Wheel alignment / pulling to the left

[yellowmitch]

Hi there.

I have done my mg4 wheel alignment 5 or 6 times in an effort to try and stop it drifting to the left when I let go of the wheel (even on roads with no camber or on the wrong side of the road)

I am a motor vehicle lecturer with an almost new hunter Hawkeye elite wheel alignment machine that has had no abuse and has gave perfect results on every other car.

No matter how many times I tweak my mg4 (and it's just that. Tweaking) it still seems to drift to the left.

No adverse tyre wear or feathering or anything like that.

Everything seems perfect. It just wants to drift to the left

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Hi.
Was the car new to you?
No risk of it having been in an accident?

Plenty of different issues discussed on here but I've not personally seen the problem you're having.

 

[fnegroni]

Can you post a printout of the results?

 

[yellowmitch]

Brand spanking new. First one in Ireland. Saw it coming off the lorry. Never damaged. Never even hit a kerb.

Tyres all wearing perfectly even and probably better than any car I've ever had before.

Measured wheelbase on each side and it appears identical.

Measured ride height and all 4 corners identical.

Done the wheel alignment maybe 5 times.

Even paid someone else with a corghi machine to do it once just to totally rule out my machine.

Checked the alignment data with mg and with hunter and know it's right.

Car still drifts to the left.

Can't work it out

Can you post a printout of the results?

Possibly. Hold on to see if I have a pic on my phone

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Only guessing here after all you have checked......

Some possible software issue with the EPS (Power Steering) causing a drag to the left?

I imagine there must be an electrical impulse to move the motor left and right so a tiny rogue impulse causing the slight left sided deviation?

Just thinking out loud. (Not touched a drop)

 

[fnegroni]

Hi there.

I have done my mg4 wheel alignment 5 or 6 times in an effort to try and stop it drifting to the left when I let go of the wheel (even on roads with no camber or on the wrong side of the road)

I am a motor vehicle lecturer with an almost new hunter Hawkeye elite wheel alignment machine that has had no abuse and has gave perfect results on every other car.

No matter how many times I tweak my mg4 (and it's just that. Tweaking) it still seems to drift to the left.

No adverse tyre wear or feathering or anything like that.

Everything seems perfect. It just wants to drift to the left

Did you check for tyre wear?
If you let go of the steering wheel, Is it turning left or is it moving left but heading straight?
If the latter, the rear toe might be out

 

[Kithmo]

Two things to try.
1) Swap the front tyres over left to right and see if it drifts the other way, then do the same with the rears. If this doesn't change anything it's not the tyres.
2) Do a reset on the power steering. Disconnect the 12v with the wheels straight ahead then reconnect and turn the steering to full lock each way.

 

[Archev]

Two things to try.
1) Swap the front tyres over left to right and see if it drifts the other way, then do the same with the rears. If this doesn't change anything it's not the tyres.
2) Do a reset on the power steering. Disconnect the 12v with the wheels straight ahead then reconnect and turn the steering to full lock each way.

Aye but make sure they’re not directional all-season tyres (which will have arrows showing direction of rotation on them) or swap back afterwards. The grip is quite compromised especially in rain, snow or ice if the wrong way round.

 

[Ian Key]

Only guessing here after all you have checked......

Some possible software issue with the EPS (Power Steering) causing a drag to the left?

I imagine there must be an electrical impulse to move the motor left and right so a tiny rogue impulse causing the slight left sided deviation?

Just thinking out loud. (Not touched a drop)

Adding to @Bricktop X PWR out loud thinking.

Are the left-hand brakes dragging?
Feel the wheels with the back of your hand to see if one side is warmer than the other.

 

[yellowmitch]

I think this is the correct pic for the front. Rear was similarly good

 

[yellowmitch]

Did you check for tyre wear?
If you let go of the steering wheel, Is it turning left or is it moving left but heading straight?
If the latter, the rear toe might be out

It drifts to the left more than turns to the left.

It's very hard to get the rear toe bang on.

I got it absolutely perfect on the lift with everything centred and a zero thrust angle.

Then you go and drive it and put it back on and when the car has settled it might bit be EXACTLY where you put it.

It was however or is however always well inside the green area. And hence within tolerance.

The tyres are still the original continentals and hence not directional.

I'd like to rotate them, even from a wear point of view

But I don't know how to relearn the tpms so as they show in the correct location on the dash.

 

[Kithmo]

Aye but make sure they’re not directional all-season tyres (which will have arrows showing direction of rotation on them) or swap back afterwards. The grip is quite compromised especially in rain, snow or ice if the wrong way round.

I meant swapping on a temporary basis just for the purpose of checking the drift. They would have to be put back to where they were anyhow due to the restrictive TPMS system.

 

[fnegroni]

I think a bent or defective component might be the culprit: I had the same issue on a car which I kerbed once and in that case a rear toe adjustment was all that was needed. Are you sure the car hasn't suffered any damage?

 

[fnegroni]

I think this is the correct pic for the front. Rear was similarly good

A picture of the rear toe would be more useful though.

 

[andyvee]

swapping on a temporary basis just for the purpose of checking the drift

Its not unheard of for it to be excessive bias on the tyres

My e2008 always seemed to drift excessively with the camber of the road to the left. Peugeot did a full alignment including heights etc, and I had it checked independently on a Hunter rig and whar Peugeot did was spot on.
Then I swapped all 4 tyres (due to normal wear at 35k) and the problem went away.
The other thing to check is that the rack is centred (you get the same number of degrees steering at each full lock), track rod adjustments on each side are even, and that the steering angle sensor reads 0 at straight ahead as well

 

[melvinolotus]

Hi there.

I have done my mg4 wheel alignment 5 or 6 times in an effort to try and stop it drifting to the left when I let go of the wheel (even on roads with no camber or on the wrong side of the road)

I am a motor vehicle lecturer with an almost new hunter Hawkeye elite wheel alignment machine that has had no abuse and has gave perfect results on every other car.

No matter how many times I tweak my mg4 (and it's just that. Tweaking) it still seems to drift to the left.

No adverse tyre wear or feathering or anything like that.

Everything seems perfect. It just wants to drift to the left

I had exactly the same problem, MG4 SE, no tyre wear difference, lasted 6 weeks and cured itself, I think it might have been an electric issue on the power steering, or software perhaps, hope yours cures itself because it’s annoying.

 

[Ian Key]

I had exactly the same problem, MG4 SE, no tyre wear difference, lasted 6 weeks and cured itself, I think it might have been an electric issue on the power steering, or software perhaps, hope yours cures itself because it’s annoying.

That's an interesting thought.
If it is an issue with the power steering calibration perhaps by disconnecting the 12V battery for a couple of minutes before reconnecting and turning the steering wheel lock to lock it might fix the problem.
And yes you'll have to fully open and close the windows to recalibrate them and drive the car to reset all the warning lights that appear.

 

[Moped]

Experiencing the same issue. Tyres changed to all season ones, had a wheel alignment done. The fitter actually did a good alignment, but when I keep the steering wheel straight, the car goes left. Need to manually hold it at some 10° to the right in order to go straight. Can't imagine this is actually the wheels, but the steering. Resolution known?

 

[siteguru]

Get the fitter to redo the alignment - there's absolutely no reason for them to not align the wheels to result in a straight steering wheel; it just can be a bit more hassle so they try to fob people off if they don't get it right first time.

 

[Rolfe]

No reason for this. I had all-seasons tyres fitted last year and if I take my hands off the wheel the car runs straight.