Audi A4 pulling to the left and steering wheel not straight!

Audi A4 pulling to the left and steering wheel not straight!

Author
Discussion

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Sorry to bring this up again but I’m struggling to find what the issue is, I have 65 Audi A4 saloon bought it on 17 thousand miles and had the issue since new, the steering wheel is slightly turned right when going straight and then when I straighten the wheel up it drifts off to the left,
I’ve had the tracking checked twice and all the tyres are the correct pressure, I took my steering wheel off this morning and that’s lined up straight, if I let go of the wheel the car pulls to the left, any advice would be much appreciated, thankyou.

Scrump

21,889 posts

157 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
You need to get your wheel alignment checked and corrected.

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Scrump said:
You need to get your wheel alignment checked and corrected.
I’ve had it checked twice at 2 diffrent kwik fit branches using there Hunter Hawkeye laser alignment technology, I know they have a not so great reputation but surely 2 machines can’t be wrong?

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Jordy12397 said:
I’ve had the tracking checked twice and all the tyres are the correct pressure
Seems you've already covered the two most obvious things. Just as a sanity check - have you experienced anything similar in other cars? Roads typically have a camber which causes cars to pull to the left slightly and once you start noticing this it's easy to convince yourself there's something wrong with the car when in fact it's just following the slope of the road.

Are you getting any asymmetrical tyre wear?

Jordy12397 said:
I took my steering wheel off this morning and that’s lined up straight
At best a waste of time - it was never going to be that.


louiechevy

644 posts

192 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
I would suspect something is worn a ball joint or track rod end, any play will allow the wheel the side the wear is on to move slightly pulling the car left or right hence the need to steer slightly the other way. Tracking will self centre so if it's towing in or out equally the wheel will still be straight.

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
I’ve had a phew cars and only having this problem with this car, I had a 66 plate corsa and did the same commute I do now and that never did it, it’s like it’s fighting to go left when on the motorway, abit dramatic but can’t think of a better way to explain it? And what you mean about the tyre symmetrical thing you mentioned?

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
louiechevy said:
I would suspect something is worn a ball joint or track rod end, any play will allow the wheel the side the wear is on to move slightly pulling the car left or right hence the need to steer slightly the other way. Tracking will self centre so if it's towing in or out equally the wheel will still be straight.
Would something like that come up on a MOT it passed its first MOT at Audi and It had the problem before it went in?

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Get your alignment results up on here so we can all point and laugh!

No, seriously...post them up.

Have you tried swapping tyres right to left?

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Kawasicki said:
Get your alignment results up on here so we can all point and laugh!

No, seriously...post them up.

Have you tried swapping tyres right to left?
I’ll post the results, i had 18 inch alloys on but I’ve changed them to 19s now and it’s still the same no worse or better, they are genuine Audi wheels and 2 continetal run flats on the front and some other brand on the back which are a pair also

vsonix

3,858 posts

162 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Also maybe try not using Kwik-fit, they're not legendary for their competence.

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Jordy12397 said:
Kawasicki said:
Get your alignment results up on here so we can all point and laugh!

No, seriously...post them up.

Have you tried swapping tyres right to left?
I’ll post the results, i had 18 inch alloys on but I’ve changed them to 19s now and it’s still the same no worse or better, they are genuine Audi wheels and 2 continetal run flats on the front and some other brand on the back which are a pair also
Very interesting...as many different alignment results as you have....please! Don’t be shy!

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Jordy12397 said:
And what you mean about the tyre symmetrical thing you mentioned?
Is there any difference in tyre wear patters between the two sides of the car?

louiechevy

644 posts

192 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
If it had the problem before the Mot it probably isn't play, although I've been a mechanic for 35 years ( how time flies!) So I would still get it checked for any play for piece of mind if nothing else.

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Picture one when I first got it checked a phew months back



Picture 2 was yesterday


Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Can you try to get higher quality photos up here...the resolution is not the best

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Kawasicki said:
Can you try to get higher quality photos up here...the resolution is not the best


Any better? Sorry there pictures off my work phone


Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Kawasicki said:
Can you try to get higher quality photos up here...the resolution is not the best

Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
Jordy12397 said:
Kawasicki said:
Can you try to get higher quality photos up here...the resolution is not the best
No idea why that’s upside down

M4cruiser

3,548 posts

149 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
I had the same problem with a Nissan a few years ago, and it is very difficult to solve.

Try the following procedure:-

- check the tyre pressures
- check the alignment
- interchange the front two tyres
- change one front tyre for a different brand (maybe the spare or off the rear)
- if all this doesn't work (it didn't for me) then run the front tyre pressures 10 psi different. I had the offside at 25psi and the nearside at 35psi. Everyone will say this is not recommended, it's dangerous and will kill you and wear out the tyres (in that order). But it works.





Jordy12397

Original Poster:

166 posts

72 months

Friday 26th October 2018
quotequote all
[quote=M4cruiser]I had the same problem with a Nissan a few years ago, and it is very difficult to solve.

Try the following procedure:-

- check the tyre pressures
- check the alignment
- interchange the front two tyres
- change one front tyre for a different brand (maybe the spare or off the rear)
- if all this doesn't work (it didn't for me) then run the front tyre pressures 10 psi different. I had the offside at 25psi and the nearside at 35psi. Everyone will say this is not recommended, it's dangerous and will kill you and wear out the tyres (in that order). But it works.

Thanks for that, is there anything underneath that could be checked? The cars had this issue since I bought it on 17 thousand miles :/