renault 19
- Thread starter djinn
- Start date
B
breezer
yes, stop SHOUTING
D
david and julie
Perhaps you are cornering to slow?
D&J would know this better than I, but it sounds to me as if one possibility is that your steering is all out of skew.
Have you (or anyone else who drives the car) clipped a kerb or even smacked one? Do you drive over a lot of potholes or speedhumps (at anything more than about 5mph)
If you have the wrong camber and/or caster on a wheel, then it loses it's tendency to want to straighten up and when steered in one direction it will want to steer more (i.e. it is unstable)
The camber and caster could be messed up through even a minor collision with something stationary. Perhaps try looking at the car, when parked on a flat surface, with the front wheels facing straight ahead. They should both tilt in a tiny bit towards the top, and both face exactly ahead. Then try turning the steering all the way to the left, have a look at both wheels (or even better take a digital picture). Now turn the wheel all the way to the right and compare. Look for any oddness (i.e. if when turning right the right wheel seems to be tilted in comparison to the left wheel when turning left).
There are other possibilities too, but I think this is a good first check.
Have you (or anyone else who drives the car) clipped a kerb or even smacked one? Do you drive over a lot of potholes or speedhumps (at anything more than about 5mph)
If you have the wrong camber and/or caster on a wheel, then it loses it's tendency to want to straighten up and when steered in one direction it will want to steer more (i.e. it is unstable)
The camber and caster could be messed up through even a minor collision with something stationary. Perhaps try looking at the car, when parked on a flat surface, with the front wheels facing straight ahead. They should both tilt in a tiny bit towards the top, and both face exactly ahead. Then try turning the steering all the way to the left, have a look at both wheels (or even better take a digital picture). Now turn the wheel all the way to the right and compare. Look for any oddness (i.e. if when turning right the right wheel seems to be tilted in comparison to the left wheel when turning left).
There are other possibilities too, but I think this is a good first check.
D
david and julie
I would also have the tracking checked, whilst you are there ask them to check the rack, ball joint's and track rod ends for any signs of seizure.
I presume your car as power steering, what happens is you turn the steering wheel and one of the above is really tight. When it doe's move, it tend's to do as you describe. On cars without power, the steering would have gone heavy by now. the power tends to mask these problems.
Bit like a tight nut and bolt, you can't move them then all at once they go.
(and bash your hands too!)
I presume your car as power steering, what happens is you turn the steering wheel and one of the above is really tight. When it doe's move, it tend's to do as you describe. On cars without power, the steering would have gone heavy by now. the power tends to mask these problems.
Bit like a tight nut and bolt, you can't move them then all at once they go.
(and bash your hands too!)
Hmmm, just remembered, I used to drive a Renault 25 on occasion. It was getting on a bit and the power steering would sometimes cut in and out abruptly. You would be turning a corner, steering would feel very heavy then WHAM the power steering would cut in and you would find yourself heading towards the inside kerb. Even at speeds where you wouldn't expect power steering to operate.
Dunno if this is a common Renault problem.
Dunno if this is a common Renault problem.