hi
i am a novice in cars but have to do 170 miles a day for work.
i recently got myself a 3 year old deisel estate Skoda and i have noticed for the past couple of weeks that there is a gentle tug to the left when i am on the motorway. i mean i have to kind of keep a slight pull on the steering onto the right to keep going straight ahead.
i have had my wheels checked today and everything seems to be fine.
can any kind person suggest what could be causing it?
many thanks in advance
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Tyre pressures are the first thing I would look at. If the nearside front is a bit soft that would make the car wander to the left.
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thanks for the reply Tom - got the pressure checked today at Kwikfit and it was fine.
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The natural camber of the road?
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good point dave. i wonder if the other drivers feel the same on the motorway? i must admit the tug is very very slight i can normally control it with very little effort.
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Your tyre pressures may be fine, but you need the tracking checked asap (you my have clouted a pot hole or kerb. With your miles a set of front tyres will scrub away quickly and expensively if you don't have it sorted.
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nice one colino
i thought the same and had laser tracking check done at Kwikfit earlier today and they said it was fine.
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If you used to do the same journey in your previous car and didn't notice the camber it's unlikely to be that. If it's one section where you notice it, try borrowing another car and see if it does the same. Otherwise allow someone else try your car see what they say.
If a member of a major breakdown group ask them or you'll have to perserveer with garage visits.
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so long as the tyres are non rotational just swap the front two over and see if the pulling moves to the other side as it were
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so long as the tyres are non rotational just swap the front two over and see if the pulling moves to the other side as it were
Hmm... do you mean wait until they've stopped revolving, or 'non-directional' ?!
Probably good advice either way! ;-)
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nice one colino i thought the same and had laser tracking check done at Kwikfit earlier today and they said it was fine.
There's posibly a clue in there... most of us I'd guess would rather have something as sensitive as tracking checked properly than 'kwikly'!
And I'd have the tyre pressure checked again, too, for the same reasons. (And if they told you it was a nice day, I'd check to se if I needed my wipers on!) After all, if you go into an alleged garage and say 'the steering's pulling to the left' the correct answer isn't 'the tracking and tyre pressures are fine' it's more along the lines of "the such and such is/was wrong, and we can/we have adjusted/replaced/whatevered it". If they're any good, how come you're having to do your own diagnosis!?
Regards
Neil
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thanks all,
after Neil's advice i think the best thing for me to do now is to have a chat with the dealer i bought the car from - as it is still within the dealer's warranty. the only problem is it's 30 miles from where i live. i suspect he'll want to have a look at the problem but i suppose i need to sort this out before it snowballs into something major. i am away in York tomorrow and dayafter so i'll make an appointment to see him on wednesday. needless to say i will keep you all posted.
many thanks again - i appreciated it
cheers
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Some cars just do this - allegedly it's because they're set up to track straight when driving on the right, as they where originally designed to do. Merc's are famous for this, but special bolts are available from MB to allow angle adjustments if necessary.
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that's interesting Bill
just wondering if you speak from personal experience? if you do then would you mind elaborating a bit please?
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Oldman is giving good advice here. It may have been tracked before you had it for the very same fault you have.
However the tyres will have taken wear and tracking will not cure the problem.
Had exactly the same thing and changing the tyres over simply gave a pull the other way but less so as the road camber helped.
Only new tyres cured it eventually.
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hi alvin
i can see your point but i bought the car just over a month ago. the dealer showed me the car and i noticed the front 2 tyres looked a bit dodgy. the deal was if it failed the MOT then he would put new tyres on before i took the car away. it failed and he kept his promise. so the front tyres ,assuming they were brand new when he put them on, have done about 3000 miles or so.
would appreciate more thoughts on that.
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That's probably your problem - cheapo tyres. Had the same issue on my Xsara, eventually swapped front for back and everything was fine.
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Yep, would tend to agree with that! Worth trying oldman's suggestion of swapping the fronts over to see whether the pull alters. Volvo 300's from new, about 25 years ago used to have this pull to left and there was a complex routine of swapping tyres around from side to side, reversing rotation on rims etc... tyres cause a lot more grief than people tend to imagine. I'd still get the tracking done somewhere else as a first point of reference - if that's out you'll never get a result.
Neil
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two rather daft questions Neil.
i don't know whether my tyres are directional or nondirectional - how do i find out? (or do you reckon i could just go ahead and swap left for right without bothering to find out?)
2nd question is should i get the tracking done before or after the swap? btw how do you rate ATS euromaster??
cheers
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You don't say which model of Skoda it is but I've certainly never noticed this with my Fabia. It's unlikely to be a characteristic of the car.
Whatever it is, it may be worth asking other owners of your model at www.briskoda.net
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My Cortina always pulled to one side when braking;swapped the front wheels over and it changed sides;turned out one of the front wheels was a Capri wheel(1/2 inch different offset)-put it on the back and all was cured.
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i don't know whether my tyres are directional or nondirectional - how do i find out?
Directional tyres will have an arrow on them indicating direction of forward travel.
www.dunloptyres.co.uk/ourTyres/car/technicalInform.../
(or do you reckon i could just go ahead and swap left for right without bothering to find out?)
