AegeanTypeS

Not sure if this is just the way they drive, or if something is wrong with mine, but my 2003 TL-S is quite difficult to keep in a straight line. It seems to float or wander all over the road. It is 100% bone stock.
Anyone else have this problem?

P.S. Tire pressue is 33 lbs at all 4 corners.

randomwalk101

alignment?

ABDomega

Yeah you might need a front end re-alignment. Is your steering wheel cocked when driving straight. That is a tell-tale sign but there are others. You might want to get it checked out. My '99 TL is straight as an arrow on the highway.

Raheel

Yes you need a Wheel Allignment.. If your under warranty take it to the dealer. if not take it to a mechanic.. This is not a serious problem but if its a 2003 Brand New Car I DONT EXPECT LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPENING..

AegeanTypeS

I already had it 4-whl aligned.
It drives straight, but it floats so it needs constant correction.
Any street, any surface, any weather.

Any other ideas?

medic

tires?

baggsTLS

No problems here w/my '03. Can you describe FLOAT a little better?? What do you mean you drive straight, but float all over the road??

AK_MOBBER

my 99 is pretty darn straight. You may need to get your wheels re-balanced as sometimes the weights fall off that could be your problem.

AegeanTypeS

Feels like a 74 Catalina on the highway.
But it drives perfectly straight as long as my hand it on the wheel to correct the "swaying" motion.

It's weird. My wife even asked me about it and she only drove it once.

I have taken it to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Starting to irritate me though.

stiletto

I seriously suspect that it might be the roads you are driving on. I was miffed by the same experience and have come to realize that the TL-s is prone to transmit slight angles, bumps, ripples, and general road imperfections to the driver.

On many roads, my stearing is pointing straight ahead, the car is going straight but i have to excert the slightest of pressure on the wheel to keep it in that line. I noticed that usuallt (most likely) the road I am experiencing this on is at an angle, just a couple of degrees, causing the vehicle to drift to the side.

The precision of the car is amazing... to the point that, yes, being so unforgiving it could appear to be anoying. Being where you are from, I suspect you notice this more because of the long straight stretches of road you must drive...

Again, I could be way off the mark here, your car could be requiering alignment...

Oh, just a note: I thought the max for stock rubber was 32 psi under a full load on your car. Over inflation might be the cause of your dilema. try putting 31 psi, specially if you run mostly unloaded in the car.

baggsTLS

hmmmm, maybe you have a disconnected/broken sway bar, or strut, or a spring is not seated correctly.

Have you driven another TLS on the same section of road/highway to determine if it is just the car in general and not necessary your car specifically???

what were you driving before that is making you notice this sooo much?

medic

stiletto, roads are normally angled slightly so water doesn't sit on the roadway and will move to the sides. usually, there is a gentle slope to the right. this can cause the car to drift to the right

stiletto

I am assuming that on a three lane highway the center lane will be slightly slopped to either side (left and right), the left lane is sloped to the left and the right to the right...? If that is so, this explains why I am feeling what AegeanTypeS is feeling. The roads I travel here in Florida, contrary to No. Cal. are straight and flat. I also travel at quite a high rate of speed. Most of my driving is done on a three lane highway averaging speeds of 80+ MPH. And the pavement is far from perfect in surface and in level.

Our car is very precise in its tracking and behavior. This particular syptom is very annoying when it rears its ugly head, but I have determined it to be because of the road. The car appears to be going slightly from side to side but everything (alignment, stearing, suspention, etc...) checks out fine. It is more noticable the higher the PSI in the tires is.

The feeling is as if the car is gently sliding to one side and the stearing has to be corrected, but when one does so, since the wheels were really straight, one overcompensates and now the car is actually sliding to the oposite side. It is very subtle and hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.

I would also consider factors such as:

PSI (you'd be amazed at what a couple of PSI difference from wheel to wheel can do )
Wind condition on the road you are traveling (our car is a brick in the wind, afterall)

Oh, yeah... and of course this is my warpped opinion and no one elses.....

Madgreek

just a question out of the blue

what if you get some rims that are really wide, would you still have this problem???

eggbert

What I'd ask is what was your last car?

I asked the same question here when I switched to the TLS. Got the same answers. Finally, "that's the way it is."

I came from a Integra GS-R that felt like it was riding on railroad tracks.
The TLS is a boat compared to that. My girlfriend's RAV4's steering is a lot more like what you'd expect. Point the car and it'll stay straight until you touch the wheel.

My suggestions:
- Use sport shift and wind it out a bit. I'm not sure, but when the engine is kept revving higher, it sure makes the car feel tighter.
- (I'm not saying drive faster....) but when the car is above 80mph on the highway, things start to feel right.


I don't think I have any alignment problems, etc. I have conversed with a few others who wished their steering was tighter. Others don't mind. I think that's the way it is.

_

AegeanTypeS

Yes, you are all understanding my situation now.

Eggbert, I had a 2000 F-150 4x4 Ext cab w/ 20" wheels. Now that thing found every track in the road. But I figured my TL-S would be more forgiving...I figured wrong.

The reason the car feels tighter with higher revs is caused by the torque-sensing steering in the Type-S model. The P model has speed sensitve steering instead.

Thanks for all the feedback. It's nice to see I'm not the only one. I will check my tire pressue again...my Michelins say 32 max PSI...I think.