So as I am dropping off my 06 RL to the dealer . I ask him to take a look at the alignment and maybe the steering wheel because I feel a slight pull to the right. After having my car all day messing with the TPMS sensors / PAX issue I mentioned to you ealier. He states that he fixed the alignment. I get my car back and it's pulling even worse. I take her back and explain it must be the steering wheel. They rotated tires adjusted the steering wheel and he claims that it's a "radial pull". Since I purchased my rims and tires used and they came off a real wheel drive car. The dealer claimed that it will take a while for the tires tread pattern to match the AWD of the RL. Is this a line of BS or what ? I have taken my RL to Power Acura in Torrance. I am wondering if I should go to another dealer ? Will I have to pay them or should I be ok since the work was attempted and paid to the dealer ? Any input would greatly appreciated.

 

It could be radial pull from the tires but the only way to tell is rotate them to different spots on the car. Buying used tires is always a gamble since you dont really know if that car was well aligned and the pressure was kept in check. The dealer saying that the tires need to "wear in" with the AWD system is BS though lol.

 

Any suggestions on what I should say to the dealer to get them correct the issue with my steering wheel ? Thanks for your input.

 

I don't know if you have the "wood" steering wheel but the book states that when it is installed, it requires an alignment due to the splines not necessarily lining up with the old steering wheel. After mine was installed the steering wheel was not on center when going straight so it appeared as if I was always pulling in one direction. If the car, with "hands off" does not track straight then an alignment is required. If the amount of pull changes with velocity then the tire wear pattern could be an issue.

 

You know the no-hand trick, right? Drive the car straight, line her up then let go of the wheel. Does it track straight under even power? Line her up again, and try it with some accelleration. Do it again, and after you line her up, lift and coast. Finally, line it up again and brake firmly. Does she pull over to one side?

Oh, do this with your eyes open, fully clothed and without infants in the car.

 

When I installed my "wood" steering wheel, I used a sharpie to mark the center spline of the hub and put the new one on so the center splinje was...well...centered. Perfectly aligned and no wheel alingment necessary. There is no reason the steering wheel can't be put on perfectly centered. In fact, if the car is properly aligned and the steering wheel is off center, it can be moved back on center by realigning it on the splines. It may not be perfect, but it'll be pretty close.

LL

 

You should find someone with a GSP9700. This is a high end balancing machine which might cure your problems.

http://gsp9700.com/pub/features/StraightTrak.cfm


Chris

 

This is a stock steering wheel. He had his technicians adjust and test drive the car for the whole day. He claimed he would be able to better test the issue with the stock Pax tires on. There is an pull to the right regardless of what speed I am going. I recall feeling this pull when I had the stock PAX tires on. Any additional suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Any car that pulls to the right needs an alignment. What part of this does the dealership not understand? BTW how many miles did the dealership put on the car during the "whole day"?

 

I would say 15-20. I am not sure what to do. He is trying to blame it on the aftermarket wheels and tires. I am thinking about putting the pax tires back on and taking it back and then seeing what the next excuse will be. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Why not have the dealer try rotating the tires and seeing whether the pull is still there? If so, alignment is the problem and not the aftermarket tires/wheels.

Or get a second opinion from another dealer.

 

I would agree that another rotation might be in order before making a drastic change.

I just had my A1 service with a tire rotation. Afterwards I had a slight right pull that was not there before. The dealer had me bring it back in and rotation once again....problem solved.

In my case it has been over a year since my last service call. My RL has done a lot of sitting this past year and with 29K on the OEM Michelins, I suspect they have 'worn' a bit to cause that pull. Needless to say by rainy season, I will be shopping new tires.

Since you have aftermarket wheels I suspect you also went with a lower profile, higher performance tire? My experience with those configurations usually add more tedium and less intolerance to proper balancing and alignments.