Car experts: Please help. Alignment issues

[tboy]

If I'm not mistaken, the 2006 5 Series has the steer by wire.

That could be complicated.

BMW dealerships vary in service quality. Take it to Toronto BMW (they are a company store) and ask to speak to the Service Manager. NOT the service advisor.

Tell him your story calmly and ask him if he could put one of his best guys on it. And that if they couldn't resolve it, would they take point on having it resolved through BMW Canada. Tell them that you are unhappy with your presnet dealer and that your lease is coming up for renewal and that you'd be grateful for their help.

Don't know what you meant by "steer by wire" but it does have electronically enhanced steering. What THAT means I dunno lol (maybe speed sensitive etc?).

I still say do the 'wrong side of the road' test and if the car tracks straight? Not a thing's wrong.....

 

[JohnHenry]

Steer by wire means that there is no direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.
The steering wheel turns a servo motor and a second servo motor electrically connected to the first, turns the pinion gear in the rack.

 

[tboy]

I agree with you. Didn't he say he already did that though?

Nope.....dat was me....

As for steering by wire,(like the F16) dont' think there are any vehicles on the road yet. The link:

says electronically enhanced.....

http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2006-bmw-550i/4505-10865_7-31731583.html

Just as I thought:

"Steer-By-Wire
The aim of steer-by-wire technology is to completely do away with as many mechanical components (steering shaft, column, gear reduction mechanism, etc.) as possible. Completely replacing conventional steering system with steer-by-wire holds several advantages, such as:

The absence of steering column simplifies the car interior design.
The absence of steering shaft, column and gear reduction mechanism allows much better space utilization in the engine compartment.
The steering mechanism can be designed and installed as a modular unit.
Without mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the road wheel, it is less likely that the impact of a frontal crash will force the steering wheel to intrude into the driver's survival space.
Steering system characteristics can easily and infinitely be adjusted to optimize the steering response and feel.
As of 2007 there are no production cars available that rely solely on steer-by-wire technology due to safety and reliability concerns, but this technology has been demonstrated in numerous concept cars."

Taken from the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering

 

[JohnHenry]

He might also measure the circumference of all of the tires and put the smallest on the left front. If the tires are unidirectional, then moving them around is a little more problematic.

 

[S.C. Joe]

Yep, around 30,000 miles-thats miles not km. Its still a little low but as soon as the threads over 50% gone-its about time to replace, IMO.

Now we don't switch to snow tires here. The road crews are pretty good spreading the salt everywhere. When I came to Toronto last Dec. I stopped at a freeway rest-gas station area. The place had snow ice everywhere, even the exit ramps had snow. Over here its salt everywhere.

We fly off the exit ramps if there was no salt

As for the dealer, the car doesn't go there unless its warranty problems mostly. Tires, its Pep Boys.

Dealers are a rip off. We had our BS with them. The dealer thinks by 100,000 miles your car is done with. We got 275,000 off a 1988 Delta 88 and just 175,000 off a 2000 Century. Both were still run OK when we got rid of them.

Have a 1992 Olds with 155,000 miles, its doing great but rusting away.

My "fun" car is going on 30 years old now. Mileage ??? Alot!

 

[tboy]

BMW calls it Active Steering ubt it is not true drive by wire. It is an electronically enhanced system but still has direct mechanical/hydraulic links.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/031112.htm

I especially miss my variable boost steering in my mid 80's celica....no real assist on the highway but lots for parking and slow speed turns....I find vehicles so equipped aren't so "twitchy" at highway speeds....

 

[S.C. Joe]

We used to laugh how the old cars were easier to drive drunk. You see a 30-40 year old car-even when new-had much more slop in the steering. You could move the wheel left and right a little and the car still went straight.

Today cars the steering is so tight, just a little move of the steering wheel and the car is switching lanes.

Whats better I drive both, each has its good points and bad but I do tend to like the loose steering more. Once you turn the wheel a good amount, the car moves over fast but you need not to keep the steering wheel dead straight all the time. But then on long drives the tight steering is OK since the car tends to go straight by itself

 

[landscaper]

make sure the tires are on correctly. Some tires are unidirectional, ie they are right and left handed one may be on the wrong side. It is possible for a mechanical error of some kind to not how up in an alignment,that would be unusuall enough for me to pay to see it. Get another BMW dealer to check the alignment take the tech out for a ride and show him the problem, there is a possiblility of the electrical assist to be out of wack, ie., it runns al little to the right when the car is moving that would be very tough to find.

 

[jsquig]

so when your steering wheel is striaght the car turns a bit? well thats easy just readjust the steering wheel over a bit geez....

 

[tboy]

We used to laugh how the old cars were easier to drive drunk. You see a 30-40 year old car-even when new-had much more slop in the steering. You could move the wheel left and right a little and the car still went straight.

Today cars the steering is so tight, just a little move of the steering wheel and the car is switching lanes.

Whats better I drive both, each has its good points and bad but I do tend to like the loose steering more. Once you turn the wheel a good amount, the car moves over fast but you need not to keep the steering wheel dead straight all the time. But then on long drives the tight steering is OK since the car tends to go straight by itself

Joe: next time you're under the hood take a look at the steering box (knuckle whatever) where the steering column transmits the rotational force of the column to the horizontal direction of the linkage. Most North American vehicles have a large screw, with a lock nut on top. Loosen the lock nut and tighten the screw a 1/2 turn. That play in your steering will be gone. If you back out the screw you can have as much as 1/4 - 1/2 turn of the wheel before having any effect on the direction of the wheels.

 

[S.C. Joe]

I know about that, my box is a rebuilt unit I put in a few years ago. Still those steering boxes are not as tight as rack and pinion.

Some people do replace their steering boxes to a rack and pinion unit. Less weight, tighter steering but its not cheap or easy to do. You need to weld and change much.

I never touched the nut, I would hope they rebuilt the box right. It seems fine, its just how those boxes are.

If the nut gets too tight, then the steering wheel won't spin back by itself after a turn.

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

I want to thank all the car nuts who posted in this thread. Great suggestions and sarcastic remarks. Only on the Internet is every problem questioned like you're a 12 year old idiot.

"Are you sure the car isn't simply upside down?"

"Are you sure you have a license to drive a BMW?"

"Are you sure it isn't your brain that's pulling you to the right?"

"I'm jealous you drive a BMW. Do you mind if I try and drive a hole through your ego so I can feel better about myself?"

Seriously though, thanks to those who are trying to help. Mao will return the favour in other threads.

 

[canucklehead]

check the over designed front end.... Audi often has the same issue... may be a control arm.

 

[canucklehead]

The reason i say this is my 2007 S8 had the same issue for a bit ... had the car aligned twice and went from Nokian WR to Nokian WRG2s to prove it was not the tires... ended up being a control arm.

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

The reason i say this is my 2007 S8 had the same issue for a bit ... had the car aligned twice and went from Nokian WR to Nokian WRG2s to prove it was not the tires... ended up being a control arm.

Interesting, thanks. Will check it out.

 

[james t kirk]

As previously stated before, all roads are crowned to the curb by 2%,

However, usually alignments compensate for this.

The 401 (Where it is 6 lanes wide) is NOT crowned however at the left shoulder, it's crowned between Lane No. 1 (the fast lane) and Lane No. 2.

To see if it's a crown issue, drive in the fast lane on the 401 at the top of Toronto and let go of your wheel.

If it still pulls to the right, you DEFINITELY have an alignment problem.