POLO pulling to left, not alignment?

[vw74]

Anyone had this experience ... POLO 77TSI DSG ... we've been driving for a month, all good EXCEPT car pulls to the left [on freeway clearly noticeable at 100kph cross a lane in 100m ca.]; I have asked and had a front wheel alignment set to norm AND still does it! I'm returning next week to dealer, as suggested in Plan B, to exchange wheels left-for-right. I'm thinking it's more than this ... any thoughts?

[Umai Naa!!]

On a perfectly flat road with the wheel alignment as per specifications, it is normal for the car to list to the left. It is to compensate for the camber of the road, and to help prevent you veering into oncoming traffic if you happen to fall asleep at the wheel.

From experiance, if it starts to become noticable after a distance of a few hundred metres, it's acceptable.

[FJ Steve]

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f128/why-you-cannot-do-wheel-alignment-6r-polo-61409.html

[brad]

What numbers did they set the alignment too (F+R) - do Polos still have the beam rear axle?

[vw74]

I understand what you're saying, but owning a GOLF V, a Mazda 2 and having driven for 35 years, I know this isn't simply, built-in orientation. It moves across a lane in no more than a 100m. Thanks anyway.

---------- Post added at 10:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 PM ----------

Can't answer either, dealer workshop just said 'set to norm' ... and that next time they'll try swapping wheels left to right. What's the beam rear axle to do with?

[RoknRob]

This was happening to me. The toe was adjusted (while getting serviced), and it is better but not perfect. Read the last posts in the thread FJ Steve linked to.

BTW, how much work is involved adjusting the toe? How much should I have been charged? Seemed expensive, but the shop was well recommended so I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

[Umai Naa!!]

It's not just the time it takes to physically adjust your alignment they charge you for. There's also the setup time, and on some machines can take a good half an hour, plus some places will factor into the bill their investment in the equipment. Some wheel alignment setups are a good $30,000+, and that's not including the 4-post hoist.

[brad]

VW74: Beam axle isn't really adjustable without doing major mods.

RoknRob
A good place with good equipment & a knowledgeable operator will cost you.
IIRC, the last alignment I paid for in 2005 was $145 but that included front & rear camber & toe adjustments. The guy used what most would consider to be a crappy old mechanical Relin machine that required you to swap the car around to do the rear. Personally, I love them because they don't go out of calibration unless you drive into the heads & are easy to check & adjust but I was happy to pay it because the guy is one of the best in Sydney & has been doing alignments for 50 years. He taught me when I was on the tools.

Front toe check & adjustment will be 30 minutes work (tops) - call it $75 inc machine time.

Umai: Yes, there's a significant capital investment in a good setup.

30 minutes to setup is outrageous though. If it's taking more than 10 minutes to setup including tyre pressure check & suspension check then either the operator needs training or the machine is overly complicated.

I had a light aligner, which probably wouldn't be good enough these days. In an 8.5 hour day I'd average 15 alignments. My boss expected me to do between 80-100 alignments in a 5.5 day week and it was pretty normal to get beyond 100.

[noone]

I'd take it to someone who knows what they are doing.
An alignment isn't supposed to be 'true', its supposed to work on the road.

[vw74]

Heh, this is starting to sound TOO COMPLICATED ... I'm beginning to wonder what's a solution, but for sure it isn't correct. This is a new car $26000+ and it definitely pulls uncomfortably and unsafely across a lane within 100+ metres ... can it be?! I'll see what the dealer comes up with. Thanks everyone.

[RoknRob]

RoknRob
A good place with good equipment & a knowledgeable operator will cost you.
IIRC, the last alignment I paid for in 2005 was $145 but that included front & rear camber & toe adjustments. The guy used what most would consider to be a crappy old mechanical Relin machine that required you to swap the car around to do the rear. Personally, I love them because they don't go out of calibration unless you drive into the heads & are easy to check & adjust but I was happy to pay it because the guy is one of the best in Sydney & has been doing alignments for 50 years. He taught me when I was on the tools.

Front toe check & adjustment will be 30 minutes work (tops) - call it $75 inc machine time.

Thanks, brad, that's what I expected, but was charged about 50% more. Hard to argue when you don't know what to expect, though. Live and learn.


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[brad]

Heh, this is starting to sound TOO COMPLICATED ... I'm beginning to wonder what's a solution, but for sure it isn't correct. This is a new car $26000+ and it definitely pulls uncomfortably and unsafely across a lane within 100+ metres ... can it be?! I'll see what the dealer comes up with. Thanks everyone.

It isn't complicated - I was the worlds worst motor mechanic but I found getting a vehicle to track straight with minimal tyre wear quite logical. From my experience, dealers aren't alignment specialists & tend to follow what the book says. If your dealer was any good, they would have road tested the vehicle after the alignment & tried swapping the front tyres without even discussing the issue with you.

There are a couple of good alignment places up in BNE. Try Fulcrum.

[pologti18t]

Don't rely on your dealer to fix this. Spend your own $$ and take it to a proper alignment joint.
Personally, I think you should do this for any new car you purchase. First thing you do is get it aligned properly by an independent aligner.

[Azzamataz]

Hi guys

I have first hand experience on this issue. Had a brand new 2012 77tsi dsg, and the car pulled severely to the left.

Most of the comments so far have no relevance, as someone already posted a link to a thread about alignment. This car cannot have a wheel alignment. You can only make toe adjustments. I found this after taking it to a friend who owned a very high end wheel and alignment shop. He had equipment to align and the contracts for Porsche, Audi and merc.

Took the car back to the dealer, and they had the car for 3 days. In the end I got back a car that was better, but no where near perfect. It is quite disappointing they cannot build a car that can drive straight. I had a 2011 tsi manual and it was perfect to drive.

Their explanation was that the rear wheels were actually pointing left. As you cannot fix the alignment, they had to adjust toe, camber, and some other underbody work. I am not a mechanic and can't really explain it well.

The car over the lat 3000km feels to be progressively worse.

[ATYPIC]

Their explanation was that the rear wheels were actually pointing left

For real?? Sorry but I cannot comprehend this.