New day new fault ESP this time!

Oldspanners

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The joys of motoring just thought I'd have a few fault free days but driving along the ESP fault visit workshop comes up.
1 fault which doesn't show up on my basic code reader but seems to reset with engine off but reappears on start up.
The car needs to have its alignment done after changing a bottom arm and the steering wheel is well off centre, I'm wondering if the steering sensor sees this as a problem.
I really don't have a clue about this any help greatly appreciated.
 

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I'm surprised the steering wheel is well off centre just from changing an arm. It's not unusual for it to be a little off but it shouldn't be a lot.
 
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I'm surprised the steering wheel is well off centre just from changing an arm. It's not unusual for it to be a little off but it shouldn't be a lot.
At a guess about 10 degrees off to the left, I'm hoping the steering angle sees the car turning left constantly when running straight ahead and is reporting this to the ESP. Looks too much of a coincidence after changing the arm, I'm going to book it in for an alignment tomorrow.
 

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That's a lot of variation!
10 degrees is the threshold for steering angle sensor calibration.
 

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I bet you used a non genuine arm, they can differ in length slightly, so the steering angle sensor is out. Need a geo now, however may never be right with the non Oe part fitted. It may cost you more by fitting s cheap part.
See this quite often, a genuine part generally won’t need the geo doing.
 

Neil C1

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Just reading this and I bet that is my problem with my esp and I was going to buy a new steering sensor
Neil
 

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this happened to me, and when i changed the same arm on the other side it pulled things back to normal . the steering wheel went back to central.
 
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I bet you used a non genuine arm, they can differ in length slightly, so the steering angle sensor is out. Need a geo now, however may never be right with the non Oe part fitted. It may cost you more by fitting s cheap part.
See this quite often, a genuine part generally won’t need the geo doing.
The part is a Metzger.
 
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Oldspanners

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this happened to me, and when i changed the same arm on the other side it pulled things back to normal . the steering wheel went back to central.
Looks like a good option. I was thinking about changing the other one as it looks original too.
 

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Looks like a good option. I was thinking about changing the other one as it looks original too.
You'll still need the alignment doing. It'll be straight because it's out by the same amount both sides, effectively out by twice as much as now!
 
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You'll still need the alignment doing. It'll be straight because it's out by the same amount both sides, effectively out by twice as much as now!
Thanks, I'll be getting it done anyway as the last thing I need is to scrub off a set of tyres.
 

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do these aligning places supply the camber bolts or would i need 4 from mb ?
 

LostKiwi

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do these aligning places supply the camber bolts or would i need 4 from mb ?
You'll probably need to get them from MB. Someone like Wheels in Motion may have them in stock but most places won't.
A 129 has them all fitted as standard!
 

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You will definitely need bolts as the camber will be out, you need full geo doing and not just tracking. Unfortunately cheap is not always better in the long run, some are ok, some are not. Send it back, fit an Oe and save on the opposite arm, tracking and bolts?
 
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this happened to me, and when i changed the same arm on the other side it pulled things back to normal . the steering wheel went back to central.
Did you need to reset the ESP warning or did it reset after the steering returned to normal?
The "malfunction" doesn't show on my code reader.
 

LostKiwi

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Did you need to reset the ESP warning or did it reset after the steering returned to normal?
The "malfunction" doesn't show on my code reader.
Unless your code reader is a specialised MB one it won't.
 
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Unless your code reader is a specialised MB one it won't.
Will the fault reset automatically or will I need another reader to reset it after the suspension is setup properly?
 


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