Calling all new T6s - is your steering wheel straight?!

[Jabberwocky]

My steering is a bit wonky too! Has been since new.
Don't have any odd tyre wear and seems to make little or no difference when driving on either the left or right hand side of the road. Used to annoy me to start with (especially as we have a Skoda Yeti that drives as straight as an arrow - so VW group know the solution!) bt given up worrying - more important things to think about and get on with. (That's not to excuse VW)

 

[Brian’s Dad]

Hi adjustments are covered up to 6 months 6000 miles.

Thanks I've booked it in - it's not the end of the world but it would be nice to have it running straight!

 

[Theodora]

Hi Everyone

I have been pondering if I should ask about this or not but I thought what the hell...

Our new Ocean has come with the steering wheel not being straight compared to when the vehicle is travelling in a straight line. It's more like 2 or 3 minutes past (so slightly to the right).

Usually I'd have just put this down to either camber on the road or a minor factory thing and just got it tracked from a local alignment place. HOWEVER, the loan T6 TSI (was brand new when we got it) also had exactly the same steering wheel alignment issue.

So now I'm wondering if there is an issue at the factory with their alignment jig?

Anyone else had a new T6 in the recent crop had a steering whee alignment issue?

Thanks

 

[Theodora]

Hi,
I've had the same problem on our new California Beach (picked-up 1st March). I took it back to an approved service centre and the technician looked and tested it and said it was within tolerance. Even went for a test-run with me and just said it was the camber of the road. He said if I was driving in France it would turn the other way.

But when I've been on a road with a corresponding opposite camber, all that happens is that the steering-wheel is correctly positioned (i.e. looks/feels horizontal) and certainly isn't biased the other way. This confirms that it is slightly out.

Based on yours and others comments here, I'm going to take it back. It's annoying and a bit distracting. I thought I'd just live with it, but why after only having it a few months?

Thanks for prompting me to get it looked at again.

 

[Wondering Star]

Hi,
I've had the same problem on our new California Beach (picked-up 1st March). I took it back to an approved service centre and the technician looked and tested it and said it was within tolerance. Even went for a test-run with me and just said it was the camber of the road. He said if I was driving in France it would turn the other way.

But when I've been on a road with a corresponding opposite camber, all that happens is that the steering-wheel is correctly positioned (i.e. looks/feels horizontal) and certainly isn't biased the other way. This confirms that it is slightly out.

Based on yours and others comments here, I'm going to take it back. It's annoying and a bit distracting. I thought I'd just live with it, but why after only having it a few months?

Thanks for prompting me to get it looked at again.

 

[Wondering Star]

I also have a 2019 Beach collected last month and my steering wheel is slightly out of alignment when travelling straight.
Its not a camber issue, most vehicles via to the near side if the steering wheel is released the vehicle follows the roads natural drainage camber.
My wheel is not straight when holding under normal driving, if I straighten the wheel to dead ahead the vehicle is very slightly driving to the lefthandside.
To counter act this you have to hold the wheel off centre.
I did have the 30mm lowering kit fitted prior to delivery and wondered if alignment had been reset correctly.
Vehicle is booked in to be inspected, will let you know the outcome.

 

[Luigi1]

I also have a 2019 Beach collected last month and my steering wheel is slightly out of alignment when travelling straight.
Its not a camber issue, most vehicles via to the near side if the steering wheel is released the vehicle follows the roads natural drainage camber.
My wheel is not straight when holding under normal driving, if I straighten the wheel to dead ahead the vehicle is very slightly driving to the lefthandside.
To counter act this you have to hold the wheel off centre.
I did have the 30mm lowering kit fitted prior to delivery and wondered if alignment had been reset correctly.
Vehicle is booked in to be inspected, will let you know the outcome.

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Mine is slightly off as well, has been since we had it.

 

[Luigi1]

Just got new Cali, 230 miles in I have noticed the above issue, steering wheel slightly to right of centre to keep van straight. If you move wheel to centre position it drifts to left.
Did anyone get a definitive answer?
It’s in to VW next week for a check but got the road camber spiel when first queried with dealership

 

[pjm-84]

Seems to be a theme here. As the Cali is a high vehicle with weight in the roof then the camber of the road can affect it. My Mini was less affected by camber, my Landrover is more so.

I've had this recently following lowering and had it adjusted 3x by an independent. The last it was out by 0.3mm. If I drive on the other side of the road then the opposite affect occurs.

