[arijitkanrar]

Originally Posted by zeng

What does the EPS calibration by ASC fixed exactly?

It may have fixed the vehicle 'handling' and steering wheel response during a turning/cornering, my hunch is the phenomena of:
a) vehicle pullling to left (with hands temporarily off the SW) and,
b) with hands holding tight, SW is off centre to the left whilst driving straight ahead are not fixed but behave exactly like OP's YT video above.

Care to clarify further, not trying to question your description and/or experience though?

CMIIMW.

The EPS is also responsible for centering the steering wheel after a turn.
For this it needs to know what is the center position. This is done by calibrating the EPS and telling it what are the extreme left and right positions of the steering wheel. By knowing the left and right, it can calculate the center position.
If the left and right positions are not provided properly, the calculation of the center will be off and the system wont center the wheel properly.
This is what happened in my case.
Recalibrating it properly ensured the system knows what the proper center is and fixed the problem.

[swamy_r34nismo]

I have started experiencing the exact same issue with my Figo for the past few days now. Thought it would be an alignment issue, The thread gave a lot more insights.

Can anyone give more details on the EPS calibration, how big of a process is it?

[AYP]

Originally Posted by SteeringWheel

Two reasons

1. Alignment
Did you get the alignment checked recently? When you hold the steering straight, it is veering to right, this may be alignment issue.

2. Steering sensor
Newer cars with electronic power steering and stability control have something called a steering position sensor which sometimes gets disturbed for reasons I'm unaware of. The EPS treats the new position as the centre and defaults to that position. In your case it is defaulting to the left. In such cases the EPS needs to be calibrated which can be done by the ASC by connecting their scanner to the OBD port. I'm currently facing the same issue in my Verna and I'll get it corrected when time permits. IN my case the car defaults to the left but when I keep the steering straight, it goes straight.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

From the video it looks like the car moves straight but the steering wheel is off center. I couldn't notice the car drifting towards the left.

If this is the case, alignment disturbed recently (pothole hit, etc) and get it checked before suspecting the steering components.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Ask the alignment shop guys to test drive the vehicle, I think they should figure it out easily. Once the alignment is corrected usually the steering wheel electronics will figure it out on its own.

Originally Posted by zeng

It appears to be an alignment issue.

More so if a wheel alignment check/adjustment was done during April tyre upgrade.

Care to upload the (latest) alignment printout?

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Looks like the wheel alignment of the car is out, get it checked.

Maybe because some Ford cars have pull drift compensation, the system is trying to compensate and causing the car veering to the other side.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Steering wheel got it spot on in his post. The most likely cause is something with the alignment or steering sensor.

Please note these are completely independent of each other, but must both be set up correctly. If it is an alignment issue the sensor might need re calibration as well, depending on what was wrong.

In fact on most modern cars with electric steering, resetting/re calibration of the sensor after alignment is part of the procedure and needs to be done no matter what.

So if you find a shop that can do the alignment make sure they also know how to reset/calibrate the sensor. Don’t let anybody tell you it’s not necessary or the electronics will figure it out themselves. It won’t.

There could be other reasons as well, but apart from checking tires and tire pressure, a full alignment check including the sensor is most likely to solve the issue. If you’re lucky the sensor just needs resetting. Very easy, but you need the right equipment.

Good luck
Jeroen

Originally Posted by arijitkanrar

We have a Figo and faced a similar problem recently.
As many have pointed out, its most likely a combination of the wheel alignment and steering position sensor.

Recently during routine service at the Ford ASC, the technician carried out EPS calibration. No that I asked for it, but they did it anyway. And as usual these guys are too cool to do the job properly.
The procedure calls for the steering to be rotated completely to one side and then to the other side. This way the EPS software learns what are the extreme limits of the rotation and what would be the center. If the technician misses turning the sterring wheel fully in either direction or both, the software has no way of knowing what would be the correct center position and can lead to this incorrect behaviour of the wheel.
This is exactly what happened. When I pointed out my SA said it'll sort itself out and the EPS will learn the new center. He asked me to drive for a few days and it'll be fine.
I went back and drove for about a day but didnt like it at all.
Went back to the ASC and asked them to do the calibration again. That fixed the problem.

