Technical Steering/pulling to the left.....

[greyridertoo]

1.2 Dynamic '07 plates, just under 5000 miles and it's got a gentle steer to the left. Tyre pressures checked and rechecked at four different garages, always when cold, just in case. It pulls up in a straight line with no hauling to one side or the other and there's no brake squeal.
The first service print out list stated ever so slightly less tread on the N/S which should have alerted me, but I rarely drive the car and she who does hasn't complained - but then she once drove 20+ miles from work to home with a seized front caliper and never mentioned that either, other than to say she "thought" something was a "bit hot"! The smoke from the front end must have been a clue.....
Hold the wheel lightly on a straight run and you're having to pull it slightly to the right (tried on the MWay, dual carriageways and a few decent straight A roads and it's the same) let it slide through your hand and it'll park you on the hard shoulder, kerb, whatever, all on it's own, no problem
Yes, it's under warranty so we'll be giving them a call, but anyone experienced similar and know if it's a simple fix?

 

[PNL]

Car been curbed has it.. sound like the tracking might be out and its following the camber of the road ..

 

[greyridertoo]

Never curbed by me, but who knows what happens out there otherwise. Worth a try under warranty then or just go get the tracking checked?

 

[HP]

Hasn't got odd tyres on the front, has it? (thinking if one has been replaced, you do state it only has a few miles on though)

 

[ScoobyChris]

Something else to think about is that it may be the camber of the road causing the car to wander to the left ... if you're able to drive down the centre or other side of the road you can see if it still persists.

I know VAG cars all apparently pull to the left even when set up correcty but I can't say I've ever noticed it on any other marques so far...

Chris

 

[puffed out daddy]

welcome to the club
my 100 hp also pulls to the left, take your hands off the wheel at 30 mph and eventually it will end up on t pavement.
local fiat dealer wanted £69 to check tracking, much sucking of teeth, it,s not covered under warranty. i paid a lot less on a laser tracking jobbie and it,s within spec.
it,s spent a day at the fart dealer and no joy, yes it pulls to the left but were stumped ! they even put my tyres back in original position, they were rotated at 6000 miles, front to back etc, still no joy.
basically i have learnt to live with it.
ps...the front tyres are wearing evenly no scrubbing on inside, one of lifes mysteries...

 

[PNL]

Something else to think about is that it may be the camber of the road causing the car to wander to the left ... if you're able to drive down the centre or other side of the road you can see if it still persists.

I know VAG cars all apparently pull to the left even when set up correcty but I can't say I've ever noticed it on any other marques so far...

Chris

Stilo is a bitch for it Chris ..crap design suspension from fiat..

 

[greyridertoo]

Thanks for the suggestions. Original tyres from new and they're wearing evenly. I've tried the camber thing too, centre lane of the Mway doesn't have too much in the way of camber but it's a handy way of getting back to the inside, no need to steer <!> I'll get it checked by a tyre place and if the tracking's OK, off to get sneered at by Fiat, I've still got a wet driver side footwell to be looked at so just as well get it all done at the same time.

 

[nebrog23]

My VW golf does this,Would never buy VAG again, so many faults. Tyres wear evenly and its more then the camber of the road. Seems to be an inbuilt fault. Others have suggested getting subframe fadjusted but in the end learned to put up with it. Is annoying that you have to hold the steering wheel slightly to the right. As you mentioned if you hold it lightly the wheel centres but the car goes to the left. Maybe check the steering wheel aligned?? sounds like the suspension though

 

[chauspain]

welcome to the club
my 100 hp also pulls to the left, take your hands off the wheel at 30 mph and eventually it will end up on t pavement.
local fiat dealer wanted £69 to check tracking, much sucking of teeth, it,s not covered under warranty. i paid a lot less on a laser tracking jobbie and it,s within spec.
it,s spent a day at the fart dealer and no joy, yes it pulls to the left but were stumped ! they even put my tyres back in original position, they were rotated at 6000 miles, front to back etc, still no joy.
basically i have learnt to live with it.
ps...the front tyres are wearing evenly no scrubbing on inside, one of lifes mysteries...

Yep, mine is exactly the same, pulls to the left (ever so slightly but noticeably) but every time I check the tyres seem to be wearing very evenly.

 

[bobajob]

This might sound silly, but I wonder if the suspension is designed for the camber of a european road (driving on the opposite side) if that is the case then just swapping over the steering wheel from LHD to RHD would work for a UK car, but the car would wander slightly to the left as the camber to the left is going down and not up. Possible???

 

[greyridertoo]

That'll be the answer then! We moved down from the valleys to the big city a few weeks back. No hills here so now we're noticing the in built off set camber correction. Tuh [slaps forehead] obvious, innit I always said you can spot the valleys dwellers, one leg longer than the other to make it easier getting round on the hills.......

 

[100hpJames]

as suggested get the tracking checked, I had mine done at Fiat on the first panda under warranty, and the second panda for £30 (special price). Although I've just had new front tyres (uneven wear again) and had the tracking checked at brittania for way less than £30.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My lttle 4x4 has always had a tendency to do this too. I had the tracking checked and it was spot on. And the tyre pressures were always OK as well - I get obsessive about checking them.

I live in a town full of large roundabouts, and everyone here develops more tyre wear on the outside of the nearside, and inside of the offside tyres [read that carefully, but basically the left edge of each front tyre] from constant right turns round roundabouts. But now, with new tyres recently fitted (Vredstein Quatrac M+S, covered elsewhere) it runs dead straight (and no, the tracking wasn't altered).

So, either the Panda is very sensitive to the effects of uneven tyre wear (which plenty of you have reported here previously) -- tyres worn on the left edges only would tend to pull to the left because of the lightly smaller diameter on that side -- or the new tyres are just 'better' than those that came off...?

Pete

 

[greyridertoo]

Found a local place which looked as if they knew what they were about this morning (B.E.T.S). About ten minutes - or so it seemed to me - and the tracking is "spot on". £25 keerching! Off to Fiat next for a moan.

 

[S-X-I]

Do not trust local tyre places to carry out tracking on cars.

In my opinion to get it done right you need to go to garage that specialises in tracking. It might cost a bit more but it will be worth it in the end.

As for the 100HP owners noticing uneven wear, well the 100HP is set up with a little negative camber.

 

[greyridertoo]

Uhhhh...that's "local" as in about 15 minutes drive away rather than the other interpretation which some might take to mean an oily shed with a greasy pit. I only moved down here some six weeks back and haven't yet had to find a nearby business like this 'till now. B.E.T.S, take a look at their site if you've a fancy, www.betsservicecentres.co.uk

 

[S-X-I]

Uhhhh...that's "local" as in about 15 minutes drive away rather than the other interpretation which some might take to mean an oily shed with a greasy pit. I only moved down here some six weeks back and haven't yet had to find a nearby business like this 'till now. B.E.T.S, take a look at their site if you've a fancy, www.betsservicecentres.co.uk

Opps......never ment local as in close to home, should have said 'never trust a non specific garage'.

From past experience I've found that it you want it done right you need a dedicated specialist.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My little 4x4 ... with new tyres recently fitted (Vredstein Quatrac M+S, covered elsewhere) it runs dead straight...

Until, that was, driving home yesterday evening, when to avoid huge problems on the A1, came through the country lanes and punctured one of those new tyres :-( Pulled a lot to the right then! Now to source one Vredstein...