 

[Wondering Star]

Just got new Cali, 230 miles in I have noticed the above issue, steering wheel slightly to right of centre to keep van straight. If you move wheel to centre position it drifts to left.
Did anyone get a definitive answer?
It’s in to VW next week for a check but got the road camber spiel when first queried with dealership

I am booked in to Robinsons VW on 7th August to be inspected.
Having spent 30 plus years in the trade I'm looking for a qualified explanation why this is affecting these vehicles.
The normal route is if a customer complains of a fault which has no known available rectification then feed back is passed to the manufacturer to collate and instruct a repair or modification, it is not acceptable to have a steering wheel off centre.
The fact it's only slight makes it even more annoying, try driving 300 miles down a French motorway for hours with the wheel off centre it's no fun, and remember this is a 50k plus vehicle.
It is also not acceptable to be told its within specification, how many other vehicle have you driven with this fault, answer none!
I've arranged my appointment for me to demonstrate the fault with the technician, I plan to drive with the vehicle dead straight on a straight
road and watch his/ her reaction as we via to the kerb!
As a number of owners seem to be having a similar problem on 19 registered vehicles it may be a factory issue?
In my opion its definatly not a camber issue and shouldn't be confused as such, all vehicle follow road camber( slight incline on roads to allow water run off) this is purely incorrect alignment to top dead centre of steering wheel.
So on the 7th I have the pleasure of hours in a VW dealership, a day off work (self employed) and a three hour drive.
Hopefully I will not be treated like an idiot.
I will keep you informed

 

[Wondering Star]

This fault is not camber if you drive on the opposite side of the road- not recommended in the UK it would still via to the left, reason because the wheels aren't straight when the steering wheel is!

 

[B J G]

I am booked in to Robinsons VW on 7th August to be inspected.
Having spent 30 plus years in the trade I'm looking for a qualified explanation why this is affecting these vehicles.
The normal route is if a customer complains of a fault which has no known available rectification then feed back is passed to the manufacturer to collate and instruct a repair or modification, it is not acceptable to have a steering wheel off centre.
The fact it's only slight makes it even more annoying, try driving 300 miles down a French motorway for hours with the wheel off centre it's no fun, and remember this is a 50k plus vehicle.
It is also not acceptable to be told its within specification, how many other vehicle have you driven with this fault, answer none!
I've arranged my appointment for me to demonstrate the fault with the technician, I plan to drive with the vehicle dead straight on a straight
road and watch his/ her reaction as we via to the kerb!
As a number of owners seem to be having a similar problem on 19 registered vehicles it may be a factory issue?
In my opion its definatly not a camber issue and shouldn't be confused as such, all vehicle follow road camber( slight incline on roads to allow water run off) this is purely incorrect alignment to top dead centre of steering wheel.
So on the 7th I have the pleasure of hours in a VW dealership, a day off work (self employed) and a three hour drive.
Hopefully I will not be treated like an idiot.
I will keep you informed

Robinson's P'boro? if yes that's the Dealer that told me that the rear isn't adjustable!

I got mine sorted finally at a Stamford Independent garage. Drives like a dream now in UK and France.

 

[pjm-84]

Oddly mine is different. If I drive on the other side of the road my steering is the other way due to the camber of the road.

As such the camber of the road affects my steering. It does it on all my cars. Less so on the Mini JCW (which I no longer have)

Camber and Super elevation

The road surface is not normally level across its width but is built with a slope to assist drainage. The slope across the road will affect your steering.

www.iam-bristol.org.uk

Sorry only thing I could find.

 

[Legin]

Drive down the crown of the road then the camber is neutral. I always do this when centring my steering. Four things affect the pulling. Road camber, unequal castor side to side, unequal camber side to side, tyre (mainly from wear due to toe). The tricky one and often missed one is the castor.

 

[VW Guru]

I am booked in to Robinsons VW on 7th August to be inspected.
Having spent 30 plus years in the trade I'm looking for a qualified explanation why this is affecting these vehicles.
The normal route is if a customer complains of a fault which has no known available rectification then feed back is passed to the manufacturer to collate and instruct a repair or modification, it is not acceptable to have a steering wheel off centre.
The fact it's only slight makes it even more annoying, try driving 300 miles down a French motorway for hours with the wheel off centre it's no fun, and remember this is a 50k plus vehicle.
It is also not acceptable to be told its within specification, how many other vehicle have you driven with this fault, answer none!
I've arranged my appointment for me to demonstrate the fault with the technician, I plan to drive with the vehicle dead straight on a straight
road and watch his/ her reaction as we via to the kerb!
As a number of owners seem to be having a similar problem on 19 registered vehicles it may be a factory issue?
In my opion its definatly not a camber issue and shouldn't be confused as such, all vehicle follow road camber( slight incline on roads to allow water run off) this is purely incorrect alignment to top dead centre of steering wheel.
So on the 7th I have the pleasure of hours in a VW dealership, a day off work (self employed) and a three hour drive.
Hopefully I will not be treated like an idiot.
I will keep you informed

Hi @Wondering Star just to give you a heads up on what has happened in the past with the geo issue. This has been reported many times by many different dealers to vw and they have produced a technical bulletin for us which is what is quoted to most people by the dealers “ it’s due to the camber of the road” at that point as far as vw are concerned that’s the end of it. From a warranty point of view adjustments for example geometry issues are only accepted up to 6months or 6000miles which ever comes first. According to the workshop manual the steering wheel is in an acceptable position if it is within 5 degrees either side of 0. The issue raised is not only for the Cali it’s the whole T5 and T6 model range. One of the biggest issues I have found is that people carrying out the geometry checks are not checking that the steering wheel is straight to the steering rack. There is no master spline on the column or a center mark so 9 out of ten times the wheel is not inline with the center of the rack the geometry is carried out to the center of a miss aligned steering wheel which means when the rack centers the road wheels are pointing in the wrong direction and off you go that way. I would make sure that after your dealer has checked the tyre pressures etc then you ask them to check The steering wheel alignment to the rack before proceeding with a geo. This can be checked by removing the lower column gaiter between the rack and lower column under the vehicle and aligning two arrows at the point of the arrows being aligned the steering wheel should be dead level if it’s not then it needs to be moved to the correct position before carrying out a geo. I appreciate you have been in the trade along time and that what I have said is a bit simplified but I thought this may help others out to.

 

[Wondering Star]

Thanks for the information that's very interesting.
I'm assuming the steering geometry is correct.
The vehicle does not pull and does not unduly tram or follow road camber whilst holding the steering wheel.
It's purely when driving in a straight line the wheel is not, if it were straight it would feel perfectly normal.
In the thirty years in the trade working for a number of manufactures I've never experienced any thing like this unless steering geometry is in need of correction. Surely VW would not produce this effect from new?
I dont want to give the impression that this is a major concern, it's just irritating and not what you would expect from German engineering.

 

[B J G]

Drive down the crown of the road then the camber is neutral. I always do this when centring my steering. Four things affect the pulling. Road camber, unequal castor side to side, unequal camber side to side, tyre (mainly from wear due to toe). The tricky one and often missed one is the castor.

Camber and castor aren't adjustable unless body/chassis mods are carried out on a transporter.

 

[Legin]

Camber and castor aren't adjustable unless body/chassis mods are carried out on a transporter.

Not on my X3 front either but that doesnt mean they are correct. On my X3 they are within tolerance but still someway apart. So wrong really. I
Im purely stating what causes the pulling not whats involved in correcting it.
Tighter manufacturing tolerances and value engineering mean alignment can be permanently a poor compromise vs what used to be possible.

 

[pjm-84]

Gravity/weight causes the issue. To compensate for this you steer slightly up the slope.

 

[bloomers100]

I have noticed this on mine too, I have a theory: The steering wheel is straight but the instrument binnacle behind it is slightly asymmetrical, therefore giving the appearance or illusion that the steering wheel is turned slightly to the right. have a look and see what you think. Put the steering wheel where you think it is straight from the driving seat then look from a wider perspective, you maybe be trying to line it up with the instrument binnacle. trouble is once this is 'seen' it cannot be 'unseen' prompting you to sell your van.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

After being told by my local dealer/supplier that " the rear axle isn't adjustable" I went elsewhere.
It took a few different (more expense) sources to get it just right. I found that the alignment data used by the Independent garages differed to the VW data sheet settings. VW had less toe in front and rear. A return visit visit to a local garage (very helpful) with the VW figures and an accurate setup has resulted in much lighter steering, more foot off the accelerator and needing to brake on downhill sections where none was necessary previously. Camber effect is there but only as would be expected.

I did find that some only adjust to within the tolerances which isn't what is being paid for. Old adage about the equipment only being as good as the operator applies.

The rear is just as important as the front in relation to settings.

I went thru a similar process to yourself..... My OCD took over in the end.... Multiple garages, until they "got it right!" Only to then find, on my next tyre change the tyre wear was uneven, it had been even tyre wear when the steering wheel felt a smidge off.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

I suspect it gets "knocked" off during transportation from the factory, and not corrected during the PDI.

 

[B J G]

I suspect it gets "knocked" off during transportation from the factory, and not corrected during the PDI.

I would doubt that it's part of the PDI.

 

[B J G]

I went thru a similar process to yourself..... My OCD took over in the end.... Multiple garages, until they "got it right!" Only to then find, on my next tyre change the tyre wear was uneven, it had been even tyre wear when the steering wheel felt a smidge off.

Only thing that was consistent with the different wheel alignment checks is that the left and right front and rear axles have different camber angles left to right which have no adjustment.

Main benefit now is that I don't get an aching hand/wrist after a few hours 'holding' the steering wheel straight.

My OCD bit still demands a tyre check for feathering on a regular basis.