something isn't quite right. I know having bigger wheel have more rubber surface area on the road, but surely not that much extra fuel...

 

[simch]

good luck sorting it!

 

[shiuming]

just washed the car... and checked pressure.. front both 2.2Bar....

i think i will get VW to check it when i take it in on wed.... it doesn't bother me too much pull to the left.. as its been like that since i had the car....
just that its alot noticable since i got the 18"... and the fact that my MPG dropped from avg 50-55 to 38-41... seems something isn't quite right. I know having bigger wheel have more rubber surface area on the road, but surely not that much extra fuel...

You've probably increased your scrub radius with those wheels, I certainly noticed more torque steer when going from standard steel to 7.5x17 alloys.