Steering Problem - Please help!!

[vic4]

I have a 2007 A3 2.0TDI 170 SLine Quattro.
I was in an accident in November it was a slight knock on the front right around the wheel arch area. Most of the damage was cosmetic.
Ever since I got it back the steering doesn't feel the same. It's really heavy when doing things like 3 point turns and when I turn left it feels like something tightens up and it sticks on something. When I turn right it is fine.

The insurance "recommended" repairer were rubbish when I queried it and at one point they tried saying it might have been down to the power steering fluid, even though my car doesn't have it, so this didn't leave me much faith in them.

So I took it to Audi and it didn't bring up any faults on the computer, he did a quick inspection of the undercarriage and then he took it out for a quick test drive and said it drove fine, but it definitely doesn't feel like it did before the accident.

I've had this car for over 2 years and drive the same route every day. I know exactly how it handled on certain corners before and it doesn't handle the same now. I have been driving it for 3 months since the accident and it definitely is not right.

I had 4 brand new Bridgestones put on in December they have correct psi and the car has had a four wheel alignment. The parts they listed they had changed due to the accident were as following:

1 x R/F WING 8P0 821 106F
1 x R/DOOR MOULDING 8P3 8P3 853 954D GRU
1 x R/F SHOCK ABSORBER 1T0 413 031DC
1 x R/F WHEELHOUSE COVER 8P0 821 172G
1 x R/F WHEEL BEARING HSG 1K0 407 256AA
1 x R/F WHEEL HUB/BRG 1K0 498 621

Can anyone please help as I am at my wits end with this. It's bad enough to make me want to sell the car!

[Mike Foster]

Is there a chance you need to reset the steering assist and steering angle sensor with VCDS ?

Just a thought because I have just fitted mfsw and I had the same symptoms until I reset steering angle sensor and steering assist.

Maybe if they disconnected the battery during repairs they did not reset everything ??

[phil miller]

try this to reset the steering angle sensor mate
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/VW_Golf_(1K)_Steering_Assist

hope it helps mate

[fourringsrus]

And maybe try moving the wheel from the front to the rear in case the rim is damaged, it might show something up.
I would also say that as you had little faith in the original repairer you might want to have the steering rack and accompanying joints etc examined
Good luck

Stuart


Did you say that your 2007 170 bhp quattro car does NOT have power steering ,or am I misunderstanding?

[Mike Foster]

Did you say that your 2007 170 bhp quattro car does NOT have power steering ,or am I misunderstanding?

I think he mean't his car didn't have power steering fluid

[vic4]

Thanks for your replies everyone!

The mechanic at Audi said that when he plugged it into the VCDS if any of the angles were incorrect it would show up as a fault... I saw him go into that section of the diagnostic system and he said that it said it was all fine.
I don't have access to anything like that to try anything myself and I wouldn't have a clue what I would be doing anyway.. :)

Stuart - It does have power steering but it's electromechanical one so it doesn't have power steering fluid.
That's why I went to Audi to get it checked as I'd had quite a few problems with original repairers not seeming to have a clue what they were talking about. (One guy from the repairers even told me they had changed the drive shaft...when they hadn't)
I also got an engineer out from the insurance to check it and he said it was fine as well.
They said I must have got too used to the courtesy car that I had been driving or that it's because the roads are so bad from the snow and ice but I refuse to believe either of those reasons. The roads were bad before the accident but it didn't drive like this.

When I was at Audi they did some sort of quick visual inspection when they had it up on the ramp, but said it all looked ok and then after driving it they said it was fine. I thought they would have found something since it wasn't something that could be attributed to being Audi's fault (for once).

One guy also said to check the steering rack fully it would pretty much involve taking that area of the car apart which would cost a fortune, is that right?



:confused: Do you think I should take it to an independent to be checked ..do you have any other ideas, this is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered.

Thanks again everyone! :)

Vickie