And on the topic of wheel alignment, I make sure that I never get alignment done at the ASC. The machine at this particular ASC (JSP Ford, Kudlu gate, Bengaluru) is never properly calibrated. If my wheels are aligned at this center, the car always pulls left.
I went to a alignment center near my home and clicked a pic of the angles before they were corrected. You can see that both left and right wheels are incorrectly pointed by almost equal amounts to the right. This points to incorrect calibration or procedure at the Ford ASC.
Attachment 2485045

Since then I always refuse wheel alignment at the ASC. I get it done at the shop near my home which does a better job and costs slightly less compared to the ASC.

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Please get the alignment done from a reputed shop, and it will sort out the issue. I recommend Straight Line tyres, in Santa Cruz as they have a top of the line Hunter alignment machine, and are knowledgeable people.

Originally Posted by sidzz

I had the exact same problem in my XUV500 for a few days. It happens due to bad road conditions and usual wear and tear. I got steering centering done and problem resolved. The usual alignment workshops will not be able to do steering centering. You may have to visit a full fledged car workshop.

Originally Posted by maheshm619

I had the same issue in my Ford Freestyle. The steering sat slightly off center to the right and I drove like that for a couple of months. The car alignment was ok and the car held a straight line without much fuss. The fault was identified as improper mounting of steering lock during alignment. If the alignment shop mounts the steering lock, which sits between steering and seat improperly and off center, the final output would look like this.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

In simple words.

1. You have to get your wheel alignment done.
2. Then tell the ECU that you have done the alignment done and it can keep the steering wheel straight.

Originally Posted by swamy_r34nismo

I have started experiencing the exact same issue with my Figo for the past few days now. Thought it would be an alignment issue, The thread gave a lot more insights.

Can anyone give more details on the EPS calibration, how big of a process is it?

Hello everyone,

Back with an update. Took my time so as to ensure a proper feedback. I got the alignment done on the 3rd of August. I first went to Ford ASS and got the alignment done and then visited a local alignment guy called Bombay tyres which is one of the good tyre shops in Navi Mumbai.

https://g.co/kgs/E4njkC


1. Ford ASS-

After getting the alignment done, the steering came back to its normal position but I could still feel the car pulling to left. I asked the guy to do the alignment again and this time, I felt the car pulling more to the right. Was finally given an unofficial ultimatum that nothing more can be done. Ford missed giving me the alignment report and I missed taking it.

2. Bombay tyres Vashi-

Disgrunted, I went to this shop. They did the alignment by using John Bean alignment system. I was told by the technician that the alignment was fine and there might be an issue with the power steering(we went on a trial where he acknowledged the left pulling issue). I am not really convinced by the power steering theory. Attached is the alignment report-



To sum it up, the steering off centre issue has been resolved but the veering of the car to the sides still exists. What I have observed is, if I steer towards right and then keep the steering straight, the car goes a bit towards the right and when I steer towards left and then keep the steering straight, the car tends to go to the left hand side.

I drove my friend's Baleno and Ecosport, and my father's Jetta to observe if a similar thing exists with other cars and while I did notice this behaviour to be present but to a lesser extent than mine. I am not sure if this is a real issue or I am being too paranoid. I am leaving the links to 2 other videos which I captured after the original one. Would appreciate any feedback which you may have.

Thsi video was taken on the 3rd of August. Watch from 25s-35s mark and then from 1:35-1:55 mark-

https://youtu.be/SHihRbhm0jo

This video was taken yesterday. Right pulling is observed from the 20s-40s mark whereas the rest of the video shows left pull-

https://youtu.be/0_7tCT0GHuo

[zeng]

Originally Posted by AYP

Hello everyone,

Back with an update. Took my time so as to ensure a proper feedback. I got the alignment done on the 3rd of August. I first went to Ford ASS and got the alignment done and then visited a local alignment guy called Bombay tyres which is one of the good tyre shops in Navi Mumbai.

https://g.co/kgs/E4njkC


1. Ford ASS-

After getting the alignment done, the steering came back to its normal position but I could still feel the car pulling to left. I asked the guy to do the alignment again and this time, I felt the car pulling more to the right. Was finally given an unofficial ultimatum that nothing more can be done. Ford missed giving me the alignment report and I missed taking it.

2. Bombay tyres Vashi-

Disgrunted, I went to this shop. They did the alignment by using John Bean alignment system. I was told by the technician that the alignment was fine and there might be an issue with the power steering(we went on a trial where he acknowledged the left pulling issue). I am not really convinced by the power steering theory. Attached is the alignment report-

Attachment 2489469

To sum it up, the steering off centre issue has been resolved but the veering of the car to the sides still exists. What I have observed is, if I steer towards right and then keep the steering straight, the car goes a bit towards the right and when I steer towards left and then keep the steering straight, the car tends to go to the left hand side.

I drove my friend's Baleno and Ecosport, and my father's Jetta to observe if a similar thing exists with other cars and while I did notice this behaviour to be present but to a lesser extent than mine. I am not sure if this is a real issue or I am being too paranoid. I am leaving the links to 2 other videos which I captured after the original one. Would appreciate any feedback which you may have.

Thsi video was taken on the 3rd of August. Watch from 25s-35s mark and then from 1:35-1:55 mark-

https://Youtu.be/SHihRbhm0jo

This video was taken yesterday. Right pulling is observed from the 20s-40s mark whereas the rest of the video shows left pull-

https://Youtu.be/0_7tCT0GHuo

Does the veering left issue remains the same Before and After Bombay Tyres alignment?

Whislt driving straight ahead with both hands holding tight to the steering wheel, was the steering wheel off-centre to the right Before Bombay alignment?

After Bombay tyre alignment, while driving straight ahead with hands on the steering wheel it is pointing quite straight or point to left?

[AYP]

Originally Posted by zeng

Does the veering left issue remains the same Before and After Bombay Tyres alignment?

Yes.

Originally Posted by zeng

Whislt driving straight ahead with both hands holding tight to the steering wheel, was the steering wheel off-centre to the right Before Bombay alignment?

It was straight. Ford ASS took care of that issue.

Originally Posted by zeng

After Bombay tyre alignment, while driving straight ahead with hands on the steering wheel it is pointing quite straight or point to left?

It is straight.

[Jeroen]

Going by the report both left and front camber is still well off specification.

As I mentioned earlier you really ought to get the calibration of the steering checked. Alignment without resetting the steering sensors is a waste of time and effort in my opinion.

Good luck
Jeroen

[zeng]

Originally Posted by AYP

Yes.


It was straight. Ford ASS took care of that issue.


It is straight.

Thank you for feedback.

The Bombay Tyre alignment report does suggest vehicle pulling left (with hands off the steering wheel) propensity both Before and After although slightly off-centre steering wheel, if any is not detectable by you for now.

As all other alignment parameters aren't adjustable, you may need a pair of aftermarket front eccentric camber bolts (of 10 mm nominal diameter I guess) to tweak the front cambers to correct/rectify/overcome pulling left phenomenon.

May you elaborate further why you aren't convinced by power steering thing as being source of your predicament at the moment?

Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised solely calibrating steering angle sensor in itself may not resolve the pulling left phenomenon encountered imho.

[avinash1400]

Having visited three alignment centres in the past month, I have gained some basic knowledge related to car alignment issues. After seeing the veering left and right video, three things stood out to me:

1. The wheel alignment seems fine.

2. Steering sensor calibration is required (to be confirmed with ASS, as the new model cars have this necessity, as also pointed out in one of the comments above). A good number of videos are posted on YouTube that are actually helpful. The only hindrance is the availability of calibration equipment.

3. How are the tyres holding? Uneven weeping in one set of tyres also causes this sort of problem. You may swap tyres left or right and see if any improvement is noted. One guy did that with my car, and I noticed a slight improvement.

[motorguy]

I have had this issue on my 2016 Elite i20 for quite some time. The Hyundai ASC guys say that this is an inherent problem with i20 vehicles from 2014 to 2017. What they say is that it is a defect with the camber and is extremely difficult to adjust. They even told me they have done alignment for some units 15-16 times in a row without the problem getting resolved.
Now - here is my take on this and how I finally resolved it.
Few points:
1. Many of the alignment machines at the Hyundai ASC are not regularly calibrated resulting in wrong alignment values.
2. Even is the steering angle sensor is reset by the GDS (Hyundai software), since the alignment itself is faulty it will not resolve the problem completely.
3. If you do the alignment at a good place like Madhus in Bangalore who have the software to calibrate the software, there is a confusion on how to use the software - I had mentioned this to Nikhil and he said perhaps some amount of re-training is necessary by the supplier.
So - how did I resolve the problem (at Madhus)?
Here are the steps:
1. Do the alignment and ensure the steering is center aligned (they have a digital plumb rule which is set on the steering wheel to ensure the steering is dead centre).
2. After doing the alignment, connect their software to the OBD port. Select automatically run all tests and ensure no DTC errors.
3. Select the individual tests under EPS (Electronic Power Steering) and choose "Read Data Stream".
4. Select Steering Angle Sensor values and if the steering angle sensor is not at 0.0, turn the steering wheel to the right or left to ensure the reading is 0.0 (+-.6 either way is also ok but try to get it as close to 0.0) (This should be done while the engine is running otherwise you may not be able to turn the steering wheel to center the angle sensor).
5. Then go back individual test EPS (Electronic Power Steering) and select "Special Function" - under that there will a test called "ADSP Calibration" - this stands for Adaptive Steering Position calibration.
Note: depending on the diagnostic software used, this may also be named Steering Calibration.
6. Run the ADSP and turn off the ignition for 20 seconds. Then, turn it back on till the OBD connects to the software.
And - you are done.
Mistakes technicians make (have observed this):
1. They run the test Read Data Stream DURING the alignment - this should only be done post alignment. During alignment the plumb rule has to be set on the steering wheel to detect dead centre position.
2. Not checking the current steering angle position (i.e. not reading the Read Data Stream function).
2. Not running the ADSP module - if this is not run, nothing is updated in the steering angle sensor and nothing is fixed.
Just 1 week I did this correctly and I was amazed the steering is now perfectly centre (unless road camber is tilted of course).
Hope this helps.

[teja030]

Originally Posted by motorguy

I have had this issue on my 2016 Elite i20 for quite some time. The Hyundai ASC guys say that this is an inherent problem with i20 vehicles from 2014 to 2017. What they say is that it is a defect with the camber and is extremely difficult to adjust. They even told me they have done alignment for some units 15-16 times in a row without the problem getting resolved.
Now - here is my take on this and how I finally resolved it.

Hi, How is this plumb rule fixed on a Steering wheel? Is this something which is designed for Steering Wheels / Round / Circular Objects ? Could you please give us an illustration if you find it somewhere?

Highly appreciate efforts of Madhu’s in trying to maintain precision & accuracy in the job they perform !

[motorguy]

Originally Posted by teja030

Hi, How is this plumb rule fixed on a Steering wheel? Is this something which is designed for Steering Wheels / Round / Circular Objects ? Could you please give us an illustration if you find it somewhere?

Highly appreciate efforts of Madhu’s in trying to maintain precision & accuracy in the job they perform !

The plumb rule is just an instrument (similar to a carpenter's plumb rule) that is placed on the steering wheel and rests on the left and right spoke of the steering wheel and has a digital display that shows whether the steering is centered (0.0) or tilted (ex. 0.1 - meaning tilted to the right, or -0.1, tilted to the left).
The steering wheel is slightly turned until you get a readout of 0.0 and then the alignment procedure goes on.
This is being sold on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Steering-Wheel.../dp/B084FCX53P

[rev_to_redline]

This thread is a pure godsend.

I have completed 11K KMs on my Q5 and every drive left me scratching my head. Thought maybe it's an alignment issue. Got it done at several places but was never satisfied with the end result. Finally sent the car to Audi Gurugram and was still not satisifed. On repeat visit TD, technician told me that car will never return to dead centre by itself since it has EPS, and motor will keep the steering in place set by the driver. Unsatisfied with explanation, came back home, searched a little bit more and came across this thread.

Sharing the info found on this thread with the service advisor. Hope they have all the tools required to do wheel alignment and sensor calibration properly on next visit.

[Bsilver]

Originally Posted by rev_to_redline

This thread is a pure godsend.

On repeat visit TD, technician told me that car will never return to dead centre by itself since it has EPS, and motor will keep the steering in place set by the driver.

The return to center is not a thing of the EPS, it is due to the forces of the joints and the geometry of the suspension, which forces the wheels to get back to the straight position, EPS has nothing to do with returning to center, good working suspension, and a good alignment, will allow the wheels to come back to their center position. Tell them to calibrate the basic settings/test plan for the steering angle sensor through ODIS, and you will be fine, if at all other things are proper.

Happy Motoring!