Mazda 6 (2nd Gen) PAS problem
Discussion
Hi all,
I've noticed a strange quirk in the steering of our 2011 (GH) Mazda 6 2.0 DISI. It's easier to turn the wheel right than it is to turn left i.e. the weighting is not even from side to side. I thing it's been like this since we've had it but I seem to be noticing it more lately. The effect seems to be regardless of speed - it can be felt when the car is stationary too.
I've also noticed a strange sensation in the steering wheel when manoeuvring. If I wind on a lot of lock quite quickly (imagine reverse parking in a busy place where you just want to get on with it and get out of people's way) I'm sure I can feel/hear a slight vibration through the wheel similar to when you experience low speed understeer in snow but more subtle.
I thought I'd check the PAS fluid level but couldn't for the life of me find the reservoir. From looking online I think it might have electric PAS, which explains that! There isn't a lot of info about. I found one thread on another forum where someone was complaining of uneven weighting, but the thread went nowhere.
The alignment has been checked on a Hunter alignment machine by a trusted and knowledgeable friend who made a point of checking that the rack was central before the setup so I've ruled out anything like that. As I say, the weight difference can be felt when the car is parked up.
It's an approved used Mazda with warranty until September so I'm not too worried at this stage. But I like to have a bit of background knowledge before approaching a garage.
Any ideas/experiences welcome.
I've noticed a strange quirk in the steering of our 2011 (GH) Mazda 6 2.0 DISI. It's easier to turn the wheel right than it is to turn left i.e. the weighting is not even from side to side. I thing it's been like this since we've had it but I seem to be noticing it more lately. The effect seems to be regardless of speed - it can be felt when the car is stationary too.
I've also noticed a strange sensation in the steering wheel when manoeuvring. If I wind on a lot of lock quite quickly (imagine reverse parking in a busy place where you just want to get on with it and get out of people's way) I'm sure I can feel/hear a slight vibration through the wheel similar to when you experience low speed understeer in snow but more subtle.
I thought I'd check the PAS fluid level but couldn't for the life of me find the reservoir. From looking online I think it might have electric PAS, which explains that! There isn't a lot of info about. I found one thread on another forum where someone was complaining of uneven weighting, but the thread went nowhere.
The alignment has been checked on a Hunter alignment machine by a trusted and knowledgeable friend who made a point of checking that the rack was central before the setup so I've ruled out anything like that. As I say, the weight difference can be felt when the car is parked up.
It's an approved used Mazda with warranty until September so I'm not too worried at this stage. But I like to have a bit of background knowledge before approaching a garage.
Any ideas/experiences welcome.
Superhoop said:
The torque sensor in the rack is the most likely cause - it used to require a complete rack at about £1600, but can be repaired now for less than half that. If you can find someone that can read the torque values from the EPS control module, they should be balanced - with your complaint, you'll find the torque sensor values differ left to right, fooling the control module into thinking the steering is receiving a turning force when it's not, hence it feeling heavier in one direction than the other.
Before getting it done though, ask a dealer to carry out a neitral position reset - if that fails, it's new torque sensor time.
Cheers, that's really useful info.Before getting it done though, ask a dealer to carry out a neitral position reset - if that fails, it's new torque sensor time.
Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff