When I got my new RL I noticed the steering wheel was off a few degrees to the right, so I took it in to get fixed and it is now off to the right. I do have the wood wheel and the fit of the airbag in the center is not exactly correct either - it is raised on one side.

They did a reallignment and rotated the tires and the wheel is still off a few degrees to the right. They told me the wheel can only go on one way in regards to it being straight?

Any advice or comments - it drives me crazy driving down the interstate with the wheel slightly to the right!

They dealership tried to tell me it was the slope of the road that was causing this!!

Any comments, suggestions or advice?

 

Roads DO have a "crown" but that means you would steer into the crown to keep going straight (slightly is what I've noticed). At any rate, to check that, go to the other lane and see if the slant of the steering wheel changes (to the other direction - assuming a 4 lane highway here with 2 on your side).

To my way of thinking, most likely answer is they didn't have the steering wheel straight when doing the alignment...if the steering wheel is "cocked" when you align the car, then it will always be cocked because the steering wheel things its pointing straight.

Could be that the steering wheel IS keyed (only fits on one way), but aligning the car with the steering wheel pointing straight forward would be MY preference for a "fix".

 

How the sterring whel 'goes on' is not relavent to whether it's centered properly or not. Although it IS possible that the slope of a road might affect how centered the steering wheel is at that time, if it's not centered when driving on a truly flat road, it can be fixed as per the information below.

Assuming your car is alligned properly, the centering of your steering wheel (how straight it is when driving straight) is controlled by the tire-rod ends. The technician only needs to adjust the tie rods the same number of turns in the same direction to get it centered properly. If done correctly, this will not affect the alignment because it doesn't alter the way tires are running down the road. Of course, they should double check the alignment settings to ensure they haven't messed it up by moving the tie rods, but as I said, if they do it correctly (it's not that hard), it will not affect anything other than centering your steering wheel.

 

Actually the 'centering' of the wheel is an issue.
you can have the car aligned straight but the wheel can be off center.
When I had mine changed out for the upgrade, I watched the tech, and they DO take the time to mark the center on the spindle, and center the wheel to that mark.
The wheel does rest on a tooth spindle, it is possible to be off by a tooth or more than one.

 

I had this problem on another vehicle years back. Went round and round with alignments and steering wheel adjustments. Ended up being due to a bent front strut and frame. Found out that the car I bought with 50miles on it had been in an accident that was not properly fixed at that time.

Chrysler did foot the $1000+ bill for the work, which included time at a collision center getting the frame straightened out.

 

I just had the "wood" steering wheel installed and now my wheel is slightly to the left when driving straight. I haven't taken it to the dealers yet for a fix. I know that some of you , in this forum, have installed the steering wheel yourselves and could probably answer as to why and how this occurence is prevelent.

 

Yes, but even if the steering wheel is mounted somewhat incorrectly on the steering wheel spline (up to a point of course), the steering wheel can be recentered by adjusting the tie rod ends as I described in my earlier post.

I'm not saying they shouldn't try to get the steering wheel on the spline straight -- they absolutely should. But minor recentering may still be needed and that can be accomplished via tie rod adjustments without a problem regarding the alignment or performance.

 

Folks - thanks for all of the replies - I am interested to learn more and the tie rod solution is very interesting. I am just disapointed in the dealer that they cannot get this fixed - it has been in 3 times.....

 

If my original wheel was straight and the new one is off center then adjusting the cars geometry is NOT a solution that I would allow. It almost makes as much sense as asking the transit authority to put a curve in all roads so that my steering wheel would "appear" straight.
BTW the car should have the same turning radius when turning counter-clock as it does when turning clockwise and I also have a prerequisite of my rear wheels being in the same lane as the front wheels when travelling in a straight line.

 

I understand your concern but what I'm sugggesting with the tie rod end adjustment will in no way affect your cars' "geometry". A few degrees of off center (hopefully less than a spline tooth on the steering wheel shaft) is easily fixed with this method. This is not a radical concept I'm talking about. It's simply how it's done.

Since we're only talking about a very minor adjustment, commenting about the turning radius in both directions being the same or that your rear wheels are in the same lane as the fronts is , well...silly.

I apologize that I'm not describing it effectively to be understood properly. If I was explaining it well, you'd not have these concerns.

 

Thank you for the information, I was not aware that the adjustment between splines was done using this method.

 

And thanks for listening and getting past my weak explanation. I love this forum!

 

The steering wheel is off-center because the guy who installed the wood wheel at your dealership replaced the wheel without doing an alignment afterwards. It is common to end up with the wheel off center after replacement so an alignment is needed to make it straight again. Every alignment man knows how to keep the wheel on center when aligning a car - yes, you adjust the tie rods. Take it to a shop where they have the latest Hunter alignment machine and a good tech to run it - ask for an alignment and tell the tech about your wheel off-center problem, that should do it. Good luck.

 

One NOT so minor point...."adjusting" the tie rod ends *IS* messing with the geometry of the vehicle! This is how toe in/out is set.

In THEORY, if you move them both the same amount, you SHOULD be able to do what the OP sugggests. If you value your tires, I wouldn't take this gamble other than on an alignment machine. Believe me, a little bit off, can make a world of difference in toe setting. I've seen toe move just by tightening the jam nuts.

As always, YMMV, but that's my 2 cents.

And if you don't know who to believe, stop by your chosen alignment specialist and get their opinion.

 

During this discussion, my comments regarding centering the steering wheel via the tie rods, always assumed that it was being done by the alignment technician while maintaining (or adjusting as required) the alignment. I would never suggest that adjusting the tie rods without also checking/mainitaining alignment.

 

Let me explain it in even simpler terms. The tech locks the steering wheel in the straight position using a common tool that is wedged between the seat and the wheel. Then he proceeds with the alignment of the car so when he adjusts the tie rods the wheel does not move. In the end, the car is aligned and the steering wheel is perfectly straight.

 

Well said..Much easier than my attempts. :-)

 

As related to the original thread and reitterated during my previous post: if Acura install an Acura wood steering wheel as a direct replacement then why would any alignment change? I think that, at least in my case, the steering wheel needs to be rotated maybe 1 spline and it would be in the same relative position as the original wheel which was correctly installed in Japan.

 

As you can VERY well tell, that was NOT the impression I got. <g>

Sorry I didn't catch the meaning, but just in case someone else missed it, certainly should be clear now.

 

The alignment does not change, only the position of the steering wheel sometimes does because the tech installs the new one just one tooth off or more, or the teeth do not exactly coincide with the ones of the wheel he just removed. The teeth are not in the exact same position on all steering wheels even if they are made for the same car. Also, the alignment is done at the factory after the steering wheel has been installed, making sure the wheel is straight. Finally, if a tech does an alignment on your car without locking the wheel in the straight position, your current perfectly straight wheel will be pointing somewhere else after the alignment is done.

 

Are you suggesting that the engineering at Honda is so bad that they expect the dealer to pick up the tab for a re-alignment after you exchange a steering wheel? I think that we all know that the wheel was installed a tooth or two off from the original and that it comes under the heading of a sloppy installation.

 

Not at all! The center piece with the splines is a separate piece from the body of the steering wheel. It is attached to the wheel and as such it cannot be attached in the exact same position each time. Honda engineering is just fine and a realignment is called for when you replace parts like the steering wheel or the front struts or other steering parts. It may or it may not have been a "sloppy installation" - my guess is that they were hoping to get lucky and avoid the necessary alignment after the switch.

 

I reinstallled my wood wheel, thinking that I had missed a tine. I instead discovered that the tine pattern was very slightly off from the stock wheel I had removed, since no amount of repositioning would eliminate the misalignment. I will eventually visit the alignment shop to correct it, but I will probably just live with the 2-3 degree offset for the time being-it's such a small amount, and I have no negotiation rooom with the installer (unless I lose the argument with myself!). :-)

 

So it DOES seem that Honda engineering is inadequate. It is going to cost them a re-alignment - it would have been much cheaper to manufacture the alternate steering wheel correctly so that the expense of the alignment is avoided.
BTW - For this class of car, it seems as if they should only offer the wood steering wheel. The RL is noted for its lack of options so this one seems a really weird piece of marketing. (The same goes for the wheels - why do they use blah wheels and offer real ones as an option? It would have helped their cause if they had only offered the 18' sport wheels).

 

Why Acura Rl Is Not Selling Well??

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

well, maybe we have the right answer...
I would like to spend some words about the fall of selling of the Acura RL.
If we look at the situations of the more strong cars brands on the market, we can see that each brand has similar positions in the model line:
Audi A4, BMW3, Mercedes C, Lexus IS, Infinity G35, exe.
Audi A6, BMW5, Mercedes E, Lexus GS, Infinity M35, exe.
Audi A8, BMW7, Mercedes S, Lexus LS…
And the Acura?
The situation for the Acura is something different…
The Acura TSX is the entry sedan for Acura, but is not like an A4 or a BMW3, is more like the A3 and the BMW1 if we consider engine and optionals…
The Acura TL is always considered a concurrent of the BMW3, Audi A4 and Infinity G35.
But if we well consider the characteristics of this car we understand that she is something more than a BMW3, for example. She looks bigger, stronger and faster… In which category we can include such car? It’s more than a Audi A4 or an IS, but is less than a GS or an A6…
The TL is a model more like a sedan Audi “A5” or BMW “4” if they existed.
Nobody can deny in fact that from 3 years by on, there is NOT only one car for such a cheap price good as the TL. It’s amazingly cheap.
That’s the reason why the TL for two years on the row, together with the little sister TSX, is the best selling Acura on the market, and the best selling entry luxury sedan in USA…
And the RL?
Nobody denies that the new RL has a very solid stance, many optionals, a wonderful 3.5 engine and an all new SH-awd… and?
Well, sorry but for 52.000$, if we consider the Technological package, we have, for example, a Lexus GS 430 V8, at 53.500 we get an Audi A6 4.2 V8, at 47.000$ an Infinti M45…
V8, V8 and V8!! Only the BMW5 is more expensive than the RL.
Than, we understand that the problem for the RL is the price collocation on the market: she is too expensive for a V6, even considering the good that she has.
And she has, really.
But the simple question that people has, is: Why I have to spend 50.000$ for a V6 290 h.p?
Why such a big difference in price between two cars as the TL and the RL, that doesn’t belong as the IS and GS or the BMW3 and the BMW5 to two really different model categories?
I mean, the TL looks “more than” and the RL “less than”, and the difference between a 3.5 and a 3.2, is not the same as an IS350 and a GS450!
The only big difference between RL and TL is the SH-awd. Ok, it’s a great thing, and the electronic brake too, and the technological package… But everything else is the same: navi, electronical package, bi-xenon, climate control, sun-roof, and a stereo system ELS on the TL that is better than the Bose on the RL!!
The difference in price is: 49.000 – 33.500= 16.000$.
It’s crazy.
Look at the difference between the others models brands:
Audi A4 2.0 and Audi A6 3.2:
BMW3 3i and the BMW5 3i:
Lexus IS 250 and Lexus GS300:
Lexus, for example offer an AWD GS 300 at 45.000$. Yes, it’s 45 h.p. less, but for 5.000$ more I get a V8. And it’s the cost of the RL.
Between these two cars, RL and TL, there is the bigger difference in price, but they are more near in category that for the other brands…
When you look in the street an Audi A4 or A6, a Bmw3 or 5, you understand very well which is bigger and more expensive.
When you look at the TL and RL, yes, maybe you feel that the RL is something more, but you’ll choose the TL for the fantastic look and for the fantastic price you can get her for.
I’m sure that even if the TL would cost 38.000$ base MSRP I would buy it, because she is worthy of; the RL has too much good competitors for such an high price.
The cost of the RL has to be 44-45.000$ at least, nothing more.
You don’t feel the difference in cost of 16.000$ between TL and RL, but of 9-10.000$ maybe you would.
For Acura-Honda, the biggest problem at the moment is the loss of a real powerful V8, that belongs to the price categories over 50.000$... The right engine for the RL.
The first Honda V8 is expected somewhere in 2008 or 2009… I fear it will be too late for the RL, if Acura doesn’t find out a better base MSRP cost for the 2007.

 

 

I'm not sure I would indict Honda engineering because the wheel spline pattern is off by a bit between two different wheels (albeit ones that fit the same car). If there were no other way to adjust the alignment, I would agree with you, but that is not the case. It is only a problem for those of us that DIY our wheel-the dealer should be prepared to adjust the tie rod ends to compensate for a slight misalignment, making the problem transparent to the customer. The fact that some dealers don't do a proper alignment is a service department issue, not an engineering design one.

 

I'll take it one further -- As long as you're only doing tie rod ends (not caster or camber, just toe) you can do an alignment in your own garage with two pieces of straight 2X4 lumber and a tape measure -- it ain't rocket science.

I mean, really, you wouldn't WANT to, and certainly not on a brand-new $50K car, but I've actually done it before, back in the day.

Driving the car on the alignment rack and adjusting the tie rods to straighten a crooked steering wheel is so incredibly simple and basic that it's inexcusable, IMHO, to have the car leave the shop that way. I'd have marched it back in there and made them fix it, it shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes.

 

I work on replacing critically aligned parts and they are engineered correctly so as to not need a re-alignment. As previously stated: It would be cheaper for Acura to engineer the wheel to correct tolerances and not rely on the dealer to have to re-align the car.

 

I concur -- it should be right from the factory. But my point is, if the wheel goes on a car and it isn't straight, it should be simple enough to throw it on the rack and fix it before the customer ever sees it.

That's just plain old basic customer service, and you're talking about maybe 10 minutes of actual tech work to adjust the toe to straighten the wheel. That's inexcusable.

 

I disagree. The part is engineered correctly. If you look at a steering wheel you would understand that it would make no sense to build it in one piece - you must have steel available to cut precise and durable teeth into it and you certainly don't want to build the whole wheel of steel because it would weigh too much - other more exotic materials and ways of construction would be much more expensive and a waste of money. An alignment is such a minor thing. It is not even an alignment, it is just a few minutes of your time to restore the correct toe setting while keeping the wheel straight. If anyone is at fault is the service department at the dealership for cutting corners when they should know better.

 

It sounds like you are advocating the non critical manufacture with the subsequent alignment over the correctly engineered part? The spline is a steel collar inside the aluminum casting. If you can't put one inside the other with consistent tolerances then you should be working for GM not Honda. The average service dept. would take a hour to do the set-up. The car would have to be taken from the fitters bay to the alignment bay, two different people would be involved in inputing data from two different terminals etc. etc. It makes no sense not to make the wheel correctly in the first place.
Do you need your headlights re-aligned every time that you change a lamp? Obviously not - the lamp housing is keyed and slotted to avoid the additional unnecessary cost.