I have a 1995 VW Golf GL with the 2.0 litre engine and 5 speed manual. If it matters, it was builtin Mexico for sale in Canada. It has power steering, but I do not know what kind of mechanism it is (rack and pinion?).
I noticed something just a couple of days ago. The steering wheel has spokes that used to be at 9 and 3 when the car was travelling straight, but sometime in the past I don’t know when they have drifted counter clockwise so that when I drive straight the spokes are near 8 and 2. I bought the car 3 years ago and I think the spokes were horizontal then. It must have been a gradual change.
Is this normal wear? Does it indicate a problem with any parts of the suspension / steering? I do not notice any pulling or speed wobbles from 0 to 100km/h+, but the spring thaw here brings hellacious potholes in the road. If it’s not a mechanical problem, how do I get the steering wheel back to it’s “factory” alignment? I’ve worked on parts of this car before (spark plugs – yeesh) and though I would think it would involve removing the steering wheel, turning it a bit, and sticking it back on, I am worried ze germans made it more complex.
Thank you for your time and answers.
You need to take your car in for a wheel alignment. No, the steering whhel doesn’t need to come off. It may be out of adjustment because of worn parts or just coming out of whack from falling into too many potholes or hitting too many curbs.
Sounds like the car needs the alignment checked.
Couple times I have taken cars in for front end alignment check. Afterward I would notice the steering wheel hadn’t been put back on where it was straight while driving straight. I would have to take it back for them to reset the steering wheel.
Also see the same thing when the car is out of alignment.
Agree, they don’t take off the steering wheel… they should make sure it is straight when they have the alignment straight… sometimes they don’t.
In case you are curious, it is the toe adjustment that causes that
To check for correct steering wheel placement, turn the car from left lock (100% full turn) to right lock. Note the position of the top center of the steering wheel. It should be roughly equivalent–e.g., if it ends up at 2:00 on the right, it should be at about 10:00 on the left. Another way to state this is that it should take the same number of turns (e.g. 1.5 or 1.75) from dead center (12:00) to full right as from dead center to full left.
Since your wheel used to point straight ahead, it’s a pretty sure bet that the steering wheel position is okay, and the problem is in the steering linkage, suspension, alignment, or tires. Various faults in any of these areas can cause the symptom you described. Taking it in for alignment makes sense, as it should include checking all of the above–it’s necessary to make sure there are no significantly worn or damaged steering or suspension parts before making alignment adjustments.
Alignment, toe adjustment, lock-lock comparaison. Check!
Thank you for your answers, everyone.
$%^(# potholes. :mad: