BLACURATL

On long sweeping off-ramps, my steering wheel twitches like it is grabbing, then letting go of traction. It did it badly with the old tires. Now that I put new tires on, I didn't notice it but recently seems to be coming back. It's not torque steer, but just when I'm coasting around a fast sweeping curve... but not too fast.
Anyone else experience this, and if so, do you know what the problem is?
Please advise...

Will Y.

Sounds like a wheel just out of balance or an alignment problem.
The TL is sensitive to proper wheel balancing, and basically requires use of a Hunter Roadforce machine for balancing- was that done when you got the new tires? If not, get the tires balanced on a Hunter Roadforce machine- most Acura dealers and lots of larger tire chain stores have them if your tire installer doesn't. Maybe the installer has an affiliate it can refer so you don't have to pay for a re-balance.

BLACURATL

Thanks... They replaced my Conti EL 42s for the second time... at 40K miles. Even though they said they were "new" and improved EL42s, I am skeptical... But they are a new set aof tires which were Hunter balanced.
Thanks for the insight.

csmeance

theres the problem the EL 42's. Go buy urself another set of tires, pirelli, khumo, etc. The EL 42s was one of the worst decisions acura made.

alexdjr82

I may be wrong, but what you may be feeling is the car adjusting for oversteer / understeer. I believe our VSA helps to adjust for this. My steering wheel will become almost loose feeling at times around on / off ramps. Then it will feel normal again. It will do this several times around the turn. Anyone else have any other thoughts on this? I know what I'm feeling is not a result of the tires loosing then regaining grip.

BLACURATL

You know...you may be onto something...It almost feels like a correction technique... The other day I was sitting at a light ready to make a U-turn. I was completely stopped with the wheel turned to the left, not quite all the way. While I sat there, not moving, it would twitch about 1/2 inch or so, then go back. It was almost like someone was outside the car turning my tire to the left and I was feeling it in the car... very strange.

csmeance

i noticed that in my tl today too while getting of the highway on a 240 degree curve. I feels like the car is fighting you, wanting to go straight instead of going into the curve.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Folks....I autocross and trust me...I take turns FAST and HARD....never felt what you are talking about. The car understeers in the worst problem....and I feel nothing during this.

csmeance

here is how it happens:
1. going straight on a road, no problems
2. start into a curve and the wheels turns effortlessly
3. in the curve the wheel wants to turn in the oppsite direction fighting the driver

also remember, i have my orignal falkens at 26k now, so they'll be done at about 30k (4/32nd of an inch left)

some suggestions that i have come up with might be low power steering fluid, bad power steering pump, bad powersteering oil (moisture inside). also maybe some loose bolts or nuts on the suspension/axel?

EternaLlx

Are the roads smooth where you had those twitching experiences? or was there a bit of the road that had a small area that was unleveled with the rest of the road? kinda like the water marks/lines on ice; wat you see at a river that froze up.

Will Y.

It is very strange, and troubling!
I understand steering self-centering, but what you're describing isn't that, VSA operating or tire problem if the car is stationary. Csmeance is on the right track; see the dealer if steering fluid isn't the issue.

RyCar540i

Test drove a certified 2005 TL today with 34,000 miles fitted with new BF Goodrich g-Force Sport summer performance tires. I experienced the same twitching while on a 270 degree curved on-ramp. I would have it on track with the curve and then the car would twitch off line and I would have to bring it back in line. This happend throughout the entire curve. The car drove great otherwise.

csmeance

the ramp was perfectly smooth, but it did have a slight bank to it. Today while driving, i felt it while going around local curves too. The roads are level and are smooth in my subdivision where it has some curves.

mike03a3

Reach over and turn the VSA off and see if it has any effect. It shouldn't, but at least rule it out.

Desert_TL

I bet it's your shitty EL-42s

csmeance

Tired VSA off and it is still twitching. VSA doesn't kick in anyway as i have kept an eye on my gauges. But still i tried it off and it still twitches. I am guessing that it is a bad power steering pump.

ding069

my car does this as well. i am a full a-spec with toyo t1r's and the comptech RSB. it def has something to do with understeer. i dont drive my car with VSA off, maybe i should try and see what happens.

imo, it makes the TL feel unstable. i have read that the RSB tightens the car in rear and lets the frame flex less than normal. this results in decreased frame flex and results in easier weight shift between the two front tires.

it makes sense to me, i dont know if it is true or not. however, the TL without the RSB is like driving an old buick.

csmeance

I have the RSB and it does twitch, i will take it to the stealership in about 2 weeks when i will need new tires. (had a PSI of 9 in the rears in the morning because they are bald)

Adobeman

A wild ass theory:

Is your car an AT ? Are you on the throttle in the turn ? I'm just wondering if it is something to do with the AT torque converter/tranny interaction or if at low RPM (if coasting in an AT) the PS pressure may be lower and cause the rack to be reacting to the wheels pushing back. The PS rack wants to move to a target based on steering wheel position and if pushed off of the target by cornering forces it will push back or "hunt" Hunting would be feel like twitching.

I have an MT and generally select a gear that keeps the RPMS up in a sweeping turn and never feel what you are talking about. So some of the differences are no torque converter, an LSD and my PS pressure could be higher since I have the RPMs up.

Again, just a WAG on my part.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

^^excellent theory...he should test it out! Good thoughts! Not convinced thats what it is....but thats an excellent place to start!! May find the problem there.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I've had this happen to and I don't let off the throttle in the curve. The day I installed the RSB I had something really weird happen. I was taking a 270 degree cloverleaf on an incline and my front tires lost grip?! The front of my car start sliding of the road. I had to give the brakes a good hit to cause the rear end to swing around to line my car back up right to finish out the turn. I was like WTF? I'm hoping it's just the tires on the car. I'm in MN so they put on the Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 as stock. I constantly feel like these tires are slipping when cornering. I hope it's them causing the slippage as well as the wheel jerking in the fast curves.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Oh god...yes...those Michelins are terrible about that. Thats one of the reasons I went with A-Spec rims ASAP cause the car understeered so badly. In autocross...it still has that problem...but you can counter some of it with braking techniques....but its still a factor BIG TIME. Hoping that with the added power of the supercharger it will be able to help it a bit combined with a good sticky autocross tire...but yes....understeer is a HUGE problem! Its partly the portly weight of the car honestly.