I have been having a weird problem with my steering wheel. Every so often, when slowing down my steering wheel will sharply turn by itself, about 40 to 130 degrees. It seems like it is always to the right. I think it may have happened once to the left. The wheels turn with the wheel too. At first I thought it might be just the road, but I have driven other cars on the same roads with out this happening (Way to Work Route). It also isn't consistant, it hasn't happened in the same place twice. I can't pinpoint when it will happen, it just does when it wants to.

I thought it might be my alignment so when I got my summer tires on I also had them do that. They said it was off by so little I shouldn't have really noticed it.

Also, while on the highway the steering wheel will sort of shake from left to right about one centimeter back and forth. I also have never really had this happen in another car. It is not a vibration but a clear left right left right left right sort of thing. Is this normal? Does this happen with your car?

I doubt the dealer would be any help. I took the car in for the snapping noice with the brakes and a rattle in the door. They said they couldn't reproduce so I faxed the TSB over and they said they didn't have time to get to it when I came to pick it up. I am going to persure this more while I am getting new rotors because the current ones are rusted.

It is a new 04 with just about 2200 miles on it.

What do you think? Thanks

 

The one centimetre back and forth thing is a wheel balance issue. I'd say you've lost the weights off one of your front wheels. The other bit sounds very much like a road issue, not a car issue.

 

I don't have the highway problem but my steering wheel will jerk to the right sometimes when slowing to stop at a light or something. It's completly random as well. Sometimes it does, sometimes it dosen't.

 

Wide tires like to follow the contours of the road, if the pavement has imperfections in it a wide tire will find it and follow it.

 

^^^^^^^Spot on^^^^^^^

 

I have felt the similar issue that you mention.....it seems as if the electronic assists goes haywire or something......I have always wondered in the "TOPGEAR" video when the older fellow complains that the car was "Skiddish" in the rain, that he had felt the same thing we are feeling now.

 

What he said! I had never owned a car with wide tires prior to the 8 and it took a while to get used to this.

When it happens check your road surface. You should find it being more pronounced on worn, uneven pavement and should not feel it when stopping on new smooth pavement. It's the pavement, not the car.

 

I didn't think about the width of the tires, good point. But I am still not 100% convinced. It doesn't always happen in the same places. I will play with it to see if I can make it happen.

I'll get my wheel balance looked into - thanks.

 

If it always happens in the same place, if you can try just sliding over a little more right before that same spot and see if it still does it, this should show that there might be a gully in the road there and you drove on the raised section, just try corssing that section differently to see if you get the same results, but I bet it is the wide tire situation.

 

i'm finding the same issue...i believe it is the road surface. I've noticed it happens when there are ruts in the the road surface and it only happens at slow speeds.

 

search for tramlining. much useful info in those threads.

 

I've had this a few times, it's not tramlining as I've gotten used to that, it seems to happen when braking lightly at slow speeds 10-15 mph. I think it's the power assist steering kicking in too fast. That said it has never been as bad as you say. Dose anyone know what the speeds are for the power assist?

 

All speeds. Even zero mph.

 

Don't buy that it's got to be at least pogressive or at high speeds you would be all over the place. Most cars switch there power assist off after a set speed is reached as you only need it for low speeds.

 

Thanks for the replies. I tested this in an eneven parking lot and it does seem to be tramlining. I have never experienced this before.

Now to figure out this shakey steering wheel issue.

 

yes it is.

 

If it's not due to road contour, then the only other thing that could cause this is your brakes are pulling. Is this pulling always to the same side?

(ie. one brake moves more feely and grabs first or more rust on one of the brake rotors from little use of the car)

 

NO IT ISN'T. Happens on total flat tarmac Zoom44
MyRxBad it's not brakes either, Thats what I thought it was to start with but you can't get it to do it again even going back to the same bit of road, So that rules out tramlining, which I get on one on ramp every day.
I would say it's happened maybe 4 times in 6 Months.

 

Decided to bring this thread back from the dead to tell about my lovely encounter!
I experienced the same issue the original post here indicated. Now I've had my car for a couple years so I know how it should feel and it wasn't right. My wheel would also move left and right and seem to favor the right side of the road. I jacked my car up to check the wheel bearings and saw something interesting behind my front driver-side wheel. The lock nut for the toe adjustment was LOOSE! So I just tightened it and drove it around and my "shaking" steering wheel was gone! I'll have to take it up to the dealer to have them realign it (hopefully its a warrantied job)

 

This issue is cause by suspension geometry. Most call it bump steer, but it can happen without hitting a bump. Most of you probably just have an alignment issue. People do not get their cars aligned as often as they should. Some could have worn components (tie rod ends, ball joints, etc). Some of you could have hit something throwing it all out of whack. Reguardless the car should not perform this way and needs to be checked by a good front end tech. Have them check and measure everything and the problem will show up.

 

yeah... I thought I already had my alignment performed when I purchased my BF Goodrich G-Force tires, but after I noticed that the nut was loose I went up to the dealer and they told me that they would have only performed the alignment if I requested it (even though it would have been free, but who would pass that up). So of course they checked their records and I didn't have it done. With all the pot-holes that are around my city I try to receive an alignment once a year.
I agree with RxJaye, most of use who experience shaking steering wheels should look at an alignment and/or balance related issue. I did have my wheel weight broken in half and hanging after a pot-hole which probably contributed to the loose nut.

 

Power steering torque sensor intermediate harness failure.