DON'T. Directional tyres if incorrectly fitted will affect the handling of the car.
btw how do you rate ATS euromaster??
Never had a problem with them myself, but obviously one branch can differ from another.
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Directional tyres have 'outside' or 'cote exterieur' or similar on the tyrewall, or an arrow showing the direction of rotation 'forward' should be. Curiously not all tyre places seem to know that... I've known a few fitted the wrong way round.
Tracking isn't dependent on the swap - so I'd be inclined to do that first. If as I suspect it IS the tracking, and this cures the 'pull' then no need to go further. ATS? no experience, bad or good. Most of these places can be either, dependent on what the manager and staff are like at individual locations. On the other hand, some chains are set up to abstract maximum cash and their systems are such that good staff would probably get sick and leave quickly. (Geddit?!)
Neil
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Am I the only one who wonders if the "gentle tug" is possibly nothing atall to do with the tyres/stering/suspension?
Jack
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Some time ago my Escort started to pull to the left under acceleration at moderate to high road speeds. The cause was a damaged rubber in the n/s bottom suspension arm.
More recently it developed a similar symptom in the other direction. I assumed the other bottom arm had gone, but my very excellent independent round the corner couldn't find anything wrong with it, although he agreed that the symptom was there.
Then I noticed that the power steering fluid was at minimum level. Topping it up cured the symptom.
It's possible the OP's car has the power steering not properly centred following track rod adjustment to compensate for kerbing etc: with the rack in its centred position the front wheels are pointing slightly left. It should be possible to adjust this out, but get a proper engineer to do it, not some bunch of aftermarket cowboys.
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Am I the only one who wonders if the "gentle tug"
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no, i am with you on that wavelength. all the classic symptoms are there.
and the cure? i could possibly not say, - that is not for me to suggest.
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Are you lot 'witchsmelling' again?
If so, why bother? Not a huge amount of effort required to reply on the assumption this isn't a witch/troll/carpetmonkey whatever you've decided it might be?
N
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"Are you lot 'witchsmelling' again?"
More of a "large mouse" than a witch etc, Neil. As Dalglish says, all the pointers are there, and, as I understand it, those of us who read or post here are entitled to place our own interpretations on other people's posts - exactly as you have on mine!
You, amongst others, have kindlyy come up with some sensible answers to Naive's original and subsequent posts, and have quite properly been thanked for your help.
However, whilst I can't help noticing that the OP has not queried either Dalglish or my posts, in deference to you, I will just have to wait with bated breath for Naive's promised follow-up.
Jack
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jack, daglish,
with all due respect may i ask what you are talking about ?
sorry if i sound impolite but i am quite intrigued.
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sorry, i am completely lost here
classic symptoms of what???
and what's the cure???
sorry for being so curious but could you elaborate please??
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They have decided you may be a 'troll' - which no doubt hasd some technical definition but on here seems to mean someone who for almost imperceptible reasons fails to meet their idea of how an obviously 'real' person should post. I'm not sure why it matters whether or not you exist or are suffering the symptoms you describe! I'm quite prepared to assume you are... I'd have thought trolling was more propely used to describe those who deliberately put up posts designed to cause confusion or heated rebuttals rather than a simple enquiry asking for some advice. Don't worry about it - if being self-appointed 'witchsmeller pursuivant' to the forum floats their boat I don't suppose it does much harm! (Or maybe its ME being naive!)
Cheers
Neil
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at the risk of being ostracised by the lynch mob i agree with you neil.and have you swapped the tyres round OP?
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What lynch mob? Likewise OM. The OP's car pulls slightly left and he wants to cure it. Needs a proper going over by a proper tracking outfit. Shouldn't cost the earth either, to get the measurements.
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They have decided .... ..
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neil: calm down, dear. i have decided nothing even though you have decided that i have decided ....
all i surmise from the information is that these are classic symptoms of pulling to the left. i have no cure to offer. but please do continue with your efforts.
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Can we stop with the accusations and get back to the original question please.
DD.
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hi
i really appreciate all the advice and help i am getting here. many thanks
just for info
I do exist - i AM a real person and have a real problem - or at least it is a problem to me.
i spoke to the dealer today - he did not sound surprised - his immediate diagnosis was a tracking problem which he says is a possibility even when nogotiating a pothole. on my query he thinks very highly of ATS Euromaster and i think that's where my next post of call is going to be.
i haven't swapped the tires for 2 reasons:
1. would like to see what the professionals diagnose hands on - will phone ATS tomorrow to get an appt - couldn't get the time to phone them today. will of course keep you posted about their diagnosis.
2. haven't had the time really - i leave home at 0715 hours - drive 85 miles to work and work 9-5. then get home around 7 absolutely nakerred. not really in a position physically to do anything much after tea. i'm sure i'm not the only one who has this routine in this backroom and many of you will know how that feels.
by the way i noticed today that i have to keep the steering turned very slightly to the right (by a few degrees) to keep going straight. i spoke about this to the dealer and he is convinced it is a tracking problem.
any thoughts on that??
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