Car Steering Problem?

[ee01akk]

Hi,

I drive a 2004 Vauxhall Corsa 1.8 sri (25,000 miles), and ever since buying the car I have noticed that it veers to the left or right, sometimes very strongly, sometimes gently. This tends to get worse on the motorway when going above 60 mph, and given my handy driving skills it's very very hard to keep it going in a straight line without it veering into other lanes.

I keep getting worried that I might get pulled over for drunk driving it's so scary!!

I have had the tracking, wheel alignment and balancing done so many times, it's been serviced by Vauxhall 3 months ago, with no problems and passed the MOT absolutely fine. I know Vauxhalls are renowned for torque steering problems, but this is much worse than ordinary torque steer.

Can you suggest what might be causing this problem, and how can I get it fixed?

I also tend to smell a burning smell from the engine around 70+mph or under slightly hard acceleration, almost as if the clutch might be burning?? What do you think this might be??

 

[^neo^]

who done the tracking?

Tyre pressures, shock absorbers, brakes binding, wheels out of balance / uneven tyre wear can all cause your symptoms.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I had a problem very similar to this once, turned out a tooth had been chipped off the diff ring gearwheel and the tooth was jamming up the diff ever so often. Was scary as hell sometimes! Far more likely to be what Neo said though.

 

[theoutlaw]

Motorways are notorious for tracking cars, especially lanes 1 and 2 where the lorries make dips in the road. Your car has a narrow gauge so it could also be that. If your tyres are pumped up too much that will effect it more.

Tony

 

[mattysupra]

torque steering problems, but this is much worse than ordinary torque steer.

It is not this, not on a small 1.8 anyway, maybe in first gear and a bit of second gear but not at anything over say 40 mph.

I would say you are following the tracks in the road, normal when you run say a 195 tire and above. Some cars are really bad, one of my motors are that bad that you cant control the thing in the 1st lane but when in the 3rd lane you can light the wheels up and it will still pull straight, (well the front end does, the backend normally ends up crabbing lane 2-3! while deploying a james bond style smoke screen out of the rear arches! LOL)

As for your burning smell, well clutch smell is horrid, burning smell is burning smell! You need to decide which one it is. And if you do decide it is burning smell then you should get it checked asap!

 

[libby lou lou]

Do you know the full history? did you buy the car new? has it been damaged?

 

[ee01akk]

Just took the car for 4 wheel alignment today, and they said they couldn't adjust the tracking because the track rod and arm had seized up and would need replacing.

Do you think this could explain the erratic steering problem?

 

[pompeyal]

As your car passed a MOT with this problem it is a worry that the MOT station did not pick this up, did you mention the problem when you took the car in?, I have in the past come across a similar problem with a car vearing from side to side and I found the steering rack was slipping from one side to the other due to the mounts being loose. If you cannot find anything obvious, it would be a good idea to take the car to a reputable garage and give them as much information as possible and ask them to discover the fault. By the way, did you take you car to QUICK FIT UP for your wheel tracking, had real bad times with these people, would sell fridges to eskimo's if they could. If they say that the tracking arm is siezed the they should be able to un-seize it if they were any good.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

it is a worry that the MOT station did not pick this up

Only if its something obvious.

 

[ee01akk]

As your car passed a MOT with this problem it is a worry that the MOT station did not pick this up, did you mention the problem when you took the car in?, I have in the past come across a similar problem with a car vearing from side to side and I found the steering rack was slipping from one side to the other due to the mounts being loose. If you cannot find anything obvious, it would be a good idea to take the car to a reputable garage and give them as much information as possible and ask them to discover the fault. By the way, did you take you car to QUICK FIT UP for your wheel tracking, had real bad times with these people, would sell fridges to eskimo's if they could. If they say that the tracking arm is siezed the they should be able to un-seize it if they were any good.

My car did fail it's MOT for a broken windscreen washer pump, which I got replaced and then it passed. Now why would I tell the MOT company about the steering problem if I wanted it to pass eh?

But, I have told a number of different garages, including the Vauxhall dealerships, about the steering issue and all have come back to me saying everything's fine.

I actually gave Vauxhall a telling off, as it is obvious they never road tested it or raised the car to see if the bearings and tracking rods were ok. I told them to thoroughly check the car and again their incompetence has reached a new high.

Now I have been quoted an astranomical Vauxhall inspection fee (£120), on top of the 4 wheel alignment fee (£30) and parts (£50). Isn't this a bit ridiculous?

 

[JohnD]

I have had the tracking, wheel alignment and balancing done so many times

sounds like they didn't really do it, if the adjuster is rusted and seized.

Usually a flame will enable it to be undone

Look up the bills where they charged you for doing it before, and include them with your complaint.

 

[b21playa]

Jack the front of the car up and start the car. If the steering turns automatically one way then it could be the steering bias needs setting up.

I know this was common problem an not many people knew about it, there was a garage in Kent that offered this service.

Might be worth a check, its all to do with the elctric steering