Scotsman

Don't quite know how to describe this.

Straightening after going slowly round a corner there's slight judder as if the tyres pull the steering wheel left and right a couple of times. Doesn't happen all the time though. It's only when doing that so not a wheel imbalance or I'd surely feel it at speed. Thought it might have been the road surface or tyre wear or pressure but no.

Booked the car in to the dealer but wonder if anyone's felt that?

hmoult

Scotsman, did you ever get this figured out? Could it have been the power steering not giving you full pressure at low speed? Causing a judder type feeling? I know that on some cars the power steering systems can't keep up with rapid left/right wheel changes, like in an autocross.

The steering gets real heavy for a moment while the system catches up. But, that's not your facts.

Scotsman

Hi hmoult,

Nup, still much the same. Sometimes think it's my imagination! Going in on Monday.

mlandis

Let us know how it goes. If you're saying this happens on specific corners, then I like the idea of it being the road. I know that on a specific stretch of norhtbound I-5, where it enters downtown Los Angeles, there is one lane that always pulls the wheel hard to the left for a period, as if suddenly the alignment was so out of wack it should've been obvious to the naked eye, even though I don't see any obvious issues with the pavement. Nothing like that ever happened on my Accord or Mini in that same stretch. (I know, not an apples-to-apples comparison, but...) But everywhere else, it's straight as an arrow.

Scotsman

Will do. It's like said, feels like the surface is pulling the steering left and right a bit.

Oxygen

Any updates?

Scotsman

Had the car in yesterday. Told me to change the front 2 tyres then they'd look at tightening the bearings! Took it into the local tyre place last night and told them I only do around 5000 miles a year and how long would they last? They said a good few months and that they shouldn't cause a steering judder.

My service contract should mean the bearings shouldn't cost me anything so no big deal there. Just the hassle of having to back to the garage but don't know whether to go back now or wait until I've replaced the tyres in a few months? Could the bearings fail and then what? They could then say we told you to replace the tyres.

Still deciding!

mlandis

That's frustrating. Seems to me that they could only say that if the tires were obviously at fault.

Perhaps finding a more reasonable dealer would work?

Scotsman

Don't know mlandis. That's the first time they've ever let me down. It was a Bank Holiday so maybe they were short-staffed and were putting off minor jobs? I'm going to book it in and just ask them to fix the bearings, so we'll see what they say to that.
Must remember I am the customer. :o)

mlandis

Indeed! Best of luck.

ArcticOne

Recommending to replace the tires is a simple technique (for the dealer) to eliminate / confirm it as a source of the problem. Its also one of those items that they would not service at the shop.

Good luck with the search, and I believe its likely the road. It does not take much on some roads to skew the driving temporarily.

jb

Scotsman

Couldn't be bothered with the inevitable arguing with MB, so changed the tyres and guess what? Problem's gone. Well, well, well - just goes to show. I'd have put money on it being mechanical.

mlandis

How interesting. Was the tire salesperson able to show you what about the tires might have caused this? It sounds like something useful to know for the future.

Scotsman

Afraid not. The guy had gone when I picked up the car. How could perfectly legal tyres cause that? No uneven wear - very